Contact: Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
(317) 261-0500 x317
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.usatf.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 3, 2001
Banks named Athlete of the Week
INDIANAPOLIS - Former world record holder and three-time Olympic team
member Willie Banks has been named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week
after setting a world age-group record in the triple jump on Saturday. In his
first competition since retiring from the sport in 1992, Banks set the new
45-49 age-group world record of 14.55 meters, 47 feet, 8.75 inches at the San
Diego Association USATF Open and Masters Championships. His performance
bettered the standard of 14.24/46-8.25 set by Dave Quick three weeks ago in
Long Beach Calif.
Banks set the world record in the triple jump on June 16, 1985 in
Indianapolis with a hop, skip and jump of 17.97/58-11.5. The 1985 USOC and
Track & Field News Athlete of the Year, Banks was inducted into the National
Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1999.
Elizabeth Jackson also turned in an outstanding performance last week by
setting a new American record in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Jackson set the new standard on Sunday in winning her specialty in 9 minutes,
48.72 seconds at the Norwich Union Challenge in Glasgow, Scotland. Jackson's
effort bettered Lisa Nye's mark of 9:49.41 set in winning the 2001 USA
national title on June 23 in Eugene, Oregon. This is the third time this year
that Jackson has set the American women's steeplechase record.
Team USA won the Norwich Union Challenge for the third year in a row over
Great Britain and Russia by amassing 135 points. Great Britain finished a
close second with 131 points, with Russia, a first time entrant in the annual
competition, tallying 111 points.
Other American individual winners in Glasgow included Jon Drummond in the
100 meters (10.10 seconds), Kevin Little, 200m (20.31), Seneca Lassiter,
1,500m, (3:50.78), Allen Johnson, 110mH (13.31), Angelo Taylor, 400mH
(49.01), Charles Austin, high jump, (2.25 meters, 7-4.50), John Godina,
discus (65.54/215-0), Breaux Greer, javelin, (85.74/281-3) and Chryste
Gaines, 100m (11.19).
A number of performances last week by U.S. athletes qualify as national
leaders for the 2001 season including Tim Broe's 8:14.62 in the 3,000m
steeplechase at the Rome Grand Prix. Broe's performance makes him the
fifth-fastest American steeplechase performer in history. Other national
leading marks were turned in by Marion Jones, 100 meters (10.96), Suzy Favor
Hamilton, 1,500 meters (4:03.10), Tonja Buford-Bailey, 400m hurdles (54.75)
and Breaux Greer, javelin (85.74/281-3).
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 Tuesday
and features the athlete on the USATF Web site. Selections are based on top
performances and results from the previous week.
2001 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 22, Alan Webb; January
29, Terrence Trammell; February 5, Stacy Dragila; February 12, Seneca
Lassiter; February 20, Stacy Dragila; February 27, Andrew Pierce; March 6,
Maurice Greene; March 14, Dawn Burrell: March 20, Ja'Warren Hooker; March 27,
Dathan Ritzenhein; April 3, Phillip Dunn; April 10, Relay Team of Maurice
Greene, Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams and Curtis Johnson; April 17, Rod
DeHaven; April 24, Elizabeth Jackson; May 1, Stacy Dragila; May 8, Meb
Keflezighi; May 15, Tyree Washington; May 22, Charles Clinger; May 29, Alan
Webb; June 5, Justin Gatlin; June 12, Stacy Dragila; June 19, Amy Linnen;
June 26, Regina Jacobs; July 3, Willie Banks.
TOP OUTDOOR PERFORMANCES, WEEK OF JUNE 30
MEN'S 100 METERS
10.01 Maurice Greene at Rome Grand Prix
MEN'S 200 METERS
20.37 Ramon Clay at Rethymno, Greece
MEN'S 400 METERS
45.76 Milton Campbell at Rethymno, Greece
MEN'S 3,000-METERS STEEPLECHASE
8:14.62 Tim Broe at Rome Grand Prix (national leader)
MEN'S 110-METERS HURDLES
13.35 Larry Wade at Zagreb, Croatia
MEN'S 400-METERS HURDLES
48.51 James Carter at Rome Grand Prix
MEN'S HIGH JUMP
7-4.5 (2.25m) Nathan Leeper at Glasgow, Scotland
Charles Austin at Glasgow, Scotland
MEN'S TRIPLE JUMP
55-9.75 (17.01m) LaMark Carter at Glasgow, Scotland
MEN'S SHOT PUT
70-1 (21.36m) John Godina at Lucerne, Switzerland
MEN'S DISCUS THROW
215-0 (65.54m) John Godina at Glasgow, Scotland
MEN'S JAVELIN THROW
281-3 (85.74m) Breaux Greer at Glasgow, Scotland (national leader)
WOMEN'S 100 METERS
10.96 Marion Jones at Rome Grand Prix (national leader)
WOMEN'S 200 METERS
22.68 LaTasha Jenkins at Zagreb, Croatia
WOMEN'S 400 METERS
51.30 Monique Hennagan at Glasgow, Scotland
WOMEN'S 1,500 METERS
4:03.10 Suzy Favor Hamilton at Rome Grand Prix (national leader)
WOMEN'S 3,000-METERS STEEPLECHASE
9:48.72 Elizabeth Jackson at Glasgow, Scotland (American record)
WOMEN'S 100-METERS HURDLES
12.72 Jenny Adams at Zagreb, Croatia
WOMEN'S 400-METERS HURDLES
54.75 Tonja Buford-Bailey at Rome Grand Prix (national leader)
WOMEN'S HIGH JUMP
6-0.75 (1.85m) Amy Acuff at Rome Grand Prix
WOMEN'S POLE VAULT
15-5.75 (4.72m) Stacy Dragila at Rome Grand Prix
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