March 14, 2007

South Carolina’s Natasha Hastings has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after setting a collegiate record in the women’s 400-meters Saturday at the 2007 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.

“I feel honored and excited to be honored at the national level,” said Hastings. “I came back early from Christmas break on my own because I felt like I needed to this year. I have done some things on my own this season as well – morning runs, lifting weights properly. I am going to go after the national championship individually outdoors, but more importantly I want our team to be in contention on the last day, the last event! (4x400m relay).”

The 2004 World Junior 400m champion, Hastings won the women’s 400m in a collegiate record time of 50.80 seconds, breaking Sanya Richard’s record of 50.82 set in 2004. A junior at USC, Hastings’ time is the second fastest ever by an American indoors.

Hasting also ran the anchor leg of USC’s NCAA champion 4x400m relay at the NCAA meet.

The women finished 10th – in the top 10 for the seventh straight year – at the NCAA Championship.

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.

2007 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 2, Thomas Morgan; January 9, Jacquelyn Coward; January 16, Ryan Hall; January 23, Johnny Dutch; January 30, Shalane Flanagan; February 6, Gail Devers; February 13, Alan Culpepper; February 20, Bernard Lagat; February 27, Christian Cantwell; March 6, Fasil Bizuneh; March 13, Natasha Hastings.