Sunday, January 25, 2015

Announcement of 2015 USATF Masters LDR Individual Grand Prix




January 25 2015. Last week we had the excitement of thinking about the 2015 Club Grand Prix and how that would start in just a few weeks in Boulder, Colorado. I hope all of the western clubs and some of the midwestern and eastern clubs are making plans to be at Boulder to kick things off. It should be a great setting in Boulder which is known as a great running community. Because the Open races are also the selection events for the World Cross Country Championships in March in China, there will be a lot of excitement that will carry over to the masters events. And, of course, this year there are points to be had for every team that competes. Unlike past years there is no risk that a team will expend resources and effort to get to the event and go home empty-handed. Who knows, a fourth place here, a fifteenth place there, your team could wind up on the Club Grand Prix podium.

Now to the Individual Grand Prix (IGP). Unlike the club circuit, all USATF Masters LDR Championship events are races that may be run and count toward the IGP Championship. As usual the contender must run at least 2 events to be considered for an award; the scores at the best 5 events are added up to determine total IGP points. As with the Club GP, the IGP has a new scoring scheme to recognize that athletes who make the effort and incur an expense to run in these events should not go home empty-handed. In addition to the new medals at the Championships recognizing national and world class performances, every runner who competes will carry home at least 5 points towards the IGP championship. At the end of this article I reprise the winners of the 2014 IGP along with action or award photos where available.

Scoring: 1st-100 pts; 2nd-95 pts; 3rd-90 pts; 4th-85 pts; 5th-80 pts; 6th-75 pts; 7th-70 pts; 8th-65 pts; 9th-60 pts; 10th-55 pts; 11th-50 pts; 12th-45 pts; 13th-40 pts; 14th-35 pts; 15th-30 pts; 16th-25 pts; 17th-20 pts; 18th-15 pts; 19th-10 pts; 20th and beyond- 5 pts.

An observation: A runner who wins four events will be defeated in the IGP competition by a runner  who runs in 5 events and finishes 4th or higher in each one. Any top runner who also wants an IGP championship had better plan on running in at least 5 events. Even last year, every IGP winner except in the most advanced age groups, competed outside of their area at least once and most picked out 2 or more such events.Take a look at the events on the circuit below and pick your targets.

Awards. More runners will be recognized in the IGP competition. In the inaugural year, up to ten runners in each age division were recognized with a GP certificate; this year it will be up to 15.
IGP 1st place: USATF Masters IGP First Place plaque
IGP 2nd place: USATF Masters IGP 2nd place plaque
IGP 3rd place: USATF Masters IGP 3rd place plaque
IGP 4th through 15th: USATF Masters IGP certificate

Tie-breaks: Ties for podium positions (1st through 3rd) will be broken by applying the rules below; ties for 4th through 15 will not be broken and duplicate certificates will be awarded to all tying runners.
          Rules:
               1. Compare any head-to-head competition; the runner with the most head-to-head higher places between/among the tying runners will be awarded the higher place in the division.
               2. In case runners are still tied after rule 1 is applied,  the runner with the most 1st place finishes between/among tying runners will be awarded the higher place in the division.
               3. In case runners are still tied after rules 1 and 2 are applied, the tied runners will be awarded the same place and will receive duplicate plaques.

Events. The following events constitute the circuit for the USATF Masters LDR Individual Grand Prix Championship:
02/07/15    USA Cross Country Championships [Men 8K, Women 6K]     Boulder CO
02/22/15    USA Masters 8K Championships     Brea CA
04/26/15    USA Masters 10K Championships     Dedham MA
05/31/15    USA Masters Half Marathon Championships    San Diego CA*
08/21/15    USA Masters 1 Mile Championships     Flint MI
10/04/15    USA Masters 5K Championships     Syracuse NY
10/04/15    USA Masters Marathon Championships    Minneapolis/St. Paul MN
10/18/15    USA Masters 5K Cross Country Championships     Saratoga Springs NY
10/31/15    USA Masters 15K Championships     Tulsa OK
11/15/15    USA Masters 12K Championships     Alexandria VA
12/12/15    USATF National Club Cross Country Championships 
                                     [Men 10K, Women 6K]    San Francisco CA Golden Gate Park  

*Tentative Date-Contract not yet signed.

In case of discrepancies between what is posted here and on the USATF website, the USATF posting is definitive. Please see:
http://www.usatf.org/Resources-for---/Masters/LDR/Individual-Grand-Prix.aspx


2014 Individual Grand Prix Champions
WOMEN
W40: Melody Fairchild Colorado [Melbourne, Boulder, Brea, Dedham, Tulsa]
Melody Fairchild repeats as USATF 15K Masters Champion on October 25, 2014 [photo:Defining Moments (Oklahoma City, OK): David Prentice and Michael Mayberry]
W45: Terri Rejimbal Florida [Melbourne, Tulsa]
Terri Rejimbal claims the silver medal in the 2014 USATF 15K Masters Championships in Tulsa, OK [photo:Defining Moments (Oklahoma City, OK): David Prentice and Michael Mayberry]

W50: Doreen McCoubrie Pennsylvania [Dedham, Flint, Syracuse, Alexandria, Bethlehem]
Doreen McCoubrie, finishing strong to take 2nd place in the W50+ team scoring and help the Athena Track Club to victory in the W50+ Masters National Club Championship at Bethlehem, PA December 2014.
W55: Carmen Ayala Troncoso Texas [Brea, Dedham, Bethlehem]
Carmen Ayala-Troncoso, giving her all for Team Rogue, 3rd and final runner in for the W40+Champs and winner of the W55 individual crown--at the USA Club Cross Country Championships in Bethlehem, PA. December 2014.
W60: Kathy Martin New York [Melbourne, Boulder, Dedham, Carmel, Alexandria, Bethlehem]
Kathy Martin strides to the finishing tape to take first place in her age group and to take the overall Age-grading first prize at the USA 5 km Masters Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]
W65: Sabra Harvey Texas [Dedham, Flint, Syracuse]
Sabra Harvey, checkiing the time at the end of her record-breaking 5K win in Syracuse at the Festival of Races on October 04 2015, another national championship! [photo: Bob Brock]

