RRCA Announces Roads Scholar Class of 2002
Alexandria, VA---The Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) is pleased to announce the 2002 RRCA Roads Scholar award recipients: Chris Graff of Palo Alto, CA; Kyle Baker of Mason, MI; Amy Yoder Begley of Kendallville, IN; Tara Chaplin of Tucson, AZ; Jeanne Hennessy of Mahopac, NY; and Nicole Jefferson of Arvada, CO.
Posted Thursday, 8 August, 2002
RRCA Announces Roads Scholar Class of 2002
Alexandria, VA---The Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) is pleased to announce the 2002 RRCA Roads Scholar award recipients: Chris Graff of Palo Alto, CA; Kyle Baker of Mason, MI; Amy Yoder Begley of Kendallville, IN; Tara Chaplin of Tucson, AZ; Jeanne Hennessy of Mahopac, NY; and Nicole Jefferson of Arvada, CO.
Each of this year's six recipients will receive a $4,000 grant from the RRCA. These grants are intended to financially assist top American post-collegiate runners who show potential for national and international ranking. The program underscores the RRCA's 44-year-old commitment to the development of distance running in America.
The RRCA Roads Scholar Class of 2002:
Chris Graff, 26, is a two-time NCAA All-American and a member of the Nike Farm team. Under well-known coach Frank "Gags" Gagliano, Chris finished 4th at the USA 15K Championships (44:25) and 1st at the Stanford Invitational 10K in March 2002 (28:35.81). Chris hopes to run either the Chicago or New York City Marathon in under 2:10. He was recently featured in the summer 2002 issue of the RRCA's quarterly magazine, Footnotes, in an article written by columnist Chris Lear.
Kyle Baker, 26, is a four-time Big Ten Track Champion and three-time NCAA All-American. A graduate of Michigan State University, Kyle has continued to work at the school while training under his college coach Jim Stintzi. Last August, Kyle was the top American finisher in the Crim 10 Mile Run,
finishing 11th overall with a time of 49:10. His performances in 2001 earned him the title of Michigan Runner of the Year. Recently, Kyle finished 10th at the USA 25K Championships (1:17.57) and 20th at the USA 10K Championships (23:32). He is working to make the transition to longer road races while further lowering his track PRs.
Amy Yoder Begley, 24, is a 15-time NCAA All-American and graduate of the University of Arkansas. She finished 2nd at the Walt Disney World Half-Marathon in January 2002 with a time of 1:18.02 and 9th at the 2002 Winter US Cross Country Championships 8K. Amy is training with her coach and husband, Andrew Begley, to break 32:30 in the 10K and 15:15 in the 5K.
Tara Chaplin, 22, is a recent graduate of the University of Arizona and winner of the 2001 Honda Sports Award for cross country. She became the second woman in the history of the school to snag the women's national champion title at the 2001 NCAA Cross Country Championship, while also leading her team to a 5th place finish. She has started base training for her first marathon which she plans to run in the fall of 2002. Tara hopes to qualify and compete in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Jeanne Hennessy, 24, is a graduate of Villanova and former goalie for the school's soccer team. Jeanne picked up running after college when she decided to run a marathon with her brother in the memory of a friend. This past May she finished 2nd at the Fifth Third River Bank 25K and 1st in the
USA 25K Championships division with a time of 1:27.18. Other 2002 highlights include her 12th place finish at the USA 15K Championships (51:55), 13th place finish at the USA Women's 5K Championships (16:39) and her 9th place finish at the Cooper River Bridge Run in June (33:59). Under the supervision of Coach Joe Vigil, Jeanne plans to train with Team USA California this fall and hopes to continue to set PRS and make the 2004 Olympic marathon team.
Nicole Jefferson, 26, is a three-time national champion in track and field and a graduate of Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado. Recently, Nicole finished 8th and 9th respectively at the USA Outdoor Championships 5K (15:41.92) and the USA Women's 5K Championships (16:15). Nicole's biggest
goal is to finish the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in under 2:30-a feat she plans to accomplish within the next two years. Nicole will be featured in the fall issue of Footnotes in an article written by columnist Chris Lear.
RRCA President Freddi Carlip is pleased with the selection of the newest Roads Scholar recipients.
"Our 2002 RRCA Roads Scholar class is stellar. I wish all of our award winners success as they pursue their running dreams," says Carlip. "Our grants have helped so many runners achieve their potential."
Since 1996, the RRCA has offered a total of $144,000 in cash grants. Past RRCA Roads Scholar awardees include: Keith Dowling ('96), Deena Drossin ('97), Peter Julian ('97 & '98), Scott Larson ('98), Milena Glusac ('00), Todd Reeser ('00), Josh Cox ('01), Collette Liss ('01), and Clint Verran
('01).
"The RRCA Roads Scholar program leads the way in helping post-collegiate runners reach their goals," added Carlip. "I'd like to thank all of the people who have made the program so successful."
The RRCA Roads Scholar program is supported by funding from the Atlanta Track Club, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run, First USA, Houston Masters Sports Association, Howard County Striders, Kansas City Track Club, Knoxville Track & Field Club, Lilac Bloomsday Association, Mid-America Running Association, New York Road Runners Club, Rodale Press, Running Network, South Coast Running Club, Syracuse Chargers, Utica Road Runners and the RRCA's many individual donors. For a complete listing, please see the RRCA's Web site at http://www.rrca.org/org/contributors.html. If you would like to contribute to the RRCA Roads Scholar program, please contact the RRCA at office@rrca.org or 703-836-0558. Your donation is tax-deductible.
The recipients of the stipend are chosen by a committee of ten members. Runners interested in applying for 2003 Roads Scholar grants should contact the RRCA at office@rrca.org and ask to be included on the mailing list. Applications will be ready for distribution in late 2002.
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Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services
USATF Road Running Information Center
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