4-3-2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
   
Contact:
Tom Surber
Media Information Manager
USA Track & Field
(317) 713-4690
[email protected]

ST. LOUIS – Colleen De Reuck, Deena Kastor and Jen Rhines will compete for Team USA at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, after finishing 1-2-3 Saturday at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials at Forest Park in St. Louis. The event was jointly hosted by the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend and the St. Louis Sports Commission.

Blake Russell (Acton, Mass) set a quick pace and established a commanding lead shortly after the first mile of the race. Her lead over the field grew to as much as a minute before she began fading and was passed by Kastor (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) in the 17th mile. Kastor looked strong until the 24th mile when she began to fade and was passed by De Reuck, who went on to win convincingly in 2 hours, 28 minutes, 25 seconds, a new Trials record bettering Margaret Groos’ 2:29:50 from the 1988 Trials in Pittsburgh. Kastor was the runner-up in 2:29:38, with Rhines (Ardmore, Pa.) third in 2:29:57. Russell was fourth in 2:30:32 and Magdalena Lewy Boulet (Oakland, Calif.) was fifth in 2:30:50.

De Reuck will receive $35,000 in prize money for winning the race, with Kastor picking up a check for $30,000 for finishing as the runner-up. Rhines will take home $25,000 for her third place finish. Each U.S. participant in the 2004 Olympic Games marathon in Athens will pocket an additional $10,000 participation bonus. The total prize purse totaled $220,000, and is shared amongst the first 20 finishers.

The race began at 7 a.m., under sunny skies, with temperatures in the high 30s. The 123 competitors ran the first mile at Francis Field on the campus of Washington University, the site of the track and field competition at the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis. Upon leaving Francis Field, the competitors moved on to Forest Park and the remainder of the course.

Russell took a 20-meter lead as the field exited the stadium at the end of the first mile in 5 minutes, 38 seconds. In the second mile (5:06-10:44), Russell extended her lead to 300 meters.

Her lead stretched to 55 seconds over the rest of the field with the completion of mile 3 (5:15-15:59). Deena Kastor and Sylvia Mosqueda (Los Angeles) were one minute behind Russell, with Deeja Youngquist, Colleen De Reuck and Jen Rhines 50 meters behind the second group.

Russell ran mile four in 5:24 (21:33), with the field trailing in the same order as in mile 3. Russell increased her lead to 65 seconds in mile 5 over Kastor and Mosqueda, and she hit the 10 km mark in 33:33.

Russell continued her lead over Kastor by 42 seconds as she passed the 7-mile mark in 37:55. Trailing Kastor were Mosqueda, De Reuck, Lewy Boulet, Rhines and 1996 Trials champion Jenny Spangler. Mile 8 was completed in 43:31 (5:36) with Russell holding a 40 second lead over Kastor, who held a 24 second margin over Mosqueda.

Russell completed mile 9 in 49:01 (5:32), and finished the first 15 km in 50:44. Russell ran a 5:26 in mile 10 (54:29). Her lead over Kastor was 40 seconds as she completed the 11th mile in 60:06 (5:37).

Russell took some water for the second time during the 12th mile (5:36-1:05:42). Her lead at that juncture was 40 seconds over Kastor, who led Mosqueda by 20 seconds. During this part of the race, Kastor stopped twice to get a rock out of her shoe. Russell hit the halfway point in 1:11:58, with a 53 second lead over Kastor, who was trailed by Mosqueda, De Reuck, Rhines and Lewy Boulet. Russell hit the 14 mile mark in 1:17:05 (5:43), with Kastor trailing by 40 seconds.

Kastor made up ground in mile 15, where she decreased Russell’s lead to 20 seconds. The 15th mile was completed by Russell in 1:22:55 (5:50). Kastor, soon after, trailed by 18 seconds, with De Reuck leading a group 40 seconds behind Kastor that included Mosqueda, Lewy Boulet and Rhines.