W70: Ellen Nitz Michigan [Flint, Carmel, Alexandria, Bethlehem]

Ellen Nitz captures the W70-74 crown at the USA 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 08 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]

W75: Madeleine Bost New Jersey [Syracuse, Carmel, Bethlehem]
Madeline Bost captures the W75 crown at the USA 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 08 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]


W80: Edna Hyer New York [Dedham, Syracuse]

MEN
M40: Greg Mitchell Oregon [Melbourne, Boulder, Brea, Syracuse, Tulsa, Bethlehem]
Greg Mitchell, crossing the line to take first place for the Bowerman TC at the National Club Cross Country Championships on the Lehigh University XC course at Bethlehem, PA-Dec 2014.
M45: Chad Newton North Carolina [Dedham, Syracuse, Carmel, Bethlehem]
Chad Newton takes 11th place overall [1st in M45] for Atlanta at the National Club Cross Country Championships on the Lehigh University XC course at Bethlehem, PA-Dec 2014.
M50: Ruben Henderson Michigan [Melbourne, Flint, Syracuse, Carmel, Bethlehem]
Ruben Henderson [2374] in an all out sprint to the finish to help the Playmakers to victory at the National Club Cross Country Championships on the Lehigh University XC course at Bethlehem, PA-Dec 2014.
M55: Ken Youngers Georgia [Dedham, Syracuse, Tulsa, Carmel, Alexandria, Bethlehem]
Ken Youngers, capturing the M55 title and breaking the Age 58 Course Record at the Syracuse Festival of Races 5K National Championships [photo: Paul Carlin www.runningprof.com]
M60: Tom McCormack Tennessee [Dedham, Flint, Syracuse, Carmel, Alexandria]
Tom McCormack with a huge lead after the 1 km mark-at the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Facebook]
M65: Lloyd Hansen Utah [Boulder, Brea, Syracuse, Tulsa, Carmel, Alexandria, Bethlehem]
Lloyd Hansen (center), winning the individual gold medal at the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Facebook]
M70: Doug Goodhue Michigan [Brea, Dedham, Flint, Syracuse, Tulsa, Carmel, Alexandria]
Doug Goodhue, sprinting to the tape for another win! At the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Facebook]
M75: John Elliott Maryland [Syracuse, Carmel]
M75 Medalists-  John Elliott (right). collecting his medal at the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Facebook]
M80: Lawrence Cole MA, Mike Fenerty CO, John Harper CA, Richard Murphy PA, Donald Pratt FL, and  Alan Warren CA tied for the IGP win with 100 points each. Each ran one event in their home region but none traveled except Harper who actually got his 1st place at the Syracuse Festival of Races 5K championships . Technically none made the minimum requirement of two events but I believe USATF decided to award them certificates nonetheless.

M85: Willis Moses won the Syracuse Festival of Races 5K national championship and was the only one in this age group to win a national championship in 2014. So it gives him the IGP certificate as well. Hats off to Mr. Moses! We hope to celebrate his achievements again next year!

Mr. Willis Moses, receiving his championship award with Don Lein (right), enjoying a hearty laugh together, at the Syracuse Festival of Races 5K National Championship on October 04 2014 [photo: Paul Carlin, www.runningprof.com]
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE 2014 INDIVIDUAL GRAND PRIX WINNERS!  WELL DONE!

Sunday, January 18, 2015

2014 USATF Masters LDR Club Grand Prix Prizes and 2015 Circuit Announced

January 18 2015. The final official standings and awards for the 2014 season have been announced along with the circuit for 2015.

For 2014 teams competing in three or more events win prize money of $1000 for 1st, $500 for 2nd, and $250 for third; teams finishing 4th through 8th [and competing in at least 3 events] receive certificates. Rules can be consulted here:
http://www.usatf.org/groups/MastersLDR/ClubGrandPrix/2014_rules.asp

In the 2014 results below, all teams receiving certificates are listed, along with any cash prize winnings:

Women 40+
1. Genesee Valley Harriers (NY)     20 pts. in 3 events     $1000
2T. Athena Track Club (PA)     16 pts. in 3 events     $500 

Women 50+
1. Athena Track Club (PA)    50 pts. in 5 events     $1000
2. Genesee Valley Harriers (NY)     28 pts. in 5 events     $500

Women 60+
1. Genesee Valley Harriers (NY)     40 pts. in 4 events     $1000
2. Playmakers Elite/New Balance (MI)     30 pts. in 4 events     $500

Women 70+
1. Playmakers Elite/New Balance (MI)     40 pts. in 4 events     $1000

Men 40+
1. Atlanta Track Club (GA)     46 pts. in 5 events     $1000
2. Cal Coast Track Club-A (CA)     24 pts. in 4 events     $500
3. Genesee Valley Harriers (NY)     12 pts. in 3 events     $250

Men 50+
1. Playmakers Elite/New Balance (MI)     46 pts. in 5 events     $1000
2. Genesee Valley Harriers (NY)     40 pts. in best 5 (of 6) events     $500
3. Atlanta Track Club (GA)     39 pts. in best 5 (of 6) events     $250

Men 60+
1. Ann Arbor Track Club (MI)     48 pts. on best 5 (of 8) events     $1000
2. Atlanta Track Club (GA)     42 pts. on best 5 (of 6) events     $500
3. Shore Athletic Club (NJ)     26 pts. on 4 events     $250
Genesee Valley Harriers (NY)     15 pts. on 3 events     certificate
Raritan Valley Roadrunners (NJ)     11 pts. on 3 events     certificate

