USATF Southern California

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SCA Road Running GP – Run Forrest Run 5K

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Sunday – October 11, 2009
Run Forrest Run 5K
Register



LONG BEACH, CA—With summer behind us, Long Beach is the next stop on the 2009 Southern California USATF Road Running Grand Prix Series for the Run Forrest Run 5K on Sunday, October 11.

Held in conjunction with the silver anniversary of the popular International City Bank Long Beach Marathon, the 5K will start at 8:30 am—an hour and a half after the 7:00 am start of the Marathon and Half-Marathon races. This means that 5K runners can avoid the heavy traffic arriving for Marathon/H-M starts and complete the 5K in time to see the top finishers of the longer races cross the finish line.

The exciting Run Forrest Run 5K starts at the Marathon starting line and threads along beautiful Shoreline Drive and Aquarium Way accompanied by live music along the course! In keeping with the “Forrest Gump” theme, there will be a Bubba Gump Party & fixens waiting for runners at the finish line. This scenic, ocean side course is flat and fast and uses the “D” chip timing system to insure split second accuracy for runners aiming for personal bests and high scores to add to their Grand Prix totals.

The Run Forrest Run 5K is the fifth event of the 7-race 2009 Southern California USATF Road Running Grand Prix Series. A minimum of four (4) races is required to be eligible for the year-end prize money and awards. The eighty some runners who have completed only one race in the Grand Prix Series will need to participate in the Run Forrest Run 5K, as well as the November 7 Santa Barbara Half -Marathon and November 26 Dana Point Turkey Trot 10K, to meet the four race minimum.

The Grand Prix provides a total of $800 in cash awards and championship medals to the top-10 overall men’s and women’s individual scorers. Gold, silver, and bronze USATF medals will also be awarded to the top-3 scorers in 26 men’s and women’s 5-year age-groups. Championship plaques will be awarded to the top-10 scoring clubs. As with individual runners, clubs must also field teams for a minimum of four races.

The link below will take you to the Active.com website for the 25th annual Long Beach International City Bank Marathon. When you start registration, select the “5K Run/Walk” for the Run Forrest Run 5K.

http://www.active.com/page/Event_Details.htm?event_id=1643362

USATF Contact:
Wayne Joness
Chair, Open Athletics Road Running Committee
Southern California Association/ USA Track & Field
Cell (310) 600-5332
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.scagrandprix.org

SCA-USATF member Rosemarie Jeanpierre to appear on NBC Today Show – Mon, 9/14

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Rosemarie Jeanpierre (right) and niece Anna Rose Bejasa (left)
at the OC Marathon Expo, May 2009

Southern California Association USATF member Rosemarie Jeanpierre will be making an appearance on the popular NBC “Today” show, on Monday, September 14, 2009. Rosemarie has been an inspiration to runners everywhere with her story of dramatic weight loss, and her passion for running.

After being diagnosed with prediabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol several years ago, Rosemarie made a commitment to turn her life and her health around. She changed her diet, started exercising, and found a new passion for running. Since she started running, Rosemarie has a lot of new personal records, including cutting her body weight in half from 220 pounds to 110!

In 2009 Rosemarie ran nearly a race every weekend, and she has no less than 165 races times recorded on the athlinks website, including a personal best 5K time of 21:59. Rosemarie is now actively pursuing the dream of so many runners: qualifying for the historic Boston Marathon. While she ran the 2005 LA Marathon in 6:31:24, she improved that time by more than two hours this year, finishing the 2009 LA Marathon in 4:26:30. Incredibly enough, she followed this remarkable accomplishment one week later by running a personal best of 4:18:53 at the 2009 San Diego Marathon.

Rosemarie’s goal is to live her life as an example for other runners who want to challenge themselves to reach goals once thought impossible. Rosemarie and her niece Anna Rose Bejasa have become cheerful, familiar faces at Southern California USATF races this year, and we congratulate her on her upcoming national television appearance. We are proud to have Rosemarie as a member of the Southern California Association USATF.

