Recap of USA National Masters Club Cross Country Championship--Women's Teams-- at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA on Dec. 13 2014

December 17 2014. Recap of 2014 National Masters Club Cross Championship--Women's Teams.

The National Masters Club Cross Championships determines bragging rights among the different clubs and this is also the final stop on the USATF Masters racing circuit. In 2014 there were 10 races, 7 on the roads at distances from 1 mile to the Marathon, plus 3 cross country races at distances for the women from 5K to 6K and for the men from 5K to 10K. That meant this was also the last race to get additional points for the Team Grand Prix contest and for the Individual Grand Prix (conducted for the first time this year).

The Championship was held at the historic Lehigh University Cross Country course in Bethlehem, PA, past host to NCAA Division I XC championships and regular host of the large Paul Short Run. . Considering it was the middle of December in the foothills of the Alleghenies, it was a good day for cross country. Most runners opted for gloves and many had knit hats and, although overcast, no snow fell and there was none on the ground. Parts of the course were muddy, however, from a snowfall in midweek.

Because it is the Club Championships, first focus will be on the clubs. After that there will be a posting on the individual results. And this posting is for the Women's Teams; Men's Teams to follow.

Women's teams. The masters women, who were running 6 kilometers, were off first. In the women's races, the team score is determined by adding up the finishing places of the first three team runners. Each team may declare up to 5 runners, with the 4th and 5th runners displacing any of the top 3 runners of another team that they come in ahead of. Unattached runners and runners from incomplete teams are removed from the team scoring. At the end of the race, 255 women had completed the race, with the first arriving 21:30.9 seconds after the starting gun went off, and the last runner finishing 24 minutes and 38 seconds later.

W40+. Once the race started, Chris Kimbrough, of Team Rogue [Austin, TX], surprised more than a few runners by going out in a very determined fashion to the head of the pack and then to open an early gap. Sonja Friedn-Uhl tucked into second for the Atlanta Track Club, with two of the Janes Elite [Southern California] team runners striding beside her and Club Northwest [Seattle], the defending champions in the 40+ division, not far back.

Chris Kimbrough [#2671] takes the early lead; Sonja Friend-Uhl [red singlet] moves nicely into the lead of the trailing pack. The Janes Elite runners [2725 and 2727] are also out smartly as was Club Northwest just back in orange.

In addition to Kimbrough, who, as a 45-49 runner is not usually expected to press the pace at the front, ahead of the 40-44 runners, Team Rogue had another trick up their sleeve; their team was made up of two forty's runners, Kimbrough and Cassandra Henkiel and one fifty's runner, Carmen Ayala-Troncoso, a two-time Masters distance runner of the year for her age group. And Ayala-Troncoso was near the top of her form, though 55 now, racing ahead of most of her younger competitors.

Kimbrough was never headed and led from start to finish, leading Team Rogue to a decisive victory. Does it get much sweeter than this?

Chris Kimbrough, Team Rogue, out of Austin, Texas, claims the individual victory and leads her team to victory in the W40+ team contest at the USA Club Cross Country Championships in Bethlehem, PA. on Dec 13 2014

Her teammate, Henkiel, was able to stay with the leading pack for most of the race, finishing 10th in

Cassandra Henkiel, 2nd runner in for the triumphant Team Rogue, winner of the Women's 40+ Masters national Club Championship in Bethlehem, PA December 2014.

the team scoring. And Ayala-Troncoso sailed in with a 16th place score to nail down the win.

Carmen Ayala-Troncoso, giving her all for Team Rogue, 3rd and final runner in for the W40+Champs--at the USA Club Cross Country Championships in Bethlehem, PA. December 2014.

But behind Team Rogue there was a lot going on as the second and third spots on the podium were moving back and forth with the fortunes of 4 teams: the Atlanta Track Club, the Bull City Track Club [Durham, NC], the Adidas Garden State Track Club [New Jersey], and the Team Jane's Elite Racing. These four would finish within 11 points of one another.

At first it looked good for the Atlanta team, with the star power of Friend-Uhl in 2nd and Holly Ortlund in 6th for the team scoring. But that was not enough to hold off the ladies of Durham, North Carolina as the Bull City Track Club came in on a late charge to take 2nd place with a pretty tight pack. Only a little over a minute separated their first runner, Alexandra Bigelow [7th], and their

Alexandra Bigelow, Finishing strong and leading the Bull City Track Club to second place in the Women's 40+ Masters National Club Championship in Bethlehem, PA December 2014.

second and third runners, Alison Klaitman [17th] and Nancy Kaiser [18th], who finished within a

Alison Klaitman, 2nd finisher for the Bull City Track Club (Durham NC) helps the team to a 2nd place finish at the USA Club Cross Country Championships in Bethlehem, PA. December 2014.

second of each other.  And their teammate, Caren Manganelli, was only two places back.

But would the Atlanta Track Club have enough to hold off Adidas Garden State and Team Janes for the third and final spot on the podium? When Friend-Uhl and Ortlund both finished in the top ten, things were looking good. But Team Janes had Tania Fischer in 5th and Kirsten Leech in 12th so Atlanta had only a nine point

Tania Fischer, gritting it out for the Team Jane's Elite racing team at the USA Club Cross Country Championships in Bethlehem, PA. December 2014.

advantage. Would that hold up?

