Posted: August 3, 2005

Athletics: Whiting named USATF Athlete of the Week

In a week dominated by American junior and youth athletes, thrower Ryan Whiting (Harrisburg, Pa.) has been named USATF Athlete of the Week after winning two gold medals and setting a meet record at Pan Am Junior Championships in Windsor, Ontario.

With his gold medals in the shot put and discus, Whiting led the way for Team USA, which turned in the most dominant performance in Pan American Junior Championships history. Winning 57 medals over three days of competition, Team USA more than tripled the number won by runner-up Canada.

A Central Dauphin High School (Harrisburg, Pa.) graduate, Whiting got his Pan Am Junior experience going with a shot put gold in the first day of competition July 29, throwing a personal best 19.75 meters/64 feet, 9.75 inches to edge teammate Nathan Englin.

Whiting's biggest achievement came Sunday, July 31, spinning the platter 61.40/201-5 on his final throw to break the meet record. His third attempt of 60.57/198-8 also surpassed the previous meet record.

The 2005 USA Junior champion in the shot put, Whiting won the shot at the Nike Indoor Nationals in March and went on to win the shot and discus at the Golden West Invitational in June. He will attend Arizona State in the fall.

Records for Michta, Hasay

Whiting's were two of several amazing performances by U.S. athletes at Pan Am Juniors. Among them was an American junior record and bronze medal in the women's 10 km race walk for Maria Michta (Neconset, N.Y.). Finishing in 49:43.85,Michta smashed her own U.S. junior record by40.69 seconds, which she set one month ago at the US Junior Championships. It was Michta's second international medal-winning performance of the year, and the sixth record breaking performance of her season.

The 2005 USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships, in Indianapolis, also saw records strewn about, but none was so impressive as Jordan Hasay's new youth standard in the women's 3,000 meters. Hasay, 13, of Arroyo Grande, Calif., crossed the finish line in 9:35.12 to break the 3,000m youth girls' record she set last year by 13.65 seconds. Hasay's performance is also the fastest youth time in any female age division.

Now in its fifth year, USATF's Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week and features the athlete on the USATF website. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.

2005 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 4, Amy Rudolph; January 11, Dathan Ritzenhein; January 18, Janine Davis; January 25, Wallace Spearmon Jr.; February 1, Erin Gilreath; February 8, LaShawn Merritt; February 15, LaShawn Merritt; February 22, Walter Davis; March 1, Angela Daigle; March 8, Gov. Mike Huckabee; March 15, Kerron Clement; March 22, Lauren Fleshman; March 29, Deena Kastor; April 5, Deena Kastor; April 12, Tianna Madison; April 19 Alan Culpepper; April 26, John Godina; May 3, Amy Rudolph; May 10, Galen Rupp; May 17, Erica McLain; May 24, John Godina; June 1, Walter Dix; June 8, Justin Gatlin; June 15, Darold Williamson; June 23, Willie Gault; June 28, Kerron Clement; July 6, Ebony Collins; July 12, Sanya Richards; July 19, Galen Rupp; July 28, Wallace Spearmon Jr.; August 2, Ryan Whiting

Best Marks Week Ending July 31

MEN 
100 - 10.15 Justin Gatlin (Nike) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26 & Tyson Gay
(adidas) - Oslo, NOR 7/29
400 - 44.90 Jeremy Wariner (adidas) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26
800 - 1:44.70 Khadevis Robinson (Nike) - Oslo, NOR 7/29 U.S. leader
1500 - 3:33.55 Bernard Lagat (Nike) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26
Mile - 3:48.38 Bernard Lagat (Nike) - Oslo, NOR 7/29 U.S. leader
3000 - 7:43.33 Matt Tegenkamp (Wisconsin) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26
3000SC - 8:15.93 Daniel Lincoln (Nike) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26
5000 - 13:11.77 Tim Broe (adidas) - Oslo, NOR 7/29
110H - 13.22 Joel Brown (Nike) - Oslo, NOR 7/29
400H - 48.07 Bershawn Jackson (Nike) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26
HJ - 2.30/7-6.5 Jesse Williams (USC) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26
PV - 5.70/18-8.25 Derek Miles (Nike) - Helsinki, FIN 7/25
LJ - 8.44/27-8.25 Dwight Phillips (Nike) - Helsinki, FIN 7/25
TJ - 17.09/56-1 Walter Davis (Nike) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26
SP - 21.51/70-7 Adam Nelson (Unat.) - Lapua, FIN 7/30
DT - 65.13/213-8 Ian Waltz (HPTC) - Lapua, FIN 7/30
HT - 74.94/245-10 A.G. Kruger (Ashland Elite) - Lapua, FIN 7/30
JT - 79.37/260-4 Leigh Smith (Unat.) - Lapua, FIN 7/30

WOMEN 
100 - 11.16 Lauryn Williams (Nike) - Oslo, NOR 7/29
200 - 23.06 Alexandria Anderson (Illinois HS) - Windsor, CAN 7/31
400 - 50.39 Dee Dee Trotter (adidas) - Helsinki, FIN 7/25
800 - 1:57.99 Hazel Clark (Nike) - Oslo, NOR 7/29 U.S. leader
1500 - 4:06.03 Lindsey Gallo (Michigan) - Helsinki, FIN 7/25
3000 - 8:49.02 Amy Rudolph (adidas) - Oslo, NOR 7/29
3000SC - 10:27.44 Marie Lawrence (Nevada HS) - Windsor, CAN 7/30
5000 - 15:03.59 Amy Rudolph (adidas) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26
10k Walk - 49:43.85 Maria Michta (CW Post-LIU) - Windsor, CAN 7/30
American Junior Record
100H - 12.80 Michelle Perry (Nike) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26
400H - 53.93 Sandra Glover (Nike) - Oslo, NOR 7/29
HJ - 1.93/6-4 Amy Acuff (Asics) & Ifoma Olausson (Unat.) - Oslo, NOR
7/29
PV - 4.25/13-11.25 Jillian Schwartz (Nike) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26
LJ - 6.60/21-8 Grace Upshaw (Nike) - Stockholm, SWE 7/26
DT - 64.56/211-10 Aretha Thurmond (Nike) - Lapua, FIN 7/30 U.S. leader
HT - 68.23/223-10 Amber Campbell (Mjolnir) - Lapua, FIN 7/30
Heptathlon - 5333 Lauren Stewart (Tennessee HS) - Windsor, CAN 7/31