Kastor shaved Russell’s lead to 9 seconds in the 17th mile, that Russell completed in 1:34:15, a 2:23 pace for a marathon. Kastor pulled a couple of steps ahead of Russell in the 17th mile. Kastor built her lead over Russell to three seconds at that point, with De Reuck 30 seconds back, followed by Mosqueda and Lewy Boulet. Kastor finished 18 miles in 1:40:04.

Kastor began to run away from Russell in the 19th mile (1:45:40), with the 20 mile mark passed by Kastor in 1:51:17, a 2:25:30 pace. In the 21st mile, Russell stopped briefly and was passed by De Reuck. Russell continued running again after a short pause. Kastor’s lead over De Reuck was 34 seconds at this point. Kastor completed the 21st mile in 1:57:08 (5:52).

Kastor hit the 35 km mark in 2:01:35 and held a 30 second lead over De Reuck and a 52 second lead over Russell, who was followed by Rhines, Mosqueda and Lewy Boulet. Kastor continued to hold a comfortable lead in finishing the 23 mile mark in 2:08:47.

De Reuck decreased Kastor's lead to 12 seconds as they approached a big hill at mile 24, which Kastor passed in 2:14:51. De Reuck then passed Kastor 2:16:20 into the race and built a 15 second lead over the American marathon record holder, who began slowing down. De Reuck hit the 25 mile mark in 2:21:04 and her lead over Kastor was 25 seconds.

De Reuck went on to win the race easily in 2:28:25, carrying an America flag as she crossed the finish line. Kastor was the runner-up in 2:29:38, followed by Jen Rhines, who finished third in 2:29:57 and fourth place finisher Blake Russell completed the course 2:30:50. Magdalena Lewy Boulet was fifth in 2:30:50.

Top 20 Finishers (12 of the top 20 finishers and 26 total competitors set personal bests…the top 7 finishers set the fastest times for those places in U.S. Olympic Women’s Trials history…it was the first time three women finished under 2:30 at this event…107 women finished out of 123 entrants):

1. Colleen De Reuck (Boulder, Colo.), 2:28:25; 2. Deena Kastor (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), 2:29:38; 3. Jen Rhines (Ardmore, Pa.), 2:29:57PR; 4. Blake Russell (Acton, Mass.), 2:30:32PR; 5. Magdalena Lewy Boulet (Oakland, Calif.), 2:30:50PR; 6. Heather Hanscom (Alexandria, Va.), 2:31:53PR; 7. Sara Wells (Edina, Minn.), 2:33:15PR; 8. Deeja Youngquist (Albuquerque, N.M.), 2:34:21; 9. Susannah Beck (Halifax, Canada), 2:34:44PR; 10. Jenny Spangler (Lake Villa, Ill.), 2:36:30; 11. Linda Somers Smith (San Luis Obispo, Calif.), 2:37:28; 12. Jenny Crain (Eugene, Ore.), 2:37:36PR; 13. Cori Mooney (Boise, Idaho), 2:37:49PR; 14. Liz Wilson (Eugene, Ore), 2:38:18; 15. Lori Stich Zimmerman (Cedar Creek, Tex.), 2:38:44PR; 16. Beth Old (Douglasville, Ga.), 2:40:14; 17. Nicole Kulikov (Ft. Collins, Colo.), 2:40:28PR; 18. Mary Akor (Gardena, Calif.), 2:40:37PR; 19. Nicole Hunt (Deer Lodge, Mont.), 2:40:39PR; 20. Turena Johnson Lane (Statesboro, Ga.), 2:40:58.

2004 U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Team

Colleen De Reuck: The 2002-03 USA Running Circuit Grand Prix Champion, De Reuck enters the Trials with the second fastest qualifying time in the field of 2:28:01. A three-time Olympian for her native South Africa, De Reuck won the 1996 Berlin Marathon and was the runner-up at the 1997 New York City Marathon. She will enter the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens as the U.S. Olympic Trials champion. In winning the senior women’s bronze medal in the long course race at the 2002 World Cross Country Championships in Dublin, her efforts helped lead Team USA to the overall silver medal. The former world record holder at 10 miles (51:16 – Cherry Blossom) and 20 km (1:05:11 – New Haven), De Reuck earned a team bronze medal at the 2003 World Cross Country Championships, where she placed eighth in the individual competition. A resident of Boulder, Colo., De Reuck, 39, won the women’s long course national title in February at the 2004 USA Cross Country Championships in Indianapolis.

