MICHELLE SIMONAITIS, 2ND FEMALE MASTERS IN 30:32. CLAY SHAW PHOTO

Athletes Bound Through Boulder
En Route to the USA XC Championships

BY CLAY SHAW

BOULDER, CO--The USA XC has found another solid venue in Boulder. A very successful XC meet in 2006 in New York was followed by a superbly organized event by Pete Julian. The meet was held on the snowy Flatirons Golf Course on February 10. Boulder’s altitude was a concern, but the athletes performed well in the six races, with altitude-based athletes winning all the adult races. In the first race of the day, on a mostly snow-covered course, Patty Murray of Boulder dueled with Utah’s Michelle Simonaitis for the first few laps of the 8K before pulling away to win in 29:54. The Masters men were led by Michelle’s husband, Dennis, who won in 26:28.

In the Junior women’s 6K race (19 & under), Jordan Hasay of San Luis Obispo, CA, a 15-year-old, led from the gun to win in 21:44. Hasay, who never raced at altitude before, said that she felt terrible, but looked good in her runaway victory. College freshmen Bona Jones of NC State (21:58), and Kari Hardt of Arizona State (22:04), took the second and third spots, respectively.

In the men’s Junior 8K race, Elliot Health of Winona, MN won in 26:07, with Kenny Klotz of the University of Oregon taking second in 26:18. Matthew Tebo of the University of New Mexico took third in 26:22.

In the women’s 8K, superstar Deena Kastor of Mammoth Lakes, CA won very easily in 26:47. Shalane Flanagan of Portland, OR, who had just set a USA 3000m indoor record, gave running with Kastor a go for a bit, but thought, what was I thinking, and took second in 27:48.

Kastor won by over a minute, while Flanagan had distanced herself from the rest of the field. Third place was earned by Kara Goucher of Portland, OR in 28:01. Lauren Fleshman of Palo Alto, CA was fourth in 28:26. Renee Metivier of Boulder took fifth in 28:35 and will head the USA XC delegation to Mombasa, Kenya. The first four opted out, with Kastor running the Boston Marathon. In the men’s Open 12K, Dathan Ritzenhein of Boulder took off with a large lead only to be overtaken around 10K by Alan Culpepper of Lafayette, CO.

Culpepper would surge to a strong finish with a 37:09 with thousands of fans cheering every step on the now very muddy course. Adam Goucher of Portland, OR took second in 37:35, Ritzenhein held on for third in 37:47. Jorge Torres of Boulder made it a top four sweep for University of Colorado alums with a 38:07. Michael Spence of Ogden, UT took fifth and, like Metivier, will head the USA XC team to Kenya. Spence finished in 38:15.

MALE

GREG CAULLER (#72) IN TRAFFIC. CLAY SHAW PHOTO

Masters 8K

1. Dennis Simonaitis, 44, Draper, UT 26:28
2. Andrew Ames, 44, Boulder, CO 26:43
3. Peter Magill, 45, Pasadena, CA 26:48
4. Rene Sepulveda, 41, Stillwater, OK 26:51
5. Ken Pliska, 41, Broomfield, CO 26:53
6. Mark Newman, 44, Germantown, TN 26:58
7. David O’Keeffe, 48, Orchard Park, NY 26:59
8. Bill Fanselow, 40, Golden, CO 27:12
9. Darren DeReuck, 41, Boulder, CO 27:38
10. Peter Hegelbach, 42, Boulder, CO 27:54

Junior 8K

1. Elliot Heath, 18, Winona, MN 26:07
2. Kenny Klotz, 18, Eugene, OR 26:18
3. Matthew Tebo, 18, Albuquerque, NM 26:22
4. Ryan McNiff, 19, Los Alamos, NM 26:23
5. Noel Bateman, 18, New Rochelle, NY 26:23
6. Joshua Edmonds, 19, Cooperstown, NY 26:24
7. Alex Crabill, 18, Lakewood, WA 26:29
8. Dustin Martin, 17, Albuquerque, NM 26:30
9. Griff Graves, 16, Abingdon, VA 26:35
10. Matthew Herzl, 18, Littleton, CO 26:36

Open 12K

1. Alan Culpepper, 34, Lafayette, CO 37:09
2. Adam Goucher, 31, Portland, OR 37:35
3. Dathan Ritzenhein, 24, Boulder, CO 37:47
4. Jorge Torres, 26, Boulder, CO 38:07
5. Michael Spence, 28, Odgen, UT 38:15
6. Zach Sabatino, 23, Morgantown, WV 38:16
7. Fasil Bizuneh, 26, Flagstaff, AZ 38:24
8. James Carney, 28, Marina, CA 38:25
9. Jason Lehmkuhle, 29, Minneapolis, MN 38:26
10. Edwardo Torres, 26, Boulder, CO 38:31
11. Andrew Carlson, 24, Minneapolis, MN 38:33
12. Matt Gabrielson, 28, Minneapolis, MN 38:42
13. Celedonio Rodriguez, 26, Alamosa, CO 38:44
14. Ryan Shay, 27, East Jordan, MI 38:46
15. Martin Rosendahl, 28, Rochester, MI 38:49

USA XC team: Spence, Sabatino, Bizuneh, Carlson, Gabrielson, Rodriguez, Shay, and Rosendahl.

FEMALE

DEENA KASTOR LEADS THE WOMEN’S 8K. KAREN MITCHELL PHOTO

Masters 8K

1. Patty Murray, 41, Boulder, CO 29:54
2. Michelle Simonaitis, 40, Draper, UT 30:32
3. Tanya Poel, 43, Boulder, CO 31:19
4. Lisa Goldsmith, 42, Nederland, CO 31:57
5. Susan Nuzum, 40, Boulder, CO 31:59
6. Kathryn Martin, 55, Northport, NY 32:16
7. Noelle Green, 42, Erie, CO 32:21
8. Rosalva Bonilla, 44, Big Bear City, CA 32:23
9. Christine Reeser, 41, Dayton, ME 32:27
10. Mercedes Gil, 45, Fort Collins, CO 32:28

Junior 6K

1. Jordan Hasay, 15, Arroyo Grande, CA 21:44
2. Bona Jones, 18, Fort Myers, FL 21:58
3. Kari Hardt, 18, Queen Creek, AZ 22:04
4. Aurora Scott, 17, Chesapeake, VA 22:06
5. Jocelyn Burke, 19, Waunakee, WI 22:16
6. Aislinn Ryan, 18, Bellvale, NY 22:19
7. Kinsey Farren, 18, Dallas, TX 22:33
8. Keri Bland, 19, Fairview, WV 22:39
9. Kristen McGlynn, 17, Bailey, CO 22:41
10. Jessica Pixler, 18, Snohamish, WA 22:45

Open 8K

1. Deena Kastor, 33, Mammoth Lakes, CA 26:47
2. Shalane Flanagan, 25, Portland, OR 27:48
3. Kara Goucher, 28, Portland, OR 28:01
4. Lauren Fleshman, 25, Palo Alto, CA 28:26
5. Renee Metivier, 25, Boulder, CO 28:35
6. Elva Dryer, 35, Gunnison, CO 28:38
7. Katie McGregor, 29, St Louis Park, MN 28:43
8. Desiraye Osburn, 22, Lyndon, KS 28:50
9. Katherine Newberry, 28, Wmsburg., VA 29:05
10. Catherine Ferrell, 22, Eugene, OR 29:11

USA XC team: Metivier, McGregor, Newberry, Osburn, Ferrell, Duerbeck.