June 29, 2022. We are over halfway through the 2022 USATF Masters National Grand Prix season. This article considers the Individual Grand Prix standings for the Women's National Championships and an analysis of prospects for the remainder of the season.
Winners in 2020-21 and in 2019
2020-2021 Two Masters National Championships from before Covid [Club Cross-Lehigh, XC Nationals-San Diego] and two events from after Covid [12 Km-Highlands NJ, 5 Km XC-Boston] made up this Grand Prix, elongated over time but condensed in the number of events. The best 2 events were scored and the minimum requirement for eligibility was 2 events.
Women 40-44 Maggie Shearer 45-49 Lorilynn Bloomer 50-54 Nancy Thomas 55-59 Marisa Sutera Strange 60-64 Nancy Simmons 65-69 Nora Cary 70-74 Jo Anne Rowland 75-79 Kathleen Davies 80-84 Heide Moebius 85-89 Tami Graf
2022. The National [plus 1 International] Championship events counting are, in chronological order; Club Cross CountryTallahassee FL Dec 11 2021; Cross Country Nationals San Diego CA Jan 8 2022; Masters 5 Km Atlanta GA Feb 26; Masters Half Marathon Syracuse NY Mar 20; Masters 10 Mile Sacramento CA Apr 3; Masters 10 Km Dedham MA Apr 24; Masters 1 Mile Rochester NY May 21; WMA Championships [Cross Country, 10 Km, Or Half Marathon] Tampere Finland Jun 30-Jul 10; Masters 12 Km Highlands NJ Sep 18; Masters 5 Km Cross Country Boulder CO Oct 22
Awards Ceremony: After the races at the USATF Club Cross Country Championships in San Francisco CA on December 10, 2022.
Rules. The 2022 USATF Masters Individual Grand Prix consists of ten events. An athlete participating in an event can earn from 5 to 100 points in each event. First place in a given 5-year Age Division (40-44, 45-49, etc.) receives 100 points, 2nd place 95, third place 90, and so on down to 20th place receiving 5 points. All runners finishing the race behind the 20th place finisher also receive 5 points. The score at the end of the season is the cumulative total of the runner's best 5 events. Only athletes who participate in three or more events are eligible to win an award. Athletes with the top 3 scores in each division receive a 1st place, 2nd place or 3rd place plaque with their name on it. The fourth through 15th finishers in an age division, who are eligible, receive certificates. The World Masters Athletics Championships held in June and July contain a Cross Country event, a 10 Km Road and a Half Marathon Road Championships. Athletes who participate as part of Team USA may pick their best event of the three and accumulate points from that event like any other, compared only to other Team USA athletes. A Team USA athlete who is 2nd on the team but 6th in the event, scores 95 Grand Prix points for the event.
Current Standings and Prognosis for the Remainder of the Year
WOMEN
40-44 The top 5 are Jessica Hruska Iowa 355, Maggie Shearer So Cal 290, Jennifer Bigham Pittsburgh 200, Carre Joyce Heineck Oregon 185, and Jill Braley Georgia 175. Hruska is the only one of the five to have 4 events, a win at Atlanta, two podium finishes (3rd places) and a 6th at the highly competitive Club Cross competition. That gives her 355 points and a solid lead at the time. Shearer is definitely a threat though. On just three events she has 290 points from a first at the 10 Mile Championships and 2nd place finishes at Club Cross and XC Nationals. Should it come to that, she has the tie-breaker as she came in ahead of Hruska at their only meeting so far. But if Hruska competes in one more event, perhaps the 12 km Championships, giving her 5 events, that would mean Shearer would almost surely have to compete in both the 12 km and at Boulder to have a shot at the GP win. As a point of reference, Shearer did compete in both the 12 Km and the 5 Km XC when it was in Boston in 2021, so neither is that much of a stretch. Another interesting wrinkle is that Shearer may wind up in either the 40-44 or the 45-49 age division. Rules say that if the individual ages up to the next division and runs in a race after that, they carry their points up to the higher age division. If they do not race after their birthday, they remain in the lower age division. It could turn out that Shearer would need the points from Boulder to win the 40-44 but that if she runs it, she moves up to 45-49 where she may not need the extra points. None of these top 5 have entered WMA Tampere so that is not relevant to this discussion. What about Bigham? She has won the two events she has run, so she is an obvious candidate for winning the division. But so far, she has just raced on the roads. If Hruska runs no more events, Bigham could get into the picture by running both Highlands and Boulder. But Hruska only needs 45 more points to close out Bigham for 1st. Although both Heineck and Braley are fine runners, it does not appear that either is focused on trying to win this division. But should either try by entering the final two events, their top outcome is limited unless Hruska is done for the year. Alison Schwalm Eastern Philadelphia, currently in 6th with 155 points on 3 events, could move up into the top 5 or even land on the podium with two more good events.
