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Current Public News
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| B.A.A. Athletes Ring Out 2009 With New Accolades |
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| 1/3/2010 |
2009 proved to be a successful year for many B.A.A.athletes as acknowledged by New England Runner in their January/February 2010 edition.
Selected as New England's Female Runner of the Year, Heidi Westover (nee Westerling) had a tremendous 2009, setting personal bests in races from the 5k to the marathon. All in all, she racked-up 10 first-place finishes, including two USATF New England Grand Prix Championship titles at 10 miles and the half marathon. Her breakthrough race at the New Bedford Half Marathon in March where she ran a speedy 1:11:35 and her subsequent 2:35:02 (a course record) at Vermont City, helped her earn a spot on the U.S. Team at the World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, England in October. Westover also placed in the top 20 at two prestigious New England Races, placing 14th in the Boston Marathon in April and 16th at Falmouth in August - just one week after her wedding. She was 14th in the New York City Marathon where she was the 5th American Woman across the line. A 2008 Olympic Trials Marathoner, Westover has already set her sights to 2012 and is hoping to improve her marathon PR to 2:32, the Olympic 'A' standard.
Other B.A.A. runners who were highlighted as being among the best in New England are Matt Ely, Massachusetts' Open Male Athlete of the Year, and Heather Cappello, Massachusetts' Open Female Athlete of the Year. Ely was a solid performer for the B.A.A. throughout 2009, scoring in four of the USATF New England Grand Prix Events and placing third in the overall series. Cappello is back from injuries and running stronger than ever: She won the USATF New England Grand Prix 5 Mile title at the Ollie in September and followed that up with an Olympic Trials qualifying performance in the Marathon at Twin Cities in December.
Also representing the B.A.A. as the Massachusetts 70+ Runner of the Year was the amazing Bill Riley . Riley was selected as one of "New England's Finest", winning the his division at the Hartford Half Marathon in October with an impressive 1:32:28.
Lucas Meyer took top honors as Connecticut's Open Male Runner of the Year. Meyer book-ended 2009 with outstanding cross country performances, placing 11th in the USA Cross Country Nationals in February and seventh at the US National Club Cross Country Championships in December. In March, Meyer placed 5th at the 2009 North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Cross Country Championship. His strong performance helped Team USA take home the gold in the Men's Senior 8k Championship race. In between, he was a force on the roads, placing second at the Litchfield Hills 7-mile road race in June and tenth at the New Haven 20K road race in September. He was 5th in the Hartford Half Marathon in October and, in November, he placed 9th at the Manchester Thanksgiving Day Road Race.
Rhode island's top Male Open Runner also dons the B.A.A. blue & white. Pat Moulton boasted quality over quantity with two marathon titles to his credit in 2009. The Providence College grad won the Suntrust National Marathon in Washinton D.C. in March and defended his title at the ING Hartford Marathon in October. He also placed second to the New England Runner of the Year, Pat Tarpey, at the Jones 10 Miler in February.
Representing Northern New England, Kasie Enman of Vermont and Lesley Hocking of New Hampshire were also named Womens' Open Runner of the Year from their respective states. Injured for a good portion of the year, Enman had some stellar races early in 2009. At the US Cross Country Championship in February, Enman placed 11th overal in the 6k race. In March, she was 3rd at the 2009 North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Cross Country Championships in March, leading Team USA to the gold in the Women's Senior 6k Championship. Hocking capped a solid year of racing with a personal best 2:49:20 at the Twin Cities Marathon in October.
On to 2010!
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