INDIANAPOLIS - Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has been named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week after running the Little Rock Marathon Sunday in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Huckabee completed the race in 4 hours, 38 minutes, 31 seconds, nearly two years after he started a diet and exercise plan to lose 110 pounds. His efforts inspired others to run in the marathon as race officials attributed the 30 percent increase in entrants this year to the participation of the 49-year-old governor.

"I never felt I was going to quit," said Huckabee. "I never hit a point where I thought I couldn't do it. I felt good all the way through the finish and I was kicking it at the end."

Now in its fifth 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 the USATF website. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.

2005 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 4, Amy Rudolph; January 11, Dathan Ritzenhein; January 18, Janine Davis; January 25, Wallace Spearmon Jr.; February 1, Erin Gilreath; February 8, LaShawn Merritt; February 15, LaShawn Merritt; February 22, Walter Davis; March 1, Angela Daigle; March 8, Gov. Mike Huckabee.

BEST MARKS WEEK ENDING MARCH 6

MEN

60 - 6.58 Trell Kimmons (Hinds CC) - Charleston, IL 3/5

200 - 20.82 OT Domenik Peterson (Arizona St.) - Ames, IA 3/5

400 - 45.95 OT Matt Scherer (Oregon) - Ames, IA 3/5

800 - 1:46.43 OTJoel Williams (Jackson St.) - Ames, IA 3/5U.S. leader

Mile - 3:57.04 OT Said Ahmed (Arkansas) - Ames, IA 3/5

3000 - 7:55.70 Josh McDougal (Liberty) - Boston, MA 3/5

7:52.80 OT Adam Goucher (Nike) - Seattle, WA 3/5

3000 Walk - 12:30.51 OT Matt Boyles (Rio Grande) - Johnson City,TN 3/5

5000 - 13:49.06 OT Matt Gonzales (New Mexico) - Notre Dame, IN 3/5

55H - 7.16 David Oliver (Holyfield Intl.) - Gainesville, FL 3/3

HJ - 2.20/7-2.5 Dusty Jonas (Nebraska) - Ames, IA 3/5

PV - 5.50/18-0.5 Tommy Skipper (Oregon) - Seattle, WA 3/5

LJ - 8.12/26-7.75 Aarik Wilson (Indiana) - Notre Dame, IN 3/5

TJ - 15.89/52-1.75 Jason Bell (Clemson) - Blacksburg, VA 3/5

SP - 19.76/64-10 Garrett Johnson (Florida St.) - Gainesville, FL 3/3

Weight - 20.99/68-10.5 Nick Owens (North Carolina) - Blacksburg, VA 3/5

Heptathlon - 6102 Ryan Harlan (Unattached) - Chapel Hill, NC 3/6 U.S. leader

WOMEN

60 - 7.33 Khalilah Carpenter (South Carolina) - Blacksburg, VA 3/5

200 - 23.60 OT Maryann Erigha (Notre Dame) - Notre Dame, IN 3/5

23.65 Shalonda Solomon (South Carolina) - Blacksburg, VA 3/5

400 - 52.67 OT Ginou Etienne (Miami) - Notre Dame, IN 3/5

800 - 2:05.79 OT Melanie Hardy (Tulsa) - Ames, IA 3/5

2:06.58 Shannon Rowbury (Duke) - Boston, MA 3/5

Mile - 4:40.13 OT Heidi Magill (BYU) - Seattle, WA 3/5

3000 - 9:17.97 OT Cassie Ficken (Charlotte) - Notre Dame, IN 3/5

9:19.88 Sally Meyerhoff (Duke) - Boston, MA 3/6

5000 - 16:12.14 Lindsey Scherf (Harvard) - Boston, MA 3/5

60H - 8.13 Gigi Miller (Unat.) - Chapel Hill, NC 3/6

HJ - 1.84/6-0.5 Hyleas Fountain (Nike) - Chapel Hill, NC 3/6

PV - 4.15/13-7.25 Stevie Marshalek (Washington) - Seattle, WA 3/5

LJ - 6.24/20-5.75 Amy Seward (Miami) - Blacksburg, VA 3/5

TJ - 13.16/43-2.25 Brooklyn Hann (Kansas) - Notre Dame, IN 3/5

SP - 17.80/58-4.75 Liz Wanless (Florida) - Gainesville, FL 3/3

Weight - 24.20/79-4.75 Erin Gilreath (NYAC) - Gainesville, FL 3/3

Pentathlon - 4417 Hyleas Fountain (Nike) - Chapel Hill, NC 3/6 U.S. leader

source USATF