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| Jessica Hruska winning the 5 Km 40-44 Championship Photo By Pam Fales |
Top Contenders Jessica Hruska Maggie Shearer Jennifer Bigham
45-49 This division is difficult to predict because Shearer (see 40-44) is a wild card. If she runs at Boulder, she will age into this division and bring her points with her. She has an outside shot at a 40--44 division Grand Prix win if she runs at Highlands and skips Boulder. If she runs Boulder, Shearer ages up into this division and is the likely winner. If she skips Boulder for any reason, then the podium race is likely to come down to a race between Sara Girotto Philadelphia 295, Euleen Josiah-Tanner Georgia 265, and Kathy Wiegand Greater Atlanta 240. All three have competed in three events, Girotto is in the driver's seat with wins at the 5 Km and the Half Marathon and a 2nd in the 1 Mile Run. Girotto finished 2nd in this division at Highlands NJ last year so it seems reasonable to expect her to enter and do well. Josiah-Tanner is moving out from her first love, track and field, to try her luck on the turf and the roads. She won the division at Club Cross and took 3rd at Atlanta. She was less successful at the much longer 10 Mile Run in Sacramento, but still took 6th and the 75 points that went with it. Josiah-Tanner is the only one of these leaders to have entered the WMA Championships in Finland. Based on the rules, the entry list and Josiah-Turner's talent, I expect her to return from Tampere with either 95 or 100 points. That will give her the lead, at least temporarily, and it gives her 4 events worth of scoring heading into the fall. Josiah-Tanner ran at Highlands last year, finishing well behind Girotto. But Josiah-Tanner ran very well on the turf at Tallahassee. So, if Josiah-Tanner enters Boulder, that puts pressure on Girotto to enter also to compete for the MNGP win. Girotto may be an excellent Cross Country runner, but she has not yet entered a Masters XC event, nor has she competed in any regional Cross Country events in the last few years. Wiegand has been an anchor for the Atlanta 40+ women's team. Her decisions about which races to enter will likely be driven by what the team is doing. Having said that, it is likely that Wiegand and Atlanta's W40 team will compete in Boulder; they love XC! They did not compete at Highlands last year. Unless the 40+ team decides they have a podium chance with points from the two last races, it is likely they would skip that one. If so, Wiegand would likely be out of the running for the podium. There are several runners with two events in the scoring column; it is likely that a few of them will be in the hunt for the podium as well. Rebeccah Wassner New York City and Heather Patterson Rochester NY are the main threats. Wassner has 195 points from a 2nd at the Half Marathon in Syracuse and a 1st at Dedham. Based in NYC, it seems plausible that Wassner would contest the 12 Km Championships. If she competes there and Wiegand does not, it is likely that Wassner would be 40 points or more ahead of Wiegand heading out to Boulder. If Wiegand enters and Wassner does not, it seems likely Wiegand would reclaim third (4th if Shearer ages up). So far, like Girotto, Wassner has not tried her luck at national XC Championships. Unlike Girotto, however, Wassner has competed in many triathlons, and triathletes tend to do well on the turf. It will be interesting to see how Wiegand and Wassner wind up. Patterson has thirds at the Half Marathon and the Mile. Her best strategy is to just keep entering competitions. If she can continue to finish 3rd or better in the division, she could wind up on the podium. If Wassner and Wiegand both stall at 3 events, Patterson waltzes past them. Christy Peterson So Cal could move up if she competes in Highlands and Boulder. She moved from Philadelphia to Southern California last year. So, it is plausible that she might decide to reconnect with some of her racing chums from Philadelphia who will be at the 12 Km in September. And it seems plausible that Cal Coast might send a W40 + team to Boulder. If both of those things happened, Peterson would wind up with 4 events and that might be enough to land on the Grand Prix podium.
