MICHIGAN RUNNING NEWS

January 1, 2002

THE TOP MICHIGAN RUNNING STORIES, 2001
National Public Radio sports reporter Tom Goldman reviewed the year's top sports stories of 2001 on Weekend Edition Sunday, he failed to mention the event that brought running to late-night TV: Alan Webb's 3:53:43 at the Prefontaine Classic Mile on May 27. This is the race in which University of Michigan-bound Webb broke Jim Ryan's long-standing high school mile record (3:55.3 set in 1965), Hicham El Guerrouj ran the fastest mile ever in the US (3:49.92) and U of M assistant coach Kevin Sullivan ran a strong second place (3:51:82). Webb later appeared on Late Show with David Letterman.
NPR's omission prompted Michigan Running News to list our own top Michigan Running Stories of 2001. If you doubt our contention that Michigan is truly a running mecca, look at the Michigan runners winning competitions at national and world events. Do you have one which should be on the list? Let us know and we'll publish it in Michigan Running News.

The Top Michigan Running Stories of 2001 (Chronological Order):

. March 1: Paul Aufdemberge is named Michigan Runner of the Year 2000. Aufdemberge is the only Michigan runner to have achieved this honor three times.
. March 24: Dathan Ritzenhein wins the bronze medal, IAAF World Cross Country Championships, March 24, 2001, Ostend, Belgium. While Ritz racked up many significant performances, including national and state titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track, and his 5000 meter race at the Penn Relays (13:51.69), we think the World Championship race is the highlight of his 2001 races. Ritz was named Michigan High School Runner of the Year-the first year of the award.
. May 27: Alan Webb sets a new high school mile record, May 27, Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon.
. May 30: Ryan Shay, Central Lake/Notre Dame is the NCAA Division I, 10,000 meter champion (29:04:44) in Eugene Oregon.
. June 2: Rochester-Adams senior Katie Boyles took the state title in the 3200 at the MHSAA track and field finals (10:32), capping off a stellar high school career in which she won the cross-country title each of the four years she ran.
. June 16: Rockford High School girls showed their depth by fielding two teams and taking 2nd and 3rd in the distance medley relay at the Adidas Outdoor Championship with times ranking 4th and 9th all-time.
. August 12: Paul McMullen's comeback; McMullen qualifies for the finals of the 1500 meter in the World Track and Field Championships and places 10th, the best American finish in a distance event.
. August 25: The Crim Festival of Races celebrated its 25th anniversary at the annual runners party in which everyone in Flint volunteers. The Crim 10 mile honors each of the runners who have run all 25 Crims.
. October 19:Michigan Runner TV debuts on the Internet at michiganrunner.tv. Current and archived shows are available 24/7.
. October 21:The Detroit Free/Press/Flagstar Bank International Marathon's course over the Ambassador Bridge, along the Windsor waterfront and under the Detroit/Windsor tunnel had to be changed at the last minute in the aftermath of September 11. Race Director Pat Ball and Technical Director Doug Kurtis worked with city officials to develop a new course which pleased Canadian and American runners alike.
. November 19: Eastern Michigan University's Boaz Cheboiywo wins the NCAA, Division I individual cross country title in a course record time.
. December 1: Hansons Running Shops wins the team title at the USATF Fall Cross Country Nationals in Mobile, Alabama. The Hansons' Olympic Development program continued to show results with Chad Johnson winning the USATF 25K title at the River Bank Run and Clint Verran taking second in the USATF Marathon Championships at the New York City Marathon.
. December 1: Motor City Track Club Bantam boys team (ages 10 & under) won the 2001 AAU Youth Cross-Country championship at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. Ten-year-old twins Menachem & Shaka Dukes finished 1-2 in the 3,000-meter race; brother Rames, 9, was third till he fell with 300 meters left & wound up fourth. The club's Bantam girls took third, Midget (ages 11-12) boys seventh & Midget girls 11th.
. December 8: Tim Moore, Novi High School, wins the Footlocker National Cross Country Championship, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Tim Ross, Caledonia, placed fifth and also won All-American honors.

AULD LANG SYNE . Hearing Robert Burns' Auld Lang Syne takes me back to New Years Day 2000, Hamilton, New Zealand when the band began to play Auld Lang Syne just as I crossed the finish line of the Millenium Marathon. Since then "Should auld acquaintance be forgot" reminds me of all the friends we make traveling to races in Michigan and beyond.
To all our friends in the running community, we wish you a Very Happy New Year.

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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