FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Melvin Jackson II
Communications Coordinator
USA Track & Field
(317) 261-0478 x322
Melvin.Jackson@usatf.org
Culpepper named Athlete of the Week
INDIANAPOLIS – Alan Culpepper has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of
the Week after becoming the first American to qualify for the 2004 U.S.
Olympic Team in Athens by winning the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s
Marathon Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama.
In winning the second marathon of his career and qualifying for his second
Olympic team (10,000m in 2000), Culpepper won in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 42
seconds to defeat runner-up Meb Keflezighi by a five-second margin. A
resident of Lafayette, Colo., Culpepper won $60,000 in prize money.
World leading performances by Americans clocked in over the weekend at the
Verizon Millrose Games included Gail Devers’ 7.76 seconds in the 60m
hurdles, Allen Johnson’s 7.43 seconds in the 60m hurdles and Christian
Cantwell’s toss of 21.28 meters/69 feet, 9.75 inches in the men's shot put.
Minnesota's Mitch Potter won the 400m dash in a world-leading time of 46.00
seconds Saturday at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational in Lincoln, Neb.
At the 2004 USA Cross Country Championships this past weekend, two-time
Olympian Bob Kennedy won his second U.S. open men’s 12 km title (35:03) on
Sunday. Shalane Flanagan won her first U.S. open title in the women’s 4 km
race (12:26) defeating runner-up Carrie Tollefson by two seconds. In Junior
competition, the University of Colorado’s Pete Janson (24:14) defeated
runner-up and Colorado teammate Ryan Deak by a 10-second margin to win the
Junior men’s 8 km race, while UCLA freshman Alison Costello won the Junior
women's 6 km crown (20:55).
On the master's scene, Kathryn Martin broke her own U.S. Masters women’s
50-54 record in the 1,500m by running 4 minutes, 57.7 seconds at the Long
Island Championships Sunday in New York. Martin’s record was 5:02.28, set
in 2003.
Now in its fourth 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.
2004 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 13, Dan Taylor; January 20,
Jen Toomey; January 27, Erin Gilreath; February 3, Jearl Miles-Clark;
February 10, Alan Culpepper.
BEST MARKS WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 8
MEN
60 - 6.59 Marcus Brunson (Unattached) - Flanders, BEL 2/8
200 - 20.96 Rubin Williams (Heritage TC) - Boise, ID 2/7
400 - 46.00 Mitch Potter (Minnesota) - Lincoln, NE 2/7 World leader
800 - 1:50.24 Christian Smith (Kansas State) - Lincoln, NE 2/7
Mile - 4:00.17 Rob Myers (Unattached) - Bloomington, IN 2/6
3:59.83 (oversize track) Jordan Desilets (E. Michigan) - Notre Dame 2/7
3000 - 7:55.14 (oversize track) Matt Tegenkamp (Wisconsin) - Notre Dame 2/7
5000 - 14:11.01 (oversize track) Rod Koborsi (Georgetown) - Notre Dame 2/6
60H - 7.43 Allen Johnson (Nike) - New York City 2/6 World leader
HJ - 7-4 Scott Sellers (Cinco Ranch HS, Katy, TX) - Houston 2/6
PV - 5.71/18-8.75 Tommy Skipper (Oregon) - Boise, ID 2/7
TJ - 16.63/54-6.75 LeJuan Simon (LSU) - Boise, ID 2/7
SP - 21.28/69-9.75 Christian Cantwell (Nike) - NYC 2/6 World leader
WT - 23.24/76-3 Dan Taylor (Ohio State) - Bloomington, IN 2/7
Hept - 6014 Bryan Clay (Unattached) - Tallinn, EST 2/8
WOMEN
60 - 7.20 Lakeisha Backus (US Army) - Flagstaff, AZ 2/7
200 - 23.43 Muna Lee (LSU) - Boise, ID 2/7
400 - 53.22 Ellannee Richardson (Unattached) - Lincoln, NE 2/7
800 - 2:05.33 Alice Schmidt (N. Carolina) - Lincoln, NE 2/7
1500 - 4:17.81 Jen Toomey (Nike) - New York City 2/6
3000 - 9:08.60 (oversize track) Molly Huddle (Notre Dame) - Notre Dame 2/7
60H - 7.76 Gail Devers (Nike) - New York City 2/6 World leader
HJ - 1.92/6-3.5 Tisha Waller (Nike) & Amy Acuff (Asics) - New York City 2/6
PV - 4.64/15-2.75 Stacy Dragila (Nike) - New York City 2/6
LJ - 6.40/21-0 Tameisha King (adidas) - Notre Dame 2/7
TJ - 13.38/43-10.75 Nicole Toney (LSU) - Boise, ID 2/7
SP - 18.04/59-2.25 Kristin Heaston (Unattached) - Boise, ID 2/7
WT - 21.00/68-10.75 Jamine Moton (Unattached) - Chapel Hill, NC 2/7
Pent - 4026 Michelle Moran (Unattached) - Lincoln, NE 2/7
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