Last year at Tufts, Libbie Hickman, the 1999 USARC Grand Prix champion, again won the race and defended her USA 10K title (32:49). Hickman who recently finished 16th in the Olympic 10,000 meters in Sydney, Australia will not defend her title.
Along with the USA Championship and the $14,150 U.S. prize purse, Tufts is also the Women's USA Running Circuit finale and like past editions, the USARC Grand Prix champion will be decided there. In 1997, with the U.S. title, Kim Jones earned the grand prix title, while in 1999, Hickman won the USARC title with her victory. Mosqueda who is currently 2nd (4 points behind Hickman) can claim the 2000 crown with a top finish. The top three USARC point-scorers will earn $6000, $4000 and $2500 respectively.
Here's a look at the top contenders for the USA 10K Championship:
Other top Americans expected at Tufts include:
Kristen Coogan (Boulder, CO); Kelly Cordell (San Luis Obispo, CA), 2000 Wharf to Wharf winner; Misti Demko (Hershey, PA); Kim Fitchen (Palo Alto, CA); Naoko Ishibe (Washington, DC); Jill Gaitenby (Boston, MA); Milena Glusac (Fallbrook, CA), 2000 Orange County Race for the Cure 5K winner; Kim Jones (Boulder, CO), top U.S. master and 1997 USA 10K champion; Betsy Kempter (Chapel Hill, NC); Julia Kirtland (Harpswell, ME); Katie McGregor (Ann Arbor, MI); Natalie Nalepa (Oakland, CA); Emily Nay (Helena, MT); Kim Pawelek (Jacksonville, FL), 1999 USA marathon champion; Julie Peterson (Beverly, MA); Katrina Price-Crosby (South Pasadena, CA); Gina Procaccio (King of Prussia, PA), Shelly Steely (Albuquerque, NM), 1998 USARC Grand Prix champion and 1992 Olympian 3000m and Carole Zajac-Tynan (Albuquerque, NM).
The total prize purse equals $23,500 with $5450 in Open prize money ($2400, $1650 and $1400) and $14,150 in national championship prize money ($3600, $2350, $1850, $1600, $1300, $1000, $800, $650, $550 and $450).
10K Records course 31:38 Anne Hannam (NZL) Tufts Health Plan 10/10/88 U.S. 31:06 Lynn Jennings Red Lobster, FL 03/03/90 World 30:39 Liz McColgan (GBR) Red Lobster, FL 03/11/89In conjunction with the USA Women's 10K Championship, Tufts Health Plan, proud sponsor of the 24th annual race, will host a Celebration of Health and Fitness on the Boston Common from 10:00am to 2:00pm. There also will be a 1K Walk for Kids (10:30am) and a variety of fun activities for the entire family. The women's 10K race starts at 12:00 noon on Charles Street. Joan Samuelson, 1984 Olympic gold medalist in the marathon, will be on-site as an official spokeswoman to support the race.
As part of the tradition of the race, Tufts Health Plan will present a $10,000 grant to the Breast and Cervical Screening Collaborative to help fund breast and cervical cancer screenings among underinsured, low income women in the greater Boston area.
The flat, fast loop course along the Charles River starts and finishes in the Boston Commons. The Tufts Health Plan for Women is the country's largest all-women's 10K race (5,161 finishers in 1999). For more information, visit the race website at http://www.tuftshealthplan.com.