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| Maggie Shearer taking the Silver Medal and 95 points at the highly competitive Club Crtoss Country Championships in Tallahassee FL Photo by Michael Scott |
Top Contenders: Maggie Shearer Sara Girotto Euleen Josiah-Tanner
50-54 This division is typically one of the most competitive and this season epitomizes that. Abby Dean Delaware already has 5 events and 480 points. This includes wins in three of her last four events, the 5 Km, 10 Km, and the Road Mile. Two other runners, Alexandra Marzulla New Jersey and Ingrid Walters So Cal both have 4 events completed, while 5 other athletes have three: Kimberly Aspholm New Jersey, Fiona Bayly New York City, Kathleen Beebe New Jersey, Amy McMahon [formerly Fakterowitz] Greater Buffalo NY, and Wendy Terris Oregon. With 480 points from 5 events, Dean almost has a lock on the win, but not quite. Marzulla, at 330, cannot catch her. Walters, a Breast Cancer survivor, has 375 points on 4 events. Neither she nor Dean are headed to Finland. If Walters does not enter the 12 Km Championship, Dean wins. Walters could then win the 5 Km XC at Boulder and wind up 5 points shy at 475. Suppose Dean would skip the 12 Km Championships, implausible perhaps as it is a close-to-home national Championship. On the other hand, there are any number of possible conflicts. If Walters should win, that 100 points would put her just 5 points behind Dean and both would have 5 events. Running at Boulder would give Walters, who has done better on the turf this season than on the roads, a shot at improving her GP score. If she would finish 3rd, she would tie Dean; the 90 points would replace her lowest 85-point total so now her 'best 5' would be worth 480. They would still be tied after the first (head-to-head record) tiebreaker, because Dean beat Walters at the 5K, and Walters beat Dean on the turf at Tallahassee. But Dean would win on the 2nd tiebreaker with three wins to Walters's two. So, Walters would need to win or finish 2nd to be sure of beating Dean. Of course, if Dean runs the 12 Km and finishes ahead of Walters, that also guarantees Dean wins, and then Boulder is irrelevant for the 1-2 finish in this division. It is pretty amazing that Walters is almost sure to finish 1st or 2nd in the Masters National Grand Prix this year given that, at the age of 47, she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and underwent treatment including chemotherapy.
Marzulla, as noted, can catch neither Dean nor Walters but is certainly in the hunt for 3rd. Ordinarily she would be worried about Bayly, sitting in 4th with 270 points on 3 events. She finished 2nd in the 12 Km at New Jersey last year and is already entered. Marzulla is likely to run the 12 Km also but is unlikely to beat Bayly if Bayly is on her game. Bayly defeated Marzulla handily in the Half Marathon at Syracuse. They have not met otherwise this year. But a key factor is that Bayly is about to age up, like Shearer in 40-44. It appears that if Bayly competes at New Jersey she would age up into the 55-59 division. I will analyze her chances in the next section. If she does not compete at New Jersey her MNGP total would not be high enough for the podium in the terrifically competitive 50-54 division.
