MICHIGAN RUNNING NEWS

December 5, 2001

FOOTLOCKER CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS SATURDAY Tim Ross (Caledonia), Amber Smith (Ishpeming), Tim Moore (Novi), Nikki Bohnsack (Rockford) and Adam Ludwig (St. Joesph) are the Michigan high school athletes who are contenders for the Footlocker Cross Country championships Saturday, December 8. Andrew Bauer (Bloomfield Hills) is an alternate. The top eight finishers in each of the regional races compete at Disney's Oak Trail Course at Shades of Green in Orlando. The 23rd annual Footlocker Cross Country Championships brings together the best and most promising high school runners to compete for the national championship. On hand to meet with the high school contenders are many successful professional runners and Nike track and field atheletes, including Bob Kennedy, Meb Keflezighi, Pascal Dobert, Abdi Abdirahman, Regina Jacobs, Sarah Schwald, Kara Grgas Wheeler Goucher, Michael Johnson and Stacy Dragila.

SCOTT HUBBARD WANTS YOUR "RULES OF RUNNING" Michigan Runner columnist Scott Hubbard wants your contributions to "Rules of Running." Please help Scott compile a 'Rules of Running' list for an upcoming Running Shorts column in Michigan Runner. The rules can be serious, humorous, irreverent and witty but should be based on actual incidents. You can submit as many rules as you want. You will, of course, be credited if Scott uses your submission(s). Email your rules to [email protected]."
-- Running Shorts author, Scott Hubbard.

ISHPEMING'S AMBER SMITH 3RD AT FOOTLOCKER MIDWEST John Carlson of Newberry High School keeps us posted on Upper Peninsula running and sent us this news about Amber Smith. "The latest U.P. phenom is also from Marquette County [as were twins Katie and Emily Anderson] but she attends Ishpeming Westwood HS and her name is Amber Smith. Amber, a 10th grader, burst onto the national scene today (November 24) by taking third at the Midwest Regional. Her best race this year was a third place effort at the Michigan State University Spartan Invitational.
This season she repeated as the U.P. champ in X-C, winning by almost 2 minutes on a very demanding, extremely hilly, course at Gladstone, Michigan on October 20, 2001. In track last spring, her coaches often times had her quadruple, even in triangular meets! She ran some good times without any competition. Amber took four firsts at the Upper Peninsula Division 2 Finals: 2:22.3 in the 800m; 5:12.1 in the 1600m and 11:34.2 in the 3200m - all three were her season bests. She also started the day off going sub 2:20 for her split in the 3200 relay and made up a time gap of over 15 seconds to anchor the win."

WEBB NAMED FIRST VERIZON YOUTH ATHLETE OF THE YEAR At the USATF annual meeting on November 30, Alan Webb was honored as the first Verizon Youth Athelete. As part of its efforts to support USA Track and Field, Verizon established the award to recognize the great athletic achievements by a high-school track and field athlete. University of Michigan freshman Webb became an international star after becoming the first American high-school athlete to run a mile under four minutes indoors when he ran it in 3 minutes, 59.86 seconds at the New Balance Games in New York City in January 2001. Four months later, Webb ran the outdoor mile in 3:53.43 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., breaking the national high-school record of 3:55.3 set by Jim Ryun in 1965, and setting a prep record of 3:38:26 for the 1,500 meters en route.

RITZ WINS USATF CROSS COUNTRY MERIT AWARD In giving out awards at its annual Jesse Owens dinner, USATF didn't neglect Dathan Ritzenhein's 3rd place performance at the 2001 U.S. Junior Men's World Cross Country Championships in Ostend Belgium. The University of Colorado freshmen from Rockford, MI HS was recognized with the USATF Cross Country Merit Award.

