October 2009 Track and Field Articles

Cal-Berkeley Golden Bear sophomore Deborah Maier has big goals for this cross country season. She wants to lead her Golden Bear harrier squad to the NCAA Division I Championships in Terra Haute, Indiana. She recently placed 13th overall in the White Race at the Pre-National Meet, running 21 minutes, 0.3 seconds over the 6,000-meter cross country course. Can you give me your team goals this season? I think more than anything we just want to qualify for Nationals. We haven't a team qualify in, I think it's been, close to 20 years on the women's side. The men's team has… more »

INDIANAPOLIS - It's difficult to pick a favorite for this weekend's USA Men's Marathon Championship. As one of the most competitive U.S. men's fields outside of an Olympic Trials lines-up Sunday at the ING New York City Marathon, the field is loaded with a wide range of experience and emerging talent.    Ryan Hall (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), sports the fastest marathon in the field (2:06:17) but Meb Keflezighi (San Diego, Calif.) has seen a return to the form that earned him an Olympic Silver medal in the marathon in 2004.    Keflezighi's year started off with a USA Half Marathon title in Houston… more »

INDIANAPOLIS – The 2009 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships will be broadcast live on VERSUS, marking the third consecutive year the championships will be seen on live television, and the first with VERSUS. A live web stream of the championships will also be available on NCAA.com.   The championships will be held at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center and hosted by Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind., on Monday, Nov. 23. The men’s race will start at approximately noon Eastern, with the women’s race to follow. The 2009 championships will be hosted by Indiana State University for… more »

For many runners the conference championship meet has been circled on their calendar since pre-season. This past weekend was what all those miles of training led to and runners showed their post-season form.  Conference does not determine rather a team or individual moves on to the Regional meet. PSAC and Pacific West did not run their championships this weekend but will run them next weekend. As usual, I encourage readers to supplement my article by contributing their knowledge about various individuals, teams, and conferences. It is never too early to start talking about Regionals and how these conference championships will… more »

<!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> Alabama's Tyson David, a senior originally from Kitui, Kenya, started his college career at Central Arizona Community College. After David arrived at Alabama he made his presence felt immediately, being named the 2008 Southeastern Conference Cross Country Runner of the Year after winning the team title at SECs and then with a 63rd-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 30 minutes, 34.9 seconds over the 10,000-meter course. David's got current PRs of 7:57.07, 13:36.76 and 28:20.22. Let's see how he does in his pursuit of… more »

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<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->   1. (-) Stanford   Weekend Performance- Stanford solidified their spot as the top team in the country with an impressive 47 point victory at Pre-Nats Saturday. Sophomore Chris Derrick surprised NCAA runner-up Sam Chelanga… more »

Nationals Qualifiers by Round QUALIFIER #1 is SYRACUSE (#1 NE) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is VILLANOVA (#1 Md-At) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is VIRGINIA (#1 SE) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is MICHIGAN (#1 Gr-Lk) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is ILLIONIS (#1 Mid-W) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is BAYLOR (#1 S-Cen) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is COLORADO (#1 Mtn) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is WASHINGTON (#1 West) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is FLORIDA STATE (#1 South) (PLACED… more »

Nationals Qualifiers by Round     QUALIFIER #1 is PROVIDENCE (#1 NE) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS)   QUALIFIER #1 is GEORGETOWN (#1 Md-At) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS)   QUALIFIER #1 is WILLIAM AND MARY (#1 SE) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS)   QUALIFIER #1 is WISONSIN (#1 Gr-Lk) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS)   QUALIFIER #1 is OK STATE (#1 Mid-W) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS)   QUALIFIER #1 is ARKANSAS (#1 S-Cen) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS)   QUALIFIER #1 is NORTHERN ARIZONA (#1 Mtn) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS)   QUALIFIER #1 is STANFORD (#1 West)… more »

