FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2009 USA 100 KM Team Announced
INDIANAPOLIS - USA Track & Field announced Monday the 2009 USA 100 km Team
that will compete in the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU)
100 Kilometer World Cup on Friday, June 19, in Torhout, Belgium.
This year's team includes one new member and the rest veterans of the 2008
squad. The following athletes will represent Team USA.
Todd Braje (McKinleyville, Calif.), will be competing on his first USA 100
km National team in Belgium. Since beginning ultra competitions in 2007,
Braje has set course records at three races over the last two years
including the Jed Smith 50 mile and the McKenzie River 50km.
Greg Crowther (Seattle, Wash.), the 2007 USA 50 km and 100 km road champion
was a member of the fourth-place men's team that competed in the 2005 World
Cup 100km in Japan, where he finished 20th individually. In 2007, as a
member of the 2007 US 100km team, he finished in 11th-place.
Adam Lint (Seattle, Wash.) will be competing with the USA 100 km team for
the second time in Belgium. Lint post three top finishes at National
Championship events in 2008 (3rd 50km road 3:14, 3rd 100km road 7:19, and
2nd 50 mile Trail 6:59).
Howard Nippert (Colorado Springs, Colo.), will compete on his 11th USA
National Team (1993 World University Games, 1999-2003, 2005-2009 IAU World
100K Cup). Nippert has seven top-15 finishes and four top-10 finishes and
was the top U.S. finisher at the World Cup for six consecutive years.
Chad Ricklefs (Boulder, Colo.), has been competing in ultramarathons at a
national level since 1998 and reached an all-time high in his career in
2007, placing 17th overall at the 2007 IAU 100 km World Cup. He is a former
USA 100 km Road Champion, winning the 2002 championships and the USA 50
Mile Road Championships in 2004.
Steve Stowers (Berkeley, Calif.), placed second in the 2008 USA 100 km
Championships at the Mad City 100K in Madison, Wisconsin, running 7:14.
This is Stowers' second time being named to the US 100km team.
Michael Wardian (Arlington, Va.), won the 2008 USA 100 km Championships at
the Mad City 100km in 6:56:57 where he earned his automatic qualifier.
Wardian also won the 2009 and 2008 USA 50 km Road Championships, the 2008
USA 50 Mile Trial Championships and finished second in the 2008 USA Trail
Marathon Championships. Wardian also has competed in the last two Men's
Olympic Marathon Trials (2004, 2008).
Meghan Arbogast (Corvallis, Ore.) will run on her second national team
after a very successful inaugural event last year in Italy, where she ran
7:52:21 to finish in sixth-place. She comes from a background of road
marathons where she has competed in the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2000,
2004, and 2008.
Annette Bednosky (Jefferson, N.C.) will compete on her first U.S. 100 km
team. Recently she was also a member of the 2009 USA 24 Hour Team that
competed at the World Challenge in Bergamo, Italy, placing ninth overall
woman with 129.6 miles, leading Team USA to the team silver medal.
Devon Crosby-Helms (San Francisco, Calif.) will compete in her third World
team after placing 10th in 2008 in Italy with a time of 8:01:52. With just
three years of ultrarunning experience she has posted impressive results
both on roads and trails.
Connie Gardner (Medina, Ohio) is a seven-time U.S. 100 km team member and
four-time U.S. 24 Hour team member. Gardner has won multiple USA
ultra-running titles including the 2003 USA 100 km Championship, the 2006
USA 100 Mile Trail Championships and the 2003-04 USA 100 Mile Road
Championship.
Kami Semick (Bend, Ore.), the 2009 USA 50 km Road champion excels on both
road and trails, ranging in distances from the marathon to 100 km. This is
Semick's fourth consecutive U.S. 100 km team. Last year in Tarquinia,
Italy, Semick earned an individual silver medal in the World Cup 100km, and
led the United States to a Team Silver Medal.
Carolyn Smith (Milwaukee, Wis.), is a versatile ultra-distance runner
competing at distances ranging from the marathon to the 24-hr run. She is
the 2008 USA 100 km champion and a former 24-hr National Champion. Smith
has competed in the Olympic Marathon Trials and has represented the USA on
both the 100 km and 24 hour National Teams. At the 2005 World 24 hour
Championship she finished 11th and helped the U.S. women's team secure the
bronze medal.
STAFF
Staff for this year's squad includes team leaders Lin Gentling (Rochester,
Minn.), Mike Spinnler (Hagerstown, Md.), and team physician Lion Caldwell
(Cape May, N.J.).
For information on the IAU 100km World Cup visit www.iau.org.tw.
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