NBC Today Show

Tribute to Mary Bakjian with New Award

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Sunday – August 9, 2009
Carson Community Center

Our long time Southern California Association office manager Mary Bakjian retired this past March after 26 years of dedicated service to and support of the SCA Board and Committees, Officials, Coaches, Event Directors and thousands of athletes.

On Sunday afternoon August 9, sixteen members of Mary’s family and over 60 others, including representatives from the national office, gathered at the Carson Community Center to honor Mary and thank her for all she has contributed to the Association. During the festivities it was announced that the SCA Executive Committee was establishing the “Mary Bakjian Outstanding Service Award.” The recipient of this award will be selected by the Executive Board and presented annually to sport or administrative committee chairs, committee members, or SCA Athlete Representatives who make outstanding contributions to the SCA.

Donations funded an Alaskan cruise and a digital television. The cruise left port on August 14. We all wish Mary a long and happy retirement and thank her for all she has done for and meant to this association.

Deun White Completes 3-Meet Sweep

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SCA Summer Track & Field Grand Prix
July 25, 2009
Santa Monica College

SCA Summer GP Results & Scoring – Meet #3

Deun White Completes a 3-Meet Men’s 100-200m Sweep
Felix Sanchez runs 45.72 in the Men’s 400 Meters

SANTA MONICA, CA—At the 3rd and final meet of the 2009 Southern California Summer Grand Prix Track & Field Series, 2008 Arizona State grad Deun White completed a 3-meet sweep of the men’s 100 and 200 meters races. Representing the Phoenix-based AAG Elite Track Club, Deun won in 10.42 and 20.89 respectively, compared to his 2009 season bests of 10.33 and 20.61.

Other men’s event highlights included 2004 Olympic 400m Hurdle gold medalist Felix Sanchez winning the flat 400m race in a season best 45.72. Felix was a 2-time California State JUCO Champion in the 400m hurdles and the 1999 PAC-10 Champion at USC where he graduated with a degree in psychology. Between 2001 and 2004 he won 43 consecutive 400m hurdle races. Although Felix was born in the United States, his parents were born in the Dominican Republic and he has competed for that country since 1999.

Even without Felix Sanchez in the field, the Men’s 400m Hurdles was one of the best races of the meet with Ben Clark holding off Jonathan Williams, 50.60 to 50.80.

On the women’s side, Natasha Mayers, a graduate of Inglewood H.S. and USC who competes for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, won the 100m in 11.89 into a -1.6mps headwind.

Argentina’s Solange Witteveen, a 2-time Olympian, completed a 3-meet sweep of the high jump at 5’ 10”/1.78m, with her best mark in the Series being 6’ ¾”/1.85m on July 25.

And Vanderbilt University freshman and Palisades High School grad Kristabell Doebel-Hickok won the 5000m in 17:13.60.

Contact for Additional Info: Eric Barron 310-434-4009 [email protected]

Balumbo & Smith Set Triple Jump Stadium Records

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SCA Summer Track & Field Grand Prix
July 25, 2009
Santa Monica College

Kosinza Balumbo & Toni Smith Set Triple Jump Stadium Records in Meet-II of Summer Grand Prix Series

Deun White and Ebony Collins Double Sprint Winners

SANTA MONICA, CA—Men’s and women’s triple jump stadium records of 53’ 1” and 44’ 1¼” were field event highlights at the 2nd edition of the 3-meet 2009 Summer Track & Field Grand Prix Series at Santa Monica College. The men’s mark fell to Kosinza Balumbo, who attended James Logan H.S. in Northern California before graduating from the University of Arkansas as the 2008 NCAA Triple Jump Champion and a 5-time All-America performer. Kosinza has a wind-legal PR of 54’ 4”/ and placed 4th at the 2009 USA Championships with a wind-aided 54’ 10 ¼”. Toni Smith broke the 2-week old women’s record 44’ ¾” set by Yvette Lewis on July 11. Toni graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2008 where she was an All-America long jumper and triple jumper. She was the 3rd place finisher in the triple jump at the 2009 USA Championships and was hoping to achieve the 45’ 11 ¼” qualifying mark to punch her ticket to the World Championships in Berlin, Germany next month.