Men 70+
1. Ann Arbor Track Club (MI)     50 pts. on best 5 (of 7) events     $1000
2. Atlanta Track Club (GA)     30 pts. on 4 events     $500
3. Shore Athletic Club (NJ)     26 pts. on 3 events     $250
Clifton Roadrunners Club (NJ)     23 pts. on 4 events     certificate
========================================================
2015 Club Grand Prix Circuit and Revised Scoring Rules

 The following events constitute the 2015 USATF Masters Club/Team Grand Prix Circuit:


02/07/15    USA Cross Country Championships [Men 8K, Women 6K]     Boulder CO
02/22/15    USA Masters 8K Championships     Brea CA
04/26/15    USA Masters 10K Championships     Dedham MA
08/21/15    USA Masters 1 Mile Championships     Flint MI
10/04/15    USA Masters 5K Championships     Syracuse NY
10/18/15    USA Masters 5K Cross Country Championships     Saratoga Springs NY
10/31/15    USA Masters 15K Championships     Tulsa OK
11/15/15    USA Masters 12K Championships     Alexandria VA
12/12/15    USATF National Club Cross Country Championships 
                                     [Men 10K, Women 6K]    San Francisco CA Golden Gate Park  

Team Divisions as usual: W40+ thru W80+; M40+ thru M80+
New Revised Scoring: In order to provide additional incentive for event participation, Grand Prix points will be awarded in each event in each division for all teams who finish a complete team. 
Points will be as follows:
1st 100 pts 2nd 90 pts 3rd 80 pts 4th 70 pts 5th 60 pts 6th 55 pts 7th 50 pts 8th 45 pts 9th 40 pts 10th 35 pts 11th 30 pts 12th 25 pts 13th 20 pts 14th 15 pts 15th 10 pts. 
Teams finishing 16th and below receive 5 pts. each. Incomplete teams receive no points.

Grand Prix Awards: 
The ten teams with the highest point totals who have competed in 3 or more of the Grand Prix events, will receive a USA Masters LDR Team Grand Prix certificate.
In addition the top scoring teams receive:

1st place teams     $1000 cash prize and a GP Champion Clubhouse Banner
2nd place teams     $500 cash prize
3rd place teams      $250 cash prize     

Tie-breaks: If 2 or more teams are tied for 1st place, the tie will be broken by looking at head-to-head competition. The team winning more events in head-to-head competition gets 1st place. If teams are still tied after considering head-to-head competition, then the team with more 1st place event finishes gets 1st place. If teams are still tied, then the teams involved tie for 1st place.
There is no tie-breaking procedure for any finish behind first place. 

If 2 teams tie for 1st place (after tie-breaking procedure) each team receives a $750 cash prize;
If 3 teams tie for 1st place (after tie-breaking procedure) each team receives a $583.33 cash prize.
If more than 3 teams tie for 1st place (after tie-breaking procedure) each team receives an equal share of the $1750 total prize money.

The same principle applies to ties for 2nd and to ties for 3rd. Relevant cash prizes are combined and split equally among the tied teams.

Official Rules will be posted soon on the USATF Club Grand Prix website and should be consulted for details on eligiblility, team affiliations and so on. Please see:
http://www.usatf.org/Resources-for---/Masters/LDR/Club-Grand-Prix.aspx

Please note that if there are any discrepancies between the USATF website and my summary on these pages, the USATF website is the authoritative source.
 


 

Monday, January 12, 2015

USATF Masters LDR 2014 Individual Grand Prix-Final Results and Commentary

January 10 2015. Announcement of Official USATF 2014 Individual Grand Prix results.

The Masters Long Distance Running (Masters LDR) division of USA Track and Field (USATF) has just announced the results of the 2014 Individual Grand Prix competition for Masters Women and Men in its inaugural year. USATF members from across the country compete for the Grand Prix championship by racing in USATF national championship events. More than a thousand runners, 388 women and 641 men, from 41 different states and the District of Columbia scored points in the Grand Prix contest.This year individuals could obtain points by participating in the following events:

02/02/14
Melbourne, FL
02/15/14
USA Cross Country Championships*
Master Men 8 km, Master Women 6km
Boulder, CO
02/23/14
Brea, CA
04/27/14
Dedham, MA
08/22/14
Flint, MI
10/05/14
Syracuse, NY
10/05/14
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
10/25/14
Tulsa, OK
11/8/14
Carmel, IN
11/16/14
Alexandria, VA
12/13/14
Bethlehem, PA
Lehigh Univ.

In each event, 100 points are awarded for a first place finish; 95 for 2nd, 90 for 3rd and so on down to 30 points awarded for 15th place. Each individual may compete in as many events as they choose but must compete in at least 2 events to be eligible for Grand Prix awards. At the end of the year, the scores from the 5 best results for each individual are summed to give a final total. Fourth through 10th place individuals receive a Grand Prix certificate; the 3rd place, 2nd place, and Grand Prix champion receive an appropriate plaque. Numerical ties are broken by looking at head-to-head competition first, and then the number of event championships won.

Complete rules can be reviewed here:
http://www.usatf.org/groups/MastersLDR/indivGrandPrix/2014_rules.asp

Grand Prix Results:

Women

W40-44 [75 women scored]
1. Melody Fairchild CO  485  (Half-Marathon, USA XC, 8K, 10K, 15K)
2. Sonja Friend-Uhl TN 295 (5K, 5K XC, Club XC)
3. Sheri Piers ME 200 (Half Marathon, Marathon)
4. Melissa Senall NY (200) 5. Joanna Zeiger CO (185) 
6T. Kristin Barry ME and Perry Shoemaker VA, both with 180 points
8T. Holly Ortlund GA and Alexandra Bigelow NC, both with 170 points 
10. Cassandra Henkiel TX (145)

In this competition, Melody Fairchild got off to an early lead and was never challenged for the victory, with 485 points. Sonja Friend-Uhl, on the other hand, came on strong in the autumn races to claim 2nd place. Sheri Piers, who focuses on the longer distances, took firsts in her two races, thus edging Melissa Senall for the third place plaque.

