Freeman named USA Track & Field Athlete of the Week

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INDIANAPOLIS - University of Central Florida sophomore Octavious Freeman (Lake Wales, Fla.) has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after running a world-leading time in the women’s 100-meters and also winning the 200m at the Florida Relays Friday.
Freeman’s wind-legal time of 11.02 to win the 100m gives her the top time in the world this year by .13 seconds ahead of Brazil’s Franciela Krasucki (11.15). The personal best also places her ninth on the all-time collegiate performance list and was a Florida Relays and Percy Beard facility record. She bested the entire field by more than one-third of a second.

Her 200m winning time of 22.85 currently ranks third in the world and is tied with Kamaria Brown of Texas A&M for the top collegiate time this year.

Now in its 12th 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 www.usatf.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.

2013 Winners: January 9, Bobby Mack; January 16, Mary Cain; January 22, Ajeé Wilson; January 30, Duane Solomon; February 6, Chris Derrick; February 13, Jeremy Taiwo; February 20, Alysia Montaño; February 27, Galen Rupp; March 6, Jenn Suhr; March 13, Tia Brooks; March 20, Bridget Franek; March 27, Ben True; April 3, Darvis “Doc” Patton; April 10, Octavious Freeman

WEEK IN REVIEW - APRIL 1-7
From USATF Statistician Glen McMicken
HURDLERS BOOGIE TO WORLD RECORD IN SHUTTLE RELAY AT FLORIDA
Nia Ali, Kristi Castlin, Yvette Lewis and Queen Harrison showed what can happen when you get four of America's top sprint hurdlers together for a run at the 4x100mH relay, smashing the World Record with a 50.78 at the Florida Relays in Gainesville. The quartet, running as the Boogie Fast TC and averaging just indoor 12.70 per leg, knocked more than a second off the previous world record of 52.00, set in 1993 by a Russian squad.

2010 NCAA 400mH champ Johnny Dutch claimed the world lead with his 49.09 win, and the Tennessee women rolled to a world leader in the 4x800m with an 8:28.81. Other top marks came from Florida's women in the sprint medley, where the Gators ran a world leader of 3:43.62, and from Loyola of Illinois in the men's sprint medley (3:17.41).

American 100m record holder Tyson Gay stepped up to clock 45.3 on the lead-off leg for PURE Athletics in the 4x400m, a race won in 3:02.80 by an "adidas" team that featured Tony McQuay and Jeremy Wariner.

After a foray into the long jump on Friday, Olympic 400m bronze medalist DeeDee Trotter teamed up with Moushaumi Robinson, Natasha Hastings and Jamaica's Novlene Williams-Mills to take the 4x400m in 3:24.58, the fastest time in the world this year.

USC's Bryshon Nellum, the Olympic 4x400m silver medalist who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA after his remarkable recovery from gunshot wounds, zipped to a U.S.-leading 45.54 in the 400m. Florida's Mark Parrish turned in the fastest U.S. 3000m steeple time of 2013 with his 8:42.38, and 2012 Olympic Games shot put bronze medalist Reese Hoffa popped a 21.33/69-11.75, the best outdoor throw in the world thus far.

Georgia Tech soph Brandon Lasater, who had an 800m best of 1:54.68 coming into this season, notched a 1:48.34 personal record in the open two-lapper and helped the Yellowjackets to a world leader of 7:22.37 win in the 4x800m.

WL'S/BIG PR'S FOR BOWIE, CARTER
2011 NCAA long jump champion Tori Bowie bettered her personal record by more than five inches at UCLA, spanning a world leading 6.91/22-8. Equally impressive in the PR department was Stanford's Kori Carter, who slashed 2.39 seconds off her 400mH best with a world leader of 54.71 at the Jim Click Shootout in Tucson to edge Olympic 5th-placer Georganne Moline of Arizona.

COSBY, BORMAN MOVE ATOP US THROWS LISTS AT SUN ANGEL
American record holder and Trials 3rd-placer Jessica Cosby-Toruga had four throws over 230-feet at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, topped by a 73.00/239-6 toss that put her atop the U.S. hammer list for 2013. Olympic Trials javelin winner Brittany Borman also grabbed the American lead with her 55.17/181-0 throw.

Earlier at the Mesa Classic just down the road, Arizona State's Anna Jelmini moved to No. 10 on the all-time American collegiate list with her 60.61/198-10 discus win.

HUMPHREY DOUBLE DEADLY IN HURDLES AT MOBILE
Hoover High School gained notoriety several years ago for its football success, but Marlon Humphrey has focused the eyes of the track world on the Alabama megaschool with his 13.30w/35.60 110mH/300mH double at the Mobile Meet of Champions. The 300mH mark makes him No. 10 on the prep all-time list.




About USA Track & Field

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