2016 USATF Masters Grand Prix Heads to Southern California--Race Preview

February 25 2016. BREA California—After an exciting and challenging start to the season in Bend Oregon 3 weeks ago, Elite Masters Long Distance Runners turn their attention to the 2^nd event of the Masters Grand Prix, the USATF 8K Championship in Southern California’s Orange County.  At the close of online registration, 229 of the fastest Masters Long Distance Runners in the country are entered in the race which is conducted as part of the 25^th running of the Brea Classic. Onsite registration could push the totals closer to 250 by race time. Runners will be chasing $10,000 in prize money when they toe the line at 7:30 am this Sunday, February 28.And the weather forecast is near perfect--upper 50's to low 60's during the race with light winds.

Overall.

Men. The Overall Men’s race to see who finishes first across the line features a rematch between Pasadena’s, Jacques Sallberg and Oregon’s Gregory Mitchell. They met at the USA Masters Cross Country Championship in Bend Oregon at the beginning of February with Sallberg taking the gold to Mitchell’s silver.  In 2015 Sallberg took the Cross Country crown in Boulder Colorado but Mitchell got his revenge by claiming the 8K Road crown in Brea. Will the 2015 pattern be repeated or will Sallberg make it 2 for 2 in 2016? And can anyone else stay with them? Neville Davey is one. He split Mitchell and Sallberg at Club Cross this past December. And he was only 11 seconds back from Mitchell; can he do better this time? Kristian Blaich who won 3 overall Masters Road crowns in 2015 at the 5K, 10K, and 12K is coming from Georgia to give it a try. But it may be asking a lot; Blaich was not able to stay with these three at Club Cross. [Late note: Blaich is not listed as one of the3  Atlanta 40+ team members. Perhaps he is a scratch.] If he is recovered from a hamstring issue that slowed him in Bend, John Gardiner is another runner who could factor overall if any of the others has an off day. Mitchell, Sallberg, Davey

On the Women’s side, Grace Padilla tries to make it two in a row as she seeks to duplicate her overall victory at the Masters Cross Country Championship. Nancy Ellis who only trailed Padilla by 15 seconds at Club Cross will try to close the gap. Tania Fischer will also challenge as she was only ten seconds behind Ellis at Club Cross. Should any of those three falter, Cindy Abrami who took 2^nd to Padilla at the Bend XC race, could factor. Julie Ertel could also challenge for the podium; she was only 20 seconds behind Fischer last year at this 8K race. Donna Mills-Honarvar is a wild card in that she is an accomplished half marathoner and marathoner who took 3^rd in her age group at the Rock n Roll Philadelphia half Marathon in 1:20:21. But she does not run many races as short as 8K so may not have the sheer speed to stay with the others. Padilla, Ellis, Fischer.

Age Division Contests.

M40. See above as Mitchell, Davey, Sallberg and Gardiner are all in this group. Mitchell, Sallberg, Davey.

W40. See above. Padilla, Ellis, Ertel and Mills-Honarvar are all in W40. Padilla, Ellis, Ertel.

M45. Kristian Blaich, Christian Cushing-Murray, and Jerome Vermeulen are the headliners here. They last met at Club Cross where Cushing-Murray took Blaich’s measure by 2 seconds, with Vermeulen 20 seconds back. But that was Cross Country and a slightly longer distance. Blaich took 3 road championships last year and may be better on the roads than on the XC course. That may also be true for Vermeulen and, although 8K is not that much less than 10K, Vermeulen has shown impressive fast twitch muscles in finishing a very tight 2^nd to Greg Mitchell’s 1st in the USATF 1 Mile Championships in Flint, Michigan last year. It should be a mighty entertaining race.

W45. Tania Fischer, the defending champion, is the favorite with Cindy Abrami who finished 3^rd last year picked for 2^nd. Nathalie Higley who finished 20 seconds behind Abrami in the 2014 edition of the USATF 8K should be solid for 3^rd. Others who could factor in include Desa Mandarino, who recently took the W45 bronze medal at the Cross Country Championships at Bend. Based on their performances at Club Cross in San Francisco, Kerry May and Mary Lynch will also be pushing the pace. Fischer, Abrami, Higley.

M50. Last year Francis Burdett made an early West Coast swing, winning the USA XC and Brea 8K M50 contests to get an early leg up on the USATF Grand Prix. Burdett stayed home in Massachusetts for the USA XC but will he be looking to fly over the 8K like last year. He clocked 26:50 to take the M50 title by 22 seconds over David Olds. But by the time Club Cross rolled around in December, Burdett was not up to the promise of February. Which Burdett will we see on Sunday? The favorite, no doubt, must be Carl Combs. Since turning 50 and discovering the USATF circuit, he has won Club Cross and the USA XC M50 Championships. Last year he ran 53 seconds faster than Burdett at Brea but was in the M45 division. Rob Arsenault of Cal Coast has also moved into the M50 division to join his teammate, Olds. Arsenault ran 26:36 last year in M45. If he can do that again he should take 2^nd to Combs’s first. At Club Cross, both Robert Verhees and Arsenault were well ahead of Burdett. And you can be sure that David Olds will be pushing the pace; he is always a threat for the podium. At Carlsbad last year Verhees ran 16:00 to Arsenault’s 16:12 and bested him by nearly a half minute at Club Cross. Combs, Verhees, R. Arsenault.

W50. Kathleen Cushing-Murray, 7^th last year in W45 at 32:28 in this race is definitely a threat in her new division. Rosalva Bonilla ran 33:07 and Debra Okano 33:26 in the same race so they will be right on Cushing-Murray’s heels. Laura Stuart ran very well at Club Cross, finishing right behind Kirsten leetch who bested Cushing-Murray by a minute in the 2015 8K Championship. That is enough for me to make her the favorite but Cushing-Murray should push Stuart to the limit.

Stuart, Cushing-Murray, Bonilla.

M55. The M55 contests will see the return of 2012 and 2013 Runner of the Year Brian Pilcher who lost the 2^nd half of the 2015 season to a hamstring flare-up. If his fitness should be anywhere near normal , he would certainly be the favorite. As of a couple of weeks ago, however, he had still not tested his speed.  Bill Enicks who tends to run longer races is making an exception to come out to challenge for the 8K crown. Ray Knerr finished nearly a minute ahead of Enicks at Club Cross in December but roads and cross country are somewhat different pursuits. Still Knerr gets the nod for 2nd because of that result.  Pilcher, Knerr, Enicks.