W45-49 [65]
1. Teri Rejimbal FL 200 (Half Marathon, 15K)
2. Cindy Abrami CA 185 (USA XC, 8K)
3. Kirsten Leetch CA 180 (8K, Club XC)
4. Peggy Conlon PA 140  5. Emily Bryans NY 140 
6T. Colleen DeReuck CO (USA XC), Amy Nemeth MI (1 mile), Leslie Hoey PA (5K),
Kathy Wolski TN (Marathon), Debbie Ackerman IL (5K XC),
Alissa Harvey VA (12K), and Chris Kimbrough TX (Club XC), all with 100 points.

Terri Rejimbal was the only woman in this division to compete in and win two events. Cindy Abrami scored her points in February and then held on to see if Kirsten Leetch would score enough points in the Club XC event to dislodge her from 2nd. But Leetch wound up in 4th place in that competition while she needed a second to take the GP 2nd place from Abrami. Peggy Conlon came in ahead of Emily Bryans in Club XC to gain the 4th place outright. The tie for 6th happened because each of these seven runners entered only 1 race and the race they entered they won.

W50-54 [76]
1. Doreen McCoubrie PA 480 (10K, 1 mile, 5K, 12K, Club XC)
2. Marisa Sutera Strange NY 400 (10K, 5K, 5K XC, Club XC)
3. Julie Hankin PA 335 (1 mile, 5K, 12K, Club XC)
4. Carol Bischoff NY 235 5. Mary Swan PA 215 6. Betsy Stewart PA 215
7. Colleen Magnuson NY 215 8. Deborah Torneden KS 195
9.  Chere Pepper MI 185  10. Gail Geiger NY 165

Marisa Sutera Strange was ahead after the 10K race in Dedham but Doreen McCoubrie moved ahead by running and winning the 1 mile road race in Flint in August, and maintained the lead throughout the fall. Strange was a very strong GP 2nd however. Julie Hankin competed in the second half of the year but it was enough; she overtook a number of runners who were ahead of her after the winter and spring competitions to claim the GP 3rd. Mary Swan, Betsy Stewart, and Colleen Magnuson were tied in points but sorted out positions with head-to-head competition in the 5K road race in Syracuse.

W55-59 [64]
1. Carmen Ayala Troncoso TX 290 (8K, 10K, Club XC)
2. Christine Kennedy CA 200 (8K, Marathon)
3. Andriette Wickstrom IA 195 (Marathon, 15K)
4. Elizabeth Cooney MA 190  5. Janet DeGrazia CO 150 6. Karen Lein MA 145
7. Drusilla Pratt-Otto MA 135
8T. Robin Moran FL, Ellen Hart CO, Nancy Stewart GA,
Peggy Zeeb MI,  Joan Benoit Samuelson ME, all with 100 points.

Carmen Ayala Troncoso, the heralded runner from Texas, was the only one to race in 3 events and win two of them. That allowed her to beat out another decorated runner, Christine Kennedy, for first place. Kennedy, who is focusing on Marathons now, ran in two races and wom them both. that was enough to claim the 2nd GP spot. Andriette Wickstrom finished 2nd to Kennedy in the marathon but won the 15K in Tulsa to claim the third GP finish. The 5 runners tied for 8th each ran one race and won it.

W60-64 [42]
1. Kathryn Martin NY 500 (Half marathon, USA XC, 10K, 5K XC, 12K, Club XC)
2. Coreen Steinbach NY 460 (1 mile, 5K, 15K, 12K, Club XC)
3. Sharon Moore NY 375 (5K, 5K XC, 12K, Club XC)
4. Cindy Ingalls NY 245 5. Deborah Feltz MI 240 6. Jeanne Herrick NY 225
7. Carolyn Smith-Hanna NY 220 8. Jean Bolley MI 220 9. Edie Stevenson CO 190
10. Carolyn Bujack NJ 185

Kathy Martin started out in her usual dominating fashion, winning three events in the first 4 months of the year. But before the season resumed at the end of August, she sustained an injury that kept her out of a few races. She recovered in time, however, to post 3 more victories in the last 3 races of the season. As only the top 5 races are counted, her 600 points counts for 500 GP points. Coreen Steinbach did not race in the early part of the season but came on strong starting in August, winning 3 races and placing well in 2 others. Sharon Moore put together a set of 2nds and a 3rd from October to December ending up in 3rd place by a good margin. This was an unusual category in that runners from NY took the first 4 places.

W65-69 [31]
1. Sabra Harvey TX 300 (10K, 1 mile, 5K)
2. JoAnne Rowland CA 200 (8K, Club XC)
3. Susan Gustafson MA 185 (10K, 5K)
4. Irene Herman CA 155  
5T. Ann Dockery FL, Jean Nistico CO Carole Brouillard MN,
Jane Treleven WA, and Alice Franks MD, all with 100 points.
10T. Kathryn Koontz FL, Rima Lurie CO, Dianne Anderson CA,
Patty Foltz VT, Carolyn Mather GA, Terry Foody KY,
Kathleen Doswell VA, and Joanne Coffey NJ, all with 95 points.

The illustrious runner, Sabra Harvey, ran in 3 events but won them all and that enabled her to win the Grand Prix. JoAnne Rowland won her two events to finish second. Susan Gustafson was ahead of Rowland heading into the last contest of the year but Rowland entered and won the Club XC W65 championship at Lehigh University.

