INDIANAPOLIS – Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (Rome, Ga.) has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after winning the B.A.A. Half Marathon on Sunday, October 9, and winning the USA 10 km Championships the following day.
“I had already committed to running the B.A.A. half,” Cherobon-Bawcom said. “When I saw that I had a shot at the top three in the USA Running Circuit, I figured ‘hey, I’m going to be in Boston already, why not give it a shot?’”
Cherobon-Bawcom won both races with a comfortable margin of victory. In Sunday’s half marathon, she finished in 1:11:58, more than one minute and 35 seconds faster than second place. She followed that up with a 10 km performance where she pulled away at the half-way mark to win in 32:47, with more than 45 seconds separating her from second place.
“I’m super excited about it,” Cherobon-Bawcom said of being named athlete of the week. “You should’ve seen the look on my face when I found out. It’s an incredible honor to be recognized by USATF.”
With wins at the USA 20 km, 10 mile and 10 km, Cherobon-Bawcom was able to take the top spot in the USA Running Circuit standings for the year. By winning the Grand Prix bonus, Cherobon-Bawcom added an additional $12,500 to her winnings.
Now in its tenth 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 www.usatf.org Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.
Winners: January 5, Bill Tribou; January 12, Tyler Sorensen; January 20, Josh Cox; January 26,Ben Shorey; February 2, Ashton Eaton; February 9, Ashton Eaton; February 16, Bernard Lagat; February 23, Ryan Crouser; March 2, Jillian Camarena-Williams; March 10, Bill Collins; March 16, Miles Batty; March 23, Shalane Flanagan; March 30, John Nunn; April 6, Aries Merritt; April 13, Gunnar Nixon; April 20, Desiree Davila; April 27, Nolan Shaheed; May 4, Emma Coburn; May 11, Willie Gault; May 18, English Gardner; May 25, Kibwé Johnson; June 1, Khadevis Robinson; June 8, Carmelita Jeter; June 15, Lukas Verzbicas; June 22, Aisling Cuffe; June 29, Trevor Barron; July 6, Aldrich Bailey; July 13, Jillian Camarena-Williams; July 20, Johnnye Valien; July 27, Bernard Lagat; August 3, Marcus Krah; August 9, Leo Manzano; August 17, Magdalena Lewy Boulet; August 24, Brigetta Barrett; September 7, LaShinda Demus; September 14, Kasie Enman; September 21, Galen Rupp; September 28, Max King; October 5, Kathryn Martin; October 13, William Boland; October 19, Janet Cherobon-Bawcom