W55. This is a tough division to handicap because the major contenders have not typically raced against each other. Kelly Kruell who won the W55 gold medal at the USA XC earlier this month will take on Suzanne Morris and Nancy Simmons. Morris finished 1^st in the 2015 edition of this race, winning handily. Simmons took the W55 crown at the USATF 5K XC Championship at Saratoga Springs. Morris, Kruell, Simmons.

M60. Defending M60 Champ, Rick Becker, had a terrific tussle last year with US 10K record-holder, Tom McCormack, sprinting past at the finish line. He is going for his 2nd 2016 victory this weekend after taking the M60 XC crown earlier this month. There are rumors that McCormack”s injury rehab may be nearing its end and we may see him at a race soon, but not this time. Becker appears to be a few steps ahead of everyone else in M60. But it is, as usual, a strong field and Becker cannot take anything for granted. Tom Bernhard won several  races last year and was the 2015 M60 Grand Prix Champ. At Club Cross last year, Reno Stirrat got the better of Bernhard but he has not recently found a way to do that on the roads. John Victoria should also be running with that group if recovered from a hamstring issue that popped up at the very end of the Club Cross race in December. [Late note: The BRR team let me know that Victoria will not be in Brea due to an issue with back pain. I hope that is just a temporary setback.]  A terrific trio of runners, Dale Campbell, Heath Hibbard, and Keith Witthauer,  have typically been a half step back from that group but are poised to move up. Becker, Bernhard, Stirrat.

W60. Christine Kennedy who won this W60 race in record-breaking time is presumably now reunited with her grown  daughters in England, plotting to see if she can break 3 hours in the London Marathon. In any case she is not in Brea. In her absence Honor Fetherston who finished 2^nd to Kennedy last year should take first. In the 2015 edition of the 8K, Madson Buchbinder finished a couple of minutes back from Fetherson with Kathy Guiney a few seconds back. Fetherston, Buchbinder, Guiney.

M65. Peter Mullin was off his game for most of 2015 but now that he has moved up to the next age division, I suspect he is prepped for a big year. We get our first look at Brea. The M65 Runner of the Year, Lloyd Hansen, had to withdraw from this race due to family responsibilities so that clears the way a bit but Ignacio Jimenez who bested Hansen at this race last year, will present a stiff challenge. Jimenez is coming off an M65 win at Bend and will try to make it 2 in a row as he did at the start of last year. Hall of Famer, Doug Bell, may have something to say about that. He also is moving up to M65 for the first time. He would be favored for the win but he skipped Club Cross and the USA XC events to rehab an injury of some sort. Is he fully recovered and ready to contest at the front of M65 or is he coming as a foot soldier for his team, providing added depth? My guess is that he is ready to roll but we will have to wait for the race. As with the previous division there are a number of stalwarts a step back from those 3 who are keeping the pressure on. Jerry Learned, Roger Price, and Ronald Wells could all step onto the podium. Bell, Mullin, Jimenez.

W65. This looks like a battle between West Coast and Mountains. California’s Jo Anne Rowland defends her 2015 title against Colorado’s Edie Stevenson who claimed gold in the 2015 USATF 5K Championship in Syracuse and the 12K in Alexandria. Rowland won Brea and Saratoga-5km X? She took 2^nd to 2014 Runner of the Year Sabra Harvey at Club XC and started off this season with a win at the USA XC at Bend. If Stevenson is on her game, she should take 1^st. Dianne Anderson may be the best of the rest based on her 5K times and having bested Maggie Fillmore by a minute at Club XC last December. Stevenson, Rowland, Anderson.

M70. It seems every division is packed with exciting contests. Should Jan Frisby, Len Goldman or Gary Patton be considered the favorite? Frisby is the reigning M70 Runner of the Year and the defending champ but he ran into an Achilles issue at Syracuse and this will be his first race since. Frisby says the Achilles has calmed down but he is not at his usual fitness. Goldman was dominant at the end of the year, winning M70 at Club Cross. He had a terrific year overall in 2015. At Carlsbad when Frisby was at full roar, Goldman was able to finish within 30 seconds of him. Patton is renowned for his track exploits but is always a factor when he steps onto the roads. He won the M70 gold medal at the USA XC Championships in Bend earlier this month. Paul Carlin (yours truly) could factor in the race for the podium but until he runs a good race it is hard to know how to count him. His training has gone well recently but that is not a race. I take Frisby at his word as just being a good soldier for the Boulder Road Runners and rank him lower than his usual spot in front. And I will give Patton credit for having the hot hand, coming off of Bend. Patton, Goldman, Frisby.

W70. Norma Thomas who had this division to herself last year is joined by two challengers. Jean Gardner and Irene Terronez will provide the competition but Thomas should be up to the challenge. Gardner runs a lot of half marathons and races frequently. But when she ran in the non-USATF portion of the Brea 8K classic last year, Gardner ran 10 minutes slower than Thomas did. Terronez also runs long races but does not appear to be terribly fast in 10K’s and below. Thomas, Gardner, Terronez.

M75. Hans Schmid appears to be the runner to beat. He took M75 gold at Club Cross and should move up from his 3^rd place finish last year in this race.  M70 Grand Prix winner, Roland Cormier, who bested Schmid in 2015 is not racing this weekend.  Larry Brooks broke 22 minutes at the Carlsbad 5000 and finished only 2 minutes behind Schmid at Brea last year. There appears to be a gap back to the others but Victor Gonzalez has the times to suggest he can take 3^rd. Schmid, Brooks, Gonzalez.

W75. Pat Herr and Dorothy Strand went 1-2 last year and will try for a repeat. The 2015 W75 Grand Prix winner, Madeline Bost, is making the West Coast trip this year to try her hand at the 8K. As Bost herself says, she is not the fastest woman in this division but until another runner or two from this division commit to more national races, she is the favorite for the 2016 Grand Prix too. Still she ran an 8K in New Jersey a minute faster than Herr’s winning time in the USATF 8K last year. Based on that, Bost is the favorite but that hill halfway through the Brea course could be the equalizer. Bost ,Herr , Strand.

M80. Bill Dodson took the gold at Club Cross in December and there is no reason to think he is not still King of the Hill. Bob Rice, Allen Warren, and Richard Williams should have quite a tussle to settle the rest of the podium.  Dodson, Williams, Warren.

M85. Gunnar Linde is, as of now, the sole entrant in this division so should be able to repeat his 2015 win with no difficulty. Linde.

Age Grading. Last year it was Pilcher, McCormack and Becker. Favorites for the Men’s Age-Grading title include Rick Becker, Tom Bernhard and, if fully rehabbed, Brian Pilcher. If any of those falter , Kristian Blaich (possible scratch though), Francis Burdett, and Christian Cushing-Murray were all on at least one National Championship  Age-grading podium last year. On the Women’s side it was Kennedy, Morris, and Fischer. This year it is likely to be a battle between Tania Fischer, Suzanne Morris, Nancy Simmons, Edie Stevenson, and Honor Fetherston.

