April 16, 2002

Junior sprinter Nakiya Johnson has been named the Pac-10 Women's Track Athlete of the Week for April 8-14, the conference announced today.

Johnson, who transferred to USC from Texas this past fall, ran an NCAA automatic 52.30 to win the 400 meter dash at the Sun Angel Invitational in Temper, Ariz., last Saturday (April 13).

Her time is the second-fastest in the nation so far this year and the fourth-best all time by a Women of Troy sprinter. It also gives the USC women's team six NCAA automatic qualifiers on the season to date.

Johnson is the second USC woman in as many weeks to be honored as Athlete of the Week by the Pac-10. Sophomore thrower L'Orangerie Crawford won for the week of April 1-8.