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INDIANAPOLIS - Reigning New York State cross country champion Steve Murdock has been named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week after winning the boy's individual race Saturday in muddy conditions at the 2006 Nike Team Nationals in Portland, Oregon.
Having already qualified to represent the Northeast Region at next weekend's Foot Locker Cross-Country Championships in San Diego, the Syracuse University-bound Murdock was the class of the field in the boy's race. He shared the lead for the first three kilometers before leaving a talented field in his wake in winning the race in 16 minutes 26.9 seconds. Benjamin Johnson of Academy Cross Country Club was the runner-up in 16:37.8.
Senior Ashley Higginson won the Nike girls individual title in 19:18.4 in leading the Colts Cross Country Club to a fourth-place finish in the championship race in Portland. Higginson will compete next week at the Foot Locker Championships in San Diego. Betsy Bies of the Yankton Cross Country Club was the runner-up in 19:23.8.
In other cross country action on Saturday, Matt Tebo and Jordan Hasay captured the boy's and girl's races respectively in very warm conditions at the 2006 Foot Locker West Regional in Walnut, Calif.
A resident of Albuquerque, N.M., Tebo used his customary strong kick in winning the boy's race in 15 minutes 46 seconds, with Chad Hall of Big Bear Lake, Calif., finishing as the runner-up one second back. A high school sophomore from Arroyo Grande, Calif., Hasay won the girl's race in 17:43, with Marie Lawrence of Reno, Nevada, the runner-up in 17:55.
Now in its sixth 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.
2006 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 3, Walt Henning; January 10, Amandi Rhett; January 17, Kevin Eastler; January 24, Marisa Hanson; January 31, Me'Lisa Barber; February 7, Reese Hoffa; February 14, Wallace Spearmon; February 21, Ryan Hall; February 28, Terrence Trammell; March 7, Ryan Harlan; March 14, Walter Davis; March 21, Bill Collins; March 28, Johnnye Valien; April 4, Deena Kastor; April 11, Trey Hardee; April 18, Meb Keflezighi; April 25, Deena Kastor; May 2, Alan Webb; May 9, Bershawn Jackson; May 16, Justin Gatlin; May 23, Kim Kreiner; May 30, Bryan Clay; June 6, Sanya Richards; June 13, Xavier Carter; June 20, A.J. Acosta; June 27, Lashinda Demus; July 5, Ebony Collins; July 11, Jeremy Wariner; July 18, Dominique Arnold; August 1, William Wynne; August 8, Nadine O'Connor; August 15, Walter Henning; August 22, Chris Carter; August 29, Khadevis Robinson; September 5, Sanya Richards; September 12, Tyson Gay; September 19, Sanya Richards; September 26, Dennis Simonaitis; October 3, Wallace Spearmon; October 10, Ryan Hall; October 17, Alan Culpepper; October 24, Abdi Abdirahman; October 31, Galen Rupp; November 7, Evan Jager; November 14, Arianna Lambie; November 22, Josh Rohatinsky; November 28, Ian Dobson; December 5, Steve Murdock.
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