July 20, 2001

The 2001 U.S. Mountain Running Team will travel to Arta Terme, Italy to compete in the World Mountain Running Trophy Race in September. The senior women will run an 8K event on Saturday, September 15 and the senior men will race approximately 12K on Sunday, September 16. 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 U.S. males and the first U.S. female finisher at the USATF New England Mountain Running Championships in New Ispwich, NH (May 12) received automatic berths

• The first U.S. male finisher and the first U.S. female finisher at the Barr Trail Mountain Race in Manitou Springs, CO (July 15) received automatic berths

• Prior world mountain running trophy performances

• International mountain results

• National mountain results

• Regional mountain results

• Trail and road results

The male and female winner from the Barr Trail Mountain Race receive funding to use toward their trip to Italy as part of a sponsorship from the event. A donation from the All American Trail Running Association (AATRA) will provide additional funding for the team, however the funding does not come close to offsetting the costs borne by the athletes traveling to Europe. 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:

Dan Verington (automatic - New England Champs)

Dave Dunham (automatic - New England Champs)

Matt Carpenter (automatic - Barr Trail) - declined invitation

Eric Morse

Scott Gall - declined invitation

Jeremy Wright

Ryan Pauling (alternate)

Brad Precosky (alternate)

Nikki Kimball (automatic - New England Champs)

Julie Flint Bryan (automatic - Barr Trail)

Suzy West

Danelle Ballengee

Kari DiStefano (alternate)

ATHLETE BIOS

Matt Carpenter (Manitou Springs, CO) 37 was the winner at the Barr Trail (the West selection race). Carpenter holds the course record for the Pikes Peak Ascent and marathon, and is the only U.S. athlete to run under one hour at Mount Washington (3 time winner). Carpenter has the World record for a marathon run at high altitude and was the USATF mountain runner of the year in 1999 and qualified for the 1992 Olympic trials (marathon). Carpenter was the 4^th US finisher in 2000.

Dave Dunham (Bradford, MA) finished second in the USATF NE championship (East selection race). Dunham was recently selected to the U.S. 100k team to compete in the World Challenge 100k in France this August. He set the American record for 50k in Chicago earlier this year. He was the 2001 National Snowshoe Champion and is a three-time winner and six-time runner-up at the Mount Washington Road Race. He qualified for the Olympic trials (marathon) in 1992 and 2000.

Scott Gall (Manitou Springs, CO) 27, was the runner-up at the Barr Trail Mountain Race. Gall is a two-time All American from Wabash college with a 4:10 mile and 2:20 marathon PR. He was 59^th at the 2000 Olympic trials (marathon) and finished 1^st in the 2000 U.S. SkyRunning Half-marathon championship. Gall is a three-time member of the U.S. Mountain Running Team. In the last up/down World Trophy Race (1999) Gall lead the U.S. team with a 5^th place overall finish.

Eric Morse (Berlin, VT) 35, was the overall winner of the USATF NE mountain circuit 1997, 1999-2001. Morse won every mountain race he ran in the 2001 circuit, with the exception being the NE championship race (he was leading the race when he unfortunately went off course). He is an eleven-time USATF NE champion and nine-time Vermont runner of the year. Morse finished 5^th at this year's Mt. Washington road race. He has PR’s of 3:59 for the mile and 1:03:50 for the half marathon. This will be Morse’s 6^th time selected to the team (1996 – present), he was the 3^rd U.S. finisher at last years worlds.

Ryan Pauling (Portland, OR) 25, finished fourth in the Barr Trail race (West selection). Pauling was a three-time All American at Pacific Lutheran University and has PR's of 24:13 for 8k and 29:49 for 10k. He ran 37:00 at the Bloomsday 12K finishing 19th. Pauling will be the alternate, and will run the open race over the same course as the rest of the team.

Brad Precosky (Anchorage, AK) 35, three-time winner Mount Marathon (PR in 2001), winner 2001 Bob Spurr Memorial Hill Climb, top finisher in every Alaska Mountain Runner circuit race. First time as an alternate.

Dan Verrington (Bradford, MA) 39 was the USATF NE mountain champion (the East selection race). Verrington finished 3^rd last year in the open race at the Worlds. His time in the open race last year would have been good enough to be the fourth scorer on the U.S. team. He finished 5^th at Mount Washington, and 1^st at Mt. Kearsarge this spring. Verrington has run a 2:21 marathon and a 1:05:32 half marathon. Verrington will be running on his 7^th time on the US team.

Jeremy Wright (Boulder, CO) 27 finished third in the Barr Trail Mountain Race (West selection). He was a two-time All American at Wabash College (IN) and the Indiana state high school champion for 3200m. In 1998 Wright was the New World Snowshoe Champion. He was the 2001 and the 1999 Mt Evans champion and also won the Vail Hill climb earlier this month. This will be Wright's third time on the U.S. team.

WOMEN

Danelle Ballengee (Dillon, CO and Moab, UT) 30 makes her fourth appearance on the U.S. Mountain Running team ('96, '97, '99). Ballengee is a proven performer at the World Trophy placing first or second for the U.S. in each of her appearances. She was the 1999 USATF Mountain Runner of the Year and presently competes in the Hi-Tec Adventure series for Team Balance Bar. She was victorious at the Mountain Athletics Trail Running Challenge Series #1 in Park City, Utah last month.

Julie Flint Bryan (Jackson, WY) 33, is a homebuilder and real estate specialist in her hometown of Jackson. This is Bryan's first time on the mountain running team receiving her nod with a first-place and course-record performance at the Barr Trail Mountain Race. Bryan, a former mountain and road cyclist new to mountain running in just the past two years, holds course records at the Targhee Hill Climb and the Rendevous Hill Climb (both set in '99) in her home state.

Kari DiStefano (Telluride, CO) 42, finished second at this year's Barr Trail Mountain Race (fastest downhill split). She is a five-time winner of the Imogene Pass Run, top masters and second overall at this year's Big Sur Marathon. DiStefano will be the alternate on this year's team.

Nikki Kimball (Waterford, NY) 30 earned a berth on her first U.S. Mountain Running team with her win at the USATF New England Mountain Running Championships. She followed up her victory in New Ispwich with a win at the Pack Monadnock 10 miler and a third-place finish at the Mount Washington Hill Climb. Like Dunham, Kimball will also represent the U.S. in the World 100K Challenge in France this August.

Suzy West (Putney,VT) 38 has a dental practice in Putney, VT. This is West's third U.S. team ('99 and '00). She was the top U.S. finisher at the '99 World Trophy. This year West has had outstanding performances in the mountains placing first at Wachusett Mountain 4.3 miler and Mount Kearsarge, and second at the USATF New England Mountain Running Championships.

Nancy Hobbs will serve as the US women’s team manager for the seventh year. Hobbs sits on the World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) council as the treasurer, is the founder and executive director of the All American Trail Running Association, and is the secretary/treasurer of the USATF MUT (mountain ultra trail) sport council.

For more information, contact:

Men’s Team: Dave Dunham, 108 Ferry Road, Bradford, MA 01835, phone/fax (978) 373-9118, email: mtnman@greennet.net

Women’s Team: Nancy Hobbs, PO Box 576, Crockett, CA 94525 (510) 787-1060 fax (510) 787-1006, email: trlrunner@aol.com

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