Teams. [Team preview will be added later today. I have received an update from Boulder Road Runners 60+ team. John Victoria is a late scratch. And from the listing of the Atlanta TC 40+ team, I infer that Kristian Blaich is a late scratch also.] Here we go, some divisions not as tightly researched as I would like but all of a sudden my Firefox browser told me that one of my main sources, Athlinks, had improper security so it would no longer connect. Probably a temporary glitch but a temporary glitch the evening before a race is a killer for a preview.

M40+. Looks like Cal Coast  all the way. If Atlanta TC had Kristian Blaich on the team it might have been close and interesting. He is out due to an untimely bout with the flu. M65 stalwart, Jerry Learned, is their third member but is not expected to keep pace with the M40’s. A Snail’s Pace Running and Beach City Runners will slug it out for 2^nd and 3^rd; last year they finished 3^rd and 5th. Cal Coast TC, A Snail’s Pace Running. Beach City Runners.

W40+. Last year it was Janes Elite, Team Runcoach, and A Snail’s Pace. It should be quite a race again this year. Team Runcoach is not entered and it looks like the Janes Elite, Santa Barbara Running and Racing, and A Snail’s Pace all have strong teams, led by Fischer, Abrami, and Ertel respectively. Janes Elite, Santa Barbara Running and Racing, A Snail’s Pace.

M50+. Last year it was Cal Coast, A Snail’s Pace, and Club Ed Running. They are all entered again but with slightly different rosters. Cal Coast A should take it handily but Cal Coast B may also be in the mix. For now I’ll go with the same order as last time but admit I have not had time to do a full research job on the other West Coast teams with altered rosters. Cal Coast , A Snail’s Pace, Club Ed.

W50+. In 2015 it was A Snail’s Pace followed by Cal Coast and Team Runners High. Cal Coast is not entered this year. The top two runners for A Snails Pace in 2015 are no ton the team this year while Team Runners High is only missing their number 2 runner. Team Runners High, A Snail’s Pace, Club Ed Running.

M60+.  This division is loaded with competitive teams. In 2015 it was Cal Coast, Tamalpa Runners, and Ann Arbor Track Club. The latter two teams are not entered this year. The 4^th and 5^th place teams were A Snail’s Pace and Club Ed Running. The 2015 M60+ Grand Prix winning team, Boulder Road Runners, entered with high hopes. But John Victoria, their lead runner ran into some back pain this week and is a scratch. They still have a potentially formidable team if the rest are healthy. Hall of Famer Doug Bell, Heath Hibbard and 2015 M70 Runner of the Year, Jan Frisby should take 2^nd if they run close to their usual times. But this is the first race for both Bell and Frisby since before Club Cross. The Shore AC team which finished 4^th in the 2015 Grand Prix, is determined to crack the GP podium this year. Cal Coast should have 1^st place locked in but it could be close between Boulder Road Runners and Shore AC if any of the Boulder guys have an off day. Shore AC’s top runner, Reno Stirrat has had an off and on hamstring issue but if he is on, should give Shore AC a great start. If Emmanuel Broady also has a strong day, Shore will be in contention.  If Bell and Hibbard both run their best, they should take the next two spots. Frisby if he were fully fit would not be far back. But Frisby says his fitness is a little off so it is hard to say where he will be. And there are several strong West Coast teams that will try to keep the visitors off the podium by occupying it themselves. Florida Track Club-West could well make the podium if either Boulder RR or Shore AC falter.  Cal Coast, Boulder Road Runners, Shore AC.

W60+. Impala Racing Team won this division by default in 2015. This year they will have A Snail’s Pace challenging them. Impala Racing Team, A Snail’s Pace.

M70+. Three Northern California teams came in and dominated the podium last year. Tamalpa Runners, Santa Barbara Running and Racing, and West Valley Joggers and Striders finished 1-2-3 in 2015. The Tamalpa Runners  bring the same team so they are favored. Club Ed Running and Florida Track Club West. Tamalpa’s Goldman should lead the way but Florida TC’s Enos and Callaway will try to finish between Goldman and Schmid. If they can do that, they have a chance at an upset. Tamalpa Runners, Florida TC West, Club Ed Running.

W70+. A Snail’s Pace Running Club has this division to itself and will take the gold. With a 5 runner team of Jean Gardner, Pat Herr, Veronica Noguer, Dorothy Strand, and Norma Thomas, they would e a formidable team no matter who else was entered.  A Snail’s Pace.

M80+. Like the W70+, this is a division that does not always get a qualified entrant with three runners. So it is great that the San Diego Track Club has William Crum, Edward Gookin, and Warren Osborn entered to claim the M80+ gold medal. But they have no room for error. All 3 have to deliver for the team to win.

M40+. Looks like Cal Coast  all the way. If Atlanta TC had Kristian Blaich on the team it might have been close and interesting. He is out due to an untimely bout with the flu. M65 stalwart, Jerry Learned, is their third member but is not expected to keep pace with the M40’s. A Snail’s Pace Running and Beach City Runners will slug it out for 2^nd and 3^rd; last year they finished 3^rd and 5th. Cal Coast TC, A Snail’s Pace Running. Beach City Runners.

W40+. Last year it was Janes Elite, Team Runcoach, and A Snail’s Pace. It should be quite a race again this year. Team Runcoach is not entered and it looks like the Janes Elite, Santa Barbara Running and Racing, and A Snail’s Pace all have strong teams, led by Fischer, Abrami, and Ertel respectively. Janes Elite, Santa Barbara Running and Racing, A Snail’s Pace.

M50+. Last year it was Cal Coast, A Snail’s Pace, and Club Ed Running. They are all entered again but with slightly different rosters. Cal Coast A should take it handily but Cal Coast B may also be in the mix. For now I’ll go with the same order as last time but admit I have not had time to do a full research job on the other West Coast teams with altered rosters. Cal Coast , A Snail’s Pace, Club Ed.

W50+. In 2015 it was A Snail’s Pace followed by Cal Coast and Team Runners High. Cal Coast is not entered this year. The top two runners for A Snails Pace in 2015 are no ton the team this year while Team Runners High is only missing their number 2 runner. Team Runners High, A Snail’s Pace, Club Ed Running.

