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Posted 07/14/08
It's on to Omaha
Four athletes advance to Nationals

Rock Hill, SC—Ashley Seymour, Maura Linde, Hillary Lee and Charlotte Staver have all advanced to the USATF National Junior Olympics in Omaha, Nebraska, beginning July 24th concluding on July 27th with their efforts at the Region 3 qualifying meet at South Pointe H.S.

The four girls collected three gold medals, a silver and one bronze, as Seymour won both the Young Women's 800m dash and 1500m run; Staver claimed victory in the 1500m Intermediate division, and Linde and Lee went 2-3 in the Intermediate 3000m final.

On Thursday night in the 800m final, Seymour assumed the lead immediately and led at 200m (31.38), and at the bell (67.12), but was passed on the back stretch. At 600m (1:41.60) she trailed in second but was poised to reclaim the lead for good down the final straightaway.

Seymour came home with even splits of 34.48-and-34.78 to finish in 2:16.38. Not a bad performance after waiting in the check-in area for THREE HOURS before the start of her race.

Also in Seymour's heat of the Young Women's division, was Chelsea Heatley, who ran an inspired race, going with the lead pack early (32.59), and was close to the leaders at the bell (69.80). However, a slow third 200 dropped her from contention, slipping to 9th overall in 2:26.3.

It was assumed that Staver would advance to the national meet. However it was not supposed to be in the 1500m, an event she was only entered in for a back-up race.

After allowing the long wait before the 800m start to affect her nerves, she failed to advance, finishing a disappointing 5th in 2:25.62. But, showing the heart of a true champion, she bounced back on Sunday morning to lead from start to finish in the 1500m run.

The plan was to run from the front, as Staver split a fast 72.94 opening quarter. With a sizable lead built, she slowed over the next two laps, hitting 84.3 (2:37.3) and 84.97 (4:02.19). Now with the pack back in the hunt, she was caught on lap three, but another surge from the front running Staver held off the challenge.

At the bell the pace began to build and with 300m remaining, Sarah Rapp (NC)-the Intermediate 3000m champion-challenged for the lead. But with every attempt to pass, Staver did enough to hold off each effort, and in the final 100, moved away easily for the win in 4:58.2.

Seymour followed Staver's win with a dominate performance in the 1500m. Her opening quarter of 74.38 left plenty in the tank to battle throughout the race by the Young Women's 3k champion from Saturday. Seymour led at the 800 (2:33.15), pushing her challenger out into lane two.

After hitting the 1200m mark in the lead (3:50.8), Seymour gave way and trailed until the final 300m, where she closed in 54.72 to win easy in 4:45.44, a time which converts to 5:03.68 for 1600m.

On Saturday morning, Linde and Lee began their quest to Omaha in the Intermediate 3000m run, with Linde leading Rapp for most of the 7 ½ laps. After her opening quarter of 77.8, Linde knocked off 85-to-87 sec. quarters before closing in 41.9 for a 3k PR of 10:41.7. Rapp and Linde traded the lead over the final three laps, with Rapp pulling ahead for good over the final 200 to win in 10:37.

Lee stayed close to Linde and Rapp early and trailed the leaders at the 1600m mark 5:37-to-5:42. But as Linde and Rapp battled up front, keeping the pace honest, Lee lost contact and slowed. Fortunately her early hard pace had distanced herself from the remainder of the field and easily finished in third in 11:04.8.

The last meet of the year will have national championship titles up for grabs with a chance for All-American status with a top-6 finish.

For more information about the USATF National Junior Olympics, you can visit www.usatf.org

Posted 06/29/08
Two Medals and one controversy
on Day Three of USATF Youth Champs

Charlotte, NC- Day Three of the 2008 USATF Youth Championships, hosted by UNC Charlotte University was a wild one for the Mach Los Track Club.

With 200 meters remaining in the young women's division of the 800m final, Ashley Seymour had a 30 meter lead. A quick peek told her all she needed to do was stay relaxed and the National Championship would be hers.