Kirsten Leech, 2nd runner in for the Team Jane's Elite racing team at the USA Club Cross Country Championships in Bethlehem, PA. December 2014

It was a ways back to Atlanta's 3rd finisher, Irma Dennard and the Jane's third runner, Chris Gentile, who were not far apart on the course. But in the meantime, although lacking up front finishers, the Adidas Garden State club had a pretty tight pack. Michelle Brangan was the next finisher in the team race after Team Jane's Leech. When Adidas's Henrietta Trachsel finished only two places back and Martha Grinell claimed the 20th team scoring position, it was clear that Adidas Garden State had established the team score to beat at 48 points with both Atlanta and Team Jane's third runner still on the course. Dennard had to finish in 39th position or better to enable Atlanta to edge Adidas Garden State and she had to also finish within 8 spots of Gentile.  Gentile needed 30th place to keep Adidas at bay.

Chris Gentile, Team Jane's 3rd runner [no. 2726], high-stepping it on the course, running with the Athena Track Club's Tara Smith [no. 1229] and Downington's Jennifer Panetta [no. 1644] at the USA Club Cross Country Championships in Bethlehem, PA. December 2014

When Gentile came across in 36th it was clear that the Team Jane's crew, despite a terrific run, would finish off the podium. And where was Dennard? Looking back down the course, one could see Dennard closing well to take the 38th spot that would guarantee Atlanta the third spot on the

Irma Dennard, third runner in for the Atlanta Track Club strides in strongly to put Atlanta on th epodium in the Women's 40+ Masters National Club Championship in Bethlehem, PA December 2014.

podium. What a race!

Tightest Pack. After seeing that the winning team,Team Rogue had only 53 seconds between their first and third runners, I thought--Oh well, they win the tightest running pack distinction as well. No way!There were 5 other teams with tighter 3-woman packs: Tightest was the Athena Track Club's [Chester County, Pennsylvania] Tara Smith, Peggy Conlon, and Terry Ballou, who finished within 7.5 seconds of one another. How's that for running together and feeding off one another's energy?! Other close-running teams included Greater Philadelphia (19 seconds), Genesee Valley Harriers [Greater Rochester, NY] (37 seconds), Central Park Track Club [NYC] (38 seconds), and Adidas Garden State (43 seconds).

W50+. As with the 40+ division, this contest was over pretty early. The Athena Track Club claimed the win behind the 1-2 punch of their two decorated runners, Marisa Sutera-Strange and Doreen McCoubrie.

Marisa Sutera Strange, leading the Athena Track Club to victory in the W50+ Masters National Club Championship at Bethlehem, PA December 2014.

Both have, earlier this season, added to their collection of national championships and they put their stamp on this race as well.

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.

And they did not have to wait long for their third runner, Julie Hankin to finish 9th in the division, giving them 12 points and the undisputed victory.

Julie Hankin, closing out the scoring for the W50+ camps, the Athena Track Club at the Masters National Club Championship at Bethlehem, PA December 2014.

 The Garmin Runners [New Jersey] looked a sure bet for 2nd place after Mary Christian and  

Mary Christian (no. 1739, Garmin Runners) moving well in the middle of the race, in stride with Jennifer Amato (no. 2850, Urban Athletics NYC), Julie Hankin (no. 1224, Team Athena), and Julie Deery (no. 1867, Greater Philadelphia), closes strongly to help her team to a podium finish in the W50+ division at the Masters National Club Championship at Bethlehem, PA December 2014

Susan Kinsella finished within 10 seconds of each other in 5th and 6th respectively.

Susan Kinsella, striding in for the Garmin team, helping them to a podium position at the Masters National Club Championship at Bethlehem, PA December 2014

But it was not to be. Alyssa Tower had already stormed in just ahead of Christian and Kinsella to

Alyssa Tower (no. 1552, Club Northwest), charging through the middle of the race, leading runners Amy Kvillhaug (no. 1482) and Judy Stobbe (no. 1486), from the other orange singlet team, the Central Park Track Club at theW50+ team competition at the Masters National Club Championship at Bethlehem, PA December 2014  Kathy Martin, three time Masters Road Runner of the year and 8 times Cross Country Harrier of the year is in the white singlet to the right.

give Club Northwest a 4th place finisher. Only a half minute back in 11th was Kelly Kruell and a few seconds later in 12th, Gail Hall took 12th to seal the 2nd place finish for the team from the Pacific Northwest.

Gail Hall, finishing strong for Club Northwest, just ahead of her teammate, Laurie Porter. Hall's 12th place finish put the finishing touch on Club Northwest's 2nd place finish in the W50+ team competition at the Masters National Club Championship at Bethlehem, PA December 2014

Not long after, Janice Morra, gave the Garmin Runners  the third place finisher they needed to take the 3rd spot on the podium, 14 points ahead of the Willow Street AC [Greater Albany, NY] who came in 4th.

Tightest Pack. Four teams achieved the distinction of their 1st through 3rd runners finishing within a minute of one another. the closest pack overall was that of the Willow Street AC whose Beth Stalker, Colleen Brackett, and Mary Buck finished within 20 seconds of one another. Other close-running 50+ teams included the Club Northwest (38 seconds), Bella N Motion (42 seconds, New Jersey), and the Finger Lakes Runners Club (47 seconds, Ithaca, NY). 

