June 16, 2002
Contacts:
Dave Dunham
Nancy
Hobbs
USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Running Council USATF
MUT
dave.dunham@verizon.net
(719)
573-4405
trlrunner@aol.com
For Immediate Release
Gutierrez earns berth on the Teva US Mountain Running Team
Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire
----- Twelve former U.S. Mountain Running Team members competed for two slots on the 2002
Teva US Mountain Running Team at Saturday's Mount Washington Hill Climb, a race shortened
from its traditional 7.6 miles to 3.8 miles due to dangerous weather conditions on the
upper portions of the race route and at the 6,288-foot summit. At the end of the day only
one athlete was added to the team roster.
Simon Gutierrez, Albuquerque, NM edged out second-place finisher and 2001 USATF Mountain
Runner of the Year Eric Morse by ten seconds to take the victory and earn a spot on the
mountain running team. Morse is already on the team after his win at the June 9 Wolverine
Mountain Race in Anchorage, Alaska.
On the women's side, the top U.S. finisher was Anita Ortiz who like Morse had already
earned a spot on the team in Alaska. Since only the top U.S. female finisher earns an
automatic berth, no additional woman was named to the mountain team. Ortiz was second to
overall champion Anna Pichrtova, a citizen of the Czech Republic.
The final selection race will be held on July 7 with the 7.5-mile Vail Hill Climb in Vail,
Colorado where the first US male and first US female finisher will earn an automatic berth
on the Teva US Mountain Running Team.
The remaining positions on the team will be filled by athletes with strong mountain,
trail, crosscountry, road, and track resumes. Prior results at the World Trophy along with
other international mountain running experience and finish position in the selection races
will also be considered. On the list of athletes being considered will certainly be top
Mount Washington finishers and former mountain team members Julie Bryan, Suzy West, and
Nikki Kimball along with second-place finisher at Wolverine Nina Kemppel. On the men's
side former mountain team members and top Mount Washington finishers Dave Dunham (who
finished second to Morse at Wolverine), Craig Fram, Paul Low, Rich Bolt and Richard
Shelley top the list.
The Teva US Mountain Running team will compete at the WMRA World Mountain Trophy Race this
September in Innsbruck, Austria. The U.S. will field both juniors (three junior men, three
junior women) and seniors (six men and four women) at the competition. The six-member
junior squad has been selected and will be announced this week.
For additional information on the Teva US Mountain Running Team contact
Nancy Hobbs at trlrunner@aol.com or Dave Dunham at dave.dunham@verizon.net
##
www.alaskamountainrunners.org - Wolverine Mountain Run
www.gsrs.com - Mount Washington Hill Climb
www.vailrec.com - Vail Hill Climb
www.tlv.at/worldtrophy2002 - World Mountain Running Trophy 2002
Top Male Finishers - Mount Washington Hill Climb - Saturday, June 15, 2002
1 -Simon GUTIERREZ, 36, ALBUQUERQUE, NM - 28:02
2- Eric MORSE, 37, BERLIN ,VT - 28:12
3 -Craig FRAM, 43 PLAISTOW, NH -28:28
4- Paul LOW, 28, AMHERST, MA -28:46
5- Dave DUNHAM, 38, BRADFORD, MA -28:58
Top Female Finishers
1 - Anna PICHRTOVA, 28, CZECH REPUBLIC - 32:32
2 - Anita ORTIZ, 38, EAGLE, CO - 34:10
3 - Julie Anne WHITE, 40, VISTA, CA/England - 35:05
4 -Alice MURIITHI, 28, KENYA - 35:31
5 -Julie BRYAN, 33, Jackson, WY -35:34