"I looked back," said Seymour, "I know I shouldn't have, but I just didn't want anyone to come out of nowhere on me. I just wanted to win."

An aggressive start took Seymour out in 29.53, but she trailed in third. On the turn she took over second, and then assumed the lead at the top of the straightaway. Seymour split 64.00 at the quarter mark and began to pull away from the field. At 600m (1:39.64) she held that lead to the tape, coming home in 35.13 for the win in 2:15.19 FAT.

For Mach Los track club head coach, Brian Funk, Seymour became his third National champion. Kristen Nicolini won the 1995 Junior National title for 1500m (US #1) and Alison Smith won the Junior Olympic crown for 3000m in 2006.

LaTonya Payne (GA) finished second in 2:17.42, followed by Casady Ashcraft (OK) in 2:17.90

Seymour established her 800m PR last week at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, placing 6th in the Emerging Elite field with a time of 2:14.56. Her winning time here was the second fastest of her career and the rising senior will now set her sights on winning the Junior Olympic National title in late July.

Moments before Seymour's victory, Charlotte Staver was vying for the intermediate girls 800m crown. Seeded third entering the final, Staver was instructed to get out fast and mix it up early. This didn't happen.

Race favorite Aubrielle Wright (GA) took it out hard, splitting 28 seconds for the first 200m and after the break, Staver was looking at the entire field's backside. However, her opening 200 of 31.69 was still plenty fast, and an aggressive second 200 of 33.84 (65.53) got her back in contention.

On the backstretch Staver had closed down the distance on Wright and second seed Kristine Mullen (NB) and it looked as though she was ready to pounce on both to assume the lead. But at the 600m mark (1:40.76) she began to tighten up, as this was the fastest she had gone so deep into an 800m race. The pack had now caught her by the final straightaway, as Wright and Mullen pulled further ahead.

It was when Bria Guerin (TX) passed Staver with 90m remaining that the light went back on, and she unleashed a huge kick to catch and lean past Guerin for third, living up to her nickname-The Char-k, as in 'Char-k attack"-meaning her kick is vicious like a shark attack!

Staver's finishing time of 2:18.03 (2:17.8ht) was an all-time best , fifth best all-time for the Mach Los TC and earned her the bronze medal. Only it didn't.

It was moments before the awards ceremony that she had learned that an official had DQ'd her for cutting in too early on the break at the start of the race, where the runners stay in their lane for the first 100 meters and then can break for lane one after passing cones in each lane.

"I stepped over my cone, not inside of it," said a disappointed, but not dejected Staver. After a formal protest to challenge the officials ruling, she was still deemed disqualified and stripped of her medal. Luckily she'll have another chance at redemption in Sunday's 1500m final.

Linde 5th in 3000m Final

"My legs just felt heavy," said Linde after her 5th place finish in the girls intermediate 3000m run at the 2008 USATF Youth Championships. Linde finished in 10:47.00 which established a new personal best for the distance, but equates slower than her 3200m PR of 10:57.51.

"I knew it was time to go, but it just wasn't there," the 15-year old said with a smile when referring to a move made by race winner Hannah Valenzuela (CA) and runner-up Destiny Jenkins. "But it was a PR, and 5th is pretty good." When asked if she had ever raced on back to back days-"Never."

Linde's time ranks #3 on the Mach Los all-time list, behind two All-Americans; Alison Smith (10:08.26) and Halsey Sinclair (10:31.28).

On Friday, Linde qualified for Sunday's 1500m final, winning her heat in 4:53.35, so on her third consecutive day of racing, she'll have to hope her legs are feeling a little lighter.

3000 Meter Run Intermediate Girls

National Youth: N 9:37.09, 7/30/2005, Caitlin Lane, unattached-1

800 Meter Run Intermediate Girls

National Youth: N 2:06.64, 7/29/2006, Chanelle Price, United Stated

800 Meter Run Young Women

National Youth: N 2:05.27, 1994, Sarah Bowman, unattached

Posted 06/27/08
Three Mach Los runners
advance in 1500m run

Charlotte, NC—Day two of the 2008 USATF Youth Outdoor Championships began at 11:20am for the Mach Los Track Club with Charlotte Staver and Maura Linde each advancing to the 12-girl intermediate division 1500m final on Sunday at 11:45am.

