Stroupe, Casey win USA 15 km Race Walk titles
Posted Thursday, 21 August, 2008
Patrick Stroupe won the men's race and Stephanie Casey led the women across the finish line Sunday at the 2008 USA 15 km Race Walk Championships in Minneapolis, Minn.
A resident of Armstrong, Mo., Stroupe finished third at the Olympic Trials last month in Eugene, Ore., but did not have the Olympic qualifying standard. Stroupe took command of the race early on Sunday and won it going away in 1:10:41. In the highest national championship placing of his career, Patrick Collyer of Albuquerque, N.M., was the runner-up finishing four minutes behind Stroupe.
Stephanie Casey, a resident of Des Moines, Iowa, who placed sixth at the Olympic Trials, faced a much greater challenge in winning the women's race. Casey won her first ever U.S. national title in crossing the finish line in 1:17:52, with Kristen Furseth of Okemos, Mich., the runner-up in 1:19:17 and Philadelphia's Solomiya Login placing third in 1:21:09.
Pegasus AC of Michigan won the team championship in both the men's and women's divisions.
For more information on the 2008 USA 15 km Race Walk Championships, visit: www.usatf.org.