Written by: USATF Wire Reports
Posted: Sunday, 17 February 2008
Michigan native and 2008 Olympic team member Dathan Ritzenhein (Eugene, Ore.) scored a convincing victory at the USA Cross Country Championships at Mission Bay Park in San Diego on Saturday, February 16th.
The women's event was capture in equally impressive style by Shalane Flanagan (Pittsboro, N.C).
Ritzenhein, Jorge Torres (Boulder, Colo.) and US Olympic Team Trials-Men's Marathon champion Ryan Hall (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) pulled away from the chase pack early and ran together. As the trio entered lap three, Ritzenhein asserted himself over the duo, and opened up a thirteen-second lead over Torres at the end of that lap.
By the end of lap three, Torres had a twelve-second lead over Hall, with Josh Rohatinsky (Beaverton, Ore.) closing on the duo.
Ritzenhein, the runner-up to Hall in November's US Olympic Team Trials-Men's Marathon, eventually opened up a 26-second gap over Torres, crossing the line in 35:03, with his former University of Colorado teammate finishing in 35:29. Rohatinsky finished in third, running 35:41, with Edward Moran (Williamsburg, Virginia) fourth in 35:42. Hall faded to fifth, eight seconds back of Hall.
"I really didn't expect to pull away by this much today" observed Ritzenhein. "When I noticed a bit of a hesitation from the field, I decided to go ahead and go. I liked the course. It reminded me of racing on a golf course. I just kept pressing until the last 400 meters. This field was incredible, with a lot of guys who have been national champions, All Americans, and Olympians. We could have one hell of a team for Edinburgh."
Ryan Sheehan of the Hanson's-Brooks Distance Project in Rochester Hills placed 22nd with a 37:02, the best time of any current Michigan resident.
In the women's race, Flanagan, fresh off a stint of altitude training in Mexico, cruised to a 70-second victory over runner-up Renee Metivier Bailie (Boulder, Colo.) over the eight-kilometer distance, running 25:26 under picture perfect conditions, with temperatures in the mid-60s.
Flanagan took matters into her own hands early, daring any of the runners in the field to go with her.
Following Metivier Bailie and earning spots on Team USA for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships were Emily Brown (Minneapolis, Minn.), who ran 26:37, followed a second later by Katie McGregor (Saint Louis Park, Minn.).
Marquette's Tracy Lokken (42) took second in the men's Masters category with a time of 25:19, four seconds behind the winner Sean Wade of Houston, Texas.
California prep stars ruled the day in the two junior races, as defending champion Jordan Hasay (Arroyo Grande, Calif.) and German Fernandez (Riverbank, Calif.) held off collegiate competitors Alexandra Gits (Edina, Minn.) from Stanford University, and Ryan Sheridan (Melville, N.Y.) from Iona.
Hasay was pressed for most of the race by Gits, before opening up a lead on the final lap to win her second straight USA junior cross country title, running 20:32 for the six-kilometer distance. Gits finished in the runner-up position, running 20:45.
Fernandez, the third place finisher in last fall's Foot Locker national championships, used a strong finishing kick over the last 400 meters to hold off the challenge of Iona College freshman Ryan Sheridan in the junior men's eight kilometer contest, running 24:18, with Sheridan second in 24:19.
The 2008 USA Cross Country Championships will be televised in association with the AT&T USA Indoor Track & Field Championships February 24, from 5-7 p.m. on ESPN 2.
For more information on the USA Cross Country Championships, please visit http://www.usatf.org/.
The road race season in Michigan kicked off in April with Spring Training Series Races in Ann Arbor and Waterford and the Ciociaro Can Am Challenge Series in Windsor. Now that roadies are all warmed up, it's time to stretch their legs in some good old-fashioned road and criterium racing. In the coming weeks road cyclists can look forward to the Grattan Race Series kick-off, the Cone Azalia Classic road race, the Tour of Kensington Valley, the Priority Health Tour De Leelanau, the Tour De Gaslight Criterium and in June, a race that is quickly becoming a favorite among all racers, citizen and professional alike - The Superior Bike Fest in Marquette.
I just received a grim e-mail to end an otherwise unremarkable day. The subject line read "Ryan Shay Autopsy Released." 