Deena Kastor, 31, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., qualified for the second U.S. Olympic team of her career with her runner-up finish Saturday in St. Louis. Kastor competed in the 10,000 meters at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, but was hampered by an Achilles injury. In 2003 Kastor set a new American women’s marathon record of 2:21:16 at the Flora London Marathon. Kastor’s performance bettered the 2:21:21 set by 1984 Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson in winning the 1985 Chicago Marathon. Earlier in 2003, Kastor won her sixth USA Cross Country 8 km national title, and won the silver medal at the World Cross Country Championships for the second consecutive year. Kastor also won her fourth consecutive U.S. 15 km road race title in 47:15, bettering her own American record of 48:12 set at the 2002 Championship. Kastor concluded the year by winning the 2003 Jesse Owens Award as USA Track & Field’s most outstanding women’s athlete. She married Andrew Kastor, who also is her physical therapist, on Sept. 14, 2003.

Jen Rhines: In only the third marathon of her career, Rhines finished third Saturday with a personal record by 11 minutes, 19 seconds over her previous best of 2:41:16. Her performance in St. Louis also easily bettered the Olympic “A” qualifying standard of 2:37. A college star while at Villanova, Rhines came into her own on the elite track scene when she placed 2nd in the 10,000 meters at the 2000 Olympic Trials, using an impressive kick to make the Olympic Team. She repeated that runner-up finish at the 2001 GMC Envoy USA Outdoor Championships, then won her first USA title in the 10 km in 2002. The daughter of two recreational runners, Rhines started her own career in the eighth grade as a sprinter. She won two state 1500m titles as a prep and won a triple crown in 1994-95, with NCAA titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track. She earned her degree in civil engineering at Villanova and married distance runner Terrance Mahon on November 20, 1998.

Quotes:

Colleen De Reuck: I just wanted to finish in the top three. Early on the pace was much faster than I wanted to go. I was just trying to keep my pace because I did not want to blow out. I was trying to stick with a 5:30 – 5:40 pace.

I was really focused on this race. I am thrilled to make the (Olympic) team and represent the country that I adopted is just a dream come true.

Deena Kastor: “I did what I needed to do to make the Olympic Team. Colleen passed me with three miles to go. She passed me like a sprinter.

It felt like forever getting that rock out of my shoe. I don’t think my strategy is what hurt me today it was definitely something nutritional. I need to assess why I did not have a bigger push at the end.

This whole weekend has been wonderful, everyone did a great job in putting this together.

I plan on being in Sacramento (U.S. Olympic Trials) to run the 5K & 10K. I want to take that 10K pace and run exactly that pace in the marathon.

Jen Rhines: I was in shape to run 2:28 to 2:30 and that’s what I prepared myself for. I knew I needed to make some changes in my preparation from my race in Chicago. I wanted to stay disciplined and run my race and not go out with the leaders too soon. I knew that if I was going to have a chance to make the team that was the way to do it. This feels great and it’s a great relief. This is much more stressful than running on the track. I will run the marathon in Athens. I’m undecided about running the Olympic Trials this summer.

Blake Russell: I knew that I had to go out hard. My plan was to run a 5:35 pace as long as I could. I was hoping that someone would go with me early but nobody did. I found out that I ran the second mile in 5:05, and I knew that wasn’t a good idea. I felt fine until the 20th mile and then I started to gradually feel worse. I felt a cramp in my hamstring coming on in the 21st mile and I stopped for a few seconds. I started running again and the cramp wasn’t a problem.

For more information on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials, including the complete results, visit www.usatf.org.