FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jim Estes
LDR Programs Manager
(317) 261-0500 x315
U.S. Marathon Team Named for World Championships in Helsinki
INDIANAPOLIS - USA Track & Field has announced Team USA's marathon
representatives for the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Athletics to be
held in Helsinki, Finland August 6-14.
Three team members, Jill Boaz, Kelly Keane and Clint Verran, have prior
World Championships Marathon experience, having been on the 2003 team that
competed in Paris. The roster also includes 2001 USA men's champion Scott
Larson.
At the World Championships, the U.S. has won three marathon medals: gold by
Mark Plaatjes at Stuttgart 1993, silver by Marianne Dickerson at Helsinki
1983 and bronze by Steve Spence at Tokyo 1991.
MEN'S ROSTER
Trent Briney, 26, of Rochester Hills, Mich., burst on to the U.S. scene
with a fourth place (2:12:34) performance at the 2004 U.S. Men's Olympic
Marathon Trials. It was that performance that earned him his first Team USA
appearance. Recent performances from Briney include a personal record of
28:44 for 10,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational. Briney was a
four-time NCAA Division II All-American at the University of Colorado at
Colorado Springs.
Peter Gilmore, 28, of San Mateo, Calif. With a tenth place finish in 2005,
Gilmore recently contributed to the most successful U.S. showings at the
Boston Marathon in over a decade. His marathon career includes an eighth
place finish at the 2004 U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials and a second
place finish at the California International Marathon in a personal best of
2:14:02.
Scott Larson, 34, of Boulder, Colo. One of the more experienced marathoners
on the team, Larson was the 2001 USA Marathon Champion and has twice
finished in the top 10 at the Olympic Trials (4th in 2000 and 6th in 2004).
Larson earned his spot on the squad as the top U.S. finisher at the 2004
Twin Cities Marathon, where he was third overall in a personal record of
2:14:11.
Brian Sell, 27, of Rochester Hills, Mich., also made his mark at the 2004
Olympic Marathon Trials. After leading by as much as one minute, he
eventually faded to 12th. Not disheartened by the experience, Sell
reappeared at the 2004 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, finishing with a
personal record of 2:13:18. In 2005, Sell has continued his progress with a
second place finish at the USA 10 Mile Championship (47:37) and a ninth
place finish (first U.S.) at the Lilac Bloomsday 12K Run on May 1.
Clint Verran, 29, of Rochester Hills, Mich., is a World Championships
Marathon veteran finishing 39th (2:16:42) in 2003 in Paris. His
international experience also includes a 17th place finish at the 2000
World Half-Marathon Championships. In 2005, Verran was the top U.S.
finisher at the Freescale Marathon in Austin, Texas, with a time of
2:17:14. He has a marathon best of 2:14:17.
WOMEN'S ROSTER
Jill Boaz, 38, of Los Osos, Calif., is making her third appearance for Team
USA in the marathon at the World Championships. In both of her previous
outings, she was the top U.S. finisher, placing 32nd in 2001 and 33rd in a
personal best of 2:34:54 in 2003. Boaz earned her ticket to Helsinki last
fall when she was the first U.S. finisher, fifth overall at the Twin Cities
Marathon in a time of 2:36:08.
Jenny Crain, 37, of Milwaukee, Wis., recently finished fifth at the USA 8K
Championships, sixth at the USA 15K Championships and was the first U.S.
finisher at the 2004 ING New York City Marathon. A two-time qualifier for
the Olympic Marathon Trials, Crain finished 11th at the 2004 Olympic Trials
with a personal record of 2:37:36.
Heather Hanscom, 27, of Arlington, Va., has a brief but solid marathon
background that includes a sixth place finish at the 2004 U.S. Women's
Olympic Marathon Trials in a personal best of 2:31:53. In her debut at the
distance, Hanscom won the 2003 Marine Corps Marathon in 2:37:59.
Kelly Keane, 32, of The Woodlands, Tex. A member of the marathon team at
the 2003 World Championships, Keane continues to make a name for herself on
the U.S. road racing scene. So far in 2005, she has produced personal bests
at three distances including a 2:32:27 when she won the HP Houston Marathon
in January.
Turena Johnson Lane, 29, of Muncie, Ind. The 2004 USA 20K Champion, Johnson
Lane earned her place on the Helsinki team at the 2004 Twin Cities Marathon
where she finished sixth overall and second American behind Boaz in a
personal best of 2:37:39. A veteran of three U.S. Ekiden relay teams,
Johnson Lane was 20th at the 2004 U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials.
The coaches for the U.S. marathon team are Jack Hazen and Kim
Keenan-Kirkpatrick.
The 2005 World Championships marathon course runs through the heart of
Helsinki and passes close to the Elaintarha sports field near the Olympic
Stadium, where the competitors will finish after running the 10K city loop
3.5 times. The Men's marathon will be run on Saturday, August 13 and
Women's competition on Sunday, August 14.
For more information on Team USA and the 10th World Championships in
Athletics visit USATF.org or Helsinki2005.fi
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