Nelson named Athlete of the Week

NDIANAPOLIS – Adam Nelson has been named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week after winning the Visa men's shot put Friday night at the 101st Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

A two-time Olympic silver medalist and the 2005 World Outdoor champion, Nelson set a Madison Square Garden record in winning the Visa men's shot put. Nelson's world-leading winning throw of 22.07 meters/72 feet 5 inches bettered the Millrose meet record of 21.88 meters/71-9.50 set by 2004 World Indoor champion Christian Cantwell last year. For his efforts, Nelson also was named the Millrose Games Athlete of the Meet.

Other world-leading performances include Steve Sherer's 3 minute 56 second mile and Sara Slattery's 15:32.28 in the 5,000m at the Washington Invitational (oversize track) in Seattle. At the United Heritage Invitational in Boise, Idaho, Donovan Kilmartin also set a world-leader in scoring 6,008 points in the heptathlon.

Now in its seventh 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.

2008 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 8, Cheryl Foody; January 16, Nick Vena; January 22, Chanelle Price; January 29, Antwon Hicks; February 5, Adam Nelson.

BEST MARKS WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 3

MEN

60 – 6.58 C.J. Spiller (Clemson) – Chapel Hill, NC 2/2

200 – 21.09 Trey Harts (Baylor) – Lincoln, NE 2/2

400 – 47.03 Charles Clark (Florida State) – Lincoln, NE 2/2

46.87 OT R.J. Anderson (Florida) – Lexington, KY 2/2

800 – 1:49.72 Tim Kaijala (Penn) – University Park, PA 2/2

1:48.81 OT Kevin Hicks (Oregon TC) – Seattle, WA 2/2

Mile – 3:57.51 Bernard Lagat (Nike) – New York City, NY 2/1

3:56.00 OT Steve Sherer (Athletic Perf.) – Seattle, WA 2/2 *World leader*

3000 – 8:09.11 Dan Nunn (Georgetown) – New Haven, CT 2/2

7:52.79 OT Steve Slattery (Nike) – Seattle, WA 2/2

5000 – 13:45.68 OT Bolota Asmerom (Oregon TC) – Seattle, WA 2/1

60H – 7.53 Antwon Hicks (adidas) – New York City, NY 2/1

HJ – 2.31/7-7 Jesse Williams (Nike) – Arnstadt, GER 2/2

PV – 5.75/18-10.25 Derek Miles (Nike) – Goteborg, SWE 1/29

LJ – 8.13/26-8.25 Brian Johnson (Nike) – Baton Rouge, LA 2/2

TJ – 16.53/54-2.75 Lawrence Willis (Unat.) – Baton Rouge, LA 2/2

SP – 22.07/72-5 Adam Nelson (Nike) – New York City, NY 2/1 *World

leader*

WT – 24.00/78-9 Kibwe Johnson (NYAC) – Akron, OH 2/1

Hept – 6008 Donovan Kilmartin (Texas) – Nampa, ID 2/2 *World leader*

Mile Walk – 6:29.92 Ricardo Vergara (South Texas RW) – New York City, NY 2/1

WOMEN

60 – 7.24 Angela Williams (Nike) – Stuttgart, GER 2/2

200 – 23.90 Gloria Asumnu (Tulane) – University Park, PA 2/2

23.73 OT Natalie Knight (Florida) – Lexington, KY 2/2

400 – 53.21 Shareese Woods (Charisma) – Chapel Hill, NC 2/2

52.52 OT Ashlee Kidd (Unat.) – Lexington, KY 2/2

800 – 2:03.82 Sasha Spencer (Nike) – Linz, AUT 1/31

2:03.17 OT Tiffany McWilliams (adidas) – Lexington, KY 2/2 Mile – 4:36.03 Kara Goucher (Nike) – New York City, NY 2/1

3000 – 9:25.33 Marisa Ryan (Boston Univ.) – Cambridge, MA 2/2

9:00.37 Cack Ferrell (Oregon TC) – Seattle, WA 2/2

5000 – 15:32.28 Sara Slattery (adidas) – Seattle, WA 2/1 *World leader*

60H – 7.86 Lolo Jones (Asics) – Stuttgart, GER 2/2

HJ – 1.92/6-3.5 Amy Acuff (Asics) – New York City, NY 2/1

PV – 4.63/15-2.25 Jillian Schwartz (Nike) & Jenn Stuczynski (adidas) –

New York City, NY 2/1

LJ – 6.27/20-7 Hyleas Fountain (Nike) – Bloomington, IN 2/1

TJ – 13.71/44-11.75 Erica McLain (Stanford) – Seattle, WA 2/2 SP – 17.76/58-3.25 Jillian Camarena (Nike) – Lincoln, NE 2/2

WT – 24.12/79-1.75 Brittany Riley (Southern Illinois) – Bloomington, IN 2/1

Pent – 4312 Jacquelyn Johnson (Arizona State) – Nampa, ID 2/1

Mile Walk – 7:01.17 Teresa Vaill (Walk USA) – New York City, NY 2/1

Vicky Oddi
Communications Coordinator
Vicky.Oddi@usatf.org