Atlanta Track Club teams had a strong showing at the USA Track and Field Club Cross Country Championships in Bethlehem, PA on Saturday, December 13, 2014. Held on the Lehigh University cross-country course with over 1,900 registered athletes, the Championships consisted of four separate races: Masters Women at 6K, Masters Men at 10K, Open Women at 6K and Open Men at 10K.
Three Atlanta Track Club elite team members placed as individual National Champions:
Sonja Friend-Uhl in W40-44 (and 2nd Overall), Chad Newton in M45-49, and David Turner in M75-79.
Alan Black was 3rd Overall Masters Men 40-44 in a strong and deep field—the most participants the event has ever had. He took the bronze in 40-44. Kristian Blaich won the bronze in 45-49.
Five of the Atlanta Track Club teams placed in the top-3 in their divisions. The Atlanta Track Club M60+ team won the National Championship. This was their third in the last four years, along with a Silver in Bend. Scoring for the team were Kirk Larson, Bob Dalton, Jerry Learned, Mike Wien and Brad Hill. Pooh Neovakul and Sam Benedict rounded out the team.
M40+ were 2nd to Bowerman AC, in a spirited battle. Scoring for the Atlanta Track Club team were Alan Black, Chad Newton, Kristian Blaich, Malcolm Campbell and Eric Stabb. Tommy Carroll, Valentin Alvarez, Matthew Whitis and Steve Wilcox were in close support, knocking back other team’s runners a few places.
M70+ were 2nd. Scoring were Ed Bligh, Ron Mastin and David Turner. M70+ Andrew Sherwood rounded out and captained the team.
W60+ were 2nd. Scoring for the team were Mary Richards, Terry Ozell and Nonie Hudnall. Trenice Mullis Dubow and Nancy Heidt rounded out the team.
W40+ were 3rd. Scoring for the team were Sonja Friend-Uhl, Holly Ortlund and Irma Dennard. Kelly Walsh and Amy Bartholomew-Koepp rounded out the team.
The USA Track and Field Club Cross Country Championships was inaugurated in 1998. At the present time, it is the largest of USATF’s National Championships in terms of number of athletes.