Stoner's marathon win earns her USATF Athlete of the Week honors

INDIANAPOLIS — Setting a course record and winning the USATF Marathon Championships by 1:39, Paige Stoner (Flagstaff Arizona/USATF New England) earned recognition as the 42nd USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2022.
 
Stoner pulled away from the field over the final 10km of the California International Marathon in Sacramento to cross the finish line in 2:26:02 and win her first USATF national title. Starting off in a lead trio with Lauren Hurley and Elaina Tabb, Stoner passed 10km in 34:19 and went through the half marathon in 1:12:20 as she and Hurley eased away from Tabb. 
 
The duo went by 30km in 1:43:14 with Stoner holding a one-second edge, and she stretched that lead to 31 seconds over the next 5km before she sealed the win with a 17:31 5km segment leading into the final 2.195 km. Stoner, who was the bronze medalist in the NCAA 3,000m steeplechase for Syracuse in 2018, finished 12th in the 10,000m at the USATF Championships in May at Eugene and this was her third career marathon.
 
Other top performances from last week:

• Futsum Zienasellassie debuted in the marathon with a 51-second win at the men's USATF Marathon Championships in Sacramento, clocking 2:11:01.
• Dillon Powell won the NCAA Division II men's national cross country title by 19 seconds in 29:28 for 10km to lead his Colorado School of Mines squad to the team trophy.
• Aaron Sahlman of Newbury Park (California) High School won the boys' title at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon, by seven seconds in 14:44.5 for 5km and led his school to the team title.
• Irene Riggs was the girls' individual winner at the Nike Cross Nationals, establishing an early lead and cruising to a 13-second victory in 16:40.9 for 5km.
• Brian Herron of Texas bettered the American indoor record in the men's 500m with a 59.87 at Louisville, .04 off the existing world indoor best.
• Parker Wolfe of North Carolina bettered the American U20 indoor record in the men's 5,000m with a 13:19.73 at Boston.
• Alicia Monson won the Sound Running Fitness Bank cross country meet at Austin, Texas, a Gold event on the World Athletics Cross Country Tour, covering the 8km course in 26:56.

Now in its 21st 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 when there are high-level competitions and features the athlete on USATF.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week. 

2022 Winners: January 10, Alicia Monson; January 17, Keira D’Amato; January 24, Nyckoles Harbor; January 31, Elle Purrier St. Pierre; February 7, Chris Nilsen; February 14, Grant Fisher; February 21, Camille Herron; February 28, Cole Hocker; March 7, Grant Fisher; March 14, Randolph Ross; March 21, Grant Holloway; March 28, Anna Hall; April 4, Natalie Cook; April 11, Valarie Allman; April 18, Gabby Thomas; April 25, Robyn Stevens; May 2, Erriyon Knighton; May 9, Emily Sisson; May 16, Britton Wilson; May 23, Janee Kassanavoid; May 30, Michael Norman; June 6, Chari Hawkins; June 13, Devon Allen; June 27, Sydney McLaughlin; August 10, Roisin Willis; August 17, Grant Fisher; August 24, Kara Winger; August 31, Alicia Monson; September 7, Kara Winger; September 14, Joe Kovacs; September 21, Biya Simbassa; September 28, Garrett Heath; October 4, Hillary Bor; October 11, Emily Sisson; October 18, Katelyn Tuohy; October 25, Chris Gomez; November 1, Parker Valby; November 8, Adam Peterman; November 15, Tyrone Gorze; November 22, Katelyn Tuohy; November 29, Irene Riggs; December 5, Paige Stoner.

We welcome your nominations!

To nominate an athlete for USATF Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about his/her performance to communications@usatf.org.

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