Category: News - Part 2

Eastern Regional 5k: Race Results and Summary

2002 USATF Adirondack & Eastern Regional 5k Open Racewalk Championships. Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs NY October 20, 2002 1:00 pm

A small but stellar field found strong competition, personal records and “2nd lifetime” PR’s in an ideal afternoon race for entrants of the Eastern Regional 5k Race Walk. The course was a smooth, flat 1k loop on a pine tree-lined road with wide turns. The sky had cleared, and a crisp fall air was warmed by a brightly shining sun that also highlighted the fall foliage of the Saratoga Spa state park. The lead pack of Jose Duce, Allen James and Bill Vayo started out with a blistering speed set by Duce. When James saw they were going to hit 1k at 4:12, he settled into a more reasonable pace and Vayo held back with him as the! y let the leader go. Duce, a Spaniard who arrived in the US in August and began his season in September, won the Eastern Regional 30k last week in NYC and wanted to test himself at the shorter distance. A 21 minute 5k was not in the cards, however, and James’ patience paid off as he walked to victory in 22:18. Duce was not disappointed in his loss as he did what he set out to do: determine his current fitness level and hold his desired pace as long as possible. He finished in 22:33, followed by Vayo in 24:25. The women got sucked into the men’s quick start with Laura Feller staying on Cheryl Rellinger’s heels for the first half of the race, coming through the first 1k in just over 5 minutes. The pace slowed a bit after 3k, but Feller finished in a PR of 26:41 behind Rellinger’s 26:22. The next pack consisted of 3 men master walkers, with Bill Crone leading the trio in a time of 28:37. Not a PR, but his fastest since he li! ved in Riverside, CA back when a young Susan Armenta was walking that same pace (in other words, quite a long time ago). Next was Jim McGrath, making up a 10m deficit with 400m to go to pass Mike Piplani for 5th overall male in 29:21. Piplani wasn’t too disappointed to finish so close behind McGrath, who had lapped him 3 weeks earlier in the national masters 1 hour. Rather, he was happy to break the 30 minute barrier with a 29:36 for the first time since he was a high school walker. Rounding out the race was Keisha Pearson, a 15 year old who also got a PR of 32:54 today, in her first abbreviated season. The talented junior competitor began race walking in the spring of this year, but was busy sailing in Holland and Bermuda as a member of the US national team. It was time to begin cross country training upon her return, but the `distance’ workout today will provide a little muscle memory before her return to walking in the! indoor track season. With her efficient, legally sound technique, this girl will be a contender for the junior team if we don’t lose her to another sport. Her efforts today brought the team title to Walk USA. And as a spectator noted, (yes, we had quite a few) what a mixed team it was: a masters man, open woman and high schooler. A good representation of how all-inclusive our sport can be.

Results (Place Name Age Team Time Award):

1 Allen James 38 Park Racewalkers 22:18.4-1st M
2 Jose Duce 29 Park Racewalkers 22:33.4-2nd M
3 Bill Vayo 38 Eastside T.C. 24:25.4-3rd M
4 Cheryl Rellinger 36 Walk USA 26:22.3-1st F
5 Laura Feller 23 Unattached 26:41.2-2nd F
6 Wilson Crone 42 Upstate Walkers 28:37.4-4th M 1st Adir Assn.
7 Jim McGrath 65 Walk USA 29:21.3-5th M
8 Michael Piplani 41 Upstate Walkers 29:36.4-6th M 2nd Adir Assn.
9 Keisha Pearson 15 Walk USA 32:54.5-3rd F

Open Mixed Team Title: Walk USA

Many thanks to George Regan, president of the Adirondack Association who believes every association should contest a racewalk, for making the race happen, Bruce Vandewater for registration and results, Allen James for course discovery, permission and measurement, head judge Elaine Humphrey (and for refreshments), judges Kathy Sullivan, Sharon and Chet Boehlke, Earl Daniels, and to our local association for officials, judges and volunteers. And of course to all the competitors who made the trek on fairly short notice and provided worthy competition for one another!

Genesee Valley Harrier (GVH) Cross Country Invitational

With the lure of $5,000 in team and individual prize money, elite harriers from across the United States and Canada will once again descend on Rochester, New York on October 13.

The $5,000 Genesee Valley Harrier (GVH) Cross Country Invitational is slated for Sunday, October 13 at Black Creek Park in the Rochester suburb of Chili.

