Fernandez named Athlete of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS - German Fernandez has been named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week after running the fastest ever indoor mile race by a junior athlete at the Razorback Invitational Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.

A national high school record holder at 3,200m and two miles, Fernandez won the men's mile in 3 minutes, 56.50 seconds, surpassing the previous world junior indoor best of 3:58.34 set by Kenya's Boaz Lalang in 2008.

Elsewhere, 2008 Olympian Derek Miles won the men's pole vault Saturday at the Graphic Edge Alumni Open in Vermillion, S.D., with a world-leading clearance of 5.82 meters/19 feet 1 inch. Christian Cantwell, the 2008 Olympic silver medalist, on Friday won the men's shot put with his world-leading toss of 21.47m/70-5.25 in Nordhausen, Germany and Texas A&M's Porscha Lucas was a double-winner Saturday at the Texas vs. Texas A&M Dual meet, winning the women's 200m in a world-leading 23.39 and the 60m in 7.30.

Now in its eighth 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.

2009 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 6, Mason Finley; January 13, Amber Campbell; January 20, Josh Cox; January 27, German Fernandez.

BEST MARKS WEEK ENDING JANUARY 25

MEN

60 - 6.62 Demi Omole (unat) - Hampton, VA 1/24
200 - 21.04 Rubin Williams (unat) - Albuquerque, NM 1/24
400 - 46.60 James Davis (unat) - Albuquerque, NM 1/24
800 - 1:48.72 Jacob Hernandez (Texas) - College Station, TX 1/24
Mile - 3:56.50 German Fernandez (Oklahoma State) - Fayetteville, AR
1/24 World leader
3000 - 8:00.11 David Nightingale (Zap Fitness) - Boston, MA 1/24
5000 - 14:04.68 Nate Jenkins (Saucony) - Boston, MA 1/24
60H - 7.71 Myles Bradley (Stanford) - Albuquerque, NM 1/24 & Dexter
Faulk (Nike) - Ames, IA 1/24
HJ - 2.25/7-4.5 Jerome Miller (Georgia Tech) - Fayetteville, AR 1/23
PV - 5.82/19-1 Derek Miles (Nike) - Vermillion, SD 1/24 World leader
LJ - 7.89/25-10.75 Randall Flimmons (unat) - Hampton, VA 1/24
TJ - 16.39/53-9.25 Brandon Roulhac (Shore AC) - Gainesville, FL 1/24
SP - 21.47/70-5.25 Christian Cantwell (Nike) - Nordhausen, GER 1/23
World leader
WT - 22.04/72-3.75 Walter Henning (LSU) - Baton Rouge, LA 1/23 & Jason
Lewis (Arizona State) - Flagstaff, AZ 1/23
Hept - 5,511 R.J. McGinnis (Minnesota) - Minneapolis, MN 1/24

WOMEN

60 - 7.21 Gloria Asumnu (adidas) - Fayetteville, AR 1/24
200 - 23.39 Porscha Lucas (Texas A&M) - College Station, TX 1/24
World leader
400 - 52.28 Nina Gilbert (unat) - Fayetteville, AR 1/24
800 - 2:05.51 Heather Dorniden (Minnesota) - Minneapolis, MN 1/24
Mile - 4:35.35 Sarah Bowman (Tennessee) - College Station, TX 1/24
3000 - 9:09.92OT Lisa Koll (Iowa State) - Ames, IA 1/24
5000 - 16:26.28 Samia Akbar (Reebok) - Boston, MA 1/23
60H - 8.07 Lolo Jones (Asics) - Baton Rouge, LA 1/23
HJ - 1.93/6-4 Sharon Day (Asics) - Fresno, CA 1/19
PV - 4.45/14-7.25 Lacy Janson (Nike) - Gainesville, FL 1/24
LJ - 6.63/21-9 Jeomi Maduka (Cornell) - Ithaca, NY 1/24
TJ - 13.09/42-11.5 Jeomi Maduka (Cornell) - Ithaca, NY 1/24
SP - 17.23/56-6.5 Liz Wanless (NYAC) - Bloomington, IN 1/23
WT - 22.03/72-3.5 Erin Gilreath (NYAC) - Bloomington, IN 1/24
Pent - 4,386 Liz Roehrig (unat) - Minneapolis, MN 1/23 World leader

Courtesy USATF