Rupp Tabbed USA Track & Field Athlete of the Week
*Click the small gray camera icon just above to the right to see pix of Galen Rupp in the 2005 Oregon Twilight.
INDIANAPOLIS - University of Oregon freshman Galen Rupp has been named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week after he set an American 10,000m junior record Saturday at the Oregon Twilight Meet in Eugene (first, 28:15.51).
Already the U.S. junior record holder in the 3,000 (8:03.57) and 5,000 (13:37.91), he broke the 29-year-old, 10,000-meter record of 28:32.7 set by former Duck Rudy Chapa in the Drake Relays in 1976.
Rupp also moved to third all-time in school history behind former World Championships qualifiers Bill McChesney Jr. (first, 27:50.82) and his prep coach Alberto Salazar (second, 28:06.12).
On 2005 lists heading into the meet last weekend , only one collegian and two Americans had run faster before Saturday this year.
Now in its fifth 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.
2005 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 4, Amy Rudolph; January 11, Dathan Ritzenhein; January 18, Janine Davis; January 25, Wallace Spearmon Jr.; February 1, Erin Gilreath; February 8, LaShawn Merritt; February 15, LaShawn Merritt; February 22, Walter Davis; March 1, Angela Daigle; March 8, Gov. Mike Huckabee; March 15, Kerron Clement; March 22, Lauren Fleshman; March 29, Deena Kastor; April 5, Deena Kastor; April 12, Tianna Madison; April 19 Alan Culpepper; April 26, John Godina; May 3, Amy Rudolph; May 10, Galen Rupp.