The women’s 5k is scheduled for 10:30am while the Men’s 8k will go off at 11:15am. The race is a part of the 13 year-old Upstate New York Cross Country Series and will serve as the 2002 Niagara Association Senior Men’s and Women’s Championship.

The GVH Invitational, coupled with the Mayor’s Cup Cross Country races two weeks later in Boston gives American post-collegiate runners a great opportunity to hone their cross country skills as they lead up to this years’ Fall Cross Country Nationals in Rocklin, California.

The $5,000 in prize money available at the GVH Invite also makes the event a “can’t miss” opportunity for US and Canadian athletes preparing for national and international cross country competitions.

$3,300 will be given out to the top 4 men’s and women’s teams ($750-$400-$300-$200) while $1,700 is to be distributed among the top 5 male and female finishers ($300-$175-$150-$125-$100).

Entry information for the meet is available on the Genesee Valley Harrier website (http://www.gvh.net). Meet Director Peter Glavin can be contacted at gvh@frontiernet or at 585-720-9252

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MEET HISTORY:

1999: 191 at Rochester’s Genesee Valley Park in what was called the $5,000 Home Depot Invitational. Sandu Rebenciuc of the Greater Springfield (MA) Harriers (25:01) held off Derek White of the Syracuse Chargers (25:02) for the Men’s 8k title while Michelle King led a 1-2-3 the Toronto Olympic Club sweep of the Women’s 5k. The Greater Boston Track Club nipped the Syracuse Chargers to win the $600.00 Men’s 1st prize while the Charger women won the distaff title.

2000: Home Depot upped the prize money to $10,000 and the race became arguably the best cross country race ever run in Upstate New York. 239 competed on a rainy, blustery day at Genesee Valley Park. Kenyan Paul Mwangi led 10 men under 24:00 in the 8km while Colette Liss of the Indiana Invaders began her rise to national prominence with a victory in the Women’s 5km. Team Kenyada of Hamilton, Ontario edged Hanson’s Running Shop of Michigan for the $1,000 first place men’s prize and Liss’s Invaders went 2-3-4 behind her to secure the women’s team title.

2001: A new sponsor and a new venue. 191 compete at Black Creek Park in the Rochester suburb of Chili and compete for $5,000 in prize money, put up by the host club, the Genesee Valley Harriers. Liss and her Invader teammates once again dominate the women’s field. Priscilla Hein, who would later win the Fall XC Championships title in Mobile, finishes second. Rick Sluder of the Invaders runs away from Ricardo Santos of the Toronto Olympic Club to win the 8km. Santos and his TOC win the team title, though and the $750.00 that went with it.

Dalton repeats as top Masters runner

Tom Dalton of Rotterdam was named USA Track and Field’s Masters Runner of the Year for the second consecutive time.

The award is based on age-graded times, meaning an older runner posting a fast time is given more credit than a younger runner finishing in the same time. Runners have to be nominated for the award.

Dalton won two national cross country titles, at 8 kilometers (Nov. 4 in Rochester) and 5 kilometers (Nov. 18 in Deland, Fla.).

“For the race in Florida, the course had taken six inches of rain the day before,” Dalton said. “(The mud and water) was shin-deep in some places.”

Dalton won that race by 58 seconds in 15 minutes, 42 seconds. He won by 1:23 in Rochester in 25:15.

Dalton is ranked No. 1 in the world at 5,000 meters, second at 3,000, fifth at a mile, and sixth at 1,500 meters.

“Run for America” to raise money for victims of terrorism

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, October 4, 2001)- Anyone who owns a pair of running or walking shoes is invited on November 4 to “Run for America” to raise money for the victims and heroes of the September 11 attacks on the United States.

An historic, joint effort between USA Track & Field (USATF), Runner’s World, the New York Road Runners Club, Inc., the Road Runners Club of America and Running USA, the Run for America is a “virtual run/walk,” held November 4 to coincide with the New York City Marathon. All proceeds from the Run for America will go to the American Red Cross, the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund and the Twin Towers Fund.

Run for America is organized much like any road race. To take part, entrants must register at the Run for America Web site – www.runforamerica.com – and select the “race” in which they will participate on November 4 and the charity to which they would like to donate. Running events offered range from 1 mile to 100K, with walking events from 1 mile to 20K.

For a $15 donation/”entry fee,” participants will be entered in the “race” and can download a special Run for America race bib. On November 4, entrants will run or walk their “race” and will have the opportunity to post essays and photos about their Run for America experience on www.runforamerica.com.

