CLUB BALLARD ATHLETICS
P.O. Box 70601
Seattle, WA. 98107-0601 USA
E-MAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
WEB SITE: www.clubballard.com
For Release: Immediately (26 January 2003)
Contact: Paul Merca, Meet Director
206/499-4329, telephone
206/725-3662, fax
[EMAIL PROTECTED] , e-mail
MONDOR REPEATS AS SEATTLE OPEN CHAMPION AND BREAKS COURSE RECORD
Johnson, Hanneck & MacDonald also emerge victorious in muddy conditions at
Lincoln Park
(SEATTLE, WA) Canadian national cross country champion Emilie Mondor,
a student at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, cruised to
an easy victory, and broke the Lincoln Park course record in winning
her second straight Seattle Open
Cross Country Classic women's 6-kilometer title in a time of 20:29.
Despite a very soggy race course with patches of slick mud in places, Mondor
ran away from her nearest competitor, fellow British Columbian Allison
Rendell of Vancouver to garner a win by almost a minute and a half, en route
to breaking the course record of 20:30, previously set by Canadian Olympian
Tina Connelly in 2001.
The Seattle Open was Mondor's first competition since winning the Canadian
national title in December. According to the Canadian star, she felt that
today's race, despite the mucky conditions, will help gauge her fitness as
she leads Team Canada into Lausanne, Switzerland in March for the
IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Mondor and Rendell led Team British Columbia to a perfect team score of 10
points in the accompanying Northwest International Team Challenge, held in
conjunction with the women's 6-k and men's 10-k races.
Chad Johnson of Portland, OR., led a 1-2-3-4 Team Oregon sweep of the men's
10-kilometer race, winning the Seattle Open title in a time of 30:17, the
third fastest time in the meet's history. Former University of Puget Sound
standout Dave Davis finished second in 30:27, while Mike Donnelley finished
third in 30:30. Former Zimbabwe Olympian Phillimon Hanneck placed fourth in
30:58.
All four Oregonians are coached by former American marathon record holder
Alberto Salazar, as part of race sponsor NIKE's Oregon Project for post
collegiate distance runners. Salazar was pleased with his athletes'
performances today, as they prepare to challenge for berths on the United
States national team at the US team trials and national championships in
three weeks in Houston, TX.
Hanneck made Seattle Open history, as he competed in the 10-kilometer race
shortly after winning the men's 4-kilometer title twenty five minutes
earlier, in a time of 13:06, defeating 2001 Seattle Open 4-k winner Geoff
Perry of Seattle. Perry ran 13:19, with Seattle's Devin Kemper third in
13:26.
Former Arizona State University All-American Kelly MacDonald of Renton, ran
away with the women's 4-kilometer title, winning in a time of 15:11, the
second fastest time in meet history, just missing the course record of
15:06.
The Seattle Open Cross Country Classic, presented by NIKE, with assistance
from the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, Talking Rain, the
Pacific Northwest Association of USA Track & Field, and Active.com, is one
of the final high performance cross country races in the country designed to
help prepare runners for the USA Cross Country Championships in Houston, TX
on February 15-16 and the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in March in
Lausanne, Switzerland.
--cba-
NOTE--Full results of the Seattle Open Cross Country Classic are now
posted at Club Ballard's website, http://www.clubballard.com