W60+. Eight complete teams contested this division. After the first 5 runners in the W60+ team competiton were across the finish line it looked like a close battle between the Genesee Valley Harriers and the Impala Racing Team (San Francisco). Sharon Moore and Cindy Ingalls took 1st and 4th for

Sharon Moore took the first place int he W60+ team scoring to lead the  Genesee Valley Harriers to the first place team finish in the W60+ division at the Masters National Club Championship at Bethlehem, PA December 2014.

Genesee  while Jill Miller-Robinett and

Cindy Ingalls, 2nd runner in for Genesee Valley took 4th in the W60+ division to help them to a first place finish at the Masters National Club Championship at Bethlehem, PA December 2014.

 Jo Anne Rowland took 3rd and 5th for Impala. So a mere 3 points

Jill Miler-Robeinett, digging deep for the strength to finish a tough race and take 3rd place in the team scoring for the W60+ division, leading her team to a podium finish at the Masters National Club Championship at Bethlehem, PA December 2014.  

separated them as they waited for their 3rd runners to finish.

JoAnne Rowland heading to the finish line with a strong 5th place finish in team scoring to help the Impala Racing Team onto the podium int he W60+ division at the Masters National Club Championship at Bethlehem, PA December 2014.

The Atlanta Track Club was 3 points behind Impala; Mary Richards gave them a 2nd place in the division and Terry Ozell was just a couple of minutes back in 9th place.

Genesee did not have long to wait as Carolyn Smith-Hanna came in less than a minute after Rowland, to take 9th place and give the Genesee Valley Harriers the W60+ championship with 14 points.

Impala had a few more minutes to wait for their 3rd runner; as it turned out, the 3rd runner from the Atlanta Track Club, Nonie Hudnall, was less than a minute and a half behind Ozell in 12th. That was enough to give Atlanta the 23 points they needed to claim 2nd place. But Impala was still able to claim the third spot on the podium as their third runner, Irene Herman, came in early enough to give them a five point lead over the 4th place team, the Pike Creek Valley Running Team.

Tightest Pack.The Genesee team not only took the team title in this division, they also had the tightest pack. There were 2:42 between Moore, Ingalls, and Smith-Hannah. Other close-running 60+ teams included the Pike Creek Valley Running Club [3:00] and the Atlanta Track Club [3:35].

W70+. The Playmakers Elite/New Balance team out of Lansing, Michigan had this division all to themselves. Despite the lack of competition, the team of Ellen Nitz, Shirley Larsen, and Janet Wallen ran very creditable times, finishing 245th, 248th and 250th out of the 255 runners in the overall race. And they ran as a pretty tight pack too. Only 3:37 separated the three of them at the end of the day.

Overall Age-Grading Team Champion. In addition to my observations on the tightness of running packs by the teams, I also like to include another mythical title, that of the overall age-grading champion. This simply consists of looking at the age-grading results and finding the three teams with the lowest three age-grading finishers (across all age groups) for the women's teams. To make things easy for myself, I will not throw out any runners. So, for example, I keep Kathy Martin in the scoring even though she ran unattached. Of course in her case it makes no difference. As the top age grading woman she simply shifts everyone's score up by 1 point.

Using these rules, the mythical Age-Grading champion would be the Athena Track Club with Marisa Sutera Strange (4th), Doreen McCoubrie (6th), and Mary Swan (26th) at 36 points. Somewhat surprisingly all three of these runners are between the ages of 51 and 53. Next up, only 6 points back at 42 points is the Rosemont Running Club consisting of Heide Moebius (5th), Bonnie Boyer (8th), and Bonnie Stoeckl (29th). These 3 athletes are 75, 58 and 59 years old respectively. The final team to make the age-grading podium is Team Rogue with Carmen Ayala-Troncoso leading the way in 3rd, followed by Chris Kimbrough (7th), and Cassandra Henkiel (35th). These three athletes are 55, 45, and 44 respectively.

Club Northwest [52 points] finished in 4th but had the distinction of having the most runners finishing among the top 20 age-grading scores, four. The rest of the top ten age-grading teams were, in order: the Genesee Valley Harriers [77], the Atlanta Track Club [102], the Impala Racing Team [116], the Adidas Garden State Track Club [124], the Janes Elite Racing Team [132], and the Finger Lakes Runners Club [136].

Congratulations to all of these fine teams and the 255 women athletes that contested the championships--a fabulous day of racing.

Some Individual Grand Prix races to be settled tomorrow at Club Cross

December 12 2014. This is the first year for USATF Masters Long Distance Running's Individual Grand Prix. Medals will be awarded to the top three point getters in each age division. Runners score points by placing in the top 15 positions in any of the ten races in the 2014 circuit: Half Marathon, USA XC, 8K, 10K, 1 Mile, 5K, 15K, 5K XC, .US National 12K, Club XC. Runners must score points in at least two events and the top 5 race scores are counted. 100 points for first, 95 for 2nd, 90 for 3rd and so on down to 30 points for 15th place.

