May 6, 2008

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - USC senior Carol Rodriguez was named the Pac-10 Female Track Athlete of the Week today (May 6) for the week of April 28-May 4 as she bettered her school and Puerto Rican national record in the 400m dash while leading the Trojans past UCLA in the annual Dual Meet on May 3.

Rodriguez won the women's 400m dash at the USC-UCLA Dual Meet with a time of 51.39 which bettered her USC school record and Puerto Rican national record of 51.51 set in 2006. Her time is also the top 400m race by a college female this season.

Rodriguez ran the lead-changing third leg in the women's 4x400m relay race which was the sixth fastest in school history (3:31.85) and also placed second in the 200m dash with a time of 23.35. Amazingly, she did all that with a sore hamstring and groin.

The victory by the Trojan women was the first over UCLA since 1992 and snapped UCLA head coach Jeanette Bolden's 73-straight dual meet winning streak.

Rodriguez becomes USC's fourth athlete to receive Pac-10 Player of the Week honors in track and field this season, joining Zsofia Erdelyi (April 21) and Corey White (April 9 and April 21).