“The Run for America will ‘virtually’ bring people from around the world together on a single day, just as Runner’s World, The New York Road Runners, Running USA, and the Road Runners Club of America came together to make this project happen,” said USATF CEO Craig Masback. “It is our hope that Run for America is able to positively affect the lives of the September 11th survivors, as well as the lives of the participants in Run for America.”

“One of the great things about Run for America is that any person, at any fitness level, can take part,” said USATF President Bill Roe. “The tragedies of September 11th have brought people together in an amazing way. It is in that spirit that the Run for America is being held.”

Participants may also enter the times they ran on November 4, to be compiled within the “official” results for various distances, allowing participants to see where they stand against other Run for America participants around the country and the world. Entrants can use their daily run/walk, a special group event, or a race that they have already planned to compete in as their Run for America “race.” Youth, high school and college cross-country runners are also encouraged to join the Run for America.

For additional donations, entrants can purchase a Run for America long-sleeved t-shirt and/or a Runner’s World Run for America button. Several Team USA items autographed by top stars and other memorabilia will be given away in a random drawing as well.

For more information on the Run for America, visit the official Web site: www.runforamerica.com.

The Charities

American Red Cross

American Red Cross disaster assistance is provided to people in need without charge. Donations will help provide support for people in need following the Sept. 11 disaster as well as emerging human needs resulting from this tragedy. For more information, visit www.redcross.org

Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund

This Fund is designed to provide educational assistance for post-secondary education to financially needy children and spouses of those killed or permanently disabled as a result of the tragedies of September 11. The Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund will benefit children and spouses of the victims, including airplane crew and passengers, World Trade Center and Pentagon employees and visitors, and relief workers, including firemen and policemen.

For more information, visit www.familiesoffreedom.com

Twin Towers Fund

New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani has established the Twin Towers Fund to assist the families of the members of the uniformed services of the NYC Fire Department and its Emergency Medical Services Command, the NYC Police Department, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the New York State Office of Court Administration and other government offices who lost their lives or were injured because of the tragedies of September 11, 2001.

Contact:

Jill M. Geer
Director of Communications
317-261-0500
jill.geer@usatf.org
http://www.usatf.org
http://www.runforamerica.com

HICKMAN EXPECTING

U.S. distance runner, Libbie Hickman, is pregnant and will miss this week’s U.S. Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore.

“We found out ten days ago,” said her husband and manager, Walter Hickman. “It was such a shock [but] everything is fine.”

Hickman, 36, was an Olympian last year, running the 10,000m at Sydney where she finished 16th. She has a personal best time of 31:41.33 at that distance and has run the marathon in 2:28:34. She was U.S. 10,000m champion in 1999, and is the reigning U.S. half-marathon champion.

The child, which will be the couple’s first, is expected in late November or early December.

LIBBIE HICKMAN PULLS OUT OF 2001 FREIHOFER’S RUN FOR WOMEN

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 29, 2001) — Libbie Hickman, the defending Freihofer’s Run for Women champion, withdrew yesterday from the 5K National Championship & Fitness Run slated for Saturday, June 2 at 10:15 a.m.

According to Walter Hickman, Libbie’s coach and husband, Hickman pulled out because she is not in the type of competitive shape necessary to defend her crown this weekend.

“During last minute workouts over the Memorial Day weekend, Libbie realized she is not where she’d like to be to compete in a National event like Freihofer’s,” said Walter, explaining that Libbie has been fatigued since returning from last year’s Olympics in Sydney.

“She disappointed not to be coming back to run in Freihofer’s,” he added. “She loves coming to Albany and has been continuing to correspond via e-mail with students at Green Meadow School in East Greenbush over the past couple of months.”

With Hickman, the race’s clearcut favorite now absent, Saturday’s field is now “wide open,” said Run for Women Event Director George Regan.

“I’m very disappointed that we’ve lost our defending champion,” he said, “but her withdrawal now opens up our field for a number of other runner to shine like Blake Russell (2nd place finisher in 2000), Sylvia Mosqueda (3rd in 2000), and Laura Baker (5th in 2000).

“I’m excited, however, about this year’s master’s (over 40) race, which is certainly the best field we’ve ever assembled,” Regan added. “Joining our two-time defending champion Carmen Troncoso will be Judi St. Hilaire (2nd place master’s finisher in 2000, and open winner in ’89 and ’91), Joan Benoit-Samuelson (1984 women’s Olympic marathon gold medalist), Jane Welzel (’95 and ’96 master’s champion), as well as new master’s runners like Gordon Bakoulis and Sabrina Robinson.”

