Four junior men and three junior women to compete at the World Mountain Running Championships in Albania on September 11
Athletes representing seven states comprise the 2011 U.S. Junior Mountain Running Team (www.usmrt.com). The team will accompany the senior team members as they compete at the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships in Tirana, Albania, on September 11. (http://www.wmrc2011.al)
The athletes include:
JUNIOR MEN
Oliver Bear Don’t Walk (Age 18, Everson, WA). Oliver currently holds the American Junior 50km record (3:10:07) and has also qualified for the USATF Junior Track and Field Championships in the 10,000 meters in 2010 and 2011. He has a 5K road personal best of 15:06 and finished 5th overall at the 15km USA Trail Champs in 2011. Oliver is attending Stanford University in the fall.
Chase Caulkins (Age 19, Ketchum, ID/Portland, OR). Chase was a member of the 2010 team where he finished as the top U.S. Junior. His 5km track personal best is 14:09 and he recently finished in an impressive 4th place in the 5000 meters at the USATF Junior Track and Field Championships in June. Chase also ran 24:19 for 8 km during the cross country season. He is entering his sophomore year at the University of Portland.
Billy Fayette (Age 18, Clarendon Hills, IL). Billy is a recent graduate of Hinsdale Central High School where he set numerous school records and was winner of the prestigious Jim Carmignani award- best all round male athlete/leader at Hinsdale Central HS in 2011. Billy ran a 14:39 (3 mile) in the IL State Cross Country championships. He has PRs of 9:09.96 in the 3200m and 4:10.33 in the 1600m. Billy will be attending the University of Richmond in the fall.
Ryan Lee (Age 19, Wilmington, DE). Ryan Lee is entering his sophomore year at the University of Richmond. Last season Ryan finished 12th in the 5000m race at the USATF Track and Field Championships, where he competed against now-team mate Chase Caulkins. Ryan has PRs of 8:45 (1500m), 14:33 (5000m), 25:32 (8km XC).
JUNIOR WOMEN
Krisztina Dearborn (Age 19, Mirror Lake, NH). Krisztina is entering her sophomore year at Central Connecticut State University, where she this year she had personal bests of 18:39 in the 5000m and 38:44.22 in the 10,000m. Kristina went to high school at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro where was 2nd in the 2009 Lakes Region Cross Country championships. Krisztina also got to preview what the World’s course will be like when she competed in the 2011 USA Mountain Running Championships at the Cranmore Hill Climb in North Conway, NH.
Clare Moretz (Age 18, Madison, VA). Clare was a senior at Madison High School in 2011 where she had PRs of 5:07.71 in the 1600m and 11:16.18 in the 3200m. After being undefeated for the first half of her 2010 cross country season, Clare suffered a stress fracture that left her unable to compete for the rest of the XC season. Clare turned that around in the Spring where she was 1st at the VHSL Group A State Championships in the 3200 and set a school record in the 1600m with her second place finish at the Championships. Clare qualified for the championships in the 400, 800, 1600, and 3200. Clare will be attending the University of Richmond in the fall.
Lara Shegoski (Age 19, Belle Mead, NJ). Lara had a strong Freshman year at Johns Hopkins University where she had a 17:37 personal best in the 5000m and had her 6000m XC personal best at the Division III National Championships in NovemberLara attended Montgomery High School in New Jersey where she was All American in the 5000m indoor and outdoor. . Lara’s leg speed will serve her well at the relatively fast World’s mountain running course in Albania.
The Junior Team joins senior athletes Max King, Joe Gray, Ryan Woods, Matt Byrne, Tommy Manning, Jared Scott, Kasie Enman, Michele Suszek, Brandy Erholtz and Megan Lund, who will compete in Albania at the World Mountain Running Championships.
Last year at the world championships in Slovenia, the U.S. Men won their first-ever silver team medal. The junior women and senior women have previously won team and individual medals. The team looks to capitalize on that success in 2011 in Tirana.
“I’m really excited about this year’s junior team” said Paul Kirsch, Team Manager of the Juniors. “The course in Tirana is a fast one and the combination of strength and speed that our juniors have this year gives them a good shot at being on the podium.”
The World Championships alternate between up only and up/down courses every other year with 2011 being an up/down year. The junior women will race one 4.5km up/down lap while the junior men will race two 4.5km laps. The senior men’s race is three laps and the senior women, like the junior men, will race two.
You can follow the team’s pursuits this September by following them online at any of the following sites:
Website: www.usmrt.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/usatfmut
Twitter: www.twitter.com/usmrt
As we have done the past two years, the team will be sending live updates via twitter from Albania in September. The official race website for the 2011 WMRC http://www.wmrc2011.al
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