Hansons-Brooks women shift gears, kick-off summer racing season with fast 5 km finishes at Freihofer's

Only six weeks removed from the Olympic Marathon trials, the Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) women wasted no time shifting gears--kicking off the summer racing season with fast 5 km finishes at the 30th annual Freihofer's Run for Women.

The Hansons-Brooks women were led by Desiree Davila in 11th place (16:30), followed by Melissa White in 15th (16:45), Dot McMahan in 18th (17:09) and Yolanda Flamino in 21st (17:30). Davila was edged out of a top-ten finish by Olympian Kathy Butler of Great Britain, but held on for top-American honors by out-pacing former Cornell University All-American Emily McCabe (Durham, NC) in the final mile.

Benita Johnson (Australia) won her third consecutive title--joining Lynn Jennings and Marla Runyan as the only women to win three Freihofer's titles. She was challenged by runner-up Amane Gobena (Kenya), who ran shoulder-to-shoulder with Johnson for most of the race. It wasn't until the final half-mile that Johnson took control--opening up a 16-second advantage before finishing in 15 minutes, 45 seconds.

For complete results, click here.

Royal Oak to Rhode Island--Morgan, Verran, and Moulton claim road titles

It was a busy weekend of racing for the Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) men, who spread out their efforts--racing everywhere from Royal Oak to Rhode Island.

Close to home, Mike Morgan out-paced his Hansons-Brooks teammates--Mike Reneau, Pat Rizzo, Nick Arciniaga, and C. Fred Joslyn--to claim the Oak Apple Run title. Morgan stopped the clock at 30:22, just a few seconds shy of the course record. He was followed by Reneau (30:33), then Rizzo (30:47), Arciniaga (31:09), and Joslyn (31:17).

For complete results, click here.

Clint Verran and Kyle O'Brien also saw their first action since their spring marathons. O'Brien ran a 15:04 to claim second place at the Sunburst 5 km in South Bend Indiana. Verran won the Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon in 1:08:42. Also claiming a title this weekend was Patrick Moulton, who ran 15:02 to win the 9th annual Rhody 5 km in Lincoln, RI.

Sunburst 5 km results link
Dexter-Ann Arbor Run results link
Rhody Race 5 km results link

Hansons-Brooks women return to the roads at the Freihofer’s Run for Women 5 km

The Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) women will return to the roads at the Freihofer’s Run for Women 5 km in Albany, New York on Saturday. It will be their first race since a strong showing at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials in Boston last April. They will be joined on the start line by no fewer than five Olympians and an elite field representing eight nations in the 30th running of the Freihofer's Run for Women.

Melissa White and Desiree Davila, who have team-leading road bests of 16:23 and 16:25, respectively, will lead the Hansons-Brooks women. Their bests came at the 2007 U.S. 5 km Championships in Providence, R.I., where White placed 11th and Davila was 12th. Teammates Dot McMahan (16:44) and Yolanda Flamino (16:47) should also challenge for top finishes in a strong women-only field.

Australian Benita Johnson is heavily favored to defend her Freihofer's titles from 2006 and 2007. Johnson was also the 2004 World Cross Country champion (8 km), and currently holds 7 Australian national records. Other top contenders include Olympian Kathy Butler (Great Brittain), Olympian Jane Gakunyi (Kenya), Rose Kosgei (Kenya) and Amane Gobena (Ethiopia). Elite athlete bios are available at www.freihofersrun.com/elite_athlete_bios.htm.

The women will also participate in the Freihofer’s Run for Women Athlete Visitation program—a community outreach program started in 1993 providing local students an opportunity to meet with the elite women and ask them questions about their life as professional athletes.

Complete race results will be available at the Freihofer’s Run for Women web page at www.freihofersrun.com after 5 pm EST.

Humphrey runs road best at the Healthy Kidney 10 km, places 12th overall

Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athlete Luke Humphrey ran a personal best 29 minutes, 44 seconds and placed 12th overall at the Healthy Kidney 10 km in Central Park on Saturday morning.

