April 27, 2004
TEMPE, Ariz. - Amy Hastings (Leavenworth, Kan.), in her first season on the track for Arizona State, has been named the recipient of the Pac-10 Female Track Athlete of the Week for the week ending April 25, the conference office announced Monday. The weekly honor is the first for the Sun Devil women this season and the second overall for ASU on the track.
Having never competed in the steeplechase event, Hastings earned the award after finishing second overall and as the first collegiate athlete in the 3,000m steeplechase event at the Oregon Invitational April 24 in a time of 10:17.67. The only woman to defeat her in the race was former Sun Devil Kelly MacDonald. Hastings' mark stands as the third fastest in school history behind Lisa Aguilera and MacDonald and is the fourth fastest in the history of the conference.
With the fastest time in the conference to date, Hastings is in line to try and continue the success ASU has enjoyed in the steeplechase event. In 2001, MacDonald won the first Pac-10 steeplechase before Aguilera took gold in each of the last two seasons.
Hastings joins 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 Sun Devils return to action this weekend with bragging rights on the line as they head to Tucson for the annual Double Dual with Arizona and Northern Arizona May 1. ASU swept its intrastate rivals on the outdoor surface in Tempe a year ago before again sweeping them in the indoor meet in Flagstaff earlier this year.