Runner's & Triathlete's Web (RWire) Athletics: Gits, Brown, Torres Score Top 20 Finishes for Team USA at World Cross Country Championships

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Bekele, Dibaba world champions again; U.S. women just miss team bronze medal

From Jim Estes, USATF, and the IAAF

EDINBURGH, GBR - Alex Gits (Edina, Minn.) finished 13th in the Junior women's race and Emily Brown (Minneapolis, Minn.) was 18th and Jorge Torres (Boulder, Colo.) 19th in the Senior races to lead Team USA at the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships Sunday at Edinburgh's Holyrood Park in Scotland.

Gits, a freshman at Stanford University, led the Team USA Junior women with a 13th place finish and a sixth place team finish (100 points), only one point out of fifth behind Canada. Despite a fall near 3K, Gits ran 20:41 for the 6K distance.

Ethiopia won the team gold, led by Genzebe Dibaba's winning run of 19:59. Kenya was second in the team race with 20 points with Japan taking third with 57 points.

In the Junior men's race German Fernandez (Riverbank Calif.) covered 8K in 24:15 to finish 25th, leading Team USA to sixth place. Emil Heineking (Hartsgrove, Ohio) finished one second and one place behind Fernandez.

The Junior men's individual title was won by Ibrahim Jeilan of Ethiopia in 22:38, while Kenya won the team competition with 21 points. Ethiopia was second with 28 and Uganda was third with 37 points.

Brown led the Team USA Senior women to fourth place, running 8K in 26:36 for 18th. Teammates Katie McGregor (St. Louis Park, Minn.), Molly Huddle (Providence, R.I.) and Kathy Newberry (Williamsburg, Va.) finished within two seconds of each other to take places 22-24 respectively. Renee Metivier-Baillie (Flagstaff, Ariz.) and Amy Hastings (Flagstaff, Ariz.) finished 49th and 62nd respectively.

Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia won her third 8K World Cross Country title, running 25:10 to lead Ethiopia to their second team gold of the day with 18 points. Kenya was second with 22 as Australia took the team bronze ahead of the U.S. by just three points with 84.

In the Senior men's 12K, Torres ran 36:03 to finish 19th, while leading Team USA to seventh place. His place was the first individual top 20 finish for the U.S. in the event since 2003. Following Torres to round out the team score was Josh Rohatinsky (Portland, Ore.) in 44th, Edwardo Torres (Boulder, Colo.) in 46th, Scott Bauhs (Chico, Calif.) in 52nd, Max King (Eugene, Ore.) in 55th and James Carney (Boulder, Colo.) in 85th.

"I told myself that I wasn't going to be afraid to run with those guys. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't finish in the top 10. I gave it a good honest effort, and that's all that I can ask for," Torres said post-race.

Kenenisa Bekele completed Ethiopia's sweep of the day's individual titles with his 12th World Cross Country title and 6th at the 12K classic distance. After losing a shoe six minutes into the race, Bekele rallied to run 34:38 for the 12K course. Kenya won the team title with 39 points, while Ethiopia scored 105 and Qatar was third with 144 points.

36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships - Edinburgh, Scotland, Sunday, March 30, 2008

12K SENIOR MEN
1) Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), 34:38, $30,000 
2) Leonard Patrick Komon (KEN), 34:41, $15,000 
3) Zersenay Tadese (ERI), 34:43, $10,000 
4) Joseph Ebuya (KEN), 34:47, $7000 
5) Moses Ndiema Masai (KEN), 35:02, $5000 
6) Felix Kikwai Kibore (QAT), 35:15, $3000 
U.S.
19) Jorge Torres (CO), 36:03
44) Josh Rohatinsky (UT), 36:52
46) Edwardo Torres (CO), 36:56
52) Scott Bauhs (CA), 37:15
55) Max King (OR), 37:20
85) James Carney (CO), 38:04
97) Jonathan Pierce (NC), 38:23
110) Ryan Bak (OR), 38:36

TEAM
1) KEN, 39 points, $20,000
2) ETH, 105, $16,000
3) QAT, 144, $12,000
4) ERI, 164, $10,000
5) MAR, 197, $8000
6) UGA, 211, $4000
7) USA, 301

8K WOMEN
1) Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH), 25:10, $30,000 
2) Mestawet Tufa (ETH), 25:15, $15,000 
3) Linet Chepkwemoi Masai (KEN), 25:18, $10,000 
4) Doris Chepkwemoi Changeywo (KEN), 25:34, $7000 
5) Hilda Kibet (NED), 25:35, $5000
6) Gelete Burka (ETH), 25:35, $3000 
U.S.
18) Emily Brown (MN), 26:36
22) Katie McGregor (MN), 26:40
23) Molly Huddle (RI), 26:40
24) Kathy Newberry (VA), 26:42 
49) Renee Metivier-Baillie (AZ), 27:49
62) Amy Hastings (AZ), 28:18

TEAM
1) ETH, 18 points, $20,000
1) KEN, 22, $16,000
3) AUS, 84, $12,000
4) USA, 87, $10,000
5) MAR, 100, $8000
6) GBR, 116, $4000

Complete results, photos and more at: IAAF.org.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.