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Lead Stories: Friday, August 29, 2008

Olympic Marathon Trials ‘08:
Elite Athlete Profile:
DEENA KASTOR

Posted April 12th, 2008 at 6:22 AM by thefinalsprint.com

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

As Deena Drossin she first attracted attention as a high school freshman when she finished 11th in the Kinney National Cross Country Championships. Her extensive performance portfolio now includes 24 U.S. national titles in cross country, track, and on the roads. She set a U.S. record for 10,000m (30:50.32) in 2002 and has other track personal bests of 4:07.82 in the 1500m, 8:42.59 in the 3,000m, and 14:51.62 in the 5,000m (all set in 2000).

Kastor was recognized as the recipient of the 2003 Jesse Owens Award as USA Track & Field’s most outstanding woman athlete. Her first marathon in New York in 2001 was an American debut record and after another 2:26 in Chicago, made a major breakthrough with an American record 2:21:16 for third at London in 2003. Leading up to that race, she won her fourth consecutive U.S. 15K road race title in 47:15, bettering her own American record of 48:12 set at the 2002 Championships, and won the silver medal at the World Cross Country Championships for the second consecutive year.
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Olympic Marathon Trials ‘08:
Elite Athlete Profile:
KATE O’NEIL

Posted April 12th, 2008 at 6:17 AM by thefinalsprint.com

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

Kate O’Neill was a seven-time NCAA All-American at Yale University, and was runner-up in the 10,000m at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track Championships. She graduated from Yale holding school records in the 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m.

In 2004 she placed third at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 10,000m, and went on to become the first Yale graduate since Frank Shorter to compete in a distance event in the Olympic Games. O’Neill was the top U.S. finisher at the 2004 World Cross Country Championships, placing 15th in the 8K race.

She made her marathon debut at the 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, placing third overall and running an “A” standard qualifying time for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women’s Marathon. O’Neill then won the 2008 USA Half Marathon title in Houston, posting a time of 1:11:57, and beating a field heavy with Olympic Trials qualifiers.

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Olympic Marathon Trials ‘08:
Elite Athlete Profile:
ELVA DRYER

Posted April 12th, 2008 at 6:10 AM by thefinalsprint.com

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Olympics

A two-time U.S. Olympian, Elva Dryer has developed her athleticism since high school with patience and hard work. She first began to train seriously at Western State College in Colorado, refining her skills for a promising career on and off the track. She was a 16-time NCAA Division II All-American and a seven-time national champion at Western State.

After graduating in 1996, Dryer continued to race and train. She posted respectable indoor times in the mile, 3,000m, and 5,000m events before extending her skills to the roads, cross country and outdoor track. In 1998, Dryer produced several strong international performances, placing eighth at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships 4K and ninth in the mile at the Goodwill Games with a PR of 4:31.12.
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