Posted: November 1, 2005

Athletics: Homan named USATF Athlete of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS - Angela Homan has been named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week after making history Saturday by becoming the second women ever to become a three-time Southeastern Conference cross country champion.

A senior at Auburn University, Homan won the 6 km women's race held at Hilton Field at Fort Jackson Military Base in Columbia, S.C., in a personal-best time of 19 minutes, 40 seconds. A native of Delphos, Ohio, Homan's time bettered her previous career-best time of 20:25.83 set at the 2004 NCAA Cross Country South Regional.

Another notable performer was Columbia University's Caroline Bierbaum, who broke the 23-year-old Ivy League Heptagonal Women's Cross Country Championship record. Bierbaum crossed the finish line in 17:01.4, bettering the previous championship record of 17:09.8, set in 1982 by Kate Wiley of Harvard University.

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; August 9; Adam Nelson, August 16; Justin Gatlin; August 23, Sanya Richards; August 30, Bernard Lagat; September 6, Abdi Abdirahman; September 13, Allyson Felix; September 20, Deena Kastor; September 27, Colleen De Reuck; October 4, Ryan Shay; October 11, Deena Kastor; October 17, Josh McDougal; October 25, Jarrod Shoemaker; November 1, Angela Homan.