Rivalries will be at their fiercest this coming Conference weekend. The weekly polls are due for some movement and this weekend is where the upsets might happen. I have given the results of last year’s races and done my best to research the top runners in each conference. If I have missed a runner or if you have an opinion on who will win this year leave a comment. After all, Flotrack is a community. CCAA-The Chico State men’s and women’s both captured the conference team titles last year. On the men’s side, the Wildcats scored 17 points, followed by UC… more »

Maggie Vessey is debuting on the FloNetwork with her fast new site Maggiekicks.com. This past summer Maggie had a breakout season in which she set a PR of 1:57.84 in the 800, made it on the world team, and signed with New Balance. Check out here site for some sassy interviews and the latest on Maggie and her kickin'. MaggieKicks.com FloNetwork     Maggie after coming back from Worlds.   Visit maggiekicks.com for more Videos more »

<!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> William and Mary senior Ben Massam and his Tribe are heading back to NCAA Cross Country Championships. Last year, they placed 16th overall as Massam took 124th over the 10,000-meter course. As the Tribe is currently ranked ninth in the country, Massam continues to add huge weeks of mileage under his belt and really feels things “clicking” with his harrier squad. Let's see how they do! You're just coming home from a team barbecue, do you guys do that often? This past weekend we had… more »

From Jess Riden at Penn State: Cross Country Welcomes Conference Rivals; Nationally Ranked Foes to Penn State National Nittany Lion women ranked No. 16 nationally; men looking for breakout performance   UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.: October 14, 2009 – In its final tune up prior to the Big Ten Cross Country Championships, the Nittany Lions are set to host the Penn State National, Friday at the Blue/White Golf Course.  Typically one of the top competitions of the fall, the Penn State National will feature top programs from around the country, including third-ranked West Virginia, and Big Ten foe and No. 23 Michigan… more »

ISU Pre-National Invitational Sponsored by Brooks and the Terre Haute Visitor / Convention Bureau Saturday, October 17, 2009     RACE ASSIGNMENTS 11:00 am - Men Blue (35 Teams) Air Force, Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Brown, Butler, Cal-Berkeley, Cal-Poly, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Illinois State, Indiana State, Iowa, IUPUI, Kansas, Loyola (MD), Marquette, Miami (OH), Michigan State, Montana, Montana State, NC State, Northern Arizona, Oregon, Toledo, Tulsa, UNC-Charlotte, Utah State, UTEP, Washington, Washington State, Western Kentucky, William & Mary   11:40 am - Men White (35 Teams) Arizona State, BYU, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Colorado, Colorado State, Columbia, Dartmouth, Dayton, Eastern… more »

Reebok athletes have been hanging out and sharing their story on Flotrack since the beginning. With Reebok athletes representing all corners of the globe and walks of life, it only made sense for them to get them all in one place. Stay up to date with Kiwi Nick Willis, go kangaroo hunting with Steve Hooker, surfing with JAMO, and who could forget our times Kim Smith, Jorge Torres, Katie McGregor, Aries Merritt, or Nate Brannen. There are too many good folks to mention.   Besides athletes, Reebok sponsors some of the best events in running. From the dusty hills of Mt.… more »

Southern Indiana’s Mary Ballinger most recently won the GLVC/MIAA challenge and finished 14th at the Greater Louisville Invitational. She is an All American in cross country and the 2009 3,000 meter steeplechase champion. DII Review caught up with her after her win. DII Review : This is your senior year; you are coming back after finishing 10 last year at XC Nationals and winning the steeplechase outdoors last year.  What are your goals and how does this affect your goals for the season? Mary Ballinger: I have a few goals for this season. One would be for our team to… more »

