USATF Southern California

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SCA Road Running Grand Prix Series Comes to Brentwood!

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SCA Road Running Grand Prix
Brentwood 10K
June 7, 2009

BRENTWOOD, CA–Competition in the inaugural Southern California USATF Road Running Grand Prix Series is heating up with the 3rd stop in the 7-race series being the Brentwood 10K on Sunday, June 7—one of the most popular late spring Los Angeles area road races.

Thanks to its ideal, year-round training conditions, Southern California boasts some of the nation’s finest distance runners…including the Santa Monica-based Fluffy Bunny Track Club, winners of the 2008 USATF National Masters Cross Country Championships held in Spokane, Washington, last December. On the women’s side, The Janes Elite Racing Team, a USATF Elite Athlete Development Club also based in Santa Monica, has won two national cross country team titles led by their captain, the nationally-ranked Tania Fischer.

While the SCA recognizes the accomplishments of individual athletes in its Road Running Championships, the 7-race, 2009 Grand Prix Series is a new competition that emphasizes and rewards team-based competition as well. “We are very excited about working with W2 Promotions to bring our Grand Prix series to Brentwood,” says Long Distance Running chair, Wayne Joness. “The Brentwood 10K is a very popular local race and our USATF clubs are looking forward to the opportunity to compete against each other towards the individual and team cash prizes that will be awarded at the end of the Series.”

“The distance running talent that lines up at the starting line for the Brentwood 10K is outstanding,” Wayne continues. Runners that other races would fly-in to compete just happen to live a within a short drive the beautiful West Los Angeles Brentwood community!” In addition to the elite running teams like the Fluffy Bunnies, The Janes, and Nike Team Run LA, other local USATF clubs include the Elite Health Track Club based in Culver City, the Santa Monica Track Club, Track Club LA, Track West, and the VS Athletics Track Club—all based in Santa Monica. These clubs include more than a few local heroes, with runners who range in age from 19 to 69.”

Regardless of your fitness level, it is a good idea to have a well-planned strategy on race day. The Brentwood 10K is an out-and-back loop, with runners repeating the 5K loop twice before finishing in the middle of the Brentwood business district on beautiful San Vicente Boulevard. There is a slight uphill grade at the beginning and, consequently, a slight downhill grade to the finish line.

“I have been surveying some of our more experienced runners for suggestions on how best to approach racing the 10K,” Wayne noted. “USATF member Tyrus Deminter, who runs with Team Runners High, suggests focusing on holding a consistent effort the second time you hit the gradual uphill at the beginning of the second loop. He advises not to worry if you slow down a bit, just keep your effort the same. Then, when you make the turn-around before 26th Street, let the downhill assist you in building turnover for a strong finish and a final kick. Tyrus should know, as he has been the overall winner of the Brentwood 10K on more than one occasion!”

Veterans of the Brentwood 10K may be surprised to learn that it has been quite a while since Southern California USATF has conducted a competitive road running series. With the Southern California Association encompassing 34,000 square miles, this year’s Grand Prix Series features races from Dana Point in the South to Santa Barbara in the North. “For numerous local USATF runners, the grassy San Vicente Boulevard island is where their training runs start or end,” Wayne notes. “Runners you see circling the dirt path around the Brentwood Golf course later show up on the covers of Runners World and Cal Track and Running News magazines.”

USA Track & Field is about far more than just elite-level runners, however. For the Grand Prix Series, it uses age-graded scoring—which is a way of providing equal recognition and rewards for those who produce a great effort on race day based on their sex and age. Typically, Grand Prix Teams are a mixture of men and women teammates of various ages. USATF Clubs provide training groups that help runners of every ability improve their running. The energy and dynamics of training with a group inspires everyone to work harder and increases every member’s potential to achieve success. The effort to increase and expand club-based training and competition opportunities is a new priority for Southern California USATF and is what created its Road Running Grand Prix Series.

