USATF Club CC Nationals Dec. 8 in Ohio

The rule has been there all year. It's just now been brought to everyone's attention. The rule was there during your Pacific Association race. You should be the winner.

We Got Beat wrote:

We got beat in the Pacific Association by a club that brought in a ringer from two states away that did not compete on the circuit - only competed in the Championships. This is unfair.

But, I agree, the rule should have been phased-in or introduced at the beginning of the season.

If I was a betting man, I would bet that you are talking about WVTC and Johnathan Marcus. While I can see how this might look like a "ringer" situation, Johnathan has been running with WVTC for almost two years (since he graduated from college) and has run several other races for WVTC both this year and last. He primarily focuses on the track series (which no one pays attention to in the PA), but also ran several PA road races. I'll admit I'm not sure if he ran another XC race this year, but he did race PA champs for WVTC last year.

Johnathan does live in Portland, but WVTC has a history of having members from Portland. Its not some evil plot. Several members all moved to Portland at the same time some number of years ago and maintain their association with each other and with WVTC. Johnathan was coached by one of our Portland members in high school and that is how he became a member of the club once he finished college.

Under the new rules Johnathan won't be racing for us at nationals. Nonetheless, we are looking forward to a re-match.

Well then perhaps you should go to your association and contest this.It does not need to be phased in. The point of the rule is to eliminate teams of ringers from hijacking the club championships. It is just that... a CLUB championship. The individual championships are in Feb. Everyone can run that.I do agree, however, that three years is pretty steep. I think after one or two full years on a team, uninterrupted (as in, not competing for anyone else during that time), should be enough to solidly establish that runner as a member of that team. However, it's the rule, so it is what it is.

We Got Beat wrote:

We got beat in the Pacific Association by a club that brought in a ringer from two states away that did not compete on the circuit - only competed in the Championships. This is unfair.

But, I agree, the rule should have been phased-in or introduced at the beginning of the season.

West Valley has a long and storied history of running out of state ringers.

Any updates on weather/conditions? Has the snow melted? How soggy is the coures? Good luck to everyone and see you in Ohio!!

At PA Champs:

48 ALEXANDRA NEWMAN 35 IMPALA RACING TEAM, GOLDEN, CO 26:35

I live in Columbus, and can tell you that we woke up to single digit temp's this morning, and it was even colder to the South. The sun is out now, and the stuff on the street is trying to melt. They are predicting more snow tonight & tomorrow.

Keep in mind that we're in the mid-west, and one thing is certain...The weather will change!

56 REID HARTER 57 ASICS AGGIE RC BOISE ID 38:39

All mention of Rule 4 was inserted into the entry section long AFTER may teams had alread entered. This is what is wrong with how USATF handled it. (note rule 4 is not mentioned yet in the entry qualification guideline information on the Feb XC Nationals webpage.) Just as in the Feb XC info only rules 7 and 8 are/were mentioned. They do not mention rule 4. As usual USATF makes it up as they go along, leaving everyone to suffer the expense of the incompetence.

Rule 4 is in the rulebook. You are incompetent and if you've lost money trying to bring in ringers --- good.

Another One wrote:

56 REID HARTER 57 ASICS AGGIE RC BOISE ID 38:39

Reid's been a member for at least 3 years and competed for the Aggies many times before. Fully valid under Rule 4.

And I'm in Winston-Salem, NC and an Asics Aggie. Member since 2001. Released fair and square by the NC association. Validated my eligibility under rule 4 just last week. Call me a ringer if you wish, even though boat anchor is a better term. Since I'm in Zurich at the moment, I won't be dragging down either NC or PA associations in Columbus.

Brass tacks still is you can't compete for anyone else but your member team, so it's not likely you're a "ringer".

Good Afternoon,

My thanks to Keith Stone for defending this 57 year-old "ringer." In Boise, Idaho there are no full senior cross country teams, and there is no "masters" cross country competition in the Snake River Association. As you can imagine in a smaller state or association the primary competitive opportunities are geared for age goup youth programs. These Snake River youth programs are very good, on the other hand the competitive opportunities for open and masters cross country and track are limited if not non-existent.

I appreciate the Asics Aggies giving this senior, often referred to as "Gramps," a team to compete on. Hopefully, I won't drag MY BOAT ANCHOR into the deep mud of Ohio. I'll be the Aggie with the grey, lets say white hair--can't miss me.

See you in Ohio.

Reid Harter

The term "West" leaves plenty of room for interpretation.

I just ran the course. It was 27 degrees with 2-4 inches of powder! Although it was sunny today, none of the snow on the course had melted, and the forecast for tonight is another chance of snow. So it could be sloppy if it warms up (think Houston in 2003 or Portland in 2004)or the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.

Forecast for Thursday/Friday/Saturday: Tonight-70% low of 29, chance of snow, 1 inch accumulation. Friday-1/2 inch of snow, high of 39. Saturday-50% chance of rain, high of 44. Bring snowshoes, cross country ski's, or hip waders.

USATF Press Release

December 6, 2007

ZAP Fitness and Boston Athletic Association to defend team titles at USATF National Club Cross Country Championships

INDIANAPOLIS - The men's team from ZAP Fitness and the Boston Athletic Association's (B.A.A.) women will meet America's top post-collegiate club teams to defend their 2006 titles as they converge upon Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio on Saturday, December 8, for the ninth annual USATF National Club Cross Country Championships.

