SEASIDE, Calif. - Team USA Monterey Bay announced today the selection of its first group of U.S. long distance runners who will live and train at its training center located at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB). The athletes are Ryan Bak, Fasil Bizuneh, James Carney, and Anthony Famiglietti. The four men were selected by Bob Sevene, Team USA Monterey Bay's Head Coach and Director of Athlete Development, from almost 70 applicants. The athletes were chosen on the basis of a completed application/resume, previous accomplishments, and competitive ability or potential to compete at world-class and Olympic-caliber levels.

The training center, which officially opened yesterday with the arrival of Coach Sevene, plans to announce the addition of four female athletes later this year. Additional elite and emerging-elite athletes will be added in the future as the training center's resources and reputation grow. The four selected athletes will be full-time residents at CSUMB and will arrive at the center over the next several weeks.

"I'm very excited about having an opportunity to work with these promising athletes," said Coach Sevene. "It's a very diverse group, which was planned on purpose. Not one of the four has the same personality, which should mesh to make a very good team personality. They all come from excellent collegiate coaching environments."

Ryan Bak, 21, of Suffield, CT is a 2003 graduate of Trinity College (Hartford, CT) where he won three individual NCAA Division III national titles and was a 10-time collegiate All-American. Bak was the Division III indoor 5,000-meter champion and outdoor 1,500-meter runner-up this year. In 2002, he earned individual collegiate titles in both cross country and at 1,500 meters outdoors. He earned accolades as this year's Division III National Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year and was the Division III National Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 2002. Bak's personal bests on the track are 1:51.55 for 800 meters, 4:01.45 for the mile, and 14:00 for 5,000 meters.

Fasil Bizuneh, 23, of Tempe, AZ is a 2003 graduate of Arizona State University where he earned NCAA Division I All-American status twice in cross country and once on the track at 10,000 meters. He set ASU school records for 10,000m (28:46.88) and 5,000m indoors (14:03.06). He was the 2002 Pac-10 Conference runner-up in cross country. Additionally, Bizuneh, as a member of the U.S. World Junior Cross Country Team in 1999, was the first American finisher at the IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships. Bizuneh's personal track bests are 1:55 for 800 meters, 13:51 at 5,000 meters, and 28:46.88 for 10,000 meters.

James Carney, 25, of State College, PA completed three years of athletic eligibility at Millersville University (PA) and one year at Penn State University where he earned his B.A. in 2001. He was a four-time Division II All-American (cross country and track 5K/10K) while at Millersville. In 2001, he was the IC4A indoor champion at 5,000 meters, and he earned All-Big Ten second team honors in cross country in 2000. As a post-collegian, Carney has competed at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships twice at 10,000 meters, finishing 11th last year and 13th in 2003. Carney owns personal records of 14:00.38 at 5,000 meters and 28:48.88 at 10,000 meters on the track, and 46:35 for 15 kilometers on the road.

Anthony Famiglietti (pronounced Fam-uh-let-tee), 24, of Knoxville, TN has achieved notable accomplishments as a steeplechaser since graduating from the University of Tennessee in 2000. In 2001 he made a breakthrough, placing second over the barriers at the USA Outdoor Championships, earning him a spot on the U.S. team that competed at the IAAF World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Edmonton, Canada. His steeple victory in the 2001 World University Games was the first international title by an American in the event since 1991. Last year, Famiglietti won his first U.S. national title, running a personal record of 8:19.07 at the USA Outdoor Championships. Hampered by an injury earlier this year, he placed fifth at the USA Outdoor Championships last month at Stanford University. Famiglietti will represent the U.S. at the Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic in early August before settling in Monterey. He is also an accomplished distance runner outside of the steeple with personal bests on the track of 1:51 at 800m, 3:40 at 1,500m, 7:48 at 3,000m, and 13:33 at 5,000m. On the roads, he has recorded an outstanding 22:30 over the 8K (5 miles) distance.

Sevene says that the mix of shorter distance backgrounds (Bak and Famiglietti) combined with the longer distance experience of Carney and Bizuneh will help the athletes push each other in a variety of training situations. The developmental focus for Team USA Monterey Bay athletes is events 3,000 meters through the marathon.

"These athletes are all young and the 2008 Olympic Games await on the horizon," Sevene commented. "Plus, Famiglietti should be a very serious threat for the 2004 Olympic team."

Team USA Monterey Bay has applied to be an official training center of the Team USA Distance Running Program. The national program, created by Running USA and USA Track & Field, is dedicated to developing and promoting U.S. distance runners. There are currently four Team USA Training Centers with over 35 athletes operating in California (San Diego/Mammoth Lakes), Michigan, Minnesota and New York. Since 2001, Team USA Distance Running athletes -- led by Olympians Deena Drossin and Meb Keflezighi -- have set one world road record, seven national records and numerous personal records and won World Championship medals and 31 national titles.

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Team USA Monterey Bay, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit organization committed to developing, supporting, and promoting U.S. distance running stars capable of winning medals in Olympic and World Championship competition. The organization is also committed to creating role models for the general community who promote physical fitness and a positive and productive lifestyle for people of all ages. Team USA Monterey Bay is a Pacific Association/USATF member club. Visit them on the web at csumb.edu/teamusa.

Team USA Monterey Bay's primary partner is California State University, Monterey Bay. Thanks to our major sponsors: Big Sur International Marathon, MY BMW/MY Cars, Pebble Beach Company, Granite Construction, Monterey Bay Half Marathon, Empire Runners, Reebok Aggies, Clear Channel, Kinko's, and Duggan Smith & Hutkin, LLP. Additionally, Reebok International has committed apparel support to Team USA Monterey Bay, as needed.