The USATF website for the Individual GrandPrix is not completely up to date so I have done my own unofficical compilation. I have tried to keep it accurate but it is possible an error or two may have crept in. If so, please forgive me and let me know about the error so I can fix it.

Many of the first place finishes are determined and some of the podium finishes are even set but many of the top 3 spots will be affected by how runners finish in the last race of the circuit, tomorrow at Club Cross. Here is what I have for each age group, starting with the Women.

WOMEN

40-44. Melody Fairchild has 1st  place locked up with 485 points; Sheri Piers is in 2nd place currently with 200 points; Sonja Friend-Uhl is in 3rd with 195 points; and Perry Shoemaker in 4th with 180 points. But Friend-Uhl is the only one of these four entered tomorrow. If she runs her usual strong race, she will surely wind up in 2nd place in the final Grand Prix standings.

Melody Fairchild, intent on her finishing kick at the Tulsa Run [photo:Chris Barnes at http://barnezydc.smugmug.com/Sports/2014-Tulsa-Run/]

45-49. Terri Rejimbal is in first with 200 points; Cindy Abrami is in 2nd with 185 points. Neither is entered tomorrow. Then Colleen DeReuck who is also not entered has 100 points. Three other runners who are entered have 100 points each. These are: Emily Bryans, Leslee Hoey, and Amy Nemeth. If any of these three win the age group tomorrow, that runner ties Rejimbal for first place. As both would have two first places with no head-to-head competition they would tie for 1st place. Any of those who finish in the top 3 will move Abrami down in the standings. If none are in the top 4, then their finish determines which of them gets the third place.

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]

50-54. Doreen McCoubrie is in first with 385 points, followed by Marisa Sutera-Strange in 2nd with 300 points.Julie Hankin with 275 points is in 3rd, followed by Carol Bischoff with 235 points and Colleen Magnussen with 215. All five are entered tomorrow. McCoubrie and Sutera-Strange have typically been in 1st or 2nd whenever they race so if they are on their usual form, McCoubrie should claim enough points to ice the first place finish and Sutera-Strange take the silver medal.Hankin should be far enough ahead to take the bronze but if she should falter then either Bischoff or Magnussen could pass her for third.

Marisa Sutera Strange closes with grit and determination to add another national title to her treasure chest, winning the W50 division of the USA 5 km Masters Cross Country championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]

Doreen McCoubrie with another impressive performance on the roads at the USA 5K road championships at Syracuse NY [photo: Paul Carlin]

55-60. Christine Kennedy is in first with 200 points but is not entered in Club Cross. Carmen Ayala-Troncoso has 190 points but is entered tomorrow. If she can finish in the top 15, which seems almost a certainty, it will be enough for her to claim the first place Grand Prix medal. Elizabeth Cooney also has 190 points but is not entered; hence a third place medal seems likely for her.


60-64. Kathy Martin has this one locked up with 500 points. No one can come close to catching her. And Coreen Steinbach has 2nd locked with 395 points. Sharon Moore will take third with 270 points. All 3 are entered but no one can outscore their opponent by enough to claim a higher place in the Grand Prix competition.

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]

65-69. Sabra Harvey will take this competition with 300 points.  Susan Gustafson is in 2nd with 185 points. JoAnne Rowland is tied with three others holding 100 points each but she is the only runner of the four entered in tomorrow's race. As long as she finishes in the top 15 she will claim 3rd place; if she can manage to finish on the podium for the race, she will claim 2nd place in the Grand Prix.

70-74. The three leaders are all entered in the race tomorrow. Ellen Nitz has the lead with 370 points; Shirley Larsen and Janet Wallen have 335 points each. Nitz should prevail for the Grand Prix first place as she has beaten the other two in four head-to-head contests earlier this year. She would have to falter badly for Larsen or Wallen to surpass her. Larsen and Wallen have split their four meetings with each having edged the other twice. This will be the rubber match which will likely determine which of them finishes with the grand Prix second and which takes the htird place medal.

75-79. Libby James is in first with 200 points but is not entered. Madeleine Bost has 195 points and is entered tomorrow. So if she can finish the race, she will claim the Grand Prix first. Heide Moebius is also in the race and enters with 100 points. If Bost runs well but Moebius takes first in the race, she would tie James for second behind Bost.

Libby James, taking another national age group first place, at the 2014 USATF 5K Championships in Syracuse, NY [photo: Paul Carlin]

80-84. Edna Hyer wins this division with 195 points. No one else scored in the requisite minimum of two races.

MEN

40-44. Greg Mitchell wins this division with 495 points; no one can catch him. John Gardiner is currently in second with 270 points and Craig Greenslit who has 170 points could tie Gardiner if he finishes first. But Mitchell and Gardiner are also entered. If all goes according to form, it will be Mitchell in first, followed by Gardiner in second, with Greenslit passing Michael Wardian who is currently in third with 200 points. Wardian is not at Club Cross.