M60+.  This division is loaded with competitive teams. In 2015 it was Cal Coast, Tamalpa Runners, and Ann Arbor Track Club. The latter two teams are not entered this year. The 4^th and 5^th place teams were A Snail’s Pace and Club Ed Running. The 2015 M60+ Grand Prix winning team, Boulder Road Runners, entered with high hopes. But John Victoria, their lead runer ran into some back pain this week and is a scratch. They still have a potentially formidable team if the rest are healthy. Hall of Famer Doug Bell, Heath Hibbard and 2015 M70 Runner of the Year, Jan Frisby should take 2^nd if they run close to their usual times. But this is the first race for both Bell and Frisby since before Club Cross. The Shore AC team which finished 4^th in the 2015 Grand Prix, is determined to crack the GP podium this year. Cal Coast should have 1^st place locked in but it could be close between Boulder Road Runners and Shore AC if any of the Boulder guys have an off day. Shore AC’s top runner, Reno Stirrat has had an off and on hamstring issue but if he is on, should give Shore AC a great start. If Emmanuel Broady also has a strong day, Shore will be in contention.  If Bell and Hibbard both run their best, they should take the next two spots. Frisby if he were fully fit would not be far back. But Frisby says his fitness is a little off so it is hard to say where he will be. And there are several strong West Coast teams that will try to keep the visitors off the podium by occupying it themselves. Florida Track Club-West could well make the podium if either Bouldeer RR or Shore AC falter.  Cal Coast, Boulder Road Runners, Shore AC.

W60+. Impala Racing Team won this division by default in 2015. This year they will have A Snail’s Pace challenging them. Impala Racing Team, A Snail’s Pace.

M70+. Three Northern California teams came in and dominated the podium last year. Tamalpa Runners, Santa Barbara Running and Racing, and West Valley Joggers and Striders finished 1-2-3 in 2015. The Tamalpa Runners  bring the same team so they are favored. Club Ed Running and Florida Track Club West. Tamalpa’s Goldman should lead the way but Florida TC’s Enos and Callaway will try to finish between Goldman and Schmid. If they can do that, they have a chance at an upset. Tamalpa Runners, Florida TC West, Club Ed Running.

W70+. A Snail’s Pace Running Club has this division to itself and will take the gold. With a 5 runner team of Jean Gardner, Pat Herr, Veronica Noguer, Dorothy Strand, and Norma Thomas, they would e a formidable team no matter who else was entered.  A Snail’s Pace.

M80+. Like the W70+, this is a division that does not always get a qualified entrant with three runners. So it is great that the San Diego Track Club has William Crum, Edward Gookin, and Warren Osborn entered to claim the M80+ gold medal. But they have no room for error. All 3 have to deliver for the team to win.

Recap of 2015 USATF Cross Country Championships in Bend Oregon

February 10 2015. The 2016 USATF Cross Country Championships were held at the Rivers Edge Golf Course located on the slopes of a cinder cone overlooking the Deschutes River as it courses picturesquely through the town of Bend. The official altitude for Bend is 3623 feet [1104.3 meters] but I was told the course itself is at about 4000' above sea level. Altitude can be an issue for most runners although not for the Boulder crew who were dropping a couple of thousand feet. I had heard stories about how treacherous this course was in 2013. But Max King, the terrific Open Elite XC runner from the Bend area, had redesigned the course to take a few of the warts and wrinkles out. What was left was a very challenging and potentially draining, but safe course. I do not know the official elevation changes but it must be a couple of hundred feet from the start up to the top of the course. They run you up a gradually steepening slope to not quite halfway up. 

The Course- In this pic the course looks pretty gentle but don't let that fool you. [photo: Paul Carlin/runningprof.com]

Then you run across the slope and then are directed back down to about the level where you started. Then over and climb up again more steeply, run around a couple of bends with only a slight incline and then they shoot you up again to the very top of the course. There are a few ups and downs and then they head you down a gradual slope to a steep drop of 20 feet or so. That's one place where you can pick up time if you are aggressive and lose it if you are timid. Then you bound down some rolling hills to the lowest point of the course, turn around and head up a slight incline to the end of the first loop. Only three (or two) more to go--Thank you, Max King!

And the weather cooperated nicely. Apparently there had been some snow on the course earlier in the week but it had melted away in the interim. The day dawned clear, with the promise of a high temp of 51. When I arrived around 9:15 it had crested 40 already and there was not a lot of wind. That still feels cold if you are just standing around though so several of us made a beeline for the warming tents near the starting line. It was like the 'hot stove' league with chairs gathered around a heater- a nice perk. 

Getting toasty warm and trading stories before the race [Photo: Paul Carlin/runningprof.com]

The start time for the Masters Women's race (3 x 2K loops) was 10 am while the Men's race (4 x 2K loops) went off at 10:45. Temps were in the low to mid-40's with calm winds sometimes but gusting up to 8-10 mph at times. I noticed 3 guys wearing gloves, one from Southern Cal but 2 from places with cold winters near Spokane Washington and Gunnison Colorado. They all ran pretty well so it was not a handicap.

The recap goes in the normal order but check out the bottom of the blog where I will keep track, for both Men and Women, of an unofficial Overall Race Grand Prix Champion--just for fun this year--no plaque or anything--just your minute of fame on my blog! I will also keep track of an unofficial Age-Grading Grand Prix Champion. Also there is a note about possible future excitement for this Masters Championship.

OVERALL.  

Women.

Grace Padilla, former American record holder in the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase, sprinted with determination up the initial hill and then kicked it into cruise when things leveled out. She made it clear she was going after the win. Cindy Abrami and Sonya Wilkerson formed a chase pack early on. By the end of the first loop, Padilla had a half minute on the chasing pair who, in turn had established a 20 second gap on the 4th place runner, Jennifer Anderson.  

Grace Padilla, stretching her lead on the downhill portion of the course [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Despite Abrami and Wilkerson having each other to work with, they were not able to take a single second off of Padilla's lead in the 2nd loop. 

Abrami (left) leading Wilkerson (r) as they zoom down the slope toward the last turn before starting the next loop [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Abrami did finally drop Wilkerson and start to cut into Padilla's lead over the first half of the last loop. But once Padill reached the top of the course and turned downhill again, she found her stride and cruised downhill, eating up the ground with one long stride after another. Padilla claimed the gold medal with a 24 second victory over Abrami who earned the silver medal. 

Grace Padilla Victorious! [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Wilkerson came across 22 seconds later to claim the bronze. In a post-race interview with Verity Breen, Padilla credited her coach and husband with helping her to ease back into training following a month long break from training following the Club Cross Country Championships in San Francisco. The break had reduced any residual fatigue and she found her fitness had not suffered much during the layoff. She also mentioned that the move to Highland CA, because of its topography, had generated an increase in hill workouts which was very helpful on a tough, hilly course like the one at Bend. Padilla 25:18, Abrami 25:42, Wilkerson 26:04.

