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|  ZAP Fitness Men, Run Ohio Racing Team Women Win USATF Club XC Team Titles USATF Press Release December 8, 2007 West Chester, Ohio Michigan Runner
From Paul Merca WEST CHESTER, Ohio - Led by Ryan Warrenburg's overall win, the
men from ZAP Fitness won their second consecutive team
championship, while the Run Ohio Racing Team won the women's title
at the ninth annual USATF National Club Cross Country Championships
today at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio. In the town where the Voice of America transmitted news, music, and
information to listeners throughout the world, the strains of the Plain
White T's song "Hey There Delilah" was broadcast through the airwaves
of Voice of America Park as Delilah DiCrecenzo (the inspiration for the
Grammy nominated hit) of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania emerged
victorious in the open women's race at the USATF National Club Cross
Country Championships Running with the lead pack early, the former Columbia University
steeplechase standout DiCrescenzo who was 11th in last year's contest
in San Francisco, along with Serena Ramsey of Columbia, Missouri and
Julie Culley of Baltimore, Maryland (Pacers Brooks), broke away shortly
before the two mile mark. Down the final stretch, DiCrecenzo separated herself from Culley and
cruised to a two-second victory, running 20:31 over the 6 km course.
Culley held on for second in 20:33, and Ramsey finished in third,
running 20:41. In a very close and hotly contested team race, the Run Ohio squad, led
by former NCAA 10 km champion Leigh Daniel (eighth in 20:59), earned
its first national title, with a score of 157 points. New Balance Boston
took second with 159, and the Boulder Running Company/adidas
finishing third with 160 points. The defending champion Boston Athletic
Association finished fourth with 188 points.
Saturday's races were held under cloudy skies, with temperatures
beginning in the high 30s and traces of snow on the course slowly
turning to mud in spots as the temperature rose as America's top post-
collegiate club teams came to Voice of America Park for the event,
which featured open and masters races at 10-kilometers for men and 6-
kilometers for women. In the open men's race, former Arizona State University runner Ryan
Warrenburg of Blowing Rock, North Carolina (ZAP Fitness) led three of
his teammates across the line in the top eight positions, as ZAP
successfully defended its national title, scoring 45 points to easily defeat
Team Indiana Elite (77 points). The Asics Aggies finished third with 169
points. Warrenburg, who finished 18th in this race last year, ran from the front, a
move that was designed to stay out of trouble. Warrenburg opened up a
lead shortly after the halfway mark, extending to a 9-second advantage
at the finish, crossing the line in 31:47. Patrick Gildea of Knoxville, Tennessee finished second in 31:58.
Warenburg's teammate Jonathan Pierce finished third in 32:01
The master's women's championship saw Joan Mabe of Chapel Hill,
North Carolina (Carrboro AC) overtake early leaders Lisa Goldsmith of
Nederland, Colorado (Fleet Feet Boulder) and Christine Reaser
(Dayton, Maine) of the Dirigo Racing Club with over a mile to go, as the
former Team USA member, and 1995 USA cross county champion once
known as Joan Nesbit, powered her way to the national title in a time of
22:48. Additional individual national age group titles were won by; Lisa
Goldsmith of Nederland, Colorado (40-44); Mabe (45-49); Joanne
Harper of Portland, Oregon (50-54); and, Kathryn Martin of Northport,
New York (55-59). 2005 champion Peter Magill of South Pasadena, Calif. (Fluffy Bunny
Track Club) turned the tide on defending champion Tracy Lokken from
Marquette, Michigan (Front Line Racing Team), as he was content to let
Lokken lead the race. Magill asserted himself over the last 800 meters to
regain the championship he won in Rochester, New York in a time of
34:21. Lokken held on for second in 34:29, with local masters standout
Thomas Lentz of Cincinnati (RC Greater Cincinatti) finishing third in
34:59. Magill's overall win led the Fluffy Bunny Racing Team (59 points) to the
40+ team title, while Club Northwest repeated as 50+ champions (64
points); the Front Line Racing Team (11 points) won the 60+ division;
and GCS Triad (9 points) won the 70+ team title. Individual age group titles were also earned by; Lokken (40-44); Magill
(45-49); Thomad Dever of Terre Haute, Indiana (50-54); Terry
McCluskey of Vienna, Ohio (55-59); William Dixon of Brattleboro,
Vermont (60-64); Doug Goodhue of Milford, Michigan (65-69); Bill
Spencer of Litchfield, New Hampshire (70-74); and, John Kick of
Dunstable, Massachusetts (75-79). RACE QUOTES: Joan Mabe (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)-This is my first national club
masters cross country championship. I never ran one of these when I
was 40. I coach a new USATF elite development team called the
Carrboro Athletic Club, and I wanted to preview the course for my
athletes in the open men's and women's races, and once the gun went
off, my competitive instincts took over. Christine Reaser took out the pace, and she fell at one of the hay bales,
so I took advantage of it. I heard Lisa Goldsmith breathing real hard, so I
took a chance (with a mile to go) and took the lead, then pounded as
hard as I could. Peter Magill (South Pasadena, Calif.)-When I first ran this race, I was 42
years old, and got beat by a 45-year old. At that time, I thought to myself,
'I just got beat by a 45 year old!' I'm now 46, and I'm paying back the
young guys who took it to me. Tracy (Lokken) did all the work. Normally I would feel bad about that, but
last year, I took the lead at 5 km to break up the pack, and carried Tracy
and Danny Martinez with me, until I died and they went past me. So I
figured it was fair I fell at about 3 miles, but I didn't panic like I did in Portland in 2004. I
took my time and gathered myself before running. I loved the fact that
the other competitors took the time to say 'nice job' after getting back in
the race. Only in masters competition will guys say that to you. Delilah DiCrecenzo (Conshohocken, Penn.)-It's a great feeling. The
conditions were tough, but I felt like I was suited for the course with the
way I run. I didn't slide as much in the mud. I was surprised at how well I
felt, given the course conditions. I just tried to stay patient until the last
quarter. Nobody really wanted to push the pace, and I was pretty confident with
my speed, so I was just biding my time until the end. I'm good friends with the guys from Plain White T's. They called me a few
days ago to let me know they've been nominated for two Grammys, so
I'm really excited for them. It's a very unique opportunity, and a funny set
of circumstances, but I'm glad to be associated with the song Ryan Warrenburg (Spring, Tex.)-This is my first championship of any
kind at any level, so it's a special day. I felt like my fitness was better
coming into this year. This is my second year out of school, so last year
was a bit of a rough adjustment for me. I knew I could come in here and
have a chance to win. With the course the way it was, and with so many guys in the field, I
figured it would be easier to run from the front and pick your spots
through the mud. I wanted to stay out of trouble in the back and pick my
way through the mud. It will be fun to run my first World Cross trials in February in San Diego,
and take a shot at trying to make the World Championships team. That's
probably the toughest race I the country. If we could get to the line healthy, I thought we'd have a chance at
defending the title. The USATF National Club Cross Country Championships featured the
elite clubs from across the United States vying for top honors and
bragging rights as the nation's best cross country teams. Over 110 clubs
and 1130 competitors took part in the event. For more information about the 2007 USATF National Club Cross
Country Championships, along with complete results, visit
www.usatf.org. The USATF National Club Cross Country Championships features the
top clubs from across the United States vying for top honors and
bragging rights as the nation's top cross country team. Close to 1,100
competitors are expected at the event, which features a 10-kilometer
men's race and a 6-kilometer women's race. Clubs will compete for a
total prize purse of $25,000, with $20,000 going to the top open teams. For more information about the USATF National Club Cross Country
Championships, please visit www.usatf.org.
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