W70-74  [21]
1. Ellen Nitz MI 455 (1 mile, 5K, 5K XC, 12K, Club XC)
2. Shirley Larsen MI 415 (1 mile, 5K, 5K XC, 12K, Club XC)
3. Janet Wallen MI 405 (1 mile, 5K, 5K XC, 12K, Club XC)
4. Ruth Thelen MI 370 5. Charlene Francis MA 185
6T. Willie Moolenaar FL, Betty Valent CO, Norma Thomas CA,
Cora Hill MI, Jan Holmquist MA, Irene Terronez NM, and
Lyn Walker CT, all with 100 points.

The W70 division did the W60 division one better. Not only were the top 3 runners all from Michigan, they are all on the same team, Playmakers Elite/New Balance of Lansing Michigan. And the fourth place finisher, Ruth Thelen, who only raced at championships during the second half of the season, was also on the team.

W75-79 [11]
1. Madeline Bost NJ 270 (5K, 5K XC, Club XC)
2T. Libby James CO 200 (USA XC, 5K) 
2T. Heide Moebius PA 200 (12K, Club XC)
4T. Joyce Hodges-Hite GA and Carrie Marsi MA, both with 100 points.
6T. Judith Smythe CO and Sandra Folzer PA, both with 95 points.
8T. Vici DeHaan CO and Mary Hamada MA, both with 90 points.
10. Tami Graf MD 85.

Madeline Bost performed well in all three of the races she entered and won the 5K XC national championship; she won this GP division by a good margin. The other competitors raced in two or fewer events. Libby James, the record setting runner from Colorado, won both races she entered, and so did Heide Moebius but it was not enough to keep pace with Bost. James was in the lead for most of the year but Moebius won the final two events of the year to tie her for 2nd; Bost got the points she needed for first place in the very last event of the year.

W80-84 [3]
1. Edna Hyer NY 195 (10K, 5K)
2T. Anny Stockman NY 100 (5K)
2T. June Brumley IN 100 (5K XC)

Edna Hyer was the only runner in this age group to run in the required two races. She wins the Grand Prix.

Men

M40-44 [103 men scored]

1. Greg Mitchell OR 500 (Half Marathon, USA XC, 8K, 5K, 15K, Club XC)
2. John Gardiner CA 325 (USA XC, 8K, 5K XC, Club XC)
3. Craig Greenslit CO 230 (5K, 5K XC, Club XC)
4. Michael Wardian VA 200 5. Alan Black GA 180 6. Ahrlin Baumann OR 165
7. Christopher Magill  RI 160  8. Jaime Helpern CA 160 9. Mike Galoob RI 145
10. Victor Breedveld GA 145

Greg Mitchell dominated this class, competing in far more events than anyone else, 6, and winning all but the one in which he finished second to the famed Masters runner, Kevin Castille. John Gardiner combined his love of cross country running and running as part of a team to gain 2nd place. He ran with the Cal Coast team in the 3 cross country races and on his own in the 8K in Brea CA. Craig Greenslit of Colorado proved that he can run well while traveling. He missed the USA XC event in his back yard but made up for it with trips to Syracuse, Carmel IN, and Bethlehem PA and got the points he needed to mount the GP podium.

M45-49 [90]

1. Chad Newton NC 390 (10K, 5K, 5K XC, Club XC)
2. Francis Burdett MA 390 (10K, 5K, 15K, 12K, Club XC)
3. Kristian Blaich GA 375 (10K, 5K, 5K XC, Club XC)
4. Matthew Whitis GA 280 5. Christian Cushing-Murray CA 275  
6. Robert Arsenault CA 270 7. Mbarak Hussein NM 200
8T.  Tracy Lokken MI and Pete Hammer MA, both with 195 points.
10. Tim Meigs NC 175 

Chad Newton started the year in the 40-44 age group but finished in the M45 group. By the rules, he brings his M40-44 points with him when he moves up and adds any new points. That, along with strong runs at Carmel and Bethlehem in the cross country races, gave him just enough points to tie the remarkable runner from Massachusetts, Francis Burdett. The tie-breakers, however, give the GP title to Newton as he won the M45 division at the Club Cross Country championship, defeating Burdett in the process. It would have been quite a feather in Burdett's cap, to win the M45 division GP in his last year before moving to the M50 group. As it is, the second place, earned by competing well in 5 different championships, puts him ahead of a remarkable bunch of M45 runners, still a remarkable accomplishment in his 49th year. Kristian Blaich, the elder statesman of the M45 group at the Atlanta Track Club, was pushed down from 2nd to 3rd by his teammate's ascendance. Still for the Atlanta Track Club to have the 1st, 3rd and 4th place runners from this division is a tribute to their strength.

M50-54 [95]

1. Ruben Henderson MI 425 (Half Marathon, 1 Mile, 5K, 5K XC, 12K)
2. Eric Stuber MI 365 (1 Mile, 5K XC, 12K, Club XC)
3. Mike Nier NY 310 (1 Mile, 5K, 5KXC, Club XC)
4. John Van Kerkhove NY 305 5. Jeff Haertel GA 285 6. Daniel Dixon MI 275
7. Eugene Hogue NM 260 8. Ron Zywicki MI 250 9. Alan Evans NY 235
10. Nathan Skipper GA 230.

Ruben Henderson put an early number on the board by winning the M50 Half Marathon title in Melbourne FL in early February. But he added regularly to that title in distances from the 1 mile  to the 12K, and even mixed in a cross country race along the way. His teammate, Eric Stuber, put up some impressive performances in the second half of the season but it was not quite enough to catch Henderson. But Stuber's late heroics did give Playmakers Elite/New Balance what it took to claim the 1st two GP spots on the podium. Mike Nier started the year in the M45 group but moved up to the M50 group by the end of the year. Nier posted some impressive performances over the second half of the season and that enabled him to overtake his Genesee Valley Harriers  teammate, Van Kerkhove, for the third spot on the podium.