Those who’d like to sign up to run in the 2001 Freihofer’s Run for Women can still do so. Entries will be accepted from noon-9 p.m. Friday, June 1 at the Runner’s Expo, concourse level, Empire State Plaza.

For more information on the 2001 Freihofer’s Run for Women, Freihofer’s Community Walk and Freihofer’s Kids’ Run, call (518) 273-5552 or go to http://www.freihofersrun.com/.

Howard Dewey from Corinth NY – 2001 Accomplishments

May 12, 2001- Jacksonville TC Masters Meet, Jacksonville, FL

High Jump 60-64, set record with a jump of 5′ 3″
Long Jump 60-64, 15′ 1″

New York State Senior Games

Won age group 60-64 High Jump at 5’0″
Won age group 60-64 Long Jump at 4.57

July 20, 2001- Summer National Games (Senior Olympics) Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Set Senior Games 60-64 High Jump record at 5′ 3″

July 27, 2001- USA Masters Outdoor T&F; Championships, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

After playing 3 on 3 basketball in Senior Games for four days, Howard went on to win a Silver medal in the High Jump at 4’11”.

USA 100K Team for the 2001 IAU World Challenge Selected

The Mountain/Ultra/Trail (MUT) Council of USA Track & Field have selected the USA 100km Team to compete in the 2001 IAU 100km World Challenge. The 62.1-mile event, to be held August 26 in Cledar, France, is the longest annual World Title footrace.

The twelve team members who have confirmed their intent to compete are:

MEN
James Garcia, 42, Westford, MA
Rich Hanna, 36, Sacramento, CA
Bob Sweeney, 34, Rye Brook, NY
Howard Nippert, 35, Blacksburg, VA
Tom Johnson, 42, Loomis, CA
Dave Dunham, 37, Bradford, MA

WOMEN
Anne Riddle, 34, Asheville, NC
Nikki Kimball, 29, Waterford, NY
Chrissy Ferguson, 40, Conway, AR
Deb Mattheus, 37, Boulder, CO
Daniele Cherniak, 39, Cohoes, NY
Jennifer Devine, 29 Sacramento, CA

Alternates, in order:
MEN
Scott Jurek, 27, Seattle, WA
Mark Godale, 30, Aurora, OH

WOMEN
Luanne Park, 40, Redding, CA
Christy Cosgrove, 40, Boxford, MA
Anne Heaslett, 37, Madison, WI

Keflezighi named USATF Athlete of the Week

INDIANAPOLIS – Meb Keflezighi has been named USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week after setting an American record in the 10,000 meters last Friday at the Cardinal Invitational. Keflezighi’s time of 27:13.98 shattered Mark Nenow’s 1986 American record of 27:20.56.

The 2000 Olympic Trials champion and 12th-place finisher at the Olympics at 10k, Keflezighi keyed off of several Kenyan pacesetters and the cheers of 3,500 fans to help him to the record.

“My first goal was to have a good, solid race, but I didn’t want the record to get away either,” Keflezighi said. “The plan was to stick close with the leaders because I knew they were going to go 27-flat. I wanted to hit halfway in 13:30 to 13:40 and then try to maintain the same pace. When that actually happened, I definitely knew that I was about to make the record.”

Keflezighi, who turned 26 on Saturday and trains with the recently formed Team USA Southern California, finished fourth in the race, won by Kenyan Abraham Chebii, who posted the fastest time ever run on U.S. soil with his 27:04.20 – faster than Haile Gebrselassie ran in winning the 1996 Olympics (27:07.34). American Alan Culpepper was fifth in 27:33.93, a personal record that makes him the sixth-fastest American ever at the distance.

Other top performances this week included Sean Albert, who won the 20k race walk invitational at Palo Alto, Calif. in 1:26:24. Albert’s performance is the fastest time in the U.S. this year. John Godina won the shot put at Irvine, Calif. last weekend with a best effort of 21.36 meters, 70 feet, 1 inch, and Jenny Adams won the 100-meter hurdles at the Texas Invitational in 12.85.

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 Tuesday and features the athlete on the USATF Web site. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.