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

SCA Jim Bush Track & Field Championships

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Jim Bush So Cal Championships
USATF West Region Championships
June 6, 2009
Mt San Antonio College

USATF MEMBERSHIP:
All competitors must be a 2009 member of USA Track & Field. A current 2009 membership number will be required to submit an online meet entry. Athletes can join/renew their memberships at www.usatf.org/membership/application. For athletes entering the meet on‐site, you will be able to join USATF for the annual fee of $30.00. (There is an additional $5 processing fee for issuing USATF memberships for residents of Associations outside Southern California.)

ENTRY PROCEDURE & DEADLINE:
All pre‐meet entries must be made on‐line at www.usatf.org by 11:59pm PDT on Sunday May 31. Athletes must be entered as “unattached” if they are not members of a USATF‐registered club. Pre‐meet entries will be posted at www.usatf.org and updated hourly as received. “A” section heats and flights will be posted at www.flashresults.com/flashwest on Thursday, June 4.

LATE ENTRIES:
Please note the late entry fee is $30.00.

SCA Marathon Championships Results

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OC Marathon
Sunday – May 3, 2009

NEWPORT BEACH, CA—Under perfect marathon running conditions (overcast and cool), the 2009 Southern California USATF Marathon Championship was held in conjunction with the 5th annual Avia Orange County Marathon on Sunday, May 3. Taking first place in the men’s division was marathon newcomer Eulogio Rodriguez, who traversed the scenic 26.2 mile course in 2:26:30. In the women’s division, veteran Cheryl Smith claimed the championship title with a time of 3:07:04.

Eulogio Rodriguez – Winner Men’s Marathon with USATF Coach Bob Larsen

Cheryl Smith – Winner Women’s Marathon

For Rodriguez, it was only his second marathon—the first being the Long Beach Marathon last October in which he ran a nearly identical time of 2:26:27. “Eli”, as he is known to his International City Racing Club teammates, was hoping for a time of 2:22. “I thought the next runners were only 3-4 minutes behind me,” Rodriguez noted. “So every time I cramped up and had to stop and walk, I was worried they would catch me.” As it turned out, his nearest competitor was almost 25-minutes behind, leaving Rodriguez to race against the clock for the last half of the race.

While Eli is new to the marathon, Cheryl Smith, the women’s champion, claimed the title again after winning the inaugural OC Marathon in 2004. Close behind Cheryl was runner-up Rosalva Bonilla, the first Masters Woman finisher, with a time of 3:10:37. While, start-to-finish, the course elevation is a net loss (i.e. downhill), the rolling hills of the redesigned course sapped the speed from some of the top runners in the race.In addition to those top athletes, the Southern California Association was well-represented in all its 5-year age-groups. Among those runners were age-group gold medal winners Ryan Albu (31) of Pasedena and Andy Bussell (28) of Newport Beach. Like Eli and Cheryl, both were also 2009 Southern California 5K Champions at the Coaster Run 5K in March. In addition to running both those Association Championship races and participating in the Road Running Grand Prix Series, Andy, who ran 6-miles Sunday morning before the start of the marathon (!!), is also launching an ultra-distance runner career and participating in the 2009 SCA M.U.T. Ultra Runners Grand Prix.

With the highs and lows of racing the challenging marathon distance behind them, SCA runners are now focusing on the next Southern California Grand Prix race—the Brentwood 10K—on Sunday, June 7 in beautiful Brentwood, California. This starts a stretch of Grand Prix scoring-only races, which continues with the Semana Nautica 15K on July 4 in Santa Barbara, and the Run Forest Run 5K, held in conjunction with the Long Beach Marathon, on October 11.

The next Southern California USATF Championship race will be the Santa Barbara Half-Marathon on Saturday, November 7, 2009.

SCA Youth Scholarship

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All Southern California Association 2009 Graduating Seniors

The members of the scholarship committee, as well as all those involved in the Southern California Association of USATF, would like to say congratulations on a job well done for completing the mandatory requirements for high school set forth by the State of California and your upcoming graduations.

Each year, the Youth Committee of the association awards scholarships to as many as six (6) graduating student/athletes. You are receiving this package from your coach, a mentor, or someone who cares enough for your name to be in the selection process. However, you can only become a possible candidate for one of the awards given for the 2009 graduation year, if you respond and submit a complete scholarship application.