Twenty-three year old Kenyan phenom Patrick Makau won the race in 28:19. Makau initiated his course record-breaking attempt with a torrid 4:22 first mile, followed by a 5k split of 13:54--well under pace for the course record of 28:08 set by Dathan Ritzenehein last year. Over the second half of the course, the fatiguing Makau slowed, allowing runner-up Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil to close the gap to 12 seconds, before finishing in 28:31. Third place was Kenyan Richard Kiplagat, running 29:08.

Humphrey finished just steps behind top Americans Jason Hartmann (Eugene, Oreg.) who ran 29:38 and Josh Moen (Readlyn, Iowa) who finished in 29:41. Behind Humphrey in 13th place was Andrew Carlson (Minnepolis, Minn.)—the 2008 U.S. 15 km champion and 2008 U.S. 8 km runner-up.

For full results, visit the New York Road Runners results page. Humphrey will be back in action on June 14th at the Bellin Run 10 km in Green Bay, WI.

**Photo by Victah Sailer/photorun.net

Eggleston runs 3:53.94 1500 m at Len Paddock Invitational

Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athlete Jeffrey Eggleston ran a personal best 3:53.94 1500 at the Len Paddock Invitational in Ann Arbor. The meet was hosted by the University of Michgan. The race was won by Grant Robison of Playmakers Track Club in 3:45.16.

Len Paddock Invitational--Men 1500 Meter Run
Name Year School Finals
=========================================
1 Robison, Grant Playmakers TC 3:45.16
2 Fellows, Brandon Michigan 3:48.45
3 Forys, Craig Michigan 3:49.69
4 O'Lionarid, Ciaron Unattached 3:49.91
5 Eggleston, Jeffrey Hansons-Brooks 3:53.94
6 Dimambro, Joe Unattached 3:58.38
7 Kelch, Jared Ferris State 3:59.36
8 Samborn, Chris Tortoise and Har 4:01.19
9 Dague, Willy Eastern Michigan 4:01.92
10 Stone, Billy Spring Arbor 4:02.01

Eggleston's time ranks sixth all-time on the Hansons-Brooks team list. The current team best is held by Jeff Gaudette, who ran a 3:47.83 at Windsor in 2006.

Sell wins third U.S. 25 km title; Snyder, Morgan, and Joslyn place 3rd, 4th, and 10th

Brian Sell won his third U.S. 25 km title and won his first River Bank Run overall title in the process. His Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) teammates Todd Snyder, Mike Morgan and C.Fred Joslyn placed 3rd, 4th and 10th in the U.S. Championship race, respectively.

Sell was challenged by Ethiopian Wellay Weldeglyorges, who held a ten-second lead at six miles. By the ninth mile, as the race turned towards the hills, Sell had dropped the other pre-race favorites--Fernando Cabada (Boulder, Colo.) and Rueben Kibet Chebii (Kenya) and covered the lead held by Weldeglyorges. The two leaders ran side-by-side, until the hilly twelfth mile, where Sell put twenty seconds on his Ethiopian rival. In the end, Sell (1:15:07) would put a minute on Weldeglyorges (1:16:06) for the overall title, and almost two-minutes on the U.S. Championships runner-up, Cabada (1:17:01).

Closing fast on Cabada were Hansons-Brooks teammates Mike Morgan and Todd Snyder. In the final mile, Cabada held them both off, but Snyder (1:17:15) overtook teammate Morgan (1:17:20) and secured third place in the U.S. Championship race and fifth overall. Morgan was fourth in the U.S. Championships--sixth overall. And, Joslyn (1:20:38) rounded out the top-ten for the U.S. Championships, placing 12th overall. For complete results, click here.

In addition to winning his first overall title, Sell set another new milestone with his victory by becoming the first three-time national champion in the 25 km. Other two-time champions are John Sence (1997, 1998) and Dan Browne (2003, 2004). The only other Hansons-Brooks athlete to win a U.S. 25 km title is Chad Johnson, who won the race in 2001.

In the 10k, Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athlete Mike Reneau took home top honors, with teammate Pat Moulton placing second.

For 10k results, click here.

**Photo by Chris Clark of The Grand Rapids Press.

Sell defends U.S. 25 km title on Saturday; Morgan, Snyder and Joslyn give chase

Brian Sell will be joined by Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) teammates Mike Morgan, Todd Snyder, and C. Fred Joslyn at the U.S. 25 km Championships in Grand Rapids Michigan this Saturday. The Fifth Third River Bank Run—the largest 25 km road race in the country—is hosting the championships for the 15th consecutive year.