The USATF National Club Cross Country Championships features the top clubs from across the United States vying for top honors and bragging rights as the nation's top cross country team. Close to 1,100 competitors are expected at the event, which features a 10-kilometer men's race and a 6-kilometer women's race. Clubs will compete for a total prize purse of $25,000, with $20,000 going to the top open teams.

ZAP returns four of its five runners from the 2006 national championship squad, led by Thomas Morgan, who finished second in last year's race. Also returning are Joe Driscoll, ninth in 2006, who set his marathon personal best of 2:18:22 at last month's US Olympic Team Trials-Men's Marathon in New York; Brendan O'Keefe, 17th in 2006; and, Ryan Warrenburg, 18th in 2006. The defending champions add Christopher Pfafenroth and Jonathan Pierce to their 2007 team.

Other teams to watch are last year's second place squad, Team XO, along with the Asics Aggies and Wisconsin Runner RT.

Leading contenders for the individual title include Morgan and Driscoll; Payton Batliner and Ben Rosario, who were sixth and seventh respectively last year; recent Team USA harrier squad members Patrick Gildea, Zach Sabatino and Brett Schoolmeester; Ohio State University grads Rob Myers, a 2005 World Championships team member at 1500 meters, and Brian Olinger, a 2004 Big Ten champ at 5000 meters; and Nick Rogers, a 2000 US Olympic team member at 5,000 meters, and a former Team USA cross country squad member.

BAA defends women's title

Looking to capture their fourth team title since 1998, the B.A.A. returns Kasie Enman, 7th in last year's race, along with Jennifer Donovan (39th) and Mary Proulx (59th). They'll be bolstered with Mariko Holbrook, Lara Johnson, Nicole Plante, and Stephanie Wescott in their efforts to win the national title.

Last year's runner-ups Wisconsin Runner Racing Team and 2005 champs See Jane Run aim to dethrone the B.A.A., along with a strong RUNOHIO squad led by 2007 World Championships marathoner Ann Alyanak, who is a strong contender for the individual title. Team Indiana Elite also looks for a spot on the podium.

Other contenders for the individual title, which appears wide open, include 2007 NACAC steeplechase champion Kristin Anderson; Wisconsin Runner's Bethany Brewster; ZAP Fitness' Caroline Cretti; former NCAA 10 km champion Leigh Daniel of Run Ohio; former Columbia University steeplechase standout (and inspiration for the Plain White T's hit "Hey There Deliliah") Delilah DiCrescenzo, who finished 11th in last year's race; Mary Duerbeck, who competed on Team USA this year in Mombasa, Kenya; former Indiana University All-American Jessica Gall; North Carolina State All-American Jemissa Hess; former University of Missouri All-American Serena Ramsey; Maria Magdalena Sandoval, who was fifth in this meet in 2004;and, Peninsula Distance Club's Kathleen Trotter, the former Stanford standout and 2004 Team USA junior squad member. Jill Boaz (Asics Aggies), a three-time member of Team USA in the marathon, is another notable entry in this race.

Competitive Masters fields

Many of the country's top masters (athletes 40 years and older) men's squads will also do battle on the Voice of America Park turf for age division championship titles over 10 km, while the women race over 6 km.

Tracy Lokken of Marquette, Michigan, representing the Front Line Racing Team, looks to defend his national title. Former national masters 10 km champion Peter Magill of South Pasadena, Calif., who runs for the Fluffy Bunny Track Club seeks to wrest the championship from Lokken

Bill Iffrig of Everett, Wash., and the Snohomish Track Club will defend his national title in the men's 70-74 division.

National masters distance running superstar Kathryn Martin (Northport, New York) returns to defend her title in the women's 55-59 category, as will 2006 champion in the women's 60-64 category Janet Bowman of Corte Madera, Calif.

Additionally, William Dixon (Seattle, Wash.), Richard Larsen (Shelburne, Mass.), William Dixon (Brattleboro, Vermont), and Thom Weddle (Minneapolis, Minn.) four men who earned national titles in the USATF National Masters' 5 km Cross Country Championships on October 14th in Saratoga Springs, New York, will invade West Chester in hopes of adding the 10k harrier title to their 2007 resumes.

Action at Voice of America Park gets underway at 9:30 am with the community 6 km run. The masters women's 6 km starts at 10:30 am, followed by the masters men's 10 km at 11:30 am. The open women's 6 km begins at 12:45 pm, with the open men's 10 km concluding the day's activities at 1:30 pm.

For more information about the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships, please visit

www.usatf.org

.

Keith Stone wrote:

And I'm in Winston-Salem, NC and an Asics Aggie. Member since 2001. Released fair and square by the NC association. Validated my eligibility under rule 4 just last week. Call me a ringer if you wish, even though boat anchor is a better term. Since I'm in Zurich at the moment, I won't be dragging down either NC or PA associations in Columbus.

Brass tacks still is you can't compete for anyone else but your member team, so it's not likely you're a "ringer".

yeah but you suck so nobody cares.

;-)

mud lark wrote:

yeah but you suck so nobody cares.

;-)

So harsh! ;-)

How muddy for the men's open? Can't wait.