Men.

This was a highly anticipated duel between 2015 Masters Grand Prix winner, Greg Mitchell and defending USATF XC Champion, Jacques Sallberg. It was Mr. Smooth versus the Rhythm King. Mitchell is so smooth when he runs it always looks effortless. Salberg, on the other end always looks like he is working the course. He tells his high school charges "Every cross country course has a rhythm; find the rhythm and you can improve your performance without working that much harder." Sallberg found the rhythm in 2015 as he and Mitchell went head to head last year in Boulder. Sallberg moved to the front in the second loop, then let Mitchell take the lead again until finally he kicked away in the final loop to secure a 15 second victory. But Mitchell had his revenge, winning their 8K road duel at Brea with a 21 second margin. Their final meeting of 2015 was at the Club Cross Country Championships at San Francisco. Again Mitchell had the edge with the same margin as at Brea. That history promised a great rematch and we were not disappointed. It was a strong field and several other runners were expected to be in the hunt for gold; perhaps one of those would have greater fitness on the day? 

The start of the men's race was more measured than that of the women's as a group of about 12 runners held together up the slopes, but the pace quickened on the downhill portion and a group of 5 pulled away, establishing a gap. 

Salberg (black singlet) and Mitchell (sunglasses) head to the front with Collins (Army) and ). O. Baumann (#527) right with them

The lead pack of Mitchell, Sallberg, Oscar Baumann, John Howell and newcomer to the Masters ranks, Danny Goodman, had a 5 second lead. Those in the chase pack included Chistian Cushing-Murray, Ahrlin Baumann, Orrin Schumacher, and Liam Collins. John Gardiner, who would normally be a factor, was nursing a sore hamstring and showed up primarily to aid his team. During the 2nd loop that lead pack held together until again there was separating acceleration over the downhill portion, with Sallberg and Mitchell pulling away and establishing a 12 second lead over chasers, Howell and O. Baumann. 

Sallberg blasting away on a short downhill section of the course during lap 3 [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Sallberg made a decisive move in the 3rd loop, opening up a 20 second gap over Mitchell who, in turn, had nearly a half minute over Howell with O. Baumann another 6 seconds back.

Mitchell trying to maintain contact on the 3rd loop[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Sallberg was driving now and could not be headed as he surged up the hill at the start of the last loop. He built the lead over the last loop, emerging as the victor by 41 seconds. It was enough of a lead so that he could doff the earmuffs and gloves and toss them to a juniors athlete he had coached to the Championship.

Sallberg the Victor [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Howell managed to close the gap a bit on the last loop but Mitchell was firmly in control of second place with a 13 second margin at the tape. Sallberg 27:18, Mitchell 27:59, Howell 28:12.

AGE-GRADING. The age-grading scores themselves were, of course, comparatively low because of the difficulty of this challenging cross country course. The top of the Age-Grading podium for both women and men was no surprise. Sixty-seven year old Jo Anne Rowland headed the 

Jo Anne Rowland setting the Age-Grading Pace [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

charts for the women while 61 year old Rick Becker topped the men. The champion runner from Selah Washington had a killer day on the cross country slopes as he topped the contest by 2 full points, an 

Rick Becker tearing up the course to win the Men's Age-Grading [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

 unusually large margin in USATF Men's championships. Fifty year old Carl Combs, another terrific Washington runner, came in 2nd with overall winner, Sallberg,

claiming a different kind of overall medal in 3rd. 

Carl Combs, with his red-hot gloves on soars on this course, besting some top age-graders in the process [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Things were tighter on the women's side as 2nd place finisher overall, 47 year old Cindy Abrami, came in less than half a percentage point behind, with Kelly Kruell, 56, edging the overall winner, Padilla, for 3rd by a mere .03%.  
Women. Rowland 76.62%, Abrami 76.15%, Kruell 75.25%.
Men. Becker 85.45%, Combs 83.49%, Sallberg 82.82%.

AGE DIVISIONS

M40. This was the same as the overall race as Sallberg, Mitchell and Howell are all in the 40-44 age

John Howell, staying tight up on Mitchell in 3rd place [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

range. Sallberg 27:18, Mitchell 27:59, Howell 28:12.

W40. Grace Padilla, in her last year in the age division, took the title, followed two minutes later by Boise's Jennifer Anderson. Ellen Kramer, a local Bend runner, was able to stay close to Anderson for the first loop, closing it out only 3 seconds back. 

Jennifer Anderson [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

But that had been too much as Kramer slowed significantly over the next loop. By the end Anderson was over a minute ahead but Kramer had, nonetheless, earned a bronze medal at a national

Ellen Kramer [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

 championship with her sterling effort. Padilla 25:18, Anderson 27:26, Kramer 28:40.

M45. By the end of the first lap it was Cal Coast's Christian 'Cush' Cushing-Murray setting the pace 

Carl Combs 562, Christian Cushing-Murray 548, Orin Schumacher 540, Chris Knorzer 576 in the early stages [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

for the 45-49 year olds, with Liam Collins running for the Army out of West Point a few strides off his pace. Six seconds back it was the Santa Barbara teammates, Rusty Snow and Todd Booth. 

Rusty Snow [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Christopher Knorzer was 7 seconds back from that pair with Oregon's Matthew Farley 5 seconds further back in 6th. The 2nd loop saw a few changes with Collins falling off of Cush's pace by nearly 20 seconds but Snow moving up a bit to just 5 seconds back. Snow's teammate, Booth, fell back and was running with Knorzer with Farley 10 seconds off their pace. 

Matthew Farley [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

The Santa Barbara duo moved in opposite directions over the 3rd loop; Booth, having an off day, fell back out of contention with a 7:59 loop while Snow threw down a 7:11 as he moved past Cushing-Murray and opened up a 9 second gap. And Farley was running like Snow, passing first Booth and Knorzer but then even passing Colllins before the bell for the final loop was sounded. Snow continued to run away over the last loop, running a 6:55 to take M45 gold. Cushing-Murray's 7:15 last loop was more than enough to give him 2nd place. Farley ran a super last 6:58 loop, but Cush's earlier work in the race paid dividends as Farley could not get any closer than 20 seconds back. But Farley left no doubt about his deserving the bronze as he grew his gap over the 4th runner to nearly 40 seconds by the finish line. Snow 28:28, Cushing-Murray 28:56, Farley 29:16.