Sell is a two-time U.S. 25 km Champion (2005, 2007). Last year he posted the second fastest U.S. Championship time (1:14:48) in the event’s 18-year history, and dominated the field with a two-minute margin over runner-up and current American record holder Fernando Cabada (Boulder, Colo.). Sell should challenge the American record of 1:14:21, set by Cabada at the U.S. Championships in 2006.

Mike Morgan will be returning to action after a winter season that culminated with a personal best (1:04:05) half marathon at the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon in March. This will be Morgan’s third U.S. 25 km Championships. He placed 6th in the 2005 edition of the race and 5th in 2006.

Snyder’s spring season began with a win in the 10,000 meters at Hillsdale (29:43) on April 25. Snyder placed eleventh in the 2005 U.S. 25 km Championships—covering the course in 1:19:52.

This will be Joslyn’s first U.S. Road Championship with the Hansons-Brooks team, and his 25 km debut. He ran 1:05:28 in the Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon in March.

Other top entrants in the 25 km include Peter Gilmore (San Mateo, Cali.), Bret Schoolmeester (Portland, Oreg.), and Tommy Greenless (Walnut Creek, Calif.).

Hansons-Brooks athletes Patrick Moulton and Mike Reneau will be kicking off the racing on Saturday in the Fifth Third River Bank Run 10 km. The 10 km kicks off at 7:30 am EST.

The U.S. 25 km Championships race will begin at 8:00 am EST. Results will be available at the Fifth Third River Bank Run website after the finish of the race.

Sheehan gets the Olympic Trials "B" standard at Payton Jordan

Last Sunday night, at the Payton Jordan Inviational, Ryan Sheehan ran to the Olympic Trials "B" standard in his heat of the 10,000 meters. However, because the field size at the Olympic trials is capped at twenty-four, his time from Sunday will not be good enough for a spot in the trials race.

Full video footage of Ryan’s race is available at Flotrack.com. For a direct link, click here.

Payton Jordan 10,000 meters, Heat 2 Results--May 4, 2008

1  Sam Chelanga                 Unattached            28:15.99A
2  Seth Pilkington              Weber State           28:25.56A
3  Louie Luchini                Otc Elite             28:26.61A
4  Brett Gotcher                Adidas                28:27.79A
5  Joseph Driscoll              Unattached            28:29.96A
6  Josh Moen                    Unattached            28:31.08A
7  Jeremy Johnson               New Mexico            28:33.08A
8  Mohamed Khadraoui            Iona College          28:34.19A
9  Sergio Reyes                 Asics Aggies          28:35.01A
10 Forest Braden                Brooks Team IN        28:35.36A
15 Ryan Sheehan                 Hansons-Brooks        28:58.48R

Humphrey First American at Bloomsday

Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athlete Luke Humphrey was the first American to cross the line at the Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane last Sunday morning. He placed 21st overall—covering the hilly 12 km course in 36 minutes, 39 seconds. The race was won by 21 year-old Kenyan Micah Kogo in an incredible course-record time of 33:51.

Top Finishers
1. Micah Kogo Kenya 33:51
2. Ridouane Harroufi Morocco 34:14
3. John Korir Kenya 34:17
4. Macdonald Ondara Kenya 34:20
5. Dieudonne Disi Rwanda 34:35
6. John Yuda Tanzania 34:39
7. Daniel Kipkoech Kenya 34:46
8. Julius Koskei Kenya 34:49
9. Festus Langat Kenya 34:50
10. Nicholas Kamakya Kenya 34:53
21. Lucus Humphrey Rochester, MI 36:39

Desiree Davila's Flotrack Blog Post

For Davila's full blog post, click on the quote below.

"...Sure there are things that I might have done differently along the way, but at the end of the day I wouldn’t change my goal or how I raced that morning; I raced like I wanted to be an Olympian..."

Nick Arciniaga Flotrack Article

Nick is in the news again. This time with an article from Cheryl Lowe on Flotrack. Nick talks about his segment leading up to Boston, training with the team, and future plans. To read the article, click on the quote.

