FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Six marathoners named to Team USATF for 2019 IAAF World Championships
INDIANAPOLIS -- The first six members of Team USATF have been named for the
2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar this September 28 - October 6,
USATF announced Friday.
On the men's side, Team USATF will be represented in the marathon by
Shadrack Biwott (Folsom, California), Andrew Epperson (Fort Collins,
Colorado) and Elkanah Kibet (Benton, Illinois). For the women, Kelsey Bruce
(Brackettville, Texas), Carrie Dimoff (Beaverton, Oregon) and Roberta
Groner (Ledgewood, New Jersey) will don the red, white and blue.
Kibet and Biwott will lead the team of marathoners as Kibet was a member of
the 2017 World Championship team and Biwott was a 2014 Team USATF national
team member at the World Half Marathon Championships. 41-year-old Groner
makes her first national team after setting her personal best of 2:29:09
this April in Rotterdam, becoming only the third American woman over the
age of 40 to break 2:30.
The women's marathon is set for the first day of competition at 11:59 p.m.
GMT (4:59 p.m. ET) on September 27, with the men's marathon starting at
11:59 p.m. GMT (4:59 p.m. ET) on October 5. The full competition schedule
can be found here.
The three male and three female athletes were selected from the three
highest-placing performances during the qualifying window, based on marks
set on an IAAF approved course from March 7, 2018 to May 5, 2019. Full
details of Team USATF's marathon athlete selection procedures can be found
here.
Fans can follow #TeamUSATF in Doha on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Athlete Bios
Name: Shadrack Biwott
Born: February 15, 1985
Current Residence: Folsom, CA
Hometown: Eldoret, Kenya
High School: La Cueva High School
College: University of Oregon
Twitter: skiptoob
Instagram: skiptoob
IAAF: Profile
Shadrack Biwott - PR - 2:12:01 (NYC '16)... 2014 Team USATF member at the
World Half Marathon, where he was 39th… 7th at the 2016 Olympic Trials in
2:15:23… has three times finished in the top 10 at the New York City
Marathon, with a best placing of fifth in '16… third in the '18 Boston
Marathon after a fourth-place finish in '17… 15th this year at Boston in
2:13:11… All-America in cross country and track at the University of
Oregon.
Name: Andrew Epperson
Born: November 24, 1990
Current Residence: Fort Collins, Colorado
Hometown: Houston, Texas
High School: Cypress Springs
College: Colorado School of Mines
Twitter: AEpperson24
Instagram: eppersonandrew
IAAF: Profile
Andrew Epperson - PR 2:13:11 (Oita '19)... 27th at 2016 Olympic Trials in
2:22:21… Twice ran at Chicago, with a best place of 12th in '16… NCAA II
All-America in cross country for Colorado School of Mines… also an NCAA II
indoor and outdoor track qualifier in the 5,000m and 10,000m… Set half
marathon best of 63:17 at Houston in January...Currently serves as an
assistant cross-country and track coach at Colorado State University
Name: Elkanah Kibet
Born: February 6, 1986
Current Residence: Benton, Illinois
Hometown: Iten, Kenya
High School: Kipsoen Secondary High School
College: Auburn University
Twitter: elkip2005
Instagram: airbornrunner
IAAF: Profile
Elkanah Kibet - PR 2:11:31 (Chicago '15)... 16th at 2017 World
Championships in London for Team USATF… Placed 8th at Boston in '18…
three-time Chicago competitor, with a best placing of 7th when he set his
PR in '15… half marathon best of 62:29 set at Houston in '18… NCAA
All-America in cross country and indoor 5,000m for Auburn, also qualified
for nationals in the 10,000m with a 28:26.96… started college at Rend Lake
CC, winning indoor and outdoor NJCAA titles...son of Thomas Kibet and
Josphine Chemase...Is a financial management technician in the United
States Army.
Name: Kelsey Bruce
Born: October, 27, 1992
Current Residence: Brackettville, Texas
Hometown: Grand Prairie, Texas
High School: Brackettville High School
College: Dallas Baptist University
Twitter: 2KelseyMae
Instagram: kelseymae_2
IAAF: Profile
Kelsey Bruce - PR 2:31:53 (Houston '19)... sixth at the 2019 Houston
Marathon, matching her placing from the '17 USATF Championships at
Sacramento, where she ran 2:34:03… 8th at the USATF Half Marathon this year
in 75:02, set her PR of 74:15 at Columbus in '16… 4th in the NCAA II cross
country championships in 2015 for Dallas Baptist after winning the NCCAA
title… NCAA II 3,000m steeplechase 4th-placer in '15.
Name: Carrie Dimoff
Born: May 31, 1983
Current Residence: Beaverton, Oregon
Hometown: Wilton, Connecticut
High School: Wilton High School
College: Princeton University
Instagram: fastcarrie
IAAF: Profile
Carrie Dimoff - PR 2:30:53 (Sacramento '17)... 39th at the 2016 Olympic
Trials in 2:44:58… followed up with a 17th at Boston in April '18 before
her PR at the USATF Championships in Sacramento… half marathon PR of 71:51
came in taking 5th at the '18 USATF Championships in Pittsburgh… set her
10,000m track PR May 2 at the Jordan Invitational at Stanford with a
31:42.88 to place 5th… also notched her 5,000m PR at Stanford this year
with a 15:36.82 in March… set 3,000m steeplechase PR of 9:45.01 to take 6th
at '12 Olympic Trials… Ran for Princeton as Carrie Strickland.
Name: Roberta Groner
Born: January 4, 1978
Current Residence: Ledgewood, New Jersey
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
High School: Seneca Valley High School
College: St. Francis University
Twitter: Marathongirl245
Instagram: bad_boys104
IAAF: Profile
Roberta Groner - PR 2:29:09 (Rotterdam '19)... late bloomer who set her
marathon PR at age 41 this April in Rotterdam, becoming only the third
American woman over the age of 40 to break 2:30… 12th at '18 NYC Marathon
in 2:31:01… runner-up at '17 USATF Championships in Sacramento in 2:30:37…
also 16th at Boston that year… half marathon PR of 72:20 set at
Philadelphia in '18… 7th at '18 USATF Half Marathon Championships… ran
collegiately at St. Francis University.
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