July 20, 2000

The 2000 US Mountain Running Team will travel to Bergen, Germany to compete in the World Mountain Running Trophy Race in September. The senior women will run an 8K event on Saturday, September 9 and the senior men will race approximately 15K on Sunday, September 10. The women’s team includes four athletes and a manager with the top three finisher scoring for the team while the men’s team is represented by six athletes and a manager/alternate with the top four finishers scoring. This year’s team was selected based on the following criteria:

• The first two US male and the first two US female finishers at the Mount Washington Hill Climb (June 17th) received automatic berths

• The first US male finisher and the top two US female finishers at the Vail Hill Climb (July 2nd) received automatic berths

• Prior World championship performances

• International mountain results

• National mountain results

• Regional mountain results

• Trail and road results

For the first time this year top finishers at the selection races received funding to use toward their trip to Germany as part of a sponsorship agreement between the All American Trail Running Association (AATRA) and Mountain Athletics by Timberland. The team receives partial financial support from USATF and the IAAF with the host country providing lodging and meals for all competitors.

The following athletes were selected for this year’s US Mountain Running Team:

Matt Carpenter (automatic - Vail)

Eric Morse (automatic - Mt. Washington)

Dave Dunham (automatic - Mt. Washington)

Scott Gall

Richard Shelley

Paul Low

Julie Peterson (Mt. Washington)

Suzy West (Mt. Washington)

Cindy O’Neill (Vail)
Rene Frazee (Vail)

ATHLETE BIOS:

Matt Carpenter (CO) 36 will be competing in his first mountain running worlds. Matt is a part-time webmaster for The Colorado Springs Business Journal. Carpenter lists his most satisfying running accomplishment as getting to and finishing the USA Olympic Marathon Trials in 1992. He has won 13 of the 17 Sky Marathons he has entered, and is the current course record holder of the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon. Matt holds the official world marathon altitude record recognized by the Association of International Marathons (AIMS). Carpenter qualified for the World's with his first place finish at the Vail (CO) hill climb. He has won the Vail hill climb seven times, and the Mount Washington (NH) road race three times. Carpenter received the USATF Mountain Runner of the Year award in 1999, the first year the award was presented.

Dave Dunham (MA) a 36-year-old accountant for the IRS will be running on his 7^th USA Mountain running team (‘92-96 and ‘98). Dave was selected but injured in ‘97 and ‘99. Dunham captured the silver medal at the Worlds in Gap France (1993), and was the top USA finisher in 1992-96 (2nd US in ‘98). He qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials in 1992 and 2000. In 1996, Dunham founded the USATF NE mountain circuit, and then won the circuit in both 1996 and 1998 (runner-up in 1999 and 2000). Dunham earned an automatic spot on the team with his top US finish at Mount Washington this year, and in addition finished 2^nd at the Vail Hill Climb. Dunham won the Mount Washington race three times and held the course record from 1988-1991.

Eric Morse (VT) 34, is employed as a draftsman. He will be running on his third US Mountain running team having finished third in ’96 and second in ’97 for the US. Morse has been named Vermont runner of the year nine times and has won eleven USATF NE championships. Morse finished first at the USATF New England Mountain Circuit 1997, 1999 & 2000, and was the USATF NE Mountain running champion 1998 & 1999. He earned an automatic berth on the team with his second-place US finish at the Mount Washington Hill Climb. He finished second at both the 1997 and 1998 Mount Washington events. He took third place honors at the Vail Hill Climb this year. He has PRs of 3:59 in the mile, 14:17 in the 5K, 29:20 in the 10K and 1:03:50 for the half marathon.

Scott Gall (CO) 26, was the top USA finisher at last years Worlds with a fifth place finish. This will be his third time on the team. In 1997 Gall was the top US finisher at the Worlds with a 27th place. Gall recently won the US Skyrunning Half marathon championships in Aspen and was third at the US Vertical K in Vail, Colorado. He qualified for the US Olympic trials in the marathon with a 2:20:42 at the Cal International Marathon. Gall holds PRs of 30:10 for 10k, and 24:30 for 8k and was a two-time All-America at Wabash college. He works part time at the Runner’s Roost in Colorado Springs and is assistant coach at a local high school.

Richard Shelley (NM) was the top US finisher at the 1998 Worlds. This will be Shelley’s third appearance on the US Mountain team (1997 - 3rd US and 1998 1^st US). Shelley was the top US finisher at 1997 & 1999 Challenge Stellina (Susa Italy) and the Matterhorn-Lauf (Zermatt Switzerland) 1997. He also won the Duke City Marathon in 1996. Shelley lists his PRs as 5k-14:19, 10k-29:56.

Paul Low (OR) 26, a Geologist/Carpenter will be running on his second US Mountain Running Team. Low was the second US finisher in 1999. He recently placed 11th overall and top US at the first of the European Mountain Grand Prix races. Low also finished third in the English European cup trial race. He was All-MAC five times, and qualified for NAIA XC championships. Low lists his PRs of 5k 14:44, 10k 30:36, half marathon 1:10:07.

Dan Verrington 38 a cemetery manager, will act as the alternate/manger. Verrington was selected to the team from 1994-1999. Verrington has been one of the most consistent finishers for the team during that time. He was the second US finisher in 1994, third US in 1996 & 1998, fourth US in 1997, and 5fifth US last year. Verrington recently finished fifth (third US) at the Mount Washington Hill Climb. Verrington lists his PRs of 5k 14:48, 10k 30:35, half marathon 1:05:32 and 2:21:10 in the marathon . He will compete in the open race or move up should one of the runners be unable to compete.

Julie Peterson 40, is a Physical Therapist based in MA. Peterson was the first US finisher at this year’s Mt. Washington Hill Climb and was the final scoring athlete on the US Mountain Running Team at last year’s World Mountain Running Trophy race. Peterson is known primarily for her road performances and qualified to run in all of the women’s Olympic marathon trials to date. She has made an excellent transition to the trails and mountains finishing near the top in every event she has entered in the past two years.

Suzy West has a dental practice in Putney, VT. The 37-year-old was the second US female finisher at Mt. Washington this year and was the top US finisher on last year’s World Mountain Team. This year West has had outstanding performances in the mountains placing first at Mt. Kearsarge and Pack Monadnock and second to Peter son at Mt. Wachusett. Based on these finishes, West received the nod as the New England Mountain Running Circuit champion.

Cindy O’Neill won the Vail Hill Climb and will make her first appearance on the US Mountain Running Team this year. The 38-year-old software engineer lives and trains in the mountains near her home in Manitou Springs, CO. O’Neill is an uphill specialist evident from her victories in the Pikes Peak Ascent (’98 and ’99). She is a past winner of the grueling 18-mile Imogene Pass Run (’98) proving her tenacity in the mountains.

Rene Frazee is the youngest competitor on the team at 33. She is a two-time collegiate All American and has impressive victories in the mountains this year winning the US Vertical K, a 3 mile uphill grunt at the Vail Ski area in course record time. The following weekend she won the US Fila Half SkyMarathon in Aspen followed up with a second-place finish to O’Neill at the Vail Hill Climb.

Nancy Hobbs will serve as the US women’s team manager. She will also represent the US at the World Mountain Running Association meetings in Bergen, the only female representative among the 26 countries attending the event. Hobbs like Dunham is a member of the USATF MUT (mountain ultra trail) subcommittee and founder and executive director of the All American Trail Running Association.

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Last updated: 09/14/05
Web Author: Lorraine Gersitz