2001 USATF Athlete of the Week Winners: January 22, Alan Webb; January 29, Terrence Trammell; February 5, Stacy Dragila; February 12, Seneca Lassiter; February 20, Stacy Dragila; February 27, Andrew Pierce; March 6, Maurice Greene; March 14, Dawn Burrell; March 20, Ja’Warren Hooker; March 27, Dathan Ritzenhein; April 3, Philip Dunn; April 10, Relay Team of Maurice Greene, Jon Drummond, Bernard Williams and Curtis Johnson; April 17, Rod DeHaven; April 24, Elizabeth Jackson; May 1, Stacy Dragila; May 8, Meb Keflezighi.

TOP OUTDOOR PERFORMANCES, WEEK OF APRIL 30-MAY 6

MEN’S 100 METERS
10.14 Marcus Brunson (Arizona State) at Tempe, Arizona

MEN’S 200 METERS
219-7 Kevin Braunskill at Athens, Georgia

MEN’S 400 METERS
219-7 Andrew Pierce (Ohio State) at Jesse Owens Classic

MEN’S 800 METERS
1:47.37 Floyd Thompson (Baylor) at Stanford

MEN’S 1,500 METERS
3:37.23 Bryan Berryhill (Colorado State) at Stanford

MEN’S 3,000-METERS STEEPLECHASE
8:31.78 Tom Chorny at Stanford

MEN’S 5,000 METERS
13:24.13 Tim Broe at Stanford

MEN’S 10,000 METERS
27:13.96 Meb Keflezighi at Stanford (American record)

MEN’S 110-METERS HURDLES
219-7 Mark Crear at Rio Grand Prix

MEN’S400-METERS HURDLES
219-7 William Porter at Rio Grand Prix

MEN’S 20-KILOMETERS WALK
1:26:24 Sean Albert at Palo Alto

MEN’S HIGH JUMP
7-5.25 (2.27m) Tora Harris (Princeton) at Heptagonals
7-4.5 (2.25m) Charles Austin at Texas Invitational

MEN’S POLE VAULT
18-6.5 (5.65m) Nick Hysong at El Paso

MEN’S LONG JUMP
26-5.5 (8.06m) Kevin Dilworth at Rio Grand Prix

MEN’S SHOT PUT
70-1 (21.36m) John Godina at Irvine, Calif.

MEN’S DISCUS THROW
209-2 (63.76m) John Godina at Irvine, Calif.

MEN’S HAMMER THROW
238-4 (72.64m) Kevin McMahon at Sacramento

MEN’S JAVELIN
243-0 (74.06m) Chris Clever (Harvard) at Heptagonals

WOMEN’S 100 METERS
219-7 LaTasha Jenkins at Athens, Georgia
219-7 Shakedia Jones (UCLA) at Los Angeles

WOMEN’S 200 METERS
219-7 Kinshasa Davis (Southern California) at Los Angeles

WOMEN’S 800 METERS
2:04.07 Shayne Culpepper at Stanford

WOMEN’S 3,000-METERS STEEPLECHASE
10:06.48 Kelly MacDonald (Arizona State) at Tempe

WOMEN’S 5,000 METERS
15:50.52 Elizabeth Jackson (Brigham Young) at Stanford

WOMEN’S 100-METERS HURDLES
219-7 Jenny Adams at Texas Invitational

WOMEN’S 400-METERS HURDLES
219-7 Sandra Glover at Rio Grand Prix

WOMEN’S POLE VAULT
14-0 (4.27m) Tracy O’Hara (UCLA) at Los Angeles

WOMEN’S TRIPLE JUMP
43-5 (13.23m) GiGi Miller (Arkansas) at Springfield, Missouri

WOMEN’S SHOT PUT
60-1.25 (18.32m) Teri Tunks at Rio Grand Prix

WOMEN’S DISCUS THROW
199-11 (60.94m) Seilala Sua at Irvine, Calif.

WOMEN’S HAMMER THROW
219-7 (66.92m) Dawn Ellerbe at Athens, Georgia

Contact: Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
(317) 261-0500 x317
Tom.Surber@usatf.org
http://www.usatf.orr

Team United Track Club

Team United Track Club clocked a WR time of 10.23.81, which established a New World Record for Masters Men.

The Team consisted of:
Name	Age	Time
Anselm Lebourne	42	3.06.9
Val Barnwell	42	53.2
Steve Nearman	42	2.02.5
Tom Dalton	42	4.21.2

There time erased the old standard set more than ten years ago by the Boston Running Club of 10.34.6. My only comment concerning all of this is that I am extremely proud of the desire and dedication between these Team Members and the Overall Chemistry that exist between them. It still shows that at any age when a group of people get together on something any Dream can be a Reality.

Coach Wiltshire