On the track, 2008 Arizona State grad Deun White matched his July 11 double win with a windy 10.31 100 meter win and a wind-legal 20.81 200 meter victory. Duen was a semi-finalist in the 200 at the 2009 USA Championships. In the women’s sprints, the 4th place finisher in the 400m hurdles at the 2009 USA Championships, Ebony Collins, was a double winner running a PR 52.58 in taking the 400 meters and 23.60 in winning the 200—just 0.18 off her lifetime best.

After a U.S. leading 1:44.47 800 meters mark by Khadevis Robinson on July 11, former USC star Duane Solomon ran nearly identical 24.2, 50.2, 1:17.2 intermediate 200m splits. Finally healthy after an injury-plagued season, Duane slowed over the final 200 to cross the finish line a in a no less stellar 1:46.82. Running close behind start to finish was 2008 Jamaican Olympian Aldwyn Sappleton, who finished in 1:47.98—just off his 1:47.11 PR.

Other notable performances included Craig Everhart running 46.60 to win the 400m, Ben Clark winning the men’s 400m hurdles in 50.01, James Jenkins’ 2nd place mark of 50’ 8¼” in the triple jump, Nick Garcia throwing 57’ 2” to win the shot put, and USC junior Manjula Wijesekara clearing 7’ 2 ½” to win the high jump.

On the women’s side, Toea Wisil from Papua New Guinea repeated her July 11 100 meter victory in 11.50, Argentina’s Solange Witteveeen recorded a season best in winning the high jump in 6’ ¾” with Romary Rifka from the Cal Coast Track Club 2nd at 5’ 10 ¾”, and Rhonda Watkins won the women’s long jump in 20’ 3 ¾”.

The third and final stop on the 3-meet Southern California Summer Grand Prix Series returns to Santa Monica College on Saturday, August 8, starting at 4:00pm.

Contact for Additional Info: Eric Barron 310-434-4009 [email protected]

Khadevis Robinson, Lashinda Demus and Yvette Lewis Set Stadium Records in Summer Series Kick-off

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2009 SCA Summer Grand Prix Series
Saturday – July 11, 2009
Santa Monica College

SANTA MONICA, CA—Khadevis Robinson recorded the fastest 800 meters by an American in 2009 with a 1:44.47 clocking at the first of three summer grand prix track meets being held at Santa Monica College this summer. Following his 2nd place finish at the 2009 USA Championships in Eugene, OR, two weeks ago, the 8-time USA indoor/outdoor 800m champion will be part of his 6th USA World Championship Team on August 15-23 in Berlin, Germany. With 2nd place almost :10 seconds behind, “KD” ran 200m splits of 24.2, 49.7(25.5), and 1:17.0(27.3) en route to his nation-leading season best, despite on-shore winds that were gusting above 4mps readings.

In the women’s 400 meters, Lashinda Demus, the 2009 USA 400m hurdles champion, bucked similar winds down the backstretch, but nevertheless crossed the finish line in 51.40, the fastest flat 400 she’s run since her 2002 PR of 51.24. A 2-time USA Outdoor champion, 2005 World Outdoor silver medalist, and 2004 Olympian in the 400m hurdles, Lashinda attended Long Beach Wilson H.S. and the University of South Carolina.

At the 2009 USA Championships, Yvette Lewis placed 4th in the women’s triple jump and missed making the World Championship team by one inch. Saturday, the 2007 NCAA Champion from Hampton University jumped 44’ ¾”/13.43m into a 2.4 mps wind. The marks by Robinson, Demus, and Lewis were all stadium records.

Other notable women’s performances included an 11.55 100m/24.15 200m double win by Toea Wisil from Papua New Guinea and a 5’ 11 ½”/1.82m clearance in the high jump by Argentina’s Solange Witteveeen.

On the men’s side, Deun White claimed 100/200m titles in 10.40 and 21.15. Jeshua Anderson won the 400m hurdles in 50.73, James Jenkins won the triple jump in 51-01.75/15.59m bounding into a -3.3mps wind, Nick Garcia took the shot put in 56’ 10”/17.32m, and USC junior Manjula Wijesekara won the high jump at 7’ 1 ½”/ 2.17m, then had 2 good attempts at 7’ 5 ¾”/2.28m.