W45.   The race between Abrami and Wilkerson for the W45 crown is parallel to their tussle for 2nd and 3rd overall, detailed above. But who would claim 3rd? Would it be Desa Mandarino, up from Santa Barabara, or Eugene, Oregon's Jennifer Brennan? 

Jennifer Brennan
[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

 Mandarino gained the early edge building over thirty seconds over the home state favorite. Did Mandarino go out too fast? Would she pay the price on later loops? Not at all! Mandarino continued to build her lead, extending it to well over a minute by the end of the second loop. 

Desa Mandarino
[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

And that was the story as Mandarino kept her stride going and, in the end, had a large gap on Brennan. Abrami 25:42, Wilkerson 26:04, Mandarino 27:56..

M50. This was a Pacific Northwest brawl with the pride of Cheney Washington, Carl Combs, taking it out in 7:10, with the Bowerman TC's Eric Williams just off the pace in 7:15. 

Eric Williams
[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

 Despite the best efforts of the Oregonian, however, Combs was too strong. Williams followed his first loop with a 7:30 2nd loop but Combs actually went a tad faster in the second loop, clocking a 7:08 for a lead of nearly 30 seconds. Williams ran tight in the 3rd and 4th loops but couldn't catch Combs even though he did take a few seconds back on the 4th loop. Combs came across the line with Williams a half minute back. There was a doozy of a race for the last spot on the podium. Cal Coast's Rob Arsenault and David Olds were locked in a duel with Bowerman's Mike Blackmore. At the end of the 

David Olds 556 Rob Arsenault 547 [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

first loop, it was Blackmore in 7:27 with Olds and Arsenault 5 seconds back. But Arseanault and Olds closed up the gap on the second loop as all three passed the starting area in 14:08. It was time for someone to make a move and it was Arsenault who was best able to maintain the pace over the 3rd loop as Olds fell 8 seconds back and Blackmore 12. And Arsenault continued to accelerate over the 4th loop, his fastest of the day, putting the podium out of reach for Blackmore and Olds. Combs 29:02, Williams 29:35, Arsenault 30:16.

W50. Bend, Oregon's Carol Daubeny was the only entrant and she wins the gold in 30:50.

Carol Daubeny
[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

 M55. This was a terrific battle for M55 supremacy between 3 Oregonians and a New Yorker. Bowerman's Michael Gorriaran took it out in 8:17 with his teammate, Steven Kollars 7 seconds back. Genesee Valley's Gary Radford ended the 1st loop another 7 seconds back in 3rd. Bowerman's Richard Punches was another 9 seconds off the pace in 4th. On the 2nd loop each of the top 3 built their lead. Gorriaran now had a 15 second gap on Kollars, with another 27 seconds back to Radford and 19 more back to Punches. 

Gary Radford [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

The 3rd loop saw Gorriaran extend his lead over Kollars but now the fast early pace had depleted Radford a bit as he fell nearly a full minute behind Kollars. More importantly, Punches began inching up and could draw a bead on Radford who was only 14 seconds ahead as they headed up the hill for the final time. Punches pulled away on the downhill to claim 3rd by 4 seconds over Radford-what a duel! Gorriaran 33:50 Kollars 34:45 Punches 36:04.

W55. Kelly Kruell took it out hard but still had only a ten second 1st loop lead over Lynelle Paulick, with Team Red Lizard's Betsy Miller nearly a half minute back and her teammate Joanna Harper 

Kelly Kruell
[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

 another 15 seconds behind. Kruell's 2nd loop was only a few seconds slower than her first as she continued to build her lead. 

Lynne Paulick
[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Unfortunately something was going very wrong for Paulick as her 2nd loop was over a minute slower than her first and Miller crept to within 5 seconds with Harper only 24 seconds further back. 
On the third loop Paulick had little left as first Miller and then Harper were able to pass her. Paulick hung on gamely and finished but it was Kruell by 2 minutes over Miller and another minute or so back to Harper

Betsy Miller
[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

who came in 19 seconds ahead of Paulick. Kruell 29:05, Miller 31:07, Harper 32:18.

M60. This was the Rick Becker show as he started out 2016 the way he finished up 2015. He must have gotten the memo saying, 'Take no prisoners!' Becker surged uphill and stretched the lead downhill to build

Rich Becker building his lead on everyone 55 and up [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

almost a half minute lead over the superb GVH harrier, Mark Rybinski, who, in turn, had a 22 second lead over Boulder's Heath Hibbard and Cal Coast's John Holcomb who ended the first loop shoulder to shoulder. Becker did not let up at all on the 2nd loop and as a result built his lead to over a minute.

Mark Rybinski
[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

But Rybinski was cranking it out too as he now had over a 50 second lead on Hibbard and Holcomb who were still locked in a tight duel with only a second between them. Becker kept the pedal to the metal, slowing only slightly over the last 2 loops, winning the race by over 2 minutes. Rybinski wa snot threatened for 2nd either as he had over a minute on the two chasers. But which would make the podium? Hibbard made a strong move on the 3rd loop, building a 14 second lead over Holcomb. 

Heath Hibbard
[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

 But Holcomb was not done yet. Once they hit the top of the course on the last loop, Holcomb started to close on Hibbard. But it was too late; Hibbard hung tough and bested Holcomb by 10 seconds. Becker 31:08, Rybinski 33:12, Hibbard 34:50.

W60. Impala's Jill Miller-Robinett won this division in a runaway, running a well controlled race with splits of 10:40, 11:11 and 11:02. 

Jill Miller-Robinett [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Her teammate, Donna Chan, ran a similar race but with slower splits: 11:28, 11:40, and 11:48. Miller-Robinett 32:52, Chan 34:55.

Donna Chan [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

M65. Doug Winn took this division at Club Cross in December and showed here he has lost nothing. But he started cautiously knowing he had a lion of a competitor in Ignacio Jimenez who took 2nd in the USA XC at Boulder last year. At the end of the first loop it was Winn in 8:51 with Jimenez only 2 seconds back. 

Doug Winn [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Winn cranked up the speed on the 2nd loop for an 8:39. Jimenez turned up his speed too but not by as much as he fell 8 seconds back. Winn hit the pedal again on the 3rd loop, dropping his split by another 6 seconds and that was it for Jimenez who could no longer match the acceleration. Winn's last loop was his fastest at 8:15--what a finish! Make no mistake, Jimenez ran a fine race and his set of splits of 8:53, 8:45, 8:56 and 8:46 was terrific but Winn is on another level right now. 