M55-59 [95]

1. Ken Youngers GA 485 (10K, 5K, 15K, 5K XC, 12K, Club XC)
2. Mark Rybinski NY 315 (USA XC, 10K, 5K, 15K)
3. Joe Sheeran WA 300 (15K, 5K XC, Club XC)
4. Jeffery Dundas GA 275 5. Charlie Andrews NY 185 6. Brian Pilcher CA 180
7. William Enicks TN 160 8. Gary Radford NY 160 9. Gregory Cauller PA 155
10. Mark Trick OH 150.

Ken Youngers was a dominant force in this age group, putting up big numbers from the 10K in Dedham in April all the way through to the Club Cross Country championships in December.   Mark Rybinski built his second place effort with strong efforts in the first half at Boulder and Dedham and cemented the GP 2nd place in the fall with good finishes at Syracuse and Tulsa. Joe Sheeran did not travel enough to catch Rybinski but was able to catch and displace Dundas. Sheeran ran in Tulsa, Carmel IN and in Bethlehem PA and he won each one of them-very impressive.

M60-64 [88]

1. Tom McCormack TN 500 (10K, 1 Mile, 5K, 5K XC, 12K)
2. John Tarkowski MI 420 (USA XC, 8K, 1 Mile, 5K, 15K, 5K XC, 12K, Club XC)
3. Kirk Larson GA 310 (8K, 10K, 12K, Club XC)
4. Peter Mullin TX 295 5. Wally Hayes MI 295 6. Joseph Reda WI 285
7T. Dale Campbell CA and Reno Stirrat NJ, each with 185 points,
9. Aaron Pratt MI 185 10. Tom Bernhard CA 180
[And a tip of the hat to my teammate, Jerry Orange, who almost made it into the top 10].

Tom McCormack, the gifted distance runner from the Emerald Isle via Jonesborough TN, dominated this category with 5 contests and 5 wins. Not only did he break the 5K road record, h won the GP handily. John Tarkowski, the Iron Man from Ann Arbor, competed and scored well in 8 different events. He could not count them all but he could count enough of them to gain the GP second place. Kirk Larson got off to a strong start but had a surgical procedure in the middle of the year, to head off future problems. When he finally made it back to the race course in Alexandria he took care of business, amassing enough points in the last two races of the year to pass several sterling runners and claim the GP 3rd.

M65-69 [59]

1. Lloyd Hansen UT 500 (USA XC, 8K, 5K, 15K, 5K XC, 12K, Club XC)
2. Jerry Learned GA 410 (8K, 10K, 1 Mile, 5K, 12K, Club XC)
3. Paul Carlin IN 385 (Half Marathon, 8K, 10K, 5K XC)
4. Roger Price NJ 380 5. Mike Reif NY 315 6. Jim May NY 305
7. Gary Patton IA 280 8. Terry McCluskey OH 275 9. Dale Walker OH 175
10. Harold Nolan NJ 170.

Lloyd Hansen had a terrific running year, dominating this division from the start. He ran in two races in the first two months of the year, winning both, and defeating all of the other major contenders head-to-head in the 8K competition at Brea. Family matters (happy ones) forced him to miss USATF competitions in April and August. But he did not miss any others, winning 5 straight competitions in October through December. This division had the tightest battle for 2nd through 4th on the men's side of the GP competition and it had the earmarks of a war of attrition as each of the major contenders battled with injuries of one sort or another, especially across the second half of the season. Paul Carlin, who held a good lead for 2nd based on his three 2nd place finishes in the first 4 months of the season, sustained an injury in early August, that kept him out of races until the 5K XC where he re-injured his hamstring. That essentially ended his season. Jerry Learned also had a hamstring issue that prevented him from running well at Syracuse and kept him out of races for a month. Once he returned to competition in November at Alexandria, he was able to take care of business and amass enough points in the last two races to surge past Carlin into 2nd place. Roger Price who had been in contention all year, tried valiantly to overcome his  sciatica problem only to face knee problems over the last month. He ran even when he was not close to the top of his form and gets credit for regularly toughing it out on the roads and on the cross country course. But, in the end, it was not quite enough to get to the podium in this year's GP.

M70-74 [64]

1. Doug Goodhue MI 500 (8K, 10K, 1 Mile, 5K, 15K, 5K XC, 12K)
2. Monte Piliawsky MI 440 (8K, 10K, 1 Mile, 5K, 5K XC, 12K)
3. Ed Bligh GA 320 (8K, 10K, 5K XC, Club XC)
4. Harlan Van Blaricum MI 285 5. John Farah MI 280 6. Przemyslaw Nowicki NJ 275
7. Ron Mastin GA 240 8. Malcolm Cohen MI 230 9. William Ash NJ 220
10. Jan Frisby CO 190

The celebrated runner from Ann Arbor, the 'silver bullet', Doug Goodhue dominated this division as usual. He ran in seven races and won them all. No one was close.  His teammate, Monte Piliawsky did the best job of trying to stay close and in the process took the GP 2nd place by a strong margin. Ed Bligh of the Atlanta Track Club broke up the hegemony of the Ann Arbor team by running strongly in four races, two early in the season and two towards the end. Van Blaricum and Farah were hot on his heels however.
[And a tip of the hat to Jan Frisby, three time Masters Runner of the Year for his age group in the 1990's. He came battling back from a foot injury to net 190 points in two events in October but picked up a blood clot in the right shin on the long drive from Tulsa back to Grand Junction CO. As of now he appears to be well on the way to full recovery and is looking to mount a real age group challenge in 2015--Looking forward to it.]

M75-79 [27]

1. John Elliott MD 195 (5K, 5K XC)
2T. John Brennand CA 190 (USA XC, 8K)
2T. David Turner, Sr. GA 190 (5K XC, Club XC)
4. Matt Lalumia NJ 160  5. Andrew Sherwood GA 120   
6T.  Richard T. Murphy NY, Joe Razo CA, William Riley MA,
Ed Rousseau MN, Fay Bradley KS, and Joe Liechty IN, all with 100 points.