HANSON'S WIN MEN'S TEAM TITLE AT USATF NATIONALS Hanson's Running Shop won the senior men's title at Saturday's USATF Fall Cross Country Nationals at Battleship Park in Mobile, Alabama in the closest team competition in the history of the event.
Hanson's and the Nike Farm Team each finished with 40 points, with Hanson's capturing the team crown due it's fifth place finisher completing the course ahead of the Farm Team's fifth place competitor. Hanson's captured the team title this year after finishing second last year in Boston. Wisconsin RT captured the title in 2000 by edging Hanson's by a single point, 60-61.
Former University of Wisconsin steeplechaser Jared Cordes of Wisconsin Runner RT won the senior men's10K individual event in 30 minutes, 39.64 seconds. Chris Graff of the Farm Team was second in 30:48.86. After placing second at last year's Championships, the Indiana Invaders captured the senior women's 6K team title with 38 points. The Nike Farm Team was the runner-up with 47 points. Priscilla Hein (20:21.19) and Collette Liss (20:32.62) finished 1-2 respectively in leading the Invaders to the team title.
Saturday's competition served as one of the culminating events of USATF's Annual Meeting held last week in Mobile.
The Hanson's Team:
4 Brinker, Richard, 30:52
5 Carr, Emry, 31:03
9 Sell, Brian, 31:21
17 Gibson, Joseph , 31:46
19 Hubbard, Jason, 31:55
63 Wehrman, Chris, 33:04
80 Busquaert, Bob, 33:38
--From the USATF Press Release

CRIM 25th ANNIVERSARY AND WFUM, FLINT Did you know? Twenty-five years ago, WFUM-TV, Flint, launched it's station with coverage of Flint's community event, the Crim Festival of Races. WFUM is offering a videotape covering all 25 years of the Crim for a $100 contribution. See Bill Rodgers, Cathy O'Brien;s world record, Lisa Weidenbach, Scott Hollenbeck and Catherine Ndereba's wins over the years. Check http://www.wfum.org for details.

ALLEN TOLMICH RAN LOW HURDLES (CORRECTION) Reader John Hunter tells us that Internation Jewis Hall of Fame inductee Allen Tolmich ran the low hurdles-not the high hurdles as we reported last week.

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY CROSS COUNTRY (CLARIFICATION) Reader Mike Unger points out that 2001 is not Wayne State University's first national competition. Mike's Dad ran in a NCAA national meet hosted by Michigan State in the late 1930's.

RACE CALENDAR In December 2000, an early winter snowstorm had runners turning to treadmills, cross country skis and slippery roads. December's race calendar begins to get a bit thin as the possibility of snowstorms threaten traction and fast times. This year, we close out a record-setting 67 degree December day and some extra chances to get in some long runs while this great running weather lasts.
. Reese Winter Road Race Series, Reese, 5K, 10K, 10am, Saturday, December 8, 517.693.6558
. New Baltimore Jingle Bell Run, 5K, 4pm, Sunday, December 9, 810.725.4726.

GREAT LAKES SPORTS PUBLICATIONS, INC (GLSP) MOVING OFFICES Great Lakes Sports Publications, Inc. (GLSP) is moving its office from Brighton to Ann Arbor as of December 15th. GlSP, now entering its 24th year of business, has the following line up of publications:

*Print* Michigan Golfer, Michigan Runner, Michigan Skier, Michigan Golfer for Women and the Michigan Golf Real Estate Guide

*Online* http://michigangolfer.com , http://michiganrunner.com , http://michiganskier.com http://womensgolfnetwork.com and http://michigangolfrealestate.com

*Internet Television* http://michigangolfer.tv , http://michiganrunner.tv and http://michiganskier.tv

Our new address and other vital information is as follows. Great Lakes Sports Publications, Inc. 3588 Plymouth Road #245 Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Voice: 734-507-0241 Fax: 734-434-4765 Website http://glsp.com Email [email protected]

Please make a note of these changes and have a wonderful holiday season.

Jennie McCafferty, Editor Michigan Runner, Michigan's statewide road running magazine since 1979 Michigan Running News http://michiganrunner.com http://michiganrunner.tv http://michigangolfer.tv http://michiganskier.tv

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