Let's look more closely at Marzulla's record and possibilities before considering the others who can challenge her for the final podium spot in this division. [This statement assumes Walters runs either the 12 km or the 5 Km XC and finishes in the top 5; if so, Marzulla cannot catch her.] Marzulla has 330 points on four events. The 12 Km is likely to be her 5th; she finished 6th in the event last year. She might finish higher this year because her 2022 record shows some improvement over last year. But the competition is likely to be stiff. If she could finish 4th that would be worth 85 points; her GP total would rise to 415 on 5 events. If her Shore AC team decides to contest the 5 Km Championships at Boulder, she will likely compete. If so, she could improve her total again. Her lowest score so far is the 60 points she received for her 9th place finish at the ultra-competitive Club Cross competition. Should she finish 5th in Boulder, for example, she would increase her GP total by 20 points to a final total of 435 on 5 events. Terris, in 5th place currently at 220 points on three events, has competed at Club Cross and the two West Coast events this year, XC Nationals in San Diego and the 10 Miler in Sacramento. If Marzulla competes at the 12 km, Terris must have two more scoring events to have a chance at outpointing her. Terris will, most likely, make her decision on the final two events in NJ and Boulder based on what her team, Red Lizard does. It seems far more likely they would opt either for neither event or for Boulder. If Terris decides to go for it, she probably has to not only compete in Highlands NJ but come in ahead of Marzulla. Terris finished 7th at Club Cross, two places ahead of Marzulla. Aspholm, currently sitting in 6th with 215 points on three events, may be the biggest threat to her cross-State rival, Marzulla. Marzulla took the measure of Aspholm at Club Cross, finishing 9th to her 11th, but Aspholm came back to take 5th to Marzulla's 6th in the 1 Mile. Aspholm finished 3rd at Highlands last year, ahead of Marzulla. If she could repeat that and then choose to compete in Boulder, it would come down to the wire. Beebe, who is in 7th, has finished behind her teammate, Aspholm in each of their 3 events this year. So, she does not appear to be as much of a threat to Marzulla as Aspholm. The final contender is Amy McMahon, tied with Beebe for 7th on 185 points. McMahon ran a very nice Road Mile in Rochester, coming in ahead of Aspholm and Marzulla. But she finished behind both at Club Cross and Atlanta. Perhaps that is a sign that McMahon is coming on strong. She did not run Highlands last year. If she enters the 12 Km and comes in ahead of Aspholm and Marzulla, watch out! If McMahon and her Checkers team are feeling their oats, they might head to the Front Range of the Rockies to contest the 5 Km XC.
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| Abby Dean heading for the Finish Line and a win in 50-54 at the 10 Km Masters National Championships Photo courtesy of Michael Scott |
Top Contenders: Abby Dean Ingrid Walters Alexandra Marzulla
55-59 Michelle Rohl Northeast PA and Lisa Veneziano Michigan have rolled into the division this year like a thunderstorm rolling in off the Great Lakes! They gave some warning last year. Rohl broke 55-59 American middle-distance records on the track and won the division at the 5 Km XC Championships; Veneziano took down Joan Samuelson's 12 Km American Record. They have kept it up this year! Rohl turned her attention for the first time to the turf and the roads. Rohl has entered Club Cross, the 5 Km in Atlanta and the Road Mile in Rochester and won them all, bettering the American Record in Rochester. Veneziano won the Half Marathon in Syracuse but finished 2nd to the legend, Colleen De Reuck Colorado at Cross Nationals in San Diego, and 2nd to Rohl at the 5 Km and 1 Mile. Jenny Hitchings Sacramento CA is, arguably, the outstanding runner in the division over the full range of distances. She holds the 55-59 records for the 5 Km, 10 Km, 10 Mile, Half Marathon and Marathon. She ran her first USATF Masters National Championship this year over ten miles in Sacramento; she not only won the race, but she also broke her own American 10 Mile record. She has not tested herself against either Rohl or Veneziano; a race with Hitchings, Rohl and Veneziano over a middle distance like 10 Km or 12 Km would be interesting! Hitchings is not contesting the Grand Prix, however, and is not likely to even compete in the minimum of three required events to qualify for an award. Rohl has 300 points on three events; she will, barring a major upset, return from Finland and the WMA Championships with 400 points on 4 events. Veneziano currently has 385 points on 4 