Team USA Minnesota's Luke Watson won The Best Cross Country Race on the Planet in Boulder, Colo., and former UW-Platteville all-American Ryan Kleimenhagen ran 3:59:00 in the mile at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games on Jan. 28. In addition, Katie McGregor and Carrie Tollefson finished third and fourth respectively in the women's 3000 meter run at Boston, and Jenelle Deatherage came in eighth in the women's mile run.
"It was a solid opening weekend of racing for these athletes," said Team USA Minnesota coach Dennis Barker. "We got a good indication of where their fitness level is. Ryan's first sub-four minute mile and Luke's win at altitude were particularly good indicators, plus we qualified four athletes for the USA Indoor Championships."
At the Boston Indoor Games, Kleimenhagen was in a field of 11 men (including five Americans) who broke 4 minutes in the mile, which was a new world record for that many men breaking 4 minutes in an indoor mile according to Race Results Weekly. Kleimenhagen's 3:59:00 knocked over 6 seconds off hisÊprevious best in the mile of 4:05.18. The race qualified himÊto run the 1500 meters at the USA Indoor Championships in Boston Feb. 24-26.
1/25/06
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Minneapolis/St. Paul - Jan. 25, 2006 - Six Team USA Minnesota distance runners will compete on Jan. 28, with four of the athletes set to begin their 2006 seasons at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games. In Boston, Jenelle Deatherage and Ryan Kleimenhagen will run the mile, and Carrie Tollefson and Katie McGregor will be among the competitorsÊin the 3000 meters.
Out in Colorado, Luke Watson will run in The Best Cross-Country Race on the Planet, a 4-mile event that will be held in Boulder. Closer to home, Annie Bersagel will start her tune-up with a 3000 meter race at the USATF Minnesota All Comers indoor meet that will be held at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.
Reebok Boston Indoor Games - Jan. 28
At the 11th annual Boston Indoor Games held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College, Jenelle Deatherage and Ryan Kleimenhagen will compete in the mile races. Deatherage has a personal best of 4:31.58 in the mile and was a member of the 2004 U.S. World Indoor team in the 1500 meters. Kleimenhagen, a 2005 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, will be looking to improve upon his best of 4:05.18 in the mile. In 2005, Kleimenhagen was fourth in the 1500 meters at the USATF Indoor Championships.
In the women's 3000 meter race, both Olympian Carrie Tollefson and 10,000 meter national champion Katie McGregor will be among the competitors. Tollefson, who was second in the 3000 meters at the 2004 USATF Indoor Championships and a member of the U.S. World Indoor team that year, has a best in the distance of 8:52.67. McGregor, who was a member of the 2003 U.S. World Indoor team in the 3000 meters, has a best in the distance of 8:59.64.
The Reebok Boston Indoor Games will be broadcast on ESPN2 from 2-4 p.m. (Central time) on Jan. 29.
Related Links