Ignacio Jimenez [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

It will be interesting to see if Lloyd Hansen can give him something to think about at the USATF 8K at Brea. The steady runner for the Atlanta TC, Jerry Learned, was not on a par with those two but ran a

Jerry Learned 518 leading a group including M60 runners for the Boulder Road runners, Bruce Kirschner 524 and Stephen Parker 525 [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

strong race to capture 3rd a few minutes behind Jimenez. Winn 34:16, Jimenez 35:18, Learned 39:06.

W65. Jo Anne Rowland, the Age-Grading Champion, took this division with very steady pacing, hitting

Jo Anne Rowland
[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

her splits in 11:06, 11:12, and 11:11 for a winning time of 33:28. Rowland 33:28

M70. Gary Patton, the track champion from Iowa who runs for the Southern California Track Club, left no doubt as to who was on top of this division. Patton started off conservatively enough with a 9:47 first loop. Paul Caisse , a local Bend runner, had no doubt spotted Patton's 'M70' and stuck close for the first loop, staying within 1 second of Patton. And that was it for Caisse. When Patton matched the pace of his first loop on his second, Caisse started to drop back and was over a half minute back by the end of the 2nd loop. Patton ran a slightly slower 3rd loop but then closed off his gold medal effort smartly with a 9:27 last loop. 

Gary Patton 586 [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

But what happened to Paul Carlin (yours truly) who some expected to give Patton a battle? I hate to admit it but I was psyched out by the course and did not do a good job of finding my M70 counterparts. I am not sure how much difference that would have made as I was running the first loop in survival mode and gave up 55 seconds to Patton and Caisse. 

Paul Caisse 593 [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

Without realizing it (because I could not see either of them) I took a second off of Caisse's lead on the 2nd loop and 5 seconds more on the 3rd loop, by which time I was much more comfortable on the course. I finally spotted Caisse and his shock of white hair, about a quarter of the way into the last loop and thought to myself, I must be gaining on him. Let's see what I can do. 

Paul Carlin 594 and Atlanta TC M70's teammates Morris Williams 521 and Ron Mastin 519 [Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

I gained on him the rest of that loop and was really sailing on the downhill portion but it was not enough. Caisse ran a strong race and closed me out by 12 seconds. He earned his silver medal. The 36 seconds I took out of his lead on the last loop was too little too late. I had left too much in the tank! Patton 38:48, Caisse 41:13, Carlin 41:25.

W70. No entries.
  
M75. Ron Mastin who finished 2nd in the 2015 Masters Grand Prix in the M75 division, won this race handily and finished ahead of several runners who were from 2 to 25 years his juniors. No doubt he will encounter more competition in races to come. His teammate, Andrew Sherwood finished second. Mastin 45:47, Sherwood 57:55.

W75. The accomplished equestrian, Kathy Kusner had this division to herself and won it in style. 
Kusner 52:52.

Kathy Kusner
[Photo: Michael Scott-Facebook or Shutterfly]

TEAMS. 

M40+. The Bowerman Track Club of Oregon was intent on defending its home state turf from 3 California clubs, Cal Coast Track Club, River City Rebels and Santa Barbara Running and racing. 
Even though Mitchell was not able to claim the individual title he had the satisfaction of leading Bowerman to an early lead as they placed 5 runners [Mitchell, Howell, Oscar Baumann, Ahrlin Baumann and Orin Schumacher] in the top 7 at the end of the first loop. Cal Coast's Cushing-Murray was in there as well as Santa Barbara's Rusty Snow. John Gardiner from Cal Coast would ordinarily have been tight in there as well but he was in 9th, nursing a sore hamstring. Santa Barbara had a slight edge over Cal Coast as Mejia-Perez and Harding were striding along just in front of Cal Coast's Frisone and SB's Mike Swan just ahead of Cal Coast's Jonathan May. The River City Rebels had Chris Knorzer right behind Booth but then there was a gap back to their 2nd through 5th runners who were in 18th to 21st place. At the end of the first loop it was Bowerman 17, Santa Barbara 59, Cal Coast 66 and River City 89. The handwriting was there for all to see; Bowerman would claim a resounding victory. Cal Coast needed someone to step up if they were going to challenge Santa Barbara for silver and couldn't rest on their laurels as they needed to keep ahead of River City. Cal Coast moved a little closer to Santa Barbara on the 2nd loop as Gardiner and Steve Frisone both moved up a spot or two. That closed them to within 3 of Santa Barbara by the end of the 2nd loop. But that was not sustainable as SB's Booth, Mejia-Perez and Harding all surged back on the 3rd loop to regain a 6 point edge. Cal Coast could not close it over the last loop so Santa Barbara claimed silver. Cal Coast was able to keep River City at bay as 'Cush' maintained his top 7 position and Gardiner held on just outside the top 10. With Frisone hanging tough in front of River City's 2nd runner, Gary Blanco, Cal Coast had little to worry about. And although May could not keep River City's Blanco and Curt Casazza from passing him on the last loop, he did accelerate enough to keep a comfortable margin over the Rebels' 4th and 5th runners, Edward Brooks and Michael Fadling. Bowerman Track Club 18, Santa Barbara Running and Racing 67, Cal Coast Track Club 74.

W40+. Although it was not clear until the last loop, the race between Santa Barbara's Cindy Abrami and Team Red Lizard's Sonya Wilkerson for 2nd and 3rd would also determine the W40+ team outcome. Abrami and Wilkerson were side by side at the end of the first loop but as long as Santa Barbara's Desa Mandarino and Lynne Paulick stayed ahead of Red Lizard's Betsy Miller and Joanna Harper, whether they finished 1-2 or 2-1 did not really matter. If we credit Abrami with the lead it was Santa Barbara 8 to 13; if we give it to Wilkerson, it was Santa Barabara 9 to the Lizards' 12. Nothing significant happened on the 2nd loop. Abrami and Wilkerson were still 'joined at the hip' and Paulick had grown her 29 second lead over the Lizards' 2nd runner Miller from 29 seconds to a full minute. At that point the team race seemed in the bag for Santa Barbara but then the wheels apparently came off for Paulick. [I hope not because of an injury or other mishap.] But in any case the 1 minute lead evaporated as first Miller and then Harper passed her. That meant the 2nd and 3rd runners for both teams had 5 points (3 and 6 for SB, 4 and 5 for TRL) so it fell to the leaders to duke it out for their team and the 1 point win! As it turned out Abrami was the stronger and the Santa Barbs took the gold back south and the Portlanders had to settle for silver--still a great outcome! Santa Barbara Running and Racing 10, Team Red Lizard 11.

