Posted: April 21, 2007

Athletics: News & Notes, Volume 8, Number 35

Team USA ready for Pan American Race Walking Cup Many of America's finest race walkers will compete at the 2007 Pan American Race Walking Cup this weekend in Balneário Camboriú, Brazil. Leading the men's 20 km squad will be reigning U.S. 50 km champion Kevin Eastler (Aurora, Colo.), who won his second career national title at 20 km last June in Indianapolis. He'll be joined by two-time Olympian and five-time U.S. 20 km champion Tim Seaman (Imperial Beach, Calif.) and Matt Boyles (Cedarville, Ohio), who ended the 2006 season ranked #4 in the U.S. The U.S. 50 km team will be led by three-time Olympian and 1999 World Outdoor Championships bronze medalist Curt Clausen (Durham, N.C.). Clausen will be joined by two-time Olympian and reigning U.S. champion Philip Dunn (San Diego, Calif.) and Ray Sharp (Atlantic Mine, Mich.), who was the runner-up at the 2006 USA 50 km Championship. Mark Green (Reno, Nev.), who placed sixth at the 2007 USA 50 km Championship, also is on the squad. Team USA's women's 20 km squad will be led by 2006 USA Championships third-place finisher Sam Cohen (Racine, Wis.). Jolene Moore (Northbrook, Ill.), who placed fourth at last year's Nationals is on the squad, along with Maria Michta (Nesconset, N.Y.), who ended 2006 ranked #5 in the U.S. by Track & Field News. Loretta Schuellein of Locust Valley, N.Y., also will compete for Team USA. 2006 USA Junior 10 km runner-up Roberto Vergara will compete in the Junior Men's competition in Brazil, along with his brother Ricardo, who placed fourth at last year's USA Junior Nationals. The Vergaras reside in Edinburg, Texas. A trio of America's finest Junior Women's race walkers will compete in Brazil, led by Lauren Forgues (Orono, Maine), who was the 10 km runner-up at the 2006 Finish Line USA Junior Championships in Indianapolis. Christina Peters (Goshen, Ind.), who was third last year in Indy, and Le'erin Voss (Nashotah, Wis.) who placed fifth, round out the Team USA roster. Staff members include Diane Henry (Chicago, Ill.), Daniel O'Brien (Port Huron, Mich.), Allen James (Sanborn, N.Y.) and Matt Kutz (New Braunfels, Texas). For more information on the 2007 Pan American Race Walking Cup, visit www.usatf.org. Masters hurdles showdown headlines Cal Track Carnival A battle of the titans in the men's 110m hurdles Saturday will headline the 2007 California University Track & Field Carnival in California, Pennsylvania. At 1:30 p.m., on Saturday, Masters hurdles legend David Ashford will take on California head track and field coach, two-time Olympic 110m hurdles gold medalist and National Track & Field Hall of Famer Roger Kingdom in a special match race. The current world record holder for the Masters high hurdles and the world masters champion in 2003 and 2005, Ashford was a state champion during his high school career in California. "I know this will be a good one for David and I," said Kingdom. "David is the current Master's world record holder in the 110 hurdles. They didn't give it to him - he earned it. It's my mission to do my best to take the record from him. That is the beauty of our great sport. The clock and the camera don't lie." For more information on the 2007 Cal Carnival, visit: www.caltrackcarnival.com. Track Team to the rescue! Four athletes ran from a high school track and field meet Thursday to successfully rescue an elderly woman from a burning home in West Philadelphia, according to the Associated Press. Across the street from the competition between West Philadelphia and Germantown High black smoke was seen rising from a house by several shot putters, who hopped a fence and ran to the scene. Germantown team member Dwyne Hall says the athletes heard a woman yelling for help when they got to the house and found her on the first floor. She was trying to go upstairs to find her kittens. He says three athletes from Germantown and one from West Philadelphia talked her out of it and guided her outside. Hall says the woman was wearing only undergarments, so one boy gave her his sweat pants and another his sweat shirt.