The second stop of the 3-meet Southern California Summer Grand Prix Series returns to Santa Monica College on Saturday, July 25, starting at 4:00pm.

Contact for Additional Info:
Eric Barron 310-434-4009
[email protected]

Santa Barbara Runners Make Strong Showing at Semana Nautica 15K

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Semana Nautica 15K
July 11, 2009
Goleta, CA

GOLETA, CA—On a beautiful 4th of July holiday weekend, Connor Mellon, 53:30, was the first USATF runner to cross the finish line, and the second runner overall, at the 55th annual Semana Nautica 15K held just North of Santa Barbara. Making a strong showing were local runners Scott Deardorff (M46) and Maggie Mason (F52) who took first place in both the overall USATF age-graded competition and the masters men’s and women’s divisions.

Under perfect overcast running conditions provided by the coastal marine layer, Deardorff’s age-graded score was 808 points, while Mason’s was 799 points. The 15K marked Mason’s and Deardorff’s first entry to the inaugural 2009 Grand Prix series. Their high scores mark them as solid contenders for overall honors if they compete in the next three races to meet the 4-race minimum for prizes and awards. As a member of the USATF club Santa Barbara Athletic Association, Mason must have felt at home on the beautiful course of tree-canopied gentle hills. But close behind her point-wise was Lydia Salinas of Track Club LA who scored 798 points.

While some runners favor one distance or event, Salinas has proven to be a remarkably consistent competitor, scoring 798 points at the Coaster 5K, 796 points at the Brentwood 10K, and 798 points at the Semana Nautica 15K. Her current goal? “I just want to break 800!” she said with a laugh after the race results were posted. Salinas’s consistent scores also demonstrate the value of age-graded scoring, which enables the Grand Prix to easily compare runner’s results from different distances.

One runner already guaranteed to be a finalist for 2009 honors is Rosalva Bonilla, the 3rd place age-graded finisher, and the only runner to compete in each of the first four Grand Prix races this year. While struggling with a cold, her score of 779 points marked the first time the 2000 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials participant has scored less than 800 points. As the current point leader in the Grand Prix standings, Rosalva has the luxury of aiming to improve her final score in the next 3 races. The Grand Prix scoring takes a runner’s best four age-graded time scores and ignores the lower ones.

The well-organized, popular Santa Barbara area race, directed by USATF member John Brennand, also featured age-graded scoring results posted immediately after the race. A quick look at USATF runners revealed quite a battle in the master’s division, where 2nd and 3rd places went to Culver City residents Oliver Gallego (791pts) and Wayne Joness (747pts).

Oliver was also there to represent the Elite Health Track Club, and Wayne to represent Track Club LA, both of which had the minimum 5 finishers needed to participate in team scoring. Track Club LA has now completed 3 Grand Prix events and the Elite Health Track Club has completed two. While Team Runners High and The Janes Elite Racing have fielded teams in one race each with an astonishing average score of 829 for each team, they will have to compete in all the remaining Grand Prix races to catch up with Elite Health and Track Club LA in terms of overall points.

Congratulations Connor Mellon and Lisa Davis, fastest USATF runners at the Semana Nautica 15K, and honors to Scott Deardorff and Maggie Mason, high scorers in the age-graded 15K Grand Prix competition.

Southern California USATF members will now get a 14-week break before the next Grand Prix Series race—the Run Forrest Run 5K, to be held on Sunday, October 11 as a part of the 25th annual Long Beach International City Bank Marathon and half Marathon. The Grand Prix will then return to scenic Santa Barbara again on Saturday, November 7, for the Santa Barbara Half-Marathon, the 2009 Southern California USATF Half-Marathon Road Championship. The Grand Prix Series concludes with the Dana Point Turkey Trot, the 2009 Southern California USATF 10K Road Championship race, on Thanksgiving Day, November 26.

For more information, please visit:
Road Championship Series: www.scaroadchampionship.org

For current Grand Prix Point Standings, please visit:
www.scagrandprix.org

Contact:
Wayne Joness
Chair, Open Athletics Long Distance Running Committee
Southern California Association/ USA Track & Field
Cell (310) 600-5332 Email: [email protected]