Greg Mitchell, sprinting for the finish line at the Tulsa Run! [photo:Chris Barnes at http://barnezydc.smugmug.com/Sports/2014-Tulsa-Run/]

45-49. Francis Burdett is currently in first with 345 points, followed by Chad Newton who brings in 190 points from the 40-44 division when he turned 45 and added 100 points at the 5km XC for a total of 290 points. Kristian Blaich is just 5 points back of Newton. Christian Cushing-Murray is at 275 but is not at Club Cross. Matthew Whitis, with 250 points, and Rob Arsenault with 235 points are entered tomorrow. Burdett would need ot have a seriously bad day to lose the lead; Newton would need to finish 11 positions ahead of Burdett to deny him the Grand Prix first place and Blaich would need ot finish 12 positions ahead. If tomorrow's race goes according to form, it will be Burdett, Newton, and Blaich, claiming 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively.

Talk about a gritty performance; Francis Burdett drives to the tape to capture the bronze medal overall at the Tulsa Run!. [photo:Chris Barnes at http://barnezydc.smugmug.com/Sports/2014-Tulsa-Run/]]

50-54. Ruben Henderson wins this division with 425 points. But after Henderson, they are quite bunched up with John Van Kerkove at 305 points and Eric Stuber at 300 points. Then there is Jeff Haertel at 285 points and Daniel Dixon, Jr. at 275 points. If Stuber runs up to his form of the last couple of months, he should beat Van Kerkove tomorrow by more than the 2 positions needed to move up into 2nd place. A bigger question is whether Dixon can best Van Kerkove to climb into third place; he needs to best Van Kerkove by 6 positions tomorrow. Dixon beat Van Kerkove in their lone head-to-head contest this year, but beating him by 6 positions is a tall order and depends on others filling in any gap that Dixon can open up.

Ruben Henderson, followed by teammates Zywicki and Dixon, with Youngers hard on their heels at the 1.7 km mark of the race at the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]

55-59. Ken Youngers wins this division with 485 points in hand. Mark Rybinski takes 2nd with 315 points so far. Jeffery Dundas is currently in 3rd place with 275 points but is not competing tomorrow. But Joe Sheeran who is currently at 200 points is. If Sheeran retains the fitness he displayed at the Tulsa 15K Run and the Carmel, Indiana 5 km XC, he should be a threat to win. If so or even if he comes close he will edge Dundas for the Grand Prix third place.

Ken Youngers, striding along at the .US National 12 K race in Alexandria, VA. [photo:https://www.facebook.com/mccormacktjp]

60-64. Tom McCormack takes this division with 500 points. John Tarkowski, the Iron Man from Ann Arbor, only gets to count the 420 points from the 5 best of his 7 races so far. He cannot catch McCormack but will take 2nd place. Kirk Larson despite losing some races to injury/recovery looks well positioned to move past Peter Mullin who is currently in 3rd at 295 points, but is not entered tomorrow. Larson, at 285 points, needs only to finish in the top 15 to take the Grand Prix 3rd.

Tom McCormack, all alone as he follows the golf cart into the finish line. Only a motorized vehicle can defeat him At the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Facebook]

65-69. Lloyd Hansen takes this division also with the 500 point maximum. He closed the door on every one else by racing often and well. Paul Carlin and Jerry Learned  are tied for second at 385 points. Both are entered at Club Cross so at first glance it looks like the Grand Prix second would go to Carlin who has only 4 races so far while Learned  has 5. So Learned can add only from 0 to 40 points and, on form, more likely 25 to 30 points. But, as it turns out, Carlin's hamstring re-injury at Carmel has proven more troublesome than he anticipated and has scratched from the race. Learned has also been battling injuries but it looks like he is poised to take the Grand Prix second; he only needs to finish in the top 8. Roger Price who has also had multiple injuries working against him has a chance to move up past Carlin into 3rd. Currently with 375 points in 5 races, his lowest finish was 65 points. So Price needs to finish in the top 5 to move into 3rd place. Given that Price is battling injuries it is likely to be a close thing.

Lloyd Hansen, with one of the six USATF national championship patches he has won this year--at the USA 5 km XC Championship in Carmel, IN [photo: https://www.facebook.com/mccormacktjp]

70-74. Doug Goodhue wins this division, going away, as usual. He is the other Ann Arbor Iron Man, matching Tarkowski's 7 events up to this point. He counts the maximum 500 points, as he has won all 7 of the races entered so far this year. He is hoping for a bit tighter competition next year but only time will tell. Monte Piliawsky has second place sewn up with 440 points. If Ed Bligh, Jr., currently with 250 points, can finish in the top 15 tomorrow, he can move past Harlan Van Blaricum (275 points) and John Farah (275 points) into 3rd place in the Grand Prix.

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]

75-79. John Elliott wins this with 195 points and John Brennand takes 2nd with 190 points.No one else scored in the requisite minimum of two races.

80+: No one in either the 80-84 nor the 85-89 divisions entered more than one race. Hence there will be no Grand Prix winner in either of those divisions.

Preview of Masters Club Cross Championship on December 13 at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

December 10, 2014. USA Masters Club Cross Country Championships. Guess what’s coming! Three days from today, it’s Club Cross, the Big Daddy of the Cross Country Championships. There are 64 complete masters teams on the women’s side, 86 such teams on the men’ side with a total entry list of more than 270 runners on the women’s side and over 640 runners on the men’s side. This is for Team bragging rights first and foremost, although individual champions will also be crowned. So this first post focuses entirely on the team races.

