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USA Winter XC Nationals - Women's 8K, Men's 4K
Tacoma, WA, February 13, 1999
Drossin tops Jennings in Women's 8K
Women's 8K:
RACE CONDITIONS: Mostly sunny with an occasional light breeze - temp. 48 degrees F. Race course is mostly flat with good footing despite wet conditions from morning rain.
RACE IN REVIEW: Understandably, at the lead after one kilometer, it was defending champion Deena Drossin and nine-time champion Lynn Jennings a few meters in front of this fine field of 41 runners. At two kilometers (6:17), the two were ten strides in front of a foursome of Joan Nesbit, Jen Rhines, Donna Garcia and Laura Baker. Between three and four kilometers Drossin began to pull away, and at 4K (12:41) it was Drossin and Jennings (12:44), followed by Rhines and Nesbit together in 13:08 and then Garcia and Baker (13:13). At 6 kilometers, Drossin (19:11) had extended her lead over Jennings to 14 seconds. Nesbit was in third (19:53), with Garcia and Rhines dueling together at 20:00. These athletes appeared certain to qualify for the six eligible team spots. The only question was who would take the sixth spot in the last 500 meters. Carmen Ayala Troncoso surged hard to catch and pass Baker. Drossin won easily over an excellent field.
NOTES 'N' QUOTES: Deena Drossin, who won seven Southeastern Conference championships as a collegian at Arkansas, captured her second U.S. cross country title in a row with a convincing victory today in Tacoma, Washington. Ranked seventh in the 500 meters in the U.S. by Track & Field News last year, Drossin finished 1997 ranked fourth nationally in the 10,000 meters. During 1994 and 1995, Drossin lost her love of running. After moving to Alamosa, Colorado, Drossin found her appetite for the sport again. Drossin trains with her dog, Aspen, a chocolate lab. Deena Drossin: "My plan was to go out strong because Lynn (Jennings) has such a great kick and I didn't want to have to wait until the last 100 meters. I went to the start with the strength and conviction I bring to all my races. The 2K loop was great because the e spectators were able to give you support all the way, and they weren't so spread out. From here I go to Japan to run in the Chiba International cross country meet. As far as Belfast, I don't know what my chances are, I'll just go to the starting line with my work load behind me and doing the best I can do." Lynn Jennings: "I thought it was a good, strong race. (After the gap opened up behind Drossin), I was pretty determined to hang onto second. Training-wise I'm really pleased with my performance, and I didn't race much last year so it's good to be back on the national stage and running well." [Looking ahead to the Boston Marathon] It's my first official time there, and I'm going there instead of the World Cross Country Championships - three gold medals is enough. (The last was in 1992.) I've been there eight times altogether and have five medals total. I've run only one marathon before in high school. I ran 2:46 that time in 1978, but I was too young for a number so I had to run it unofficially. It's been so long since, I don't really remember how I felt afterwards - one of those impulsive things you do when you're 17, but it wasn't the smartest thing."
Men's 4K:
RACE CONDITIONS: Mostly sunny with an occasional light breeze - temp. 48 degrees F. Race course mostly flat with good footing despite wet conditions from morning rain.
RACE IN REVIEW: A field of 73 started this race under mostly sunny skies. Understandably, the pace was extremely quick with one kilometer passed in 2:44 by a lead phalanx of Robert Gary, Mark Croghan, Jason Stewart and Peter Julian. Behind was a huge pack. At one mile Adam Goucher and Dan Browne moved into the lead position, together with Gary. At two kilometers (5:32), Goucher was a few meters in front of this pack, and he continued to develop this lead throughout the rest of the race, sprinting home 11 seconds in front of runner-up Jason Stewart.
NOTES 'N' QUOTES: After winning the 1998 NCAA Cross Country Championships on November 23, in Lawrence, KS, Adam Goucher came to Tacoma hoping to add a U.S. title to his resume. Mission accomplished. Goucher's convincing victory in Lawrence was not expected, and neither was his decision to surrender his final indoor season of collegiate eligibility. Rather than defending his indoor 3,000-meter in Indianapolis next month, Goucher will now focus on a career as a professional track and field athlete. Goucher also plans on competing in tomorrow's men's 12,000-meter competition. Adam Goucher: "I didn't think I was going to get that much distance on everybody else. They have some pretty good guys in that race. I'm pretty strong right now. I knew I was pretty fast and I just wanted to come in here and see what I could do. I want to get back to training hard. I haven't trained solid since I got back from cross (NCAA Cross Country Championships). This is only my second race. I'll probably race once or twice more before going to World's. At World's I'm looking for top three at least." Jason Stewart: "I'm in the military and I've done a tour in Bosnia and a tour in Germany, and I keep missing fitness time. People might think I'm injured or something, but I'm just serving my country. My first goal was to make the team, and the second goal was to finish in the top three. I train with Dan Browne, who was defending champion, and I know that training with the best group of runners in the country, so if I can't do it something's wrong here."
Junior Women's 6K
RACE CONDITIONS: Mostly sunny with an occasional light breeze - temp. 48 degrees F. Race course is mostly flat with good footing despite wet conditions from morning rain.
RACE IN REVIEW: Fifty-two junior women toed the line for the start of the race under sunny skies and 48 degrees. The soft, wet grassy turf provided a delightful challenge. At the first mile (5:30) it was Erin Sullivan and Mariel Ettinger at the lead pack of 15. Two kilometers were passed in 6:39 with Dana Boyle and Jenn Modliszewski now as the front of the lead group, which had then reduced to ten. By four kilometers (13:45) five runners separated from the rest: Dana Boyle, Erin Sullivan, Sara Gorton, Cheryl Smith and Ashley LaBudde. With 500 meters to go the group rounded one of the sharp bends together and the race boiled down to who could surge and sustain. At 400 meters, Boyle and Sullivan both made a move to separate themselves. At the end it was Sullivan who proved superior.
NOTES 'N' QUOTES: Winner Erin Sullivan from Mt. Mansfield HS in Jericho, Vermont, won her second consecutive Foot Locker title on December 12, in Orlando, Florida, a feat only two other women, Erin Keogh and Melody Fairchild, have accomplished. Sullivan, in only her second season of cross country competition, also played soccer in the fall. Today's victory marks Sullivan's first U.S. title. "I was really excited, it felt great. It's so much easier running with a group of people. Running by myself is much harder. I definitely wanted to win, and I'm just going to keep plugging until we go to Belfast (site of 1999 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, March 27-28 in Belfast, Ireland).
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