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INDIANAPOLIS - 2008 Olympians Dathan Ritzenhein (Portland, Ore.) and Amy Yoder Begley (Portland, Ore.) will lead a strong U.S. contingent at the 18th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships Sunday, in Birmingham, UK.    The men's team will also include recent USA 20 km champion Brett Gotcher (Flagstaff, Ariz.).  Ritzenhein and Gotcher will team with Andrew Carlson (Flagstaff, Ariz.); Scott Bauhs (Chico, Calif.), and James Carney (Boulder, Colo.).   Joining on the women's team withBegley will be Serena Burla (Baldwin, Mo.), Amy Hastings (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.),Elva Dryer (Gunnison, Colo.), and Heidi Westerling (Acworth, N.H.), who replaces Desiree Davila (Rochester Hills, Mich.).   The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships will air on Universalsports.com on Sunday at 4:00 a.m. ET. A total of 47 IAAF… more »

INDIANAPOLIS - There are only four days left for track and field fans to help select the 2009 Jesse Owens Athlete of the Year, presented by Nike. The honors going to the sport's top athletes of the year is selected by a vote of the media; this year, an online fan ballot will account for 10 percent of the vote.  Cast your vote by 3 p.m. Eastern Time on TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13. BE SURE TO CHOOSE ONE MALE AND ONE FEMALE WINNER. Thousands have cast their vote thus far. The nominees for the 2009 Jesse Owens Awards are: Men - Christian Cantwell, Kerron… more »

<!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> Nebraska junior Lara Crofford opened up her 2009 cross country season with a victory at the Nebraska Woody Greeno Invitational on September 19. Crofford placed 45th at last years NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, covering the 6,000-meter course in 20 minutes, 45.4 seconds. With another year of training under her belt and a quick outdoor season, we'll see how well Crofford and her Husker teammates can do this year. She provided her answers to Flotrack via email. How did you spend most of your… more »

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Well another weekend of races has concluded, which resulted in a lot of movement in this week's rankings. Most of the top teams last weekend either ran at Dellinger, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, or Paul Short. It wasn't a good weekend for Oklahoma State or Oregon, but teams like Washington, BYU, and Alabama made big jumps. Let's get on with the rankings! <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan;… more »

Nationals Qualifiers by Round QUALIFIER #1 is PROVIDENCE (#1 NE) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is GEORGETOWN (#1 Md-At) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is WILLIAM AND MARY (#1 SE) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is WISONSIN (#1 Gr-Lk) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is OK STATE (#1 Mid-W) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is ARKANSAS (#1 S-Cen) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is NORTHERN ARIZONA (#1 Mtn) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is STANFORD (#1 West) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is ALABAMA… more »

Nationals Qualifiers by Round QUALIFIER #1 is SYRACUSE (#1 NE) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is VILLANOVA (#1 Md-At) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is VIRGINIA (#1 SE) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is MICHIGAN (#1 Gr-Lk) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is IOWA STATE (#1 Mid-W) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is BAYLOR (#1 S-Cen) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is TEXAS TECH (#1 Mtn) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is WASHINGTON (#1 West) (PLACED TOP 2 AT REGIONALS) QUALIFIER #1 is FLORIDA STATE (#1… more »

Only three or so weeks remain till conference championships and this weekend many teams tested themselves against some quality DI competition. As usual, I have done my best to review some of the better races on both the men’s and women’s side but if I have missed anything let me know. If you have any ideas for future columns, people to interview etc., let me know. Brooks-Paul Short Run- Shippensburg’s Neely Spence won the gold race covering the 6k in 19:58. The team finished 23rd overall with 581 points. Meanwhile, in the brown race it was Edinboro’s Tina Yi who… more »

<!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> Notre Dame senior Lindsey Ferguson opened up her final cross country season with a win at the National Catholic Championships, covering the 5,000-meter course in 17 minutes, 33.1 seconds for her second straight title. The former high school national record holder in the 2,000-meter steeplechase is looking to go out in style while hopefully leading the Fighting Irish to the NCAA National Championships this year. After opening up with a win this year, have you set your ultimate individual goals for this season? Yes. I… more »

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