M50+. Neither River City nor Santa Barbara brought a Men's 50's team so this division was a dust-up between Bowerman and Cal Coast. But Bowerman did not have the same dominance in this race; that was evident by the end of the first loop. Bowerman did have the top 2 team spots in the division with Eric Williams and Mike Blackmore but then it was a sea of royal blue as Cal Coast brought David Olds, Rob Arsenault, Jeff Ambos, Andy Diconti and Thomas Schumann into the transition area ahead of Bowerman's Patrick Wagner, Dan Franek, and Michael Gorriaran. So at that stage it was 25 for the SoCal runners and 30 for Bowerman. Wagner made a strong effort on the second loop to break up Cal Coast's top 5 but to no avail. After that it was just a question of minor reshuffling but Cal Coast's 5 held tough to claim the victory with 24 points to Bowerman's 32.

M60+. This was the closest team race of the day as Cal Coast (with John Holcomb, Keith Witthauer, and Perry Forrester) took on a different set of challengers in this division. The 2015 Club Grand Prix winners, Colorado's Boulder Road Runners brought a somewhat weaker team than they finished off the year with as both John Victoria and Doug Bell were nicked up. Boulder had picked up a new recruit to swell their ranks however as Stephen Parker joined stalwarts Heath Hibbard, Devin Croft, and Bruce Kirschner. And the Genesee Valley Harriers sent a team all the way from upstate New York, with regulars, Mark Rybinski, Tim McMullen and David Bowen. Neither Cal Coast nor GVH had any room for error; all 3 of their runners had to deliver. Rybinski ran his usual strong race for GVH and it was clear that barring unforeseen developments he would net the team first place as he was 22 seconds ahead of Boulder's Hibbard. But Cal Coast had the next 3 spots with Holcomb, Witthauer and Forrester in that order. That gave them 12 point sand the first loop lead. GVH's McMullen came through the transition area with a 14 second lead over Boulder's Croft but both Parker and Kirschner were ahead of Bowen. That left GVH and Boulder tied at the end of the first loop. The top 4 spots did not change the rest of the way but Boulder's Croft moved up to break up McMullen and Forrester. It was not enough to catch Cal Coast as long as Forrester hung tough in 7th which he did. But Boulder had enough to hold onto 2nd as long as Parker and Kirschner hung in there ahead of GVH's Bowen. Despite his best efforts, Bowen was not able to close on those two and Boulder had their silver medal. Cal Coast 14, Boulder Road Runners 15, Genesee Valley Harriers 17.

W60+. The lone entry was the Impala Racing Team from the Bay Area. Impala's Jill Miller-Robinett, Jo Anne Rowland, and Donna Chan raced around the course and won the race 1-2-3 for 6 points and the gold medal. Impala Racing Team 6.

M70+. The Atlanta Track Club  brought a 70's team but none of their usual rivals, the Shore AC nor the Ann Arbor TC made the trip this year. So Atlanta's Ron Mastin, Morris Williams and Ed Bligh just had to finish the course to claim their first gold medal of the season. And step lively they did, uphill, downhill and cross-slope to claim the victory with, of course, a perfect 6 point team score. Atlanta Track Club 6.

EXTRAS. That takes care of the official USATF results and awards Now I cover 3 unofficial contests, one for this race only and two for the circuit.
1. Team Age-Grading.  The Men's team with the top 5 score across all age groups is declared [by me] the Overall Men's Team Age-grading Champion of the 2015 USATF Cross Country Championships . Perhaps not surprisingly the Bowerman Track Club took this title with Cal Coast  in 2nd and Santa Barbara in 3rd. Bowerman was led by Eric Williams 4 Mike Blackmore 7 Matt Farley 9 Greg Mitchell 10 Doug Winn 11. They relied on 2 M50's, 2 M40's and an M60. Cal Coast had Christian Cushing-Murray 6 David Olds 8 Rob Arsenault 14 Jeff Ambos 15 Andy Diconti 23--an M40 (for another year or 2) and 4 M50's. Santa Barbara claimed third with Rusty Snow 5 Ignacio Jimenez 17 Todd Booth 28 Marcelo Mejia-Perez 34 Steve Harding 36--an M40 then an M60 and then three M40's. Bowerman Track Club 41, Cal Coast Track Club 66, Santa Barbara Running and Racing 120.

For women it's the same approach but because of smaller women's teams, top 3 only. Impala took the crown thanks to Jo Anne Rowland 1 Jill Miller-Robinett 6 Donna Chan 9--their W60's team. Second age-grading prize goes to Team Red Lizard's W50 team of Sonya Wilkerson 5 Betsy Miller 7 Joanna Harper 8. Santa Barbara Running and Racing gets 3rd with Cindy Abrami 2 Lynne Paulick 10 Desa Mandarino 11. Impala Racing 16, Team Red Lizard 20.

Congratulations to Bowerman and Impala!

2. Overall Race Grand Prix Champion. USATF's Masters LDR Committee decided to set up an Individual Grand Prix with awards presented at the end of the year to the top 3 point-getters in each Age Division. But there is nothing for Overall Masters Race winners--the first across the line. This tally will correct that at least in terms of publicity although not in terms of a USATF Award. To keep this manageable and easy, only those who finish in the top 5 earn points--10-6-4-2-1.

So the leaders at this point are: 
Men. Jacques Sallberg 10 Greg Mitchell 6 John Howell 4 Oscar Baumann 2 Rusty Snow 1 
Women. Grace Padilla 10 Cindy Abrami 6 Sonya Wilkerson 4 Jennifer Anderson 2 Desa Mandarino 1

3. Age-Grading Grand Prix Champion. Same rules as above except it's based on Age-Grading standards for each race.
Men. Rick Becker 10 Carl Combs 6 Jacques Sallberg 4 Eric Williams 2 Rusty Snow 1
Women. Jo Anne Rowland 10 Cindy Abrami 6 Kelly Kruell 4 Grace Padilla 2 Sonya Wilkerson 1.

Congratulations to the early leaders of these two Grand Prix contests. Stay healthy, keep coming out for USATF races and see if you can stay in the top 5. There will be plenty who are looking to knock you out and take your place.

There may be added excitement in the future. Bill Quinlisk, Referee and Vice-Chair of Masters LDR, noted that representatives of the Cross Country Council are working to get IAAF to initiate a Masters event for the World Cross Country Championships. If that is successful, these Championships would be the Selection Event for that race.

Congratulations to the 97 Masters Athletes who contested and completed the USATF 2015 Masters Cross Country Championships on a terrific, challenging course in Bend Oregon. I hope we see double that number at least next year! And in the meantime, head to Brea California on the 28th of February for the USATF 8K Championship at the Brea Classic 8K.