New Balance Tampa- A New USATF Club Competitor on the Track and the Roads

May 22 2016. Tampa Florida. A new USATF Masters racing team is being formed with the help of New Balance Tampa. The New Balance Tampa Masters Racing team, consisting of five elite Masters women runners, will have a Team Photo Shoot and Press Event at 5 pm EDT this coming Monday, May 23^rd at the Clearwater High School Track located at 540 S. Hercules Ave, Clearwater FL.

With support from New Balance Tampa and its Manager, Ken Keenan, the team aims to compete in USATF Track and Road Championships as well as regional and nationally prominent track meets and road races.  Team Members include:

Susan 'Lynn' Cooke, 57, the Team Manager, is an Elite Masters Runner with several world class performances in 5K road races, as well as being ranked 2^nd nationally among Women 55-59 in the 800 Meter Run and 4^th nationally in the 1500 Meter Run on the track.

Laura Drake Cole, 47, has top five finishes in international Ironman Triathlons from Canada to Brazil to Japan and is a 9-time qualifier for the Kona ironman World Championships. She also finished first in the Gasparilla 15K three consecutive years, from 1999 to 2001.

Christina Noordstar, 40, is a former All American Triathlete who has transitioned into training as an elite Masters Marathoner. She has six sub-3 hour marathons to her credit with her Personal Best a 2:54 at the Chicago Marathon in 2014.

Terri Rejimbal, 47, is a 3-time Gasparilla Half Marathon Champion with the distinction of being the oldest woman to win the Open Championship. Rejimbal was also National  USATF Half Marathon Champion for Women 45-49 in 2014. A 5-time winner of the USATF Florida Long Distance Runner of the Year (Open and Masters), she received  Honorable Mention for USATF 40-44 Runner of the Year, and won the 2014 USATF Individual Grand Prix for Women 45-49.

Laurie Wisotsky, 45, has been a medalist at 800 and 1500 meters at USATF Indoor and Outdoor National Championships, and a gold medalist at regional and invitational track championships. Although she prefers the Track, she has also broken 20:00 in the 5K on the Roads with a top-ten finish in her age group at the 2015 USATF 5K National Championships in Syracuse NY.

New Balance Tampa Masters Racing Team---Christina Noordstar, Laura Drake Cole, Laurie Wisotsky, Terri Rejimbal, and Susan 'Lynn' Cook--photo hy Albert Wieringa-provided by NBT Masters Racing]

These women are not only terrific runners but were selected for their potential to serve as role models for Women 40 and up. Like many women they balance careers and family, but also add in Elite Running and Racing as an important component of their successful lives. Cooke is an RN and Medical Equipment Representative, Cole an Attorney, Noordstar an owner of a Café with 7 locations and a Real Estate Developer, Rejimbal  an Office Manager, and Wisotsky a Physician’s Assistant. The goal is to encourage more women, especially those 40 and up, to start and maintain active lives for their health and happiness. Cooke notes that Masters women runners, “…whether weekend warrior or competitive racer, have the financial means to purchase products and also have the true dedication and desire to get back into being healthy, active and occasionally competitive.”  The New Balance Tampa team wants to promote the idea of Women 40 and up combining regular exercise while balancing family, a profession, and aging; they want gear that is effective, reliable and stylish.

We look forward to seeing New Balance Tampa at National Championships on the USATF Masters Grand Prix Circuit later this year and in the future. They have the potential to be a factor in the USATF Club Grand Prix for Women’s 40+ teams,  which had the Genesee Valley Harriers (of upstate New York) and the Jane’s Elite (of Southern California) taking the top 2 spots last year.  Perhaps New Balance Tampa can shake that up this year or next.