Goucher, Russell Win USA 4K and 8K Cross Country Titles
Posted Monday, 20 February, 2006
By Jim Gerweck, Running USA wire
NEW YORK - (February 18, 2006) - At Thursday's press conference, New York Road Runners president Mary Wittenberg termed this weekend USA Cross Country Championships presented by Gleukos a "potentially defining moment. We may see a changing of the guard, with some new faces on the victory stand or the veterans may hold their ground." At the halfway split of the two-day meet, score two for the Old Guard for now.
Under cold, windy conditions, Adam Goucher of Portland, Ore. and Blake Russell of Marina, Calif., while not exactly grizzled veterans, at least served notice that the U.S. distance running status would remain quo by sprinting to narrow wins in the 4K and 8K races, respectively. Goucher, 31, finally healthy after several injury plagued seasons, celebrated his 31st birthday by out-kicking 2004 Olympian Dan Lincoln, a relative neophyte, 10:50 to 10:52. Team Running USA's Ryan Hall edged Jorge Torres 10:57 to 10:58 for third as Ian Dobson and Luke Watson rounded out the top six to qualify for the Team USA cross country team.
"The 4K doesn't get the respect it should," said Goucher, noting that he plans to go to the World Cross Country Championships in Japan this April for the final running of that distance. "I think we've got a good team" and Wittenberg added that "we've got teams with medal contenders on them."
Whether Lincoln will be one of them is still up in the air: as a full-time medical student at the University of Arkansas, the former Razorback NCAA steeplechase champ will have to see if he can take time off from his studies to make the trip.
In the women's race, Russell, with a complete race, denied a third straight XC Nationals win to Colleen De Reuck, who, at 41, could have entered (and won) the women's masters race that opened the competition at famed Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. The pair ran 26:47 and 26:49 respectively. Renee Metivier, Sara Slattery, Katie McGregor and Sharon Thompson finished 4 thru 6 to qualify for the U.S. team.
Russell and De Reuck plan to be at the Worlds, as the latter's daughter, Tasmin, has been clamoring to go to Japan to cheer her mother on. "I told her I had to make the team first," said De Reuck, who pegged herself at "80 to 85 per cent shape" coming into the meet following an extended layoff after last October's LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon (U.S. masters record).
Russell, 30, a Big Sur Distance Project member, was in similar condition, having lost most of the winter training period to the flu and a sinus infection that wiped out planned races at the Reebok indoor meet in Boston and the Houston half-marathon. "If nothing else, I was rested coming in here," she joked, noting she's only had two real workouts prior to the meet.
Wittenberg, whose NYRR team performed an amazing job of clearing the course of the two feet of snow that fell last Sunday, said "we're only at the halfway point of the race," alluding to Sunday's women's 4K and men's 12K events. Russell hinted she might run the shorter race, while Goucher, who originally hadn't planned to run the 12K, said he might change his mind after speaking with his coach, Alberto Salazar.
In the Junior women's 6K race, Nicole Blood of Gansevoort, N.Y. prevailed over Mckayla Plank (Los Gatos, Calif.) and Kauren Tarver (Wrightwood, Calif.), 20:45, 20:46 and 20:47 respectively.
USA Cross Country Championships: Day 1
Van Cortlandt Park, New York, NY, Saturday, Feb 18, 2006
4K
MEN
1) Adam Goucher, OR, 10:50, $2000
2) Daniel Lincoln, AR, 10:52, $900
3) Ryan Hall, CA, 10:57, $600
4) Jorge Torres, CO, 10:58, $450
5) Ian Dobson, CA, 11:01, $300
6) Luke Watson, MN, 11:09, $200
7) Anthony Famiglietti, NY, 11:13, $150
8) Pat Tarpy, RI, 11:15, $100
9) Ryan Bak, CA, 11:18
10) Charlie Gruber, KS, 11:20
8K
WOMEN
1) Blake Russell, CA, 26:47, $2000
2) Colleen De Reuck, 41, CO, 26:49, $900
3) Renee Metivier, CO, 26:59, $600
4) Sara Slattery, CO, 27:01, $450
5) Katie McGregor, MN, 27:04, $300
6) Sharon Thompson, TN, 27:14, $200
7) Nicole Aish, CO, 27:24, $150
8) Chelsea McKell, UT, 27:32, $100
9) Samia Akbar, VA, 27:42
10) Anne Bersagel, MN, 27:44
In addition, a $1250 bonus will be given to the six athletes in each race that accept a team spot and compete in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, April 1-2 (total $30,000).
Highlights from the 2006 USA Cross Country Championships presented by Gleukos will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 on February 19 or 20, depending on the time zone (midnight - 1:00am ET).
Find full results here: http://usatf.org/events/2006/USAXCChampionships/schedule.asp
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
415 E Figueroa St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 696-6232
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
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