INDIANAPOLIS -- High jumper Vashti Cunningham wins USATF Athlete of the Week after her record-breaking performance at the Mt. SAC Relays on Saturday, April 18 in Walnut, California.
 
Cunningham (Las Vegas), daughter of NFL great Randall Cunningham, set a national high school record in the women's high jump with a 1.94m/6-4.5 clearance, which meets the “A” standard for the IAAF World Track & Field Championships and is the top mark in the U.S. this year.
 
The previous record of 1.93m/6-4 was set by Amy Acuff in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1993 before it was matched by Toni Young of Del City, Oklahoma, in 2009.
 
“I’ve been trying [to make 6-4] for two years now,” Cunningham told RunnerSpace. “It was just a really happy moment for me and I can’t wait to go higher.”
 
Her mark is also the No. 3 mark in the world so far in 2015.
 
“Never doubt yourself,” Cunningham went on to say. “You can do anything you put your mind to and you work for.”
 
Other notable performances include:
 

• Jenna Prandini (Clovis, California), a junior at Oregon, won the 100 meters and 200m at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California, with her times of 10.92 and 22.42 respectively. Her 100m time is the fastest ever by a collegian at low altitude.

• Jeff Henderson (McAlmont, Arkansas) won the long jump title at the Mt. SAC Relays with his first and world-leading jump of 8.50m/27-10.75.

• Raven Saunders (Charleston, South Carolina), a freshman at Southern Illinois University, set an American junior record in the women's shot put at the Mt. SAC Relays with a throw of 18.23m/59-9.75.

• Kathy Bergen (LaCanada, California) set a W75 world record in the 100m with her time of 15.31 at the Mt. SAC Relays.

 
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; January 21, Demi Payne; January 28, Casimir Loxsom; February 4, Anselm LeBourne; February 11, Jenny Simpson; February 18, Brycen Spratling; February 25, Maksim Korolev; March 4, Shannon Rowbury; March 11, Mary Norckauer; March 18, Daloria Boone; March 25, Irene Obera; April 2, Michael Stigler; April 8, Allen Woodard; April 15, Joe Kovacs; April 22, Vashti Cunningham.
 
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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/.
 
We welcome your nominations!
To nominate an athlete for Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about their performance to Communications@usatf.org.