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USA Women's 10K Road Champions (1978-1999)
1978 Mary Decker 34:39 AAU Championship, Purchase, NY
1979 Karin Von Berg 34:26 Freihofer's Run for Life, Albany, NY
1980 Dana Slater 33:26 Freihofer's Run for Life, Albany, NY
1981 Laura Craven 35:43 Avon, Kansas City, MO
1982 Kathy Boyle 36:36 Freihofer's Run for Women, Albany, NY
1983 Judi St. Hilaire 33:43 Freihofer's Run for Women, Albany, NY
1984 Betty Springs 32:51 Freihofer's Run for Women, Albany, NY
1985 Betty Springs (tie) 32:14 Freihofer's Run for Women, Albany, NY
Francie Larrieu Smith 32:14 Freihofer's Run for Women, Albany, NY
1986 Betty Springs 32:13 Freihofer's Run for Women, Albany, NY
1987 Lynn Jennings 32:19 Freihofer's Run for Women, Albany, NY
1988 Lynn Jennings 32:39 Freihofer's Run for Women, Albany, NY
1989 Margaret Groos 33:11 Asbury Park Classic, NJ
1990 Lynn DeNinno 34:37 Bolder Boulder, CO
1991 Lynn DeNinno 35:11 Bolder Boulder, CO
1992 Lynn Jennings 32:42 Charlotte Observer, NC
1993 Jody Hawkins 33:22 Azalea Trail, Tyler, TX
1994 Lynn Jennings 31:48 Tufts Health Plan for Women, Boston, MA
1995 Colette Murphy 32:30 Tufts Health Plan for Women, Boston, MA
1996 Anne Marie Lauck 33:16 Tufts Health Plan for Women, Boston,
MA
1997 Kim Jones 32:49 Tufts Health Plan for Women, Boston, MA
1998 Libbie Hickman 31:57 Tufts Health Plan for Women, Boston, MA
1999 Libbie Hickman 32:49 Tufts Health Plan for Women, Boston, MA
Compiled by USATF Road Running Information Center
5522 Camino Cerralvo, Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 696-6232, FAX (805) 696-6252
email (rric@runningusa.org), website (www.usaldr.org)
# # #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
USA Running Circuit update
Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women to Decide USARC Grand Prix Positions
BOSTON - (October 6, 2000) - The Women's USA Running Circuit finale, the
Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women on October 8 in Boston, will determine the
Women's USARC final standings and the Grand Prix prize money ($6000, $4000
and $2500). Libbie Hickman, the 1999 USARC champion, will not be in
Boston,
but barring surprise entrants she has secured one of the three Grand Prix
prize money positions. Sylvia Mosqueda who is currently second with 29
points
also has secured one of the three GP spots and with a top finish at Tufts,
she could win the overall USARC Grand Prix title. Other athletes at Boston
who can earn a piece of the $12,500 Grand Prix are: Kristy Johnston (6th),
Annette Peters (14th) and Kelly Cordell (14th)
Per USARC race, the first ten U.S. runners earn points (15 for first, 12
for
second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1).
Women's USARC Standings
after five races
1) Libbie Hickman, 35, Ft. Collins, CO 33
2) Sylvia Mosqueda, 34, Los Angeles, CA 29
3) Susannah Beck, 32, Eugene, OR 24
4) Chris Clark, 37, Anchorage, AK 21
5) Jennifer Rhines, 26, Haverford, PA 19
6) Kristy Johnston, 35, Shepherdstown, WV 18
7) Kristin Beaney, 28, Wayland, MA 15
Deena Drossin, 27, Alamosa, CO 15
9) Ann Schaefers-Coles, 35, Algonquin, IL 13
10) Blake Russell, 25, Greensboro, NC 12
Michelle Byrne, 27, Richardson, TX 12
12) Jennifer Tonkin, 28, Seattle, WA 11
Laura Baker, 25, Dorchester, MA 11
14) Anne Marie Lauck, 31, Hampton, NJ 10
Annette Peters, 34, Eugene, OR 10
Kelly Cordell, 30, San Luis Obispo, CA 10
The 2000 USA Running Circuit (USARC), the sixth edition for the men and
fifth
for the women, offers over $670,000 in prize money plus a $25,000 grand
prix
purse. The 2000 Circuit, a USA Track & Field road series, features six
events
for men and women.
The USARC mission is to support, develop and promote U.S. runners. Past
USARC
Grand Prix champions include Olympians Keith Brantly ('95), Mark Coogan
('96), Rod DeHaven ('98), Libbie Hickman ('99), Anne Marie Lauck ('96),
Shelly Steely ('98) and Todd Williams ('99).
2000 Women's USA Road Champions
Chris Clark 2:33:31 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, Columbia, SC,
February
26
Deena Drossin 49:40 Gate River Run 15K, Jacksonville, FL, March 4
Kristin Beaney 1:28:53 Old Kent River Bank Run 25K, Grand Rapids, MI, May
13
Libbie Hickman 15:35 Freihofer's Run for Women 5K, Albany, NY, June 3
Libbie Hickman 1:11:01 Parkersburg Half-Marathon, WV, August 19
Men's USARC Finale:
Delchamps Senior Bowl Charity Run 10K (men), Mobile, AL $20,000 November
4
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Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Coordinator
USATF Road Running Information Center
5522 Camino Cerralvo, Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 696-6252
http://www.runningusa.org
http://www.usaldr.org