events but is not going to Finland. She will, I imagine, defend her 12 Km title in New Jersey in September. If successful, that would give her 485 points on 5 events. Rohl has a strong likelihood of running the table, getting 500 points on 5 events if she contests the 5 Km XC in Boulder. There is another top runner in this division who has not yet been mentioned. Suzanne La Burt New Jersey is a terrific runner. She won the division at the 10 Km Championship in Dedham this year with a 40:06. Despite that talent, La Burt has not been able to match paces with either Rohl or Veneziano when they have met at a Championship. Rohl had the advantage over La Burt at the Club Cross and the 1 Mile; Veneziano finished ahead of La Burt at the Half Marathon and the 1 Mile. It seems unlikely that La Burt can catch either of those two and take the MNGP Individual title from them. But that doesn't mean she won't try! Barring a surprise, La Burt will contest the 12 Km again in her home state. Assuming Rohl does not run that one and Veneziano does, another 2nd place is likely. These 95 points would give La Burt 475 points on 5 events, enough to win in a number of other divisions but likely good for just the final podium spot in this division. And, of course, even the strongest Champions are not machines. And Masters runners also have lives and social connections that can sometimes get in the way of competing. It will be exciting to see how this division race unfolds in September and October.
If Fiona Bayly competes at Highlands, and she is already entered, even if she wins, that will bring her total to 370 points; that would likely have her in 4th place in 55-59 with just the USATF 5 Km XC left. It would be unusual for Bayly to compete on the turf. She has not done so even once in the last 5 years. It seems likely that Bayly will try to end the season on a high note at Highlands and not worry about the 55-59 Grand Prix podium until next season.
Two other strong runners are likely, but not certain, to be on the outside looking in, Tania Fischer So Cal and Laura De Lea New Jersey. With 260 points on third place finishes at the 5K and 10 Mile Championships and a 5th at the highly competitive Club Cross, Fischer cannot be counted out. Fischer is probably more motivated by how her Janes Elite team will compete than by her personal Grand Prix fortunes. It seems probably Fischer will compete on the turf with her team at Boulder, but less likely they would travel across the country from So Cal to NJ for a 12 Km on the roads. De Lea is working her way back into condition after facing some challenges. Despite that, she has 230 points on three events where her primary focus was running for her team. She is very likely to compete in the 12 Km in her home state of NJ, but Boulder is probably very much up in the air.
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| Michelle Rohl takes the 55-59 Win at the Masters 5 Km National Championships |
Top Contenders: Michelle Rohl Lisa Veneziano Suzanne La Burt
60-64 Three of the top four spots are held by the Greater Philadelphia trio who aged up between last year and this year, Lorraine Jasper Greater Philadelphia, Doreen McCoubrie Greater Philadelphia, and Mary Swan Greater Syracuse NY. Jasper started like a 'house afire' and has never stopped. She took firsts on the turf at Club Cross and at Cross-Country Nationals, and on the roads at Atlanta. She slowed down just a tad when we switched to the longer events in the spring. Jasper finished 2nd at the Half Marathon to McCoubrie and 2nd at the 10 Km to Stella Gibbs Nor Cal at the 10K. At that point she had 490 points in 5 events. But then Jasper not only won the Road Mile in Rochester but lowered the American Record. That replaced one of the 2nd place finishes and raised Jasper's total to 495 points on her best 5 events. Jasper might well compete at Boulder; if she would win there, that would raise her total on her best 5 events to a perfect 500. Gibbs and McCoubrie are tied for 2nd with 380 points from 4 events. McCoubrie would be 5 points shy of Jasper even if she entered and won at both Highlands' and Boulder. If Gibbs entered both and won, and Jasper only ran at Boulder, Gibbs would tie Jasper and they would then be even on both tiebreakers, even though Jasper is well ahead now. That is a lot of ifs. Jasper is certainly the favorite for the 60-64 MNGP win! It is very tight between McCoubrie and Gibbs. If both enter Highlands, that battle may well determine 2nd and 3rd. McCoubrie ran a minute faster than Gibbs at the 12 Km last year. But that is no guarantee of 2022 results. Gibbs was able to beat McCoubrie at the 10 Km and won the 10 Mile Championships in the absence of Jasper and McCoubrie. That should be a race to watch!
