INDIANAPOLIS -- Winning the USATF 5K Championships women's title, Karissa Schweizer (Eugene, OR/USATF Oregon) earned recognition as the 17th USATF Athlete of the Week award winner for 2026.
Twice an Olympian in the 5000 and 10,000, Schweizer won her first USATF road title at The 500 Festival in Indianapolis by making a strong move with 600 meters remaining to take the lead over Emma Grace Hurley and Gracie Hyde, the USATF 1 Mile Road Championships runner-up.
Schweizer created a gap between herself and that duo and crossed the finish line in 14:59 to win by a second over Hurley, with Hyde third in 15:03. The victory gave Schweizer her second career national title, joining the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships 10,000 gold she won.
Other top performances from last week:
Drew Hunter won the USATF 5K Championships men's title in a thrilling finish in 13:28.
Jonathan Simms of Georgia won the 400 at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial meet in a world-leading 44.02, making him the No. 2 all-time world U20 performer and the sixth-fastest collegian ever.
Masai Russell won the women's 100 hurdles at Kentucky's Jim Green Invitational in a world-leading 12.40.
Now in its 25th 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.
2026 Winners: January 15, Jonathan Simms; January 22, Michelle Rohl; January 29, Josh Hoey; February 5, Roisin Willis; February 12, Jordan Geist; February 19, Cole Hocker; February 26, Cynthia McNamee; March 5, Chase Jackson; March 12, Lauren Harris; March 19, Garrett Kaalund; March 26, Cooper Lutkenhaus; April 2, Rudy Winkler; April 9, Max Thomas; April 16, Sam Mattis; April 23, Tahmar Upshaw; April 30, Kaitlin Bounds; May 7, Karissa Schweizer.
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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