Flanagan named Athlete of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS -Shalane Flanagan has been named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week after setting an American Record in the women's 5,000 meters Friday at the 2007 Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif.

A 2004 Olympian and the 2005 USA Outdoor 5,000m champion, Flanagan won the women's 5,000m in 14 minutes 44.80 seconds, bettering the previous U.S. record of 14:45.35 set by Regina Jacobs in Sacramento, Calif., on July 21, 2000. Earlier this year in February, Flanagan was victorious in the 3,000 meters at the AT&T USA Indoor Championships in Boston after setting the U.S. Indoor record at that distance of 8:33.25 on January 27.

Another notable performance over the weekend came from two-time Olympian Suzy Powell, who bettered the women's U.S. discus throw record Saturday at the inaugural Maui "Big Wind" Discus Challenge in Wailuku, Hawaii, presented by Ironwood Throwers. Powell won the event on her fifth throw of the competition that sailed 67.67 meters/222 feet, which surpasses the 21-year old U.S. women's record of 66.10m/216-10 set by Carol Cady in 1986.

Elsewhere, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams completed her version of the Boston Marathon on Monday, more than 210 miles above Earth. Williams started the race at 10 a.m. EDT with bib number 14,000 taped to the front of the treadmill as the space station passed over the Pacific Ocean. She completed the 26.2 miles in an unofficial 4 hours, 23 minutes and 46 seconds as the station traveled over Russia.

Now in its sixth 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.

2007 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 2, Thomas Morgan; January 9, Jacquelyn Coward; January 16, Ryan Hall; January 23, Johnny Dutch; January 30, Shalane Flanagan; February 6, Gail Devers; February 13, Alan Culpepper; February 20, Bernard Lagat; February 27, Christian Cantwell; March 6, Fasil Bizuneh; March 13, Natasha Hastings; March 20, Anthony Famiglietti; March 27, Nadine O'Connor; April 4, Natasha Hastings; April 10, Diana Pickler; April 17, Shalane Flanagan.

BEST MARKS WEEK ENDING APRIL 15

MEN

100 - 10.20 Michael Rodgers (Oklahoma Baptist) - Denton, TX 4/14

200 - 20.33 Mike Mitchell (South Bay TC) - Walnut, CA 4/15

400 - 45.51 Greg Nixon (Unat.) - Tempe, AZ 4/14

800 - 1:47.19 Duane Solomon (USC) - Walnut, CA 4/15 U.S. leader

1500 - 3:40.98 Chris Lukezic (Reebok) - Walnut, CA 4/15 U.S. leader

3000SC - 8:37.95 Mike Spence (Unat.) - Walnut, CA 4/13

5000 - 13:11.93 Anthony Famiglietti (adidas) - Walnut, CA 4/13 U.S. leader

10,000 - 28:25.69 Fasil Bizuneh (New Balance) - Walnut, CA 4/13

110H - 13.37 Linnie Yarborough (Unat.) - Miami, FL 4/14

400H - 49.40 Angelo Taylor (Unat.) - Walnut, CA 4/15 U.S. leader

HJ - 2.24/7-4.25 Jesse Williams (Nike), Jamie Nieto (Nike) & Jim Dilling (Minnesota-Mankato) - Walnut, CA 4/15

PV - 5.73/18-9.5 Russ Buller (Asics) - Walnut, CA 4/15

LJ - 8.15/26-9 Dwight Phillips (Nike) - Walnut, CA 4/15 U.S. leader

TJ - 16.36/53-8.25 Rafeeq Curry (Unat.) - Walnut, CA 4/15

SP - 20.18/66-2.5 Noah Bryant (USC) - Walnut, CA 4/15

DT - 67.30/220-9 Ian Waltz (Nike) - Wailuku, HI 4/14World leader

HT - 76.84/252-1 A.G. Kruger (Nike) - Walnut, CA 4/15 U.S. leader

JT - 77.24/253-5 Leigh Smith (adidas) - Walnut, CA 4/15 U.S. leader

Dec - 7871 Chris Richardson (Unat.) - Azusa, CA 4/11

WOMEN

100 - 11.16 Carmelita Jeter (South Bay TC) - Walnut, CA 4/15 U.S. leader

200 - 23.02 Lauryn Williams (Nike) - Miami, FL 4/14

400 - 51.74 Allyson Felix (adidas) - Walnut, CA 4/15

800 - 2:05.65 Julian Clay (Nike) - Walnut, CA 4/15

1500 - 4:15.28 Alice Schmidt (adidas) - Walnut, CA 4/15

3000SC - 9:45.18 Carrie Messner (Asics) - Walnut, CA 4/13 U.S. leader

5000 - 14:44.80 Shalane Flanagan (Nike) - Walnut, CA 4/13 American Record

10,000 - 34:07.03 Nicole Plante (Mass.-Lowell) - Walnut, CA 4/13

100H - 12.89 Damu Cherry (Star Athletics) - Miami, FL 4/14

400H - 56.55 Shauna Smith (Nike) - Walnut, CA 4/15 U.S. leader

HJ - 1.85/6-0.75 Sharon Day (Cal Poly SLO) - Walnut, CA 4/15 & Raevan Harris (Auburn) - Tempe, AZ 4/14

PV - 4.30/14-1.25 Andree Pickens (Bell Athletics) - Walnut, CA 4/15

LJ - 6.82/22-4.5 Akiba McKinney (Nike) - Walnut, CA 4/15World leader

TJ - 13.54/44-5.25 Brenda Faluade (Miami) - Miami, FL 4/14

SP - 18.29/60-0.25 Liz Wanless (NYAC) - Walnut, CA 4/15

DT - 67.67/222-0 Suzy Powell (Asics) - Wailuku, HI 4/14 American Record

HT - 69.25/227-2 Brittany Riley (Southern Illinois) - Walnut, CA 4/15 U.S. leader

JT - 54.67/179-4 Dana Pounds (WCAP) - Walnut, CA 4/15

Hep - 5681 Jacquelyn Johnson (Arizona State) - Azusa, CA 4/11