Others who could factor into the top 5 include Mary Cass SE Massachusetts 245-3, Victoria Bok Greater Boston 195-3 events, Nancy Simmons SF Bay, Suzanne Cordes SF Bay, and Kathi Sleavin Oregon.
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| Lorraine Jasper right takes the 5 Km Masters National 60-64 Championship ahead of teammate, Doreen McCoubrie |
Top Contenders: Lorraine Jasper Doreen McCoubrie Stella Gibbs
65-69 There are four athletes with over 200 points, Alda Cossi Greater Boston, Helene Myers Maryland, Suzanne Ray Oregon, and Susan Stirrat New Jersey. Stirrat and Myers have 5 events each; Stirrat is the leader at this point with 435 points. Stirrat, a track athlete who has been gradually extending her range, had, ironically, her highest finish at the Half Marathon in Syracuse - 2nd place. She has thirds at the 5K in Atlanta and at Club Cross. She finished 4th at Dedham in the 10K and 6th at the 5K. Myers, in 2nd with 350 points, finished several places behind Stirrat at three races and finished 4th to Stirrat’s 3rd at the 1 Mile Championships in Rochester. Myers has done well but it would be a stretch to expect her to pass Stirrat. Ray is in 3rd with 285 points on three events, a first at the Half Marathon, a 2nd at Club Cross, and a 3rd at the 10 Mile Championships. Ray did not compete across the country at Highlands last year, so it is unlikely this year. Her Red Lizard team may well decide to contest the outcome at Boulder on the turf. If so, Ray could pick up some points there. But, like Shearer in 40-44 and Bayly in 50-54, Ray will move up to compete in 70-74 if she enters one more championship. Her chances will be discussed further in that division. If she competes in no more Championships, her Grand Prix points stay in 65-69 and she finishes as high as 285 points would carry her, no higher than third. Ray might be passed by Alda Cossi, currently in 4th, who has 280 points on her three events. New England is closer to Highlands NJ than Oregon but that did not entice Cossi to compete there last year. Perhaps this year would be different. She did compete in the 5 Km XC last year, but it was located in Boston. Boulder is further away and may be a trip too far. Kitty Musante Florida has won the two events she entered, the 5 Km and 1 Mile Championships, giving her 200 points. She would need to enter two more events to place well in the GP. Cindy Williams Greater Atlanta finished 2nd at Club Cross in Tallahassee and 4th at the 5 Km Championships for 180. Williams did not enter the 12 Km last year. Will Atlanta decide to contest the 5 Km XC in Boulder, CO? Perhaps, and if they do, Williams will likely be there and move up in the Individual GP as well. Sharon Moore Rochester and Margaret Taylor Atlanta follow with 175 and 155 points on 2 events each, respectively.
