USA Track & Field Western Regional Cross Country Championships
San Francisco, Calif.
November 6, 2005
Paulo Carvalho (Asics Aggies) and Erika Aklufi (See Jane Run) led their
respective teams to victory today at USA Track & Field's Western Regional
Cross Country Championships in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The
event also served as the cross country championships for the Pacific
Association of USATF.
Both competitors won in convincing fashion. Carvalho, , 25, of Modesto,
Calif. completed the men's 6-mile race over damp trails, horse paths, and
meadows in 30:33, 11 seconds ahead of runner-up Luke Meyer of the Nike
Farm Team. Three more Aggies followed in places 3 through 5, with five
Aggies in the top 10, to garner the men's open title.
Former Cal-Berkeley standout Bolota Asmerom, dressed in warm-ups, exited
the three loop course after two circuits, relinquishing the lead to
Carvalho and Meyer. Carvalho prevailed in the final two miles over
Yale-grad Meyer who was competing in his first post-collegiate race.
"I raced for the win," said Carvalho, who almost gave up running because
of injuries after completing a collegiate career at Cal Poly-San Luis
Obispo two years ago. "When Bolota dropped out, I saw a green light, and
I said 'I gotta' go now.'"
The move gave Carvalho his first major post-collegiate win.
Aklufi, 29, completed the women's 4-mile race in 22:49, easily defeating
marathon standout Magdalena Boulet (nee Lewy) and University of
California-Santa Barbara redshirt Lindsay Christman. The win puts
Aklufi's Southern California-based See Jane Run team in fine position to
successfully defend their open women's title at the upcoming USA Track &
Field National Club Cross Country Championships in Rochester, NY on
November 19th.
"This race showed a pretty good representative mix of what our girls are
going to see [in Rochester]," said Aklufi. "There are a few other fast
girls around the country, but I think we're in as good a shape as
anybody."
Dan Nelson, 41, and Rosemarie Lagunas, 43, won the masters titles.
RESULTS SUMMARY
OPEN MEN - 6 Miles
1. Paulo Carvalho 25 Asics Aggies 30:33 $300 PA
2. Luke Meyer 22 Nike Farm Team 30:44 $150 PA
3. Sean Rickette 23 Asics Aggies 31:08 $75 PA
4. Ryan Moorcroft 23 Asics Aggies 31:10
5. Sergio Reyes 24 Asics Aggies 31:12
6. James Nielsen 26 Nike Farm Team 31:14
7. JT Service 25 Asics Aggies 31:32
8. David Terrence 19 Unattached 31:34
9. Steve Sherer 23 Nike Farm Team 31:41
10. Kevin Pierpoint 29 Asics Aggies 31:45
40-49: Dan Nelson 41 Excelsior 32:44
50-59: Emil Magallanes 50 Asics Aggies 35:56
60-69 Doug Butt 60 Pacific Striders 40:47
70+ Irv Faria 74 Fleet Feet 53:24
Open Men's Teams: 1. Asics Aggies, 20 points, $300*, 2. Nike Farm Team,
59, $125*, 3. Transports Adidas, 77, 4. West Valley Track Club, 212, 5.
Brooks Fleet Feet Racing, 245
OPEN WOMEN - 4 Miles
1. Erika Aklufi 29 See Jane Run 22:49
2. Magdalena Boulet 32 Nike Farm Team 23:30 $300 PA
3. Lindsay Christman 21 Unattached 23:37
4. Caroline Annis 25 Impala RT 23:39 $150 PA
5. Linn Sasse-Schulte 28 See Jane Run 23:42
6. Kim Ramirez 23 See Jane Run 23:48
7. Heather Tanner 27 Nike Farm Team 23:52 $75 PA
8. Trish Nervo 27 Nike Farm Team 23:57
9. Kathryn Krieger 36 Impala RT 23:59
10. Erin Doherty 26 Nike Farm Team 24:05
40-49: Rosemarie Lagunas 43 Wolfpack 24:46
50-59: Kim Rupert 50 West Valley TC 27:31
60-69 Melody Anne-Schultz 64 Tamalpa 29:18
70+ Barbara Robben 71 43:53
Open Women's Teams: 1. See Jane Run, 37, $150, 2. Nike Farm Team, 44,
$200*, 3. Impala Racing Team, 75, $75, 4. Asics Aggies, 136, 5. Run With
Us, 277
PA = Pacific Association/USATF individual prize money
* = Includes Western Regional team prize money
Full results will be available at www.pausatf.org