Tuohy's cross country win earns her USATF Athlete of the Week honors

INDIANAPOLIS — Winning the NCAA Southeast women's cross country title and leading her school to the team trophy, Katelyn Tuohy (Stony Point, New York/USATF New York) earned recognition as the 41st USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2023.

Tuohy, who won NCAA indoor track titles at 3000 and 5000 earlier this year for North Carolina State and was the NCAA cross country champion in 2022, was in a large lead pack through the first two kilometers of the 6K race at the Roger Milliken Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina, going by that point in 6:36.8.

She was two seconds behind the leader at the next split mark, but started to turn up the pace and established a commanding lead by 5K, going through in 16:25.7, almost ten seconds in front of her nearest challenger. Tuohy closed well to cross the line in 19:29.8, defending her regional title and beating runner-up Amina Maatoug of Duke by 11.2 seconds. North Carolina State won the team title easily over Furman, scoring 52 points to earn a berth in this weekend's NCAA Championships.
 
Other top performances from last week:

• Andrea Pomoranski won the women's masters title and earned overall silver at the IAU 50K World Championships in Hyderabad, India. Pomaranski, 41, helped Team USA to the team silver with her 3:19:07 clocking.
• Harvard's Graham Blanks won the men's individual title at the NCAA Northeast Regional cross country meet by more than eight seconds to help his team advance to nationals.
• Olivia Markezich paced Notre Dame to the women's team title at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional cross country meet, winning the individual 6K title by more than 12 seconds.
• Liam Murphy helped Villanova to a nationals berth by winning the men's NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional cross country meet by more than nine seconds.
• Parker Valby won the women's NCAA South Regional cross country meet to help her Florida team advance to nationals.
• Sophomore Sydney Thorvaldson led Arkansas to the team trophy at the women's NCAA South Central Regional cross country meet, winning the individual title by more than 22 seconds.

Now in its 22nd 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.

2023 Winners: January 17, Emily Sisson; January 24, Ednah Kurgat; January 31, Woody Kincaid; February 7, Grant Holloway; February 14, Yared Nuguse; February 21, Anna Hall; February 28, Talitha Diggs; March 7, Alicia Monson; March 14, Jasmine Moore; March 21, Keyzelle Thomas; March 28, Camille Herron; April 4, Hillary Bor; April 11, Valarie Allman; April 18, Britton Wilson; April 25, Brooke Andersen; May 2, Gabby Thomas; May 9, Connor Burns; May 16, Britton Wilson; May 23, Brooke Andersen; May 30, Ryan Crouser; June 6, KC Lightfoot; June 13, Grayson Murphy; June 20, Yared Nuguse; July 17, Gabby Thomas & Christian Miller; July 20, Ednah Kurgat; July 27, Nikki Hiltz; August 3, Quenton Lanese; August 10, Shawnti Jackson; August 17, Michelle Atherley; August 30, Ryan Crouser, Noah Lyles, Sha'Carri Richardson & Laulauga Tausaga-Collins; September 6, Yared Nuguse; September 13, Jenny Hitchings; September 20, Yared Nuguse; September 27, Weini Kelati; October 3, Hobbs Kessler; October 10, Conner Mantz; October 17, Parker Valby; October 24, Biya Simbassa; October 31, Parker Valby; November 7, Isai Rodriguez; November 14, Katelyn Tuohy.

We welcome your nominations!

To nominate an athlete for USATF Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about their performance to communications@usatf.org.
 
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Photo Credit: NC State XC/TF