USA 100K Team Announced for 2008 World Cup in Italy

August 29, 2008 from USATF press release (INDIANAPOLIS) USA Track & Field has named the 2008 USA 100K Team which will compete at the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) 100K World Cup on Saturday, November 8 in Tarquinia, Italy. This year's team includes some first-time members and also seasoned veterans. The following athletes will represent Team USA (in alpha order):

MEN
* Greg Crowther , 35, Seattle, WA, 11th at the 2007 World Cup 100K in a personal record of 6 hours, 52 minutes, 52 seconds, leading the U.S. men to the bronze team medal - their first podium-worthy finish since 2000; the 2007 USATF ultrarunner of the year on the strength of national titles at 50K (road) and 100K (road)
* Adam Lint, 25, Seattle, WA, USA 100K team debut
* Howard Nippert , 43, Colorado Springs, CO, 10th Team USA (1993 World University Games, 1999-2003, 2005-2008 IAU World 100K Cup); fifth place finish at 2006 World Cup in Seoul, South Korea
* Chad Ricklefs, 41, Boulder, CO, member of the U.S. men's bronze medal winning team in 2007, behind Japan and Russia respectively; 2004 USA 50 Mile road champion and 2002 USA 100K road champion
* Steve Stowers , 42, Berkeley, CA, 2008 USA 100K Championship runner-up
* Michael Wardian, 34, Arlington, VA, 2008 USA 100K champion (6:56:57), USA 50K road champion (2:55:05) and USA 50 Mile trail champion (6:52:50)

WOMEN
* Devon Crosby-Helms , 26, San Francisco, CA, second World team
* Meghan Arbogast, 47, Corvallis, OR, first World team; multi-Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier
* Connie Gardner , 44, Medina, OH, six-time team member; 2006 USA 100 Mile trail champion; 2003 USA 100 Mile champion and 2002 USA 100K champion
* Kami Semick, 42, Bend, OR, 2006 USA 50K trail champion; third consecutive USA 100K team
* Carolyn Smith , 43, Milwaukee, WI, 2008 USA 100K champion; third USA 100K team; 11th at the 2005 World 24 Hour Championship, U.S. women's team bronze medal
* Julie Udchachon, 38, North Pole, AK, third World team; USA 2007 100K road champion and 2005 USA 50K trail champion

STAFF
Team leader, Lin Gentling, Rochester, MN
Assistant team leader, Mike Spinnler, Hagerstown, MD
Team physician, Lion Caldwell, Cape May, NJ

The team receives limited funding and the athletes will pay for the majority of their trip to Italy out of their own pockets. Expense for team travel (airfare alone) last year totaled more than $15,000. The Fund for National Ultrarunning Teams, Inc. has been set up as the fundraising arm for the Team. Send your donation made payable to: Fund for National Ultraunning Teams, PO Box 1807, Madison, WI 53701-1807.

The USATF Selection Process and the lists of men's and women's performances that MUT used to select the remaining team members and alternates is available at www.usatf.org/groups/MountainUltraTrail and for information on the 100K World Cup visit: www.iau.org.tw

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