This was an extremely tight competition as runners tended to focus on races close to home. For the top runners that meant two races each and not much overlap. John Elliott of Maryland and David Turner of Georgia met at the 5K XC championship in Carmel IN. Elliott prevailed int hat meeting and that 5 point difference stood up for the GP title as well. In the meantime,  John Brennand took a first  in Colorado and a 3rd  in Southern California to tie Turner for the GP 2nd place.
[And a tip of the hat to Joe Liechty who has been inspiring older runners (and younger ones too) in Indiana for over a decade. He entered one race, the 5K XC championship, and won it.]

M80-84 [19]

1T. Mike Fenerty CO 100 (USA XC), Allen Warren CA (8K), Lawrence Cole MA (10K),
John Harper CA (5K), Donald Pratt FL (5K XC), Richard Murphy PA (Club XC), all
with 100 points.
7T. Verne Carlson CO (USA XC), Al Ray CA (8K), Jon Desenberg MI (5K),
and John Schultz DE (Club XC), all with 95 points.

No one in this division scored in more than one event so those who won their events tied for first in the Grand Prix and those who finished second in their one event, tied for GP 7th.

M85-89 [1]

1. Willis Moses NY [100]

Willis Moses was the only competitor all year in this age division. He entered the Syracuse 5K and won it. That performance also nets him this well deserved Grand Prix title.

So that is it for 2014. Hats off and three cheers for all of the winners and everyone who placed in the top ten.

If you add up the number who scored in each of the competitions it sums to over a thousand runners. And in this initial year it was possible to compete in an event and receive no Grand Prix points so we know that does not include all of the runners who competed in one or more Grand Prix events.

Although the rules for 2015 have not yet been published there has been substantial discussion of revising the rules to ensure that all who participate in an event receive some GP points. This meshes with the change to allow for meritorious participation medals when runners achieve the 80% or higher level. USATF wants to provide more rewards for all strong runners to compete in national championship events.

The official results for the 2014 Grand Prix should be published on or abotu January 13th at this website:
http://www.usatf.org/groups/MastersLDR/indivGrandPrix/index.asp

 Details for the 2015 Individual Grand Prix will be announced soon.

[In the meantime we know the first two events in 2015 will be the USA XC championship in Boulder CO on the 7th of February and the 8K road Championship in Brea CA on the 22nd of February. Points for the 2015 Individual Grand Prix will be obtained at both events.]


Wednesday, January 7, 2015

USATF Masters LDR 2014 Club Grand Prix Final Results


January 7 2014. Announcement of Official USATF 2014 Club Grand Prix results.

The Masters Long Distance Running (Masters LDR) division of USA Track and Field (USATF) has just announced the results of the 2014 Club Grand Prix competition for Masters Women and Men. USATF member clubs from across the country compete for the Grand Prix championship by racing in USATF national championship events. Teams from 19 states and the District of Columbia scored Grand Prix points.This year teams could obtain points by participating in the following events:

02/02/14
Melbourne, FL
02/15/14
USA Cross Country Championships*
Master Men 8 km, Master Women 6km
Boulder, CO
02/23/14
Brea, CA
04/27/14
Dedham, MA
08/22/14
Flint, MI
10/05/14
Syracuse, NY
10/05/14
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
10/25/14
Tulsa, OK
11/8/14
Carmel, IN
11/16/14
Alexandria, VA
12/13/14
Bethlehem, PA
Lehigh Univ.

In each event, 10 points are awarded for a first place team finish; 8, 6, 5,4,3,2,and 1 point awards are made to teams finishing 2nd through 8th respectively. Each team may compete in as many events as they choose but must compete in at least 3 events to be eligible for Grand Prix awards. At the end of the year, the scores from the 5 best results for each team are summed to give a grand total. Fourth through 8th place teams receive a Team Grand Prix certificate; the 3rd place and 2nd place teams receive a $250 and a $500 cash prize respectively along with a certificate. The first place team receives a $1000 cash prize and a clubhouse banner in addition to the certificate. Numerical ties are typically broken by looking at head-to-head competition and then the number of event championships won.


Grand Prix Results:

Women’s Master’s Teams

The Genesee Valley Harriers from Greater Rochester NY, the Playmakers Elite/New Balance team from Lansing MI,  and the Athena Track Club of Malvern PA, had the most success over the four different age groups on the women’s side. Genesee had two firsts and a second place finish; Playmakers had a first, a second, and a 6th place finish; Athena had a first and a second place finish.

USATF Masters LDR provides no additional recognition for superior performance across age groups, but if one assigned points to the Grand Prix standings in each age division according to the point scheme above--10 for 1st, 8 for 2nd and so on, the standings across the age groups would be: Genesee 28, Playmakers 21, Athena 18 

Age 40+  [28 teams scored points]
1.       Genesee Valley Harriers [Greater Rochester NY]…20 points
(Syracuse 5K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)
2.       Athena Track Club [Malvern PA]…16
 (Dedham 10K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)
3.       Atlanta Track Club [GA]…16
 (Syracuse 5K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

Fourth through 8th included, in order, The Janes Elite Team (Southern California), Team Colorado [CO], Playmakers Elite/New Balance [Lansing MI], Dave’s Racing Team [Northwest Ohio], and Team Rogue [Austin TX].

