(5-28-09) From Running USA Wire #42-05-09 - USA Track & Field has announced the 2009 USA 100K Team that will compete in the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) 100K World Cup on Friday, June 19 in Torhout, Belgium.
This year's team includes one new member and the rest veterans of the 2008 squad. The following athletes will represent Team USA.
MEN
Todd Braje (McKinleyville, Calif.) will be competing on his first USA 100K national team in Belgium. Since beginning ultra competitions in 2007, Braje has set course records at three races over the last two years including the Jed Smith 50 mile and the McKenzie River 50K.
Greg Crowther (Seattle, Wash.), the 2007 USA 50K and 100K road champion was a member of the fourth place men's team that competed in the 2005 World Cup 100K in Japan, where he finished 20th individually. In 2007, as a member of the 2007 US 100K team, he finished in 11th.
Adam Lint (Seattle, Wash.) will be competing with the USA 100K team for the second time in Belgium. Lint post three top finishes at U.S. Championship events in 2008 (3rd 50K road 3:14, 3rd 100K road 7:19 and runner-up 50 mile trail 6:59).
Howard Nippert (Colorado Springs, Colo.) will compete on his 11th USA national team (1993 World University Games, 1999-2003, 2005-2009 IAU World 100K Cup). Nippert has seven top 15 finishes and four top 10 finishes and was the top U.S. finisher at the World Cup for six consecutive years.
Chad Ricklefs (Boulder, Colo.) has been competing in ultramarathons at a national level since 1998 and reached an all-time high in his career in 2007, placing 17th overall at the 2007 IAU 100K World Cup. He is a former USA 100K road champion (2002) and the USA 50 Mile titlist in 2004.
Steve Stowers (Berkeley, Calif.) placed second in the 2008 USA 100K Championships at the Mad City 100K in Madison, Wisconsin, running 7:14. This is Stowers' second time on a U.S. 100K team.
Michael Wardian (Arlington, Va.) won the 2008 USA 100K Championships at the Mad City 100K in 6:56:57 where he earned his automatic qualifier. Wardian also won the 2008-09 USA 50K Road Championships, the 2008 USA 50 Mile Trial Championships and finished second in the 2008 USA Trail Marathon Championships. Wardian also has competed in the last two Olympic Marathon Trials (2004, 2008).
WOMEN
Meghan Arbogast (Corvallis, Ore.) will run on her second national team after a very successful inaugural event last year in Italy, where she ran 7:52:21 to finish in sixth place. She comes from a background of road marathons where she has competed in the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
Annette Bednosky (Jefferson, N.C.) will compete on her first U.S. 100K team. Recently, she was also a member of the 2009 USA 24 Hour Team that competed at the World Challenge in Bergamo, Italy, placing ninth overall woman with 129.6 miles, leading Team USA to the team silver medal.
Devon Crosby-Helms (San Francisco, Calif.) will compete in her third World team after placing 10th in 2008 in Italy with a time of 8:01:52. With just three years of ultrarunning experience, she has posted impressive results both on roads and trails.
Connie Gardner (Medina, Ohio) is a seven-time U.S. 100K team member and four-time U.S. 24 Hour team member. Gardner has won multiple USA ultra-running titles including the 2003 USA 100K title, the 2006 USA 100 Mile Trail title and the 2003-04 USA 100 Mile crowns.
Kami Semick (Bend, Ore.) the 2009 USA 50K Road champion excels on both road and trails, ranging in distances from the marathon to 100K. This is Semick's fourth consecutive U.S. 100K team. Last year in Tarquinia, Italy, Semick earned an individual silver medal in the World Cup 100K, and led the United States to a team silver medal.
Carolyn Smith (Milwaukee, Wis.) is a versatile ultra-distance runner competing at distances ranging from the marathon to the 24-Hour run. She is the 2008 USA 100K champion and a former 24-Hour National Champion. Smith has competed in the Olympic Marathon Trials and has represented the USA on both the 100K and 24 hour national teams. At the 2005 World 24 hour Championship, she finished 11th and helped the U.S. women's team secure the bronze medal.
STAFF
Staff for this year's squad includes team leaders Lin Gentling (Rochester, Minn.), Mike Spinnler (Hagerstown, Md.) and team physician Lion Caldwell (Cape May, N.J.).
For information on the IAU 100K World Cup, visit: www.iau.org.tw