This scholarship application includes athletic participation and achievement in track & field/cross country as criteria for award and may conflict with NCAA Bylaw Article 15, Financial Aid, Section 15.01.3. Potential applicants who anticipate receiving financial aid should check with their college’s financial aid/NCAA compliance officer to determine if you are eligible for this scholarship before applying.

Download SCA Youth Scholarship Application (PDF)

Volunteers Needed for Al-Impics

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Los Angeles AL-IMPICS
Saturday, May 16, 2009

El Camino College
Compton Community Educational Center
1111 E. Artesia Blvd.
Compton, CA 90221

The Los Angeles AL-IMPICS is celebrating the continuation of a 36-year tradition started in Antelope Valley by Mr. Kurt Freeman from Warm Springs Rehabilitation Center in Los Angeles County. The 2009 AL-IMPICS promotes the societal benefits of community health through substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery. The AL-IMPICS promotes the message that recovery from alcohol and drugs is possible.

Volunteers are needed in the following areas: Kidz/Teen Zone, Track & Field, VIP Hosts Center, and Volunteer Center from 5:30am–4:30pm four to six hour shifts.

Download Flyer (PDF)

SCA 5K Road Running Championships Results

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The Coaster Run 5K
March 15, 2009
Results | GP Standings

COASTER RUN 5K DRAWS RECORD FIELD
Kick-off to 2009 SCA Road Championships & Grand Prix Series

The Coaster 5K Elite Race Start

BUENA PARK, CA—A record number of Southern California USATF runners assembled early Sunday morning, March 15, for the Coaster Run elite and open 5K races. It was less than a year ago that this race launched the 2008 Southern California Road Championships on the grounds of the famous Knott’s Berry Farm theme park. This year’s USATF entrants more than doubled those of last year with 40 runners in the open division and another 35 runners in the elite division.

Another reason to race the flat, fast Coaster Run 5K course was that it was also the first race of the new 2009 Southern California USATF Road Running Grand Prix series!


Southern California USATF elite runners were eligible to collect prize money awarded to the top-5 men and women finishers. And open division runners who placed in the top-3 in their respective 5-year age groups earned gold-silver-bronze USATF Association Championship Medals. What’s more, both elite and open runners were automatically entered in the 2009 Road Running Grand Prix series with their finish times generating age-graded individual and club team scores.

In the Elite 5K Race, Tove Berg was the first woman across the finish line in 17:21. Tove also captured the 2008 Road Championship 10K title at Dana Point last November and was an age-group winner at the 2008 Road Championship Half Marathon. Close behind Tove were Candice Chavez and Tania Fischer of The Janes Elite Racing team.

In the Elite Men’s 5K Race, Aucencio Martinez from Alamosa, Colorado ran 14:14 to record a :02 second victory over Jimmy Grabow from the newly formed International City Racing Team. Though Jimmy won 2nd place prize money, membership in the Southern California Association is required to participate in the Grand Prix Series, so Jimmy was the high point-scorer in the Grand Prix. Following Jimmy was his ICR teammate Michael Chavez, helping the new club to serve notice that they are going to be a force to be reckoned with in Southern California distance running.

If there was a theme to Sunday’s races, it was the strength of Southern California Association youth athletes in both the elite and open 5K races with no less than twenty runners under age-18 and 6 youth division runners competing in the challenging Elite 5K Race. In the 5K Open Division Race, 16-year old Nicholas Lopez of Hemet was the first runner to cross the finish line, running 16:35—an impressive 5:19 pace for 3.1 miles. Meanwhile, 15-year old Kristen Ustariz led the open division women’s field with a winning time of 20:19. Kristen was joined on the award podium by her grandparents, James and Jo Ann Petersen, who also won gold medals by placing 1st in the men’s and women’s age 60-64 division.

All USATF Gold Medal Winning Family! (L-R) Jo Ann Petersen, 1st place finisher, women 60-64 – Kristen Ustariz, SCA 5K Road Championship open women’s overall winner, and granddaughter of Jo Ann Petersen – Kristen’s grandfather/Jo Ann’s husband, James Petersen, 1st place finisher, men 60-64.

