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Osaka World Championships and Rio Pan Am Games berths also at stake
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - (June 20, 2007) - Seven Team Running USA athletes - Deena Kastor, Jen Rhines, Ryan Hall, Kate O'Neill, Ian Dobson, Sara Hall and Gabe Jennings - are ready to compete against the country's best distance runners at the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis, June 21-24.
The competition - to be held at the Indiana University Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium on the IUPUI campus - should be exciting and intense as the athletes vie for national titles, bragging rights, prize money and selection for the IAAF World Championships, August 25 - September 2, hosted by Osaka, Japan and the Pan American Games, July 22-29, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The 10,000 meter races, on Thursday night, open the national distance track championships, and in the women's race, Deena Kastor, the 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist and U.S. 10,000m record holder, is the favorite to win her fifth USA 10,000 crown and her main competition will likely be 2005 U.S. champion Katie McGregor, 2006 USA 5000m runner-up Kara Goucher and 2006 USA 10,000m runner-up Sara Slattery and 2004 Olympian Kate O'Neill.
In the men's 10,000, Jorge Torres will defend his title against a formidable field including two-time Olympians Abdi Abdirahman and Alan Culpepper, U.S. half-marathon (59:43) and 20K record holder Ryan Hall, 2004 Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein and rising stars Galen Rupp, Ed Moran and Josh Rohatinsky.
In the 5000 meters on Friday night, both 2006 national champions - Bernard Lagat and Lauren Fleshman - will defend their titles. Lagat, a two-time Olympic 1500m medalist, will square off against last year's 2-4 finishers: U.S. 2 mile record holder Matt Tegenkamp, Ritzenhein and 2000 Olympian Adam Goucher, while Fleshman will have her hands full with U.S. 5000m record holder Shalane Flanagan, two-time Olympian Jen Rhines, Kara Goucher and 2007 NCAA 5000m champion and record holder Michelle Sikes.
The weather forecast for the competition mentions warm and humid conditions with scattered and isolated thunderstorms.
Below find the racing schedules for Team Running USA in Indianapolis:
Thursday, June 21
10,000m FINAL, Men (8:20pm) & Women (8:55pm)
Ryan Hall (ASICS)
Deena Kastor (ASICS)
Kate O'Neill (Nike)
Friday, June 22
5000m FINAL, Women (8:14pm) & Men (8:35pm)
Jen Rhines (adidas)
Ian Dobson (adidas)
Ryan Hall (ASICS)
Saturday, June 23
1500m Women's FINAL (need to qualify), 2:26pm
Sara Hall (ASICS)
Sunday, June 24
1500m Men's FINAL (need to qualify), 2:40pm
Gabe Jennings (Saucony), 2006 runner-up
NBC and ESPN2 to televise AT&T USA Outdoor Championships
All times Eastern; subject to change; check local listings
Air Date / Time / Network
Friday, June 22 - 8:00-9:00pm, ESPN2 (live)
Saturday, June 23 - 2:00-3:00pm, NBC (live)
Saturday, June 23 - 7:00-8:00pm, ESPN2 (tape-delayed)
Sunday, June 24 - 1:00-3:00pm, NBC (live)
For more information including entry lists on the 2007 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships, visit: USATF.org
About Team Running USA
Team Running USA, formerly Team USA California, is a national athlete development program created by Running USA, a national industry trade organization. The mission of Team Running USA is to support, promote and assist the development of U.S. distance runners.
Since 2001, Team Running USA athletes have won two Olympic medals, 12 World Cross Country Championship medals and two major marathons, set one world road record, 21 national records and numerous personal records, earned 54 national titles and three USARC Grand Prix titles and added to world and U.S. all-time lists. In short, they are the most accomplished training group in the United States.
Supported by the New York Road Runners, the Town of Mammoth Lakes, Chevron Houston Marathon and Atlanta Track Club, the program's athletes utilize the resources at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista for sea level training and Mammoth Lakes for high / low altitude training throughout the year. Renowned and Olympic coaches Joe Vigil and Bob Larsen and coach Terrence Mahon coordinate this elite group.
For more information on Team Running USA including sponsorship opportunities or to make a donation, contact: Ryan Lamppa, (805) 696-6232, ryan@runningusa.org or visit: RunningUSA.org.
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.
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