Race course. The race is at the Lehigh University course in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; it starts near the football stadium, winding around and above the Lehigh playing fields. The women’s course is 6K or a little over 3.7 miles and the start is at 10:30 am; the men’s course is (about) 190 meters longer than a 10K, so about 6.4 miles and it starts at 11:30 am.

Weather Forecast. It’s still a few days before the race so all forecasts must be taken with a grain of salt, especially when they appear to be rather favorable, as this one is:

Low to mad 30’s, sunny, with moderate winds (6 - 8 mph) for the Masters races.

Last Year and This Year. Last year the US Club Cross Country Championships were held in Bend, Oregon so there was a bit of a west coast flavor to the entered teams; that should be replaced by more of an east coast vibe this year. Still there are a number of top teams from the west coast making the trip. Here are the top 3 teams for each age division (and their members) from 2013 and whether they are entered for 2014…and a bit of discussion. Women’s teams are first, followed by the men’s teams.

Women 40+

2013. Atlanta Track Club (Sonja Friend-Uhl 3, Nancy Meck 5, Holly Ortlund 6)  14; Club Northwest (Gwen Lapham 1, Linda Huyck 8, Janet McDevitt 15)  24; The Janes Elite Racing (Tania Fischer 4, Kirsten Leech 9, Chris Gentile 18)  31.

2014. The top two teams are both entered but with slightly different rosters. Nancy Meck is not entered for Atlanta.  Friend-Uhl and Ortlund are joined by Amy Bartholomew-Koepp, Irma Dennard, and Kelly Walsh. For Club Northwest, Lapham and McDevitt are joined by Deborah Fletcher instead of Linda Huyck. The change in rosters means there will be lots of reason to watch this race unfold and, of course, fitness levels will likely be different. Can Lapham repeat at the top? Can McDevitt stay a little closer to the front? Friend-Uhl and Ortlund appear to be on their usual game based on recent results in Syracuse and, for Friend-Uhl, Carmel, IN. But will one of the newcomers be a worthy replacement for Meck?

Sonja Friend-Uhl, Alanta Track Club, takes first place at the USA 5 km Masters Cross Country Championships at Carmel, IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]

The Bull City Track Club (4^th in 2013) and the Impala Racing Team (6^th in 2013) are also back and will be hoping to move up onto the podium. And there will definitely be teams who did not compete in Oregon last year who will be in Bethlehem and will have their sights set on a podium finish.

Women 50+

2013. Impala Racing Team (Sara Freitas 2, Diana Fitzpatrick 4, Eileen Brennan-Erler 5, Sarah Tabbutt 6) 11; Team Red Lizard (Katherine MacTavish 1, Jennifer Teppo 3, Liz McCullough 9) 13; Club Northwest (Kelly Kruell 7, Gail Hall 11, Laurie Porter 12) 30

2014. Of the top 3 teams, only Club Northwest returns and Kruell, Hall, and Porter have reinforcements in Thury Gudmundsdottir and Alyssa Tower. Who else will contend? I expect the Athena Track Club, with Julie Hankin, Doreen McCoubrie, Betsy Stewart, and Marisa Sutera Strange, will be pushing for a top finish.  

Marisa Sutera Strange, Athena Track Club, takes another national title, winning the W50 division of the USA 5 km Masters Cross Country championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]

Shore AC with Lauren Rhatigan, Diane Rothman, and Lori Scisco may have the horses to contend for a podium finish as they did in the 2013 5 km championships in New Jersey. And there are a number of other strong teams from the east; no doubt they will have something to say about who gets to the podium.

Women 60+

2013. Genesee Valley Harriers (Belinda O’Brien 1, Cindy Ingalls 2, Carolyn Smith-Hanna 5, Jeanne Herrick 6) 8; Impala Racing Team (Donna Chan 3, Jo Anne Rowland 4, Diane Anderson 7, Irene Herman 8)  14.

2014. Both these top teams return. The Genesee team will be without their top runner from last year, O’Brien, but have a strong replacement in Sharon Moore. Unlike last year, they are without a 4^th runner and so have no room for error. It is not clear how competitive Impala will be without their numbers 1 and 3 runners, Chan and Anderson, from last year. Rowland can run hard but will need help from Herman running closer to the front or from the newcomer, Jill Miller-Robinett. Other teams likely to be in play for the podium include Playmakers Elite (Patricia Degnan, Deborah Feltz, Ruth Thelen) who finished 2^nd in the 5 km XC at Carmel with a slightly different roster. The Atlanta Track Club is entering a team (Nancy Heidt, Nonie Hudnall, Trenice Mullis Dubow, Terry Ozell, Mary Richards) and most of their teams tend to be competitive. It looks like Genesee should be the favorite but someone else could sneak in.

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Men 40+

2013. Atlanta Track Club (Chad Newton 3, Malcolm Campbell 5, Kristian Blaich 14, Alan Black 16, Valentin Alvarez 28, Eric Stabb 30, Matthew Whitis 36, Steve Wilcox 39) 66; Bowerman Track Club (John Howell 2, Ahrlin Bauman 7, Jeff Smith 11, Oscar Bauman 20, Everett Whiteside 27) 67; Boston Athletic Association (Harry Stants 17, Kevin O’Neill 19, Peter Hammer 23, Christopher Magill 24, Pat Callahan 47) 130.

