May 10, 2004
TEMPE, Ariz. - Jacquelyn Johnson (Yuma, Ariz.), fresh off winning the Pac-10 heptathlon title over the weekend, has been named the recipient of the Pac-10 Female Track and Field Athlete of the Week for the week ending May 8, the conference office announced Monday. Johnson's award is the second for the Sun Devil women this season and third overall for the program this year.
In her first full heptathlon competition of the outdoor season, Johnson accumulated 5,603 points on her way to winning the Pac-10 championship. The conference title was the first of Johnson's career and also marked the first multi-event title won by a Sun Devil woman in the history of the program. She is no stranger to the multi-event platform, however, as she took home national runner-up honors in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this season.
In the competition, Johnson won the 100m hurdles and high jump events on her way to the first day lead. Johnson now holds the second-best heptathlon score in school history, thanks in part to two wins and three runner-up finishes (shot put, long jump and 800m run).
Her point total qualified her automatically for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas, June 9-12, as well as earned her a spot on the 'B' standard (provisional) lists used by the United States Track and Field organization. If positions remain available, Johnson has a shot with her total to earn a berth into the USATF Olympic Team Trials, set for Sacramento, Calif., July 9-18.
Johnson joins teammate and redshirt freshman Amy Hastings (Leavenworth, Kan.) as the Sun Devil women who garnered the conference's weekly honor. Hastings clocked the fastest time in the conference in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Oregon Invitational (April 24) in a time of 10:17.67. Her mark is the third fastest in school history and the fourth-best in Pac-10 annals.
The duo of women join fellow freshman Domenik Peterson (Jefferson City, Mo.) as the team's weekly conference honorees after he secured the award for the week ending April 11. That weekend, Peterson won the 200m dash at the Sun Angel Classic in 20.62 to record the fastest time in the conference and the nation at the time. One day later, a new national leader emerged, but Peterson still is ranked No. 1 in the Pac-10 at 200m.
The trio of rookie honorees will join the rest of the team this weekend as the Sun Devils travel to Tucson for the 2004 Pac-10 Track and Field Championships, held May 14-15 at the Roy P. Drachman Stadium.