Gutierrez Earns Berth on the Teva US Mountain Running Team


Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire ----- Twelve former U.S. Mountain Running Team members competed for two slots on the 2002 Teva US Mountain Running Team at Saturday's Mount Washington Hill Climb, a race shortened from its traditional 7.6 miles to 3.8 miles due to dangerous weather conditions on the upper portions of the race route and at the 6,288-foot summit. At the end of the day only one athlete was added to the team roster.

Simon Gutierrez, Albuquerque, NM edged out second-place finisher and 2001 USATF Mountain Runner of the Year Eric Morse by ten seconds to take the victory and earn a spot on the mountain running team. Morse is already on the team after his win at the June 9 Wolverine Mountain Race in Anchorage, Alaska.

On the women's side, the top U.S. finisher was Anita Ortiz who like Morse had already earned a spot on the team in Alaska. Since only the top U.S. female finisher earns an automatic berth, no additional woman was named to the mountain team. Ortiz was second to overall champion Anna Pichrtova, a citizen of the Czech Republic. 

The final selection race will be held on July 7 with the 7.5-mile Vail Hill Climb in Vail, Colorado where the first US male and first US female finisher will earn an automatic berth on the Teva US Mountain Running Team.

The remaining positions on the team will be filled by athletes with strong mountain, trail, crosscountry, road, and track resumes. Prior results at the World Trophy along with other international mountain running experience and finish position in the selection races will also be considered. On the list of athletes being considered will certainly be top Mount Washington finishers and former mountain team members Julie Bryan, Suzy West, and Nikki Kimball along with second-place finisher at Wolverine Nina Kemppel. On the men's side former mountain team members and top Mount Washington finishers Dave Dunham (who finished second to Morse at Wolverine), Craig Fram, Paul Low, Rich Bolt and Richard Shelley top the list.

The Teva US Mountain Running team will compete at the WMRA World Mountain Trophy Race this September in Innsbruck, Austria. The U.S. will field both juniors (three junior men, three junior women) and seniors (six men and four women) at the competition. The six-member junior squad has been selected and will be announced this week.

Mount Washington Hill Climb Top Finishers 
Saturday, June 15, 2002

Top Male Finishers

1) Simon GUTIERREZ, 36, ALBUQUERQUE, NM - 28:02

2) Eric MORSE, 37, BERLIN ,VT - 28:12

3) Craig FRAM, 43 PLAISTOW, NH  -28:28

4) Paul LOW, 28, AMHERST, MA  -28:46

5) Dave DUNHAM, 38, BRADFORD, MA  -28:58

Top Female Finishers

1) Anna PICHRTOVA, 28, CZECH REPUBLIC - 32:32

2) Anita ORTIZ, 38,  EAGLE, CO - 34:10

3) Julie Anne WHITE, 40, VISTA, CA/England - 35:05

4) Alice MURIITHI, 28, KENYA - 35:31

5) Julie BRYAN, 33, Jackson, WY -35:34

For additional information on the Teva US Mountain Running Team contact:

Nancy Hobbs at trlrunner@aol.com  
or 
Dave Dunham at dave.dunham@verizon.net

www.alaskamountainrunners.org - Wolverine Mountain Run

www.gsrs.com - Mount Washington Hill Climb

www.vailrec.com - Vail Hill Climb

www.tlv.at/worldtrophy2002 - World Mountain Running Trophy 2002

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