Brian Sell (r) and Josh Moen (l) led Hansons-Brooks to the men's Club Cross Country Championships title. Nick Stanko (right/center) led the Front Line Racing Team's effort.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (11/19/05) - The Hansons-Brooks men's team from Michigan and California-based See Jane Run women's squad captured crowns on this thawing morning at the USATF National Club Cross Country Championship.

The Hansons-Brooks team reclaimed a title it had lost last fall after winning the three years prior. See Jane Run repeated as women's queens.

Individually, Matt Tegenkamp, a former University of Wisconsin star and national junior men's champ, distanced himself from ex-NAIA All- American Fernando Cabada to win the open men's 10K in 29:47.

The European-style course consisted of repeating 2,000-meter loops combining hills, mud and other challenges: a perfect stage for the duel between Tegenkamp and Cabada.

For the women, Elizabeth Woodworth, a University of Oshkosh alumni and former All-American, won the 6K in 20:29. Her decisive move in the middle of the second lap put her in control to finish ahead of Erika Aklufi from See Jane Run.

Brian Sell led Hansons-Brooks to its fourth men's club title in five years with a fifth-place finish overall. But it was depth that carried the Michigan team to victory.

Asked if his squad had any "real" competition, coach Keith Hanson commented, "The club championships are always competitive. Our team is very deep, and we needed this depth to win."

When asked how the team performed individually, Hanson added, "Brian Sell, Josh Moen (seventh overall) and Chad Johnson (sixth) are very good runners and certainly capable of winning that race. Clint Verran (14th) is experienced and ran well for the team.

"Marty Rosendahl (31st) is a good cross-country runner who ran a smart race, but unfortunately was unable to finish strong on his last 2K. Mike Morgan (33rd) ran tough, but also did not finish strong. Jeff Gaudette had been training well, but severely strained his hamstring at the start and had to drop out after just 1K."

Other Michigan teams competing included Front Line Racing (15th overall) and Tortoise & Hare R.C. (37th), both in the open men's race. Michigan Runner of the Year Nick Stanko headed the charge for Front Line, placing 54th overall in 31:43.

Although the Nike Farm Team, 2004 open men's champions, did not bring a full team, the race spirit was not weakened. Competition was intense, and the course offered no consolation to unfocused runners.

I ran for a Chicago-based team, Universal Sole, and circling this tough course gave my season a conclusiveness. The tall, leafless, skeleton- like trees towering overhead brought to mind the kind of race this is: a final effort and the beginning of another year. MR