Three Southern California USATF running clubs had the required 5-finishers in the 5K race to accrue club scoring. Leading the club scoring were the USATF Masters Championship winners, Team Runners High. In a near statistical impossibility, members Tyrus Deminter (M45/16:19) and Perry Forrester M56/17:50) scored an identical 869 points in the age-graded scoring! With a total score of 4147, the average score for Team Runners High was an impressive 829.4!

Following Team Runners High were Santa Monica-based Track Club LA (3819 points) and Culver City-based Elite Health Track Club (3353 points), as both clubs fielded teams with both men and women finishers ranging from age 24 to 54.

With 5 kilometers of racing behind them, Southern California USATF runners re-fueled with free boysenberry pie courtesy of Knott’s Berry Farm and looked forward to our next Grand Prix Series races: the Avia OC Marathon on Sunday, May 3, and the Brentwood 10K on Sunday, June 7. The newly redesigned OC Marathon will also be the 2009 Southern California USATF Marathon Championship, while the Brentwood 10K will be a Grand Prix scoring race only. As a reminder, to be eligible for cash prizes and awards at the conclusion of the 2009 year, runners must finish a minimum of 4 of the 7 Grand Prix Series races.

For more information, please visit:
Road Championship Series: www.scaroadchampionship.org
Road Running Grand Prix: 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]

PicturesVideos

Catching Up with the Janes

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Team History
The Janes are a competitive Nike sponsored women’s running team based in Santa Monica, California. The team was formed in August 2002. Through grassroots efforts the team has grown from seven members to 15 and is now a member of the USA Track & Field-certified “Elite Athlete Development Club.” The Janes are two time USA Cross Country Club Champions (2004 & 2005). The main focus for the 2009 season will once again be to target a top three placement at the Team Nationals held in Lexington, Kentucky.

Currently, team members are competing on three fronts: road races from 5K to the marathon, track races from 800M to 10,000M, and fall team cross country. Our mission is to provide a supportive training and racing environment for women so that they can reach their goals athletically and professionally while promoting a healthy spiritual well-being.

Coaching
The Janes are fortunate to have two excellent coaches that push each athlete to reach her potential. Kirsten O’Hara-Leetch, a Cal Hall of Famer, has been coaching and training the Janes for the past few years. She comes with more than 20 years of personal running experience and has been coaching at Redondo High School for several years. She inspires the team through leading by example. Her determination and toughness are the two qualities most admired by her athletes.

Tania Fischer has been the coach of the Janes since the founding of the club. She has led the Janes to two National titles, while training side by side with her athletes. She coaches and teaches at Santa Monica High School where she is the Head Boys Distance Coach. She has been coaching there for over 12 years and has won 8 league titles. Her 30 years of running and competing at the highest level, give the Janes the direction to be an elite running team.

When the Janes Elite Racing Team was founded, one of our objectives was to find ways to serve our community by helping promote and encourage healthy habits and lifestyles among girls and young women. To this end, The Janes have participated in a variety of programs and events created to help prepare girls and young women for a future of self-respect and active lifestyles.

Community Outreach
The Janes have collaborated with local organizations such as Students Run LA, Girls on the Run, and The Girl Scouts of America, among others to help promote these values. Whether working with at-risk youths training for the L.A. Marathon or conducting clinics at local schools, The Janes value any opportunity to dedicate their time and talents to promote health and balance for the individual and the collective.

Membership Information
The Janes are competitive athletes with strong running backgrounds and racing experience. All interested parties are encouraged review our individual and team histories. If you feel that you would be able to commit yourself to training and racing with the team, and would contribute on a competitive basis, please contact us for further information by going to thejanes.net.

Janes medal at the 2008 Coaster 5K (with Bob Larsen)
L-R: Cambria DeAmico, Grace Padilla and Tania Fisher

The Janes at the Human Race August 2008
L-R Cosette Smith, Kelle Taylor and Sissel Berntsen-Heber