GIRLS' TRACK: Weissenbach is Gatorade national athlete of the year

Following a junior season highlighted by a pair of national high school records, Harvard-Westlake's Amy Weissenbach has been honored as Gatorade's national girls' track and field athlete of the year.

Weissenbach, who secured the Gatorade state award Wednesday, is the area's fifth female track athlete to receive the Gatorade national honor and the first since L.A. Baptist graduate Allyson Felix won in 2003. Harvard-Westlake assistant Joanna Hayes was the Gatorade state and national recipient at J.W. North in 1995.

Weissenbach joins Jill Oakes, the 2002 girls' soccer player of the year, as Harvard-Westlake's only two recipients of Gatorade's national honors.

Weissenbach defended her state 800-meter title June 4 in Clovis, clocking a National Federation High School record of 2 minutes, 2.04 seconds, the top 19-under outdoor mark by an American this year and fastest in the world among 17-under female athletes.

Harvard-Westlake's Cami Chapus, K.C. Cord, Lauren Hansson and Weissenbach set a national prep record Saturday in the distance medley relay, clocking 11:22.23 at the New Balance Outdoor National Championships in Greensboro, N.C.

Weissenbach, who boasts a 4.23 GPA, ran the leadoff 1,200-meter leg in 3:24.85, believed to be the fastest in prep history. She also anchored the Wolverines to a national title June 17 in the sprint medley relay (3:55.12), the second-fastest time in state history and No. 14 on the country's all-time list.

Weissenbach and her teammates will compete Saturday the Nike Track Nationals in Eugene, Ore., where she won the 800 title in 2:08.42 last year.