“Training with the whole team has made me more used to racing conditions. I’ve made sure that I’m running my own pace and not getting mixed into the group,” stated Arciniaga. “I’ve learned to train smart and not hammer every day.”

Luke Humphrey competing at the Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane on Sunday

Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athlete Luke Humphrey will be competing at the 32nd running of the Lilac Bloomsday 12 km Run in Spokane, Wash. on Sunday. It will be his first road race since the U.S. 15 km Championships in March, where he ran to an eighth place finish in 45:33.

The Bloomsday Run is renowned for being the world's largest timed road race, with participation exceeding 60,000 runners. It also plays host to a world-class elite field. This year, three-time champion John Korir (Kenya) will be on hand to defend his title. Korir is one of the most accomplished road runners of this decade--winning nearly every major U.S. road race, as well as being named Male Road Runner of the Year by Running Times Magazine in 2003 and 2005. He will be challenged by 2006 Bloomsday Champion Gilbert Okari (Kenya), and 21 year-old Micah Kogo (Kenya) who was RT magazine's 2nd ranked road racer last year. For a complete list of elite athletes, click here.

The race gets underway at 12:00 pm EST on Sunday. Results will be available shortly after the conclusion of the race at the results page. Stay tuned to read how Luke fares on the Bloomsday Run's famed Doomsday Hill.

Ryan Sheehan will try for U.S. Olympic Trials mark at the Payton Jordan Invitational on Sunday

Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athlete Ryan Sheehan will make an attempt at an Olympic Trials qualifying mark in the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational at Stanford University on Sunday night.

The qualifying standards for the men’s 10,000 meters are 28:15 for the “A” standard and 29:00 for the “B” standard, with the field size capped at 24 athletes. Sheehan’s personal best in the 10,000 meters is 28:49—a time he ran while competing at Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA.

The Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational is one of the premier track and field meets in the country. Over ten years, the meet has hosted some of the fastest 10,000 meter races on American soil, including Meb Keflezighi's 27:13.98 American record (2001), Deena Drossin's 30:50.32 American record (2002), a memorable 2006 race that saw Alan Webb, Dathan Ritzenhein and Anthony Famigletti race to 27:24.72, 27:35.65, and 27:37.74 respectively, and a 2007 men's 10,000 meters which brought 11 athletes under the Olympic 'A' standard.

Sheehan will be running Heat 3 of the 10,000 meters, which is scheduled for 9:00 pm EST. You can watch the race, live or on demand, at Flotrack. Results are available at the Stanford Cardinal live results webpage.

Snyder wins Ryan Shay 10,000 meters at Gina Relays

Todd Snyder's easy victory in the Ryan Shay 10,000 meter run, highlighted the evening for the Hansons-Brooks group at the Gina Relays on Friday night. Snyder ran 29:43 for the win--a new personal best.

Ryan Shay 10,000 meters
1) Todd Snyder, 29:43
3) Mike Reneau, 30:20
10) C. Fred Joslyn, 30:49

5,000 meters Invite
3) Ryan Sheehan, 14:21
8) Luke Humphrey, 14:28

Click here, for complete results.

Photo galleries of the races are now available at the Run Michigan photo page.

Photo provided by John Brabbs/Run Michigan.

Hansons-Brooks athletes racing the Gina Relays tonight

Eight Hansons-Brooks (powered by Saturn) athletes will be competing under the lights in the Gina Relays in Hillsdale Michigan tonight.

Ryan Sheehan, Paul Jellema, Jeff Eggleston and Luke Humphrey will start the evening in the 5000 meter Invite, which is set to begin at 8:20 pm EST. Sheehan set his personal best in the event earlier this year at the University of Washington Husky Invitational, where he ran 13:52. In the same meet, teammate Jellema, ran his personal best of 14:05. Humphrey has also run a respectable 14:15 in the 5000 meters.

Patrick Moulton, Todd Snyder, C. Fred Joslyn and Mike Reneau will be racing the Ryan Shay 10000 meter run. The race is the final event of the evening, with an estimated start time of 10:15 pm EST. Moulton leads the Hansons-Brooks group in the 10000m with a personal best of 29:11. Snyder has run 29:47, and C. Fred Joslyn 29:55.

For the latest results from the meet, click here.