2014. The top three teams are all back this year. Atlanta will try to retain its championship with the same set of runners as last year, plus one more.   

Atlanta Track Club Runners, Newton and Campbell (in red) contend at the front of the pack with Cal Coast's Gardiner and Cushing-Muray (in blue) at the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]

Bowerman has changed its lineup; will it be enough for a 2 point swing and the victory? Their 3^rd and 5^th runners from last year are not returning but at least one of the replacements, Greg Mitchell, is certainly a threat to take the overall win. Matthew Farley and Joshua Gordon appear to be reasonable replacements for the other two. On paper it looks like Bowerman might be slight favorites but, of course, the race is not run on paper. It should be a heck of a race!

Greg Mitchell takes the gold in the 2014 USATF 15K National Championship Race at Tulsa, OK [photo:Defining Moments (Oklahoma City, OK): David Prentice and Michael Mayberry]

The BAA has also upped the ante by including Mike Galoob on their roster; Galoob won the USA 10 K road championship in Dedham last April. So he should also be a factor in the race for overall winner. All the other runners for the BAA return. They were over 50 points out of 1^st (and 2^nd) last year so Galoob by himself would not be enough to make the difference although if he had been on the team and finished in the top three the BAA would have been within ten points of the leaders.

Mike Galoob, No. 156, leading the pack in the early stages of the national 10K road championship in Dedham MA on April 27 2014 [photo by scottmasonphoto.com)

That’s close enough that a little improvement here and a little there among their other runners and the BAA is right there too. Wow!  This is a race I would love to watch!

Men 50+

2013. Cal Coast Track Club. (Jeff Ambos 1, David Olds 2, Ken Ernst 4, Pete Magill 11, Kevin Broady 20) 38; Club Northwest (Michael Smith 6, Joe Sheeran 7, John O’Hearne 8, Tony Young 12, Joe Bisignano 17) 50; Genesee Valley Harriers (Alan Evans 3, David Bischoff 16, Joseph Mora 18, Mark Rybinski23, John Van Kerkove 26) 86.

2014. As with the M40+ division, all three teams form the 2013 podium are back to defend and try to move up if possible. And the fourth team from last year, Playmaker’s Elite will see if their runners can go just a little faster to gain a few points here and there to displace one of the top 3 teams. Cal Coast’s 3^rd and 5^th runners from last year are not making the trip this year. It appears that one of the new runners this year, Matt Ebiner, may be a reasonable replacement for one of those two, but it does not appear on paper that the other two are as strong as either Ernst or Broady. On the other hand it seems unlikely that Pete Magill could be kept out of the top ten two years running.  

Pete Magill, finishing strong at the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 where he ran on the M40+ team [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]

Nonetheless they appear to have left a little bit of an opening for a challenger. Club Northwest was within 12 points last year; can they close that gap? Their top 4 from last year are coming back and they bring Lance Logan instead of Joe Bisignano. On paper Logan is a bit stronger than Bisignano. And we know that Joe Sheeran is running strong this year as he took the top age-grading spot in Tulsa and won the 50+ division at the Carmel 5 km XC championship.

Joe  Sheeran, Club Northwest, takes the tape to win the M55 division and clock the fastest time for runners over 50 at the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Andy Martin, Exclamation Services]

Overall if the rest of the runners have similar fitness to last year, the race looks a little tighter. Genesee Valley has also apparently improved its roster. It looks like Mike Nier can run a 10K two to three minutes faster than Mark Rybinski who will be heading the B squad this year. That could give Nier a shot at a top five finish which would certainly move Genesee closer to the top two. But as with the age division above, it would not be enough by itself. Some of the other runners on the team would also need to raise their game. And what about Playmakers Elite/New Balance who finished fourth, 14 points back of Genesee. They did not have Ron Zywicki with them as they do this year. At the 5 km Cross Country championships in Carmel Zywicki finished behind Genesee’s Bischoff but ahead of Van Kerkove. The 5^th runner in last year for Playmakers finished in 43^rd. if Zywicki can crack the top 25 this year, Playmakers has a chance to unseat Genesee from a podium position.

Men 60+

2013. Ann Arbor Track Club (John Tarkowski 2, Lloyd Hansen 3 , Terry McCluskey 4, Wally Hayes 6, Doug Goodhue 12) 27; Atlanta Track Club (Kirk Larson 5, Jerry Learned 9, Mike Wien 10, Bob Dalton 11, Larry Lioy 13) 48; Genesee Valley Harriers (Tim McMullen, Bruce Wilkins, Ron Blackmore, David Bowen, Jim May) 49.

2014. Ann Arbor, Atlanta, and Genesee are three of the strongest teams in the country in terms of Masters participation in national championships so it is no surprise the three of them will again contest for this title. Last year Ann Arbor won comfortably by 20 points but they are a bit weaker and Atlanta a bit stronger on paper this year. Even though Lloyd Hansen is running very strong this year,

The Ann Arbor Track Club took the M60+ crown at the national 5K road championships at Syracuse (from left to right Tarkowski, Hansen, Hayes; McCluskey and Lein (USATF) are the two to the left) [photo: www.facebook.com/aatrackclub]

Terry McCluskey, who was Ann Arbor’s third runner last year, is not on the roster this year. And Tom McCormack was not running for Atlanta last year. McCormack has won every M60+ race he has entered this year, breaking records in many of them, and no one expects this race to be different. But McCormack cannot do it alone and Atlanta’s top two runners from last year have been battling injuries this year. Larson and Learned have both made great strides in their rehab but probably neither is quite as strong as they were last year at this time.

