|
Stellar Distance Fields Go for Olympic "A" Standards
at Cardinal Invite Keflezighi, Kennedy, Culpepper, Dryer,
Browne, Abdirahman, McGregor Expected
PALO ALTO, Calif. - This is an Olympic year and time draws
nearer for many elite athletes to achieve the Olympic "A"
qualifying standards. At the Cardinal Invitational to be held
on Friday, April 30, at Cobb Track & Angell Field, many
college and elite level athletes will be primed and ready
to do their best with the goal of competing at the Olympic
Games this summer in Athens, Greece.
The Cardinal Invitational not only gives elite American and
international athletes an excellent opportunity to achieve
the Olympic "A" standard, but also gives many college
athletes another opportunity to achieve the NCAA Regional
qualifying standard.
One of the top events on the running calendar this year is
the Kim McDonald men's and women's 10,000 meters. Over the
years, Cobb Track and Angell Field has produced outstanding
results including an American record of 30:50.32 by Deena
Drossin (now Kastor) in 2002. In that same race, Yoko Shibui
set a Japanese record of 30:48.89. A year earlier, Meb Keflezighi
set an American record (27:13.98) in the men's 10,000 meters
at the Cardinal Invitational, while race winner Abraham Chebii
of Kenya ran the fastest 10,000 meters ever on American soil
with a time of 27:04.20.
In this year's 10,000 meters, Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes,
Calif. returns to Stanford and is one of the featured competitors.
In fact, seven of the top 10 ranked American 10,000 meter
runners from 2004 are scheduled to compete. Keflezighi, a
Team Running USA athlete, has already secured a spot on the
U.S. Olympic team with a runner-up finish in the U.S. Olympic
Marathon Trials. At the recent USA 8K Championship, the former
UCLA All-American ran a course and national championship record
time only two weeks after finishing first at the USA 15K Championship.
Also look for top performances from such notables as American
5000 meter record holder Bob Kennedy, 2000 Olympians Brad
Hauser and Abdi Abdirahman, 2004 U.S. 10 mile champion Dan
Browne and Stanford's Ian Dobson and Louis Luchini. From the
international  circuit
are a group of sub-28:00 runners from Japan and Thomas Kiplitan
of Kenya.
Sally Barsosio of Kenya heads a star-filled field in the
women's 10,000 meters. Barsosio recently finished second at
the Kenyan National Championships. From Britain comes a trio
of runners with Olympic dreams in former NCAA champion and
2000 Olympian Kathy Butler, Natalie Harvey and Haley Yelling.
Also in the field are Rosemary Ryan and Marie Davenport of
Ireland, and from the United States, Katie McGregor of Team
USA Minnesota, Katie and Laura O'Neill and Stanford's 2003
NCAA champion Alicia Craig.
The women's 5000 meters will feature Sonia O'Sullivan, the
2000 Olympic 5000m silver medalist and a multi-time world
and European champion. Courtney Babcock is the Canadian national
record holder while Australia's Georgie Clark jumps from the
1500 meters to the 5000 meters at the Cardinal Invitational.
Clarke owns the fastest time in the 1500 meters in the world
this year. The American contingent includes 2004 World Indoor
3000m bronze medalist Shayne Culpepper, Team USA Minnesota's
Carrie Tollefson, Team Running USA's Elva Dryer and three-time
NCAA 5000 meter champion from Stanford Lauren Fleshman. Culpepper
and Dryer are also 2000 Olympians.
Steve Slattery, the 2003 U.S. 3000 meter steeplechase champion,
headlines the men's 5000 meters. A pair of Arkansas All-Americans
are also in the field, Daniel Lincoln and Alistair Cragg.
Lincoln won the 2003 NCAA title in the 10,000 meters and the
3000 meter steeplechase. Luke Watson of Team USA Minnesota
and Chad Johnson are also two of American's top Olympic hopefuls
in the 5000 meters.
Stanford will have a strong contingent of present and former
All-American runners. Michael Stember, a 2002 U.S. Olympian,
will be a strong favorite in the 1500 meters along with Jason
Lunn, the 2003 U.S. outdoor champion in this event. Current
Stanford students Grant Robison and Donald Sage will be in
this elite field. Robison won the NCAA 1500 meter title last
year, while Sage captured the title in 2002. Former California
standout Bolota Asmerom has Olympic goals for the United States.
At the recent Stanford Invitational, Mexico's Juan Luis Barrios
won the 1500 meters in a 3:39.28 and he is back to compete
at the Cardinal Invitational.
In the women's 1500 meters, Nicole Teter of the United States
and Canada's Malindi Elmore have developed a keen rivalry.
Elmore, a 2003 Stanford graduate, defeated Teter at the recent
Mt. SAC Relays with the second fastest time in the world this
year at 4:09.73. Leah Pells, a two-time Canadian Olympian,
is entered in the competition. The field is further strengthened
with the addition of Australia's Emily Morris and Melissa
Rollison and former Stanford All-American Sally Hauser. American
record holder Brianna Shook leads the field in the women's
3000 meter steeplechase. Brigham Young University has a pair
of outstanding runners entered in Kassi Anderson and Michaela
Mannova, the 2003 and 2002 NCAA champions in the 3000 meter
steeplechase. This field will be pushed with the addition
of former American record holder Elizabeth Jackson.
The Cardinal Invitational Friday, April 30, 2004 Cobb Track
& Angell Field 3:00 p.m. - Field Events 4:00 p.m. - Running
Events
For more meet information and when available, results, go
to: http://gostanford.collegesports.com/sports/c-track/stan-c-track-body.html
source Running USA wire
|