Susan Stirrat closes in on her Silver medal at the 2022 USATF Masters Half Marathon Championship
Top Contenders: Susan Stirrat Helene Myers Alda Cossi
70-74 Suzanne Ray Oregon, mentioned above in 65-69 would be in 3rd place in this division if she were in it now. Barabara Sauer Greater Buffalo leads currently with 355 points from a 2nd in Atlanta, followed by a 3rd at the Half Marathon and 4th place finishes at Dedham and Rochester. Jeannie Rice Greater Cleveland has 300 points from wins at the 5 Km, Half Marathon, and 1 Mile Championships. If Sauer competes in the 12 Km at Highlands, NJ, her total score will probably rise above 400 points. Even if Rice would compete at Highlands and come in ahead of Sauer, that would not be enough to come in ahead in the GP. Rice usually has a fall Marathon on her schedule, which might also preclude her competing in those two championships. Ray has 285 points from three events. If she competes in either the 12 Km Championships in New Jersey or the 5 Km XC in Boulder, she and her scores move up into this age division. Ray would join her Red Lizard teammates, Sharon Gerl Oregon and Jeanette Groesz Oregon, who are currently in 3rd and 4th with 280 and 275 points. Groesz started out strong with wins at Club Cross in Tallahassee and Cross Nationals in San Diego. But she finished 6th at the 10 Mile Championships. Gerl finished 2nd to Groesz in the first two events and rose to the challenge at Sacramento, when Groesz was off her game, taking 3rd place. Like Ray, the decisions of Gerl and Groesz will likely be a team decision not individual. Norma 'Nonie' Hudnall South Carolina is 5th, ten points behind Groesz, on her three events. Will she compete in New Jersey or at Boulder?
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| Barbara Sauer claims 4th place and 85 Grand Prix points at the USATF Masters 1 Mile Championships Photo by Pam Fales |
Top Contenders: Barbara Sauer Jeannie Rice Jeanette Groesz
75-79 Catherine Radle Atlanta, the 2019 Grand Prix winner, has the lead at present and is the only athlete with three events on the scoreboard. She has 285 points from 2nd place finishes at Club Cross, the 5 Km Championships in Atlanta, and the Road Mile at Rochester. Radle's two teammates occupy the next two spots. Myrna Barnett Greater Atlanta has 200 points from age division wins at Club Cross in Tallahassee and at the 5 Km in Atlanta. Andrea McCarter Greater Atlanta trails her by ten points with a third-place finish in Atlanta and a win at Rochester. Radle is in the driver's seat. Unless she skips an event that Barnett or McCarter compete in, Radle should stay safely ahead of them. Barnett and McCarter both need an additional event to qualify for an award. Three other runners, Shirley Shean, Joan Tremberth, and Barbara Rinker have a single event and are not likely to secure the three-event minimum to contend for awards.
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| Catherine Radle collects another 95 Grand Prix points from her 2nd place finish at the USATF Masters Road Mile Championships Photo by Pam Fales |
Top Contenders: Catherine Radle Myrna Barnett Andrea McCarter
80-84 Jo Ann Hall won the 10 Mile in Sacramento and Joyce Hodges-Hite won the 5 Km in Atlanta. It would be a surprise if either of them should run two more events to qualify for an award.
85-89 Edna Hyer has qualified for an award already; she has 300 points from wins at Atlanta, Dedham, and Rochester. Suzanne Falco So Cal is in 2nd with 100 points from a win at Cross Nationals in San Diego. It seems unlikely that Falco would compete in the 12 Km in Highlands, but Boulder is not such a long trip. Tami Graf is in third with 95 points from a 2nd place finish in Atlanta. If Falco is done competing this year, Graf will move up. She is entered in non-stadia events at the WMA Championships in Finland. If she brings back 100 points from that event, which seems likely, that gives her 195 points on two events. She would need one more event to qualify for an award. If she is willing and able to travel to Finland, a trip to Boulder for the 5 Km XC should be within her reach.
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| Edna Hyer secures her third win of the Grand Prix season at the USATF Masters Road Mile Championships |
Top Contenders: Edna Hyer Tami Graf Suzanne Falco
It will be fun to see how the rest of the Grand Prix season plays out! Who will be getting the first-place awards in San Francisco?
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