INDIANAPOLIS -- Chris Derrick earns USA Track & Field Athlete of the Week after a winning performance at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country meet Saturday, Jan. 10 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
 
Derrick (Naperville, Illinois) defended his 2014 men’s 8 km individual title with a time of 25:31 to lead the field. His performance helped Team USA win the men’s and overall team titles, avenging last year’s two-point loss to Team Europe.
 
“I was happy that I was able to come out strong at the end of my race,” said Derrick. “It was a really good performance all around with all teams. It was cool to see everyone show up and do so well.”
 
Derrick will now focus on making the U.S. team competing in the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China, on March 28.
 
Garrett Heath (Winona, Minnesota) also had a standout performance, defending his 2014 individual title with a finish of 12:11, absolutely dominating the field in the men’s invitational 4 km at Bupa.
 
Now in its 14th 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.
 
2015 Winners: January 15, Chris Derrick.
 
About USATF
USA Track & Field is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the country’s No. 1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the  United States. For more information on USATF, visit http://www.usatf.org/.