Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tom Surber
USA Track & Field
Media Information Manager
317-713-4690; [email protected]

INDIANAPOLIS – Former University of Oregon great Ashton Eaton has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after winning the Millrose Multi Challenge Friday night at the 104^th Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden in New York. 

The Millrose Multi Challenge was a three-event scored competition including the 60-meter hurdles, shot put and high jump.  The event featured America’s finest combined event performers, 2008 Olympic Games gold medalist Bryan Clay, reigning world decathlon champion Trey Hardee, and Eaton, who has won the last three NCAA decathlon titles, and last year set the world record in the indoor heptathlon. 

Hardee set a personal best of 15.94 meters/52 feet 3 inches in winning the first event of the competition, the shot put.

The second event was the 60m hurdles, which was dominated by Eaton. Clay and Eaton both broke well from the blocks, but half way through the race Eaton took command and gradually stretched his lead the rest of the way in crossing the finish line first in a personal-best time of 7.64. Eaton’s performance is the fastest 60m hurdles ever in an indoor multi-event competition. Clay was the runner-up in 7.78, with Hardee third in 7.83.

Eaton also won the final event of the challenge, the high jump, with his clearance of 2.05m/6-8.75 giving him the victory with 2,666 points. Hardee was the runner-up with 2,640 points, with Clay finishing third in 2,609. Jake Arnold was fourth with 2,491 points and Duke University sophomore Curtis Beach placed fifth with 2,360 points. 

Now in its tenth 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.

Winners: January 5, Bill Tribou; January 12, Tyler Sorensen; January 20, Josh Cox; January 26, Ben Shorey; February 2, Ashton Eaton.

WEEK IN REVIEW -- JANUARY 24-30 (From USATF Statistician Glen McMicken) 

MILLROSE MAGICAL FOR WHITING 

In his Millrose Games debut, Ryan Whiting, the 2005 Pan Am Junior shot and discus champ before a stellar career at Arizona State, took the measure of 2010 shot put No. 1 Christian Cantwell with a world-leading 21.31m/69-11 toss. In other field event action, American pole vault record holder Jenn Suhr cleared 4.64m/15-2.75 in her first indoor competition since 2009, while Jake Freeman took over the U.S. lead in the 35-pound weight throw with his 24.16m/79-3.25 winner. Amber Campbell also upped her world-leading 20-pound weight throw mark to 24.10m/79-1. 

ARIES RISING 

Five years after he won the NCAA 60m hurdles title for Tennessee with a PR 7.51, Aries Merritt lowered that personal best with a world-leading 7.46 at the Houston Indoor Invitational to become the 12th-fastest American performer. 

BIG 12-SEC CHALLENGE YIELDS TRIO OF AMERICAN LEADERS 

Oklahoma's Mookie Salaam chopped more than a tenth of a second off his 60m PR with a 6.55 at Texas A&M's Big 12-SEC Challenge meet, taking over the U.S. lead. List leaders also came from Florida's Will Claye in the triple jump (16.86/55-3.75) and Kansas State's Eric Kynard in the high jump at 2.29m/7-6. 

GOODWIN, BARRETT JUMP TO U.S. LEADS AT RAZORBACK INVITE 

2008 World Junior long jump champion Marquise Goodwin took a leap to the top of the U.S. list with his 8.14m/26-8.5 at the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, and fellow Texan Brigetta Barrett of Arizona notched a personal best and American-leading 1.91m/6-3.25 to win the women's high jump. 

HAPPY VALLEY INDEED FOR MIDDLE DISTANCE MEN 

He won a silver medal at the World Junior championships last summer, and Penn State's Casimir Loxsom showed he is already in great shape for 2011 with his world-leading 1:47.36 800m at the Penn State Invitational. Ohio State's Cory Leslie became the 351st American to go sub-4:00 in the mile with his 3:57.97, while Tennessee's Jackie Areson (9:01.91 3 km) and Maryland's Kiani Profit (4,109 pentathlon) also notched U.S.-leading marks. 

HOOSIERS HOT AGAIN 

On the heels of his world-leading 3 km last week, Indiana's Andrew Bayer raced to a WL in the mile with a 3:57.75 at Bloomington. The Hoosiers also had three men under 14:00 in the 5 km, headed by an AL 13:44.93 by Ben Hubers. 

GLENN ENJOYS ALBUQUERQUE RETURN 

A World Championships finalist in 2009, long jumper Brianna Glenn was the runner-up at the USA Indoors last year and she enjoyed a productive return to Albuquerque with a world-leading 6.74m/22-1.5. 

CROUSER HITS MONSTER PREP SHOT DOUBLE 

Oregon prep Ryan Crouser (Gresham HS) broke a 26-year-old national indoor high school record with the 16-pound shot at Boise's Jackson Invitational, throwing the senior implement 19.48m/63-11, and he added the third best throw ever with the 12-pound high school ball at 22.26m/73-1. 

MOSS PR TAKES EARLY WORLD HEPT LEAD 

Clemson's Miller Moss tallied 5,903 points at the Tigers' home invitational to claim the world list lead and become the 10th-best all-time collegiate performer in the heptathlon. 

For more information on USA Track & Field, visit:  www.usatf.org