Jerry Learned (left) and Kirk Larson (no. 775) conferring before the start of the 2011 Club XC Championships [photo: Atlanta Track Club via Runners World]

That will make it harder for Atlanta to close the gap. If Mike Wien were in his Peachtree shape (a sub-40 10K) he could help Atlanta a lot but running in the NYC Marathon in early November may leave him a little off the top of his 10K game.

Tom McCormack,heading for the finish line in first place at the USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships at Carmel IN on Nov 8 2014 [photo: Facebook]

If Ann Arbor’s top five run to their capabilities, I still see them as having just a little more than Atlanta this year. Genesee Valley is back but their top two runners from last year are not. It appears that new runners Mitch Moore and Michael Reif, Sr., are both solid performers based on their times at the Syracuse 5K championships,and Keith Yeates is not too far back. Those three can help Genesee bring in a fairly tight pack. But it is probably not enough to make up for the loss of McMullen’s first and Blackmore’s 8^th place last year. Genesee may be pressed to keep their third place on the podium. Seven other contenders will be lining up with the aim of dethroning them.

Men 70+

2013. Last year there were no 70+ teams. At other championships, Ann Arbor will sometimes race a team in this division. But last year and this year, their world class 70 year old runner, Doug Goodhue, is running for the 60+ team. Hence they choose not to run a 70+ team.

2014. Six teams will contest for the 70+ championship. One would guess, based on the 2013 5 km Cross country championships in New Jersey that Clifton Roadrunners, Atlanta TC and Shore AC are probably the favorites.  They finished 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd respectively in a very tight race, 17 to 18 to 21. [Recall that for age divisions 70 and above, scoring is based on the top 3 runners, not the top 5.] The composition of the teams has changed slightly but there is every reason to think it will be a tight race this year. Shore AC came in ahead of Clifton at the Syracuse 5K road championships this year so that establishes them as slight favorites; Atlanta did not contest the M70+ team division at Syracuse.

                                                 

Masters Long Distance Runners Profiled and Recognized

December 4 2014. Profiling is a questionable practice if done by TSA, but profiling of Masters Long Distance Runners by Runners World or Running Times is definitely a good thing. My running colleagues,  Doug Goodhue and Lloyd Hansen, both of the Ann Arbor Track Club, have recently been profiled by Runners World's Running Times. There is a web exclusive on Doug Goodhue at:
http://www.runnersworld.com/masters-profiles/at-72-doug-goodhue-competes

The article on Lloyd Hansen appears in the print version of Running Times January/February 2015, issue 423, pp. 30-31. As far as I know it is not (yet) available online.

Both articles will reward the reader with interesting facts about these excellent runners and how they practice their craft.

USATF announced their end-of-the-year awards. Congratulations to all of the following:

Masters Male and Female  Athlete of the Year
Tom McCormack Jonesborough, TN.; Atlanta Track Club

Tom McCormack [Photo: Jeff Keeling, Johnson City News and Neighbors]

Sabra Harvey Houston, TX

Sabra Harvey [photo: http://www.women-running-together.com/sabraharvey.html]

Paul Spangler Award*         
Harriette Thompson Charlotte, NC
Bill Benson  New York, NY

* This award recognizes the outstanding Masters Long Distance Running athlete in the oldest age category.

Otto Essig Award*   
Madeline Bost Randolph, NJ; Morris County Striders

*This award recognizes service to Masters Long Distance Running that goes above and beyond any normal expectations.



Masters Long Distance Running Age Group Athletes of the Year

40-44
Deena Kastor  Mammoth Lakes, CA;
Kevin Castille  Nicholasville, KY
        
45-49
Tania Fischer  Santa Monica, CA
Mbarak Hussein  Albuquerque, NM
        
50-54
Colleen De Reuck Boulder, CO
Iain Mickle Sacramento, CA
        
55-59
Christine Kennedy Los Gatos, CA
Ken Youngers Tucker, GA; Atlanta Track Club
        
60-64
Kathryn Martin Northport, NY; Northport Running Club
Tom McCormack  Jonesborough, TN; Atlanta Track Club
        
65-69
Sabra Harvey Houston, TX
Lloyd Hansen Salt Lake City, UT; Ann Arbor Track Club
        
70-74
Jan Holmquist  Burlington, MA; Liberty Athletic Club
Doug Goodhue  Milford, MI; Ann Arbor Track Club
        
75-79
Libby James  Fort Collins, CO
Bill Iffrig  Lake Stevens, WA
Bill Riley Centerville, MA and Sarasota, FL; New England 65+ Running Club
        
80-84
Lois Ann Gilmore  Janesville, WI
Dennis Branham  Providence, RI
        
85-89
Bertha Macgruder New York
Margretta Lutz  Saxonburg, PA
Jerry Johncock  Shelbyville, MI
        
90-94
Harriett Thompson Charlotte, NC
Bill Tribou  Granby, CT
        
95+  
 Bill Benson New York, NY