Age 50+ [18 teams]
1.       Athena Track Club [PA]…50
(Dedham 10K road; Flint 1 mi road; Syracuse 5K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC) 
2.       Genesee Valley Harriers [NY]…28
(Dedham 10K road; Flint 1 mi road; Syracuse 5K road; Carmel 5 K XC; Bethlehem Club XC)
3.       Liberty Athletic Club [Boston MA]…13
(Dedham 10K road; Syracuse 5K road)

Fourth through 7th included, in order, the Athena Track Club B team, Heart and Sole Harriers [Boulder CO], A Snail’s Pace Running Club [Southern California], and Team Ohio [Northern Ohio]. Three teams tied for 8th: Boulder Striders [CO], Team Runners High [Long Beach CA], and Club Northwest [Seattle WA].

Age 60+ [13 teams]
1.       Genesee Valley Harriers [NY]…40
(Syracuse 5K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)   
2.       Playmakers Elite/New Balance [MI]…30
(Flint 1 mi road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)
3.       Impala Racing Team [San Francisco CA]…16
(Brea 8K road;  Bethlehem Club XC)
Revolution Running [Louisville CO] and Tri-Valley Front Runners [Central and Eastern Massachusetts] tied for 4th, and the Atlanta Track Club [GA], Boulder Road Runners [CO], and Liberty Athletic Club [Boston MA] tied for 6th.

Age 70+ [3 teams]
1.       Playmakers Elite/New Balance [MI]…50
(Flint 1 mi road; Syracuse 5K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)
2.       Boulder Road Runners [CO]…10
(Boulder USA XC)
3.       Checkers Athletic Club [Buffalo NY]…8
(Syracuse 5K road)

Men’s Masters Teams

The Atlanta Track Club from Georgia and the Ann Arbor Track Club of Ann Arbor MI, had the most success over the four different age groups on the men’s side. Atlanta took a first, two seconds, and a third place. Ann Arbor had two first place finishes. Not far behind in excellence across the age groups were the Cal Coast Track Club [Southern California] with a 2nd, a 4th, and a 6th and the Genesee Valley Harriers [Rochester NY area] with a 2nd, a 5th and a 7th place finish.

As above with the Women's teams, one could assign points (10 for 1st and so on) to give a numerical rank order for excellence across the age divisions of: Atlanta 32; Ann Arbor 20; Cal Coast 16; and Genesee 14.

Age 40+ [37 teams]
1.       Atlanta Track Club [GA]…46
(Dedham 10K road; Syracuse 5K road; Tulsa 15K road; Carmel 5K XC; Bethlehem Club XC)
2.       Cal Coast Track Club [Southern California]…24
(Boulder USA XC; Brea 8K road; Carmel 5K XC;Bethlehem Club XC) 
3.       Bowerman Athletic Club [Portland OR]…18
(Boulder USA XC; Bethlehem Club XC)

Fourth through 8th included, in order: the Boston Athletic Association [MA], Patient Endurance Racing [Lansing MI], Baltimore Washington Athletic Club [D.C.], Genesee Valley Harriers [NY], and the Boulder Running Company/Adidas [CO].

Age 50+ [27 teams]
1.       Playmakers Elite/New Balance [MI]…46
(Flint 1 mi road; Syracuse 5K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)
2.       Genesee Valley Harriers [NY]…40
(Boulder USA XC; Dedham 10K road;Syracuse 5K road; Tulsa 15K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)
3.       Atlanta Track Club [GA]…39
(Dedham 10K road;Syracuse 5K road; Tulsa 15K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

Fourth and fifth went to the Cal Coast Track Club and Club Northwest respectively. Four teams were tied for 6th: Athletics Boulder [CO], River City Rebels [CA], Playmakers Elite/New Balance B team [MI], and the Purdue Area Track Club [W Lafayette IN].

Age 60+ [19 teams]
1.       Ann Arbor Track Club [Ann Arbor MI]…48
(Boulder USA XC; Brea 8K road; Flint 1 mi road;Syracuse 5K road; Tulsa 15K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC) 
2.       Atlanta Track Club [GA]…42
(Brea 8K road; Dedham 10K road;Flint 1 mi road;Syracuse 5K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC) 
3.       Shore Athletic Club [Spring Lake NJ]...26
(Flint 1 mi road;Syracuse 5K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

Fourth through 8th included, in order: Boulder Road Runners [CO], Genesee Valley Harriers [NY], Cal Coast Track Club [CA], Raritan Valley Road Runners [Central NJ], and the Athletic Annex Running Club [Indianapolis IN].

Age 70+ [14 teams]
1.       Ann Arbor Track Club [MI]…50
(Brea 8K road; Dedham 10K road; Flint 1 mi road;Syracuse 5K road; Tulsa 15K road; Carmel 5K XC; Alexandria 12K road)
2.       Atlanta Track Club [GA]…30
(Brea 8K road; Dedham 10K road; Carmel 5K XC; Bethlehem Club XC) 
3.       Shore Athletic Club [NJ]…26
(Syracuse 5K road; Alexandria 12K road; Bethlehem Club XC)

Fourth was the Clifton Road Runners [Northeastern NJ], with the Santa Barbara Athletic Association [CA] and the New England 65+ Running Club [MA/New England] tied for 5th. The A team of the Boulder Road Runners [CO] was in 7th, followed by the Boulder Road Runners Team B [CO] and the West Valley Joggers and Striders [Northern CA] tied for 8th.

Age 80+ [2 teams tied for 1st]
·         Boulder Road Runners [CO]…10
(Boulder USA XC)
·         Syracuse Chargers Track Club [NY]…10
(Syracuse 5K road)

Combined Women's and Men's Team Excellence across All Age Divisions:
[Category not recognized for an award by USATF MLDR] Top placement goes to the Genesee Valley Harriers with my assigned points totaling to 42.The only other top performing team on both the men's and women's side was Atlanta who would have 8 points on the women's side for their 3rd and their tie for 6th place. So Atlanta has 40 points combined for the 2nd best total in this category.

Congratulations to all of these teams for their perseverance and for making the effort to attend and excel at as many USATF Masters LDR events as possible!