NEW ORLEANS – California track & field sophomore Anna Purchase was named National NCAA Division I Women's Athlete of the Week as announced by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Tuesday.

Purchase opened the outdoor track & field season with a bang on Saturday at the Cal Outdoor Opener dual, winning the women's hammer throw competition with a mark of 66.52 meters (218-3), the second-best throw all-time at Cal.

A native of Nottingham, England, Purchase is the first men's or women's athlete in California track & field history to win the award.

Purchase's mark would have ranked ninth on the year-end descending order list in 2019 when the last outdoor season was contested.

National Athlete of the Week is an award selected and presented by the USTFCCCA Communications staff at the beginning of each week to eight collegiate indoor track & field athletes, male and female for each of the three NCAA Divisions and the NJCAA.

The award seeks to highlight not only the very best times, marks and scores on a week-to-week basis, but also performances that were significant on the national landscape and/or the latest in a series of strong outings. Quality of competition, suspenseful finishes and factors also play a role in the decision.