Staver (Queen Anne's) took an auspicious route to the final; moving straight to the back of the pack and moving up slowly from there. It almost backfired. With race favorite Danielle Menlove (UT) setting a quick pace in heat 1, Staver had too much to make up and lost contact with the leaders. Her first 800m was fairly fast at 2:34.72, but a slow third lap run in 'no-man's land' led to a finishing time of 5:05.07, but good enough for the 11th spot.

Linde (Century) took a much different approach. Establishing the lead from the gun (75.37) and then slowing it down over the next
two laps (82-80), Linde was in control throughout and began to pull away on lap three. Following the plan perfectly, she took off with 300m to go, coming home in 53.94 seconds (71.92 pace) for a time of 4:53.35.

"I felt really good out there," said Linde. "That was a much better start today," admitted Linde, referring to a less than aggressive beginning to her Emerging Elite Mile last week at the Nike Outdoor Nationals.

So Linde, and Staver, (third seed entering tomorrow's 800m final at 3:15pm), will via for a top eight podium finish in Sunday's 1500m final. Both are already ranked in the top-5 all-time in Mach Los history, and look to move up the list.

In the Young Women's division, Chelsea Heatley (Arundel) was warmed up and ready to go-and then she was told-come back on Sunday. A few late scratches reduced the number of participates to the point of direct advancement to finals, so 16 girls will toe the line on Sunday. Heatley will have a great chance to grab a spot on the podium, as her 1600m PR converts to the eighth fastest seed time in the 1500m field.

Also in the Intermediate division was Camilla Henriksen, who placed 11th in heat two with a time of 5:36.34, good enough for 22nd overall. Henriksen's time was 5.91 seconds faster than her 1500m effort two weeks ago at the Catonsville Open.

Tomorrow (Saturday June 28) Ashley Seymour will join Staver in the 800m final albeit in the Young Women's division, and Linde will contest the 3000m final at 11:30am, where she is one of the top seeds.

Posted 06/26/08
Staver and Seymour Advance
at Youth Champs

Charlotte, NC—On day one of the 2008 USATF Youth Outdoor Championships, hosted by UNC Charlotte University, Ashley Seymour and Charlotte Staver both advanced to Saturday's 800m final at 3:15 pm.

Staver won her heat convincingly, easing up over the final 200 meters to cruise in with a win of 2:20.75. That time seeds her third going into the intermediate girl's final on Saturday. Staver's time was an 800m PR and was the first time she competed in the event since winning the Maryland state indoor title in February.

Seymour also easily advanced, finishing second in the final heat of the young women's division in a time of 2:20.46. That time ranks her among the top six entering the finals, however she owns the fastest PR in the field.

Also competing for Mach Los in the 800m dash for young women was Chelsea Heatley, who finished fifth in the opening heat with a time of 2:26.00. Heatley did not advance to the final (top eight overall times).

Rounding out the day for Mach Los was Camilla Henriksen who ran 2:53.76 in the intermediate competition.

All four girls minus Seymour will compete again on Friday morning in the 1500m run, but will be joined by Maura Linde, who is seeded #3 in the intermediate girls division.

Posted 06/22/08
Another Nike, Another Podium
Appearance for Mach Los

Greensboro, NC—Ashley Seymour had a score to settle in the Emerging Elite 800m dash at the 2008 Nike Outdoor Nationals at UNC A&T University. The junior from D.C. came up just short in Landover in March; .32 tenths of a second away from an All-American spot. This time an All-American spot was not up for grabs, but a high finish and PR was certainly on the agenda.

Seymour was in the second section of three, and a 30.60 opening 200 put her well back of local Ryanna Henderson's (Jacsonville, NC) 28.5. With the pack slowing, Seymour weaved through and began to move up with a 33.31 next 200 (63.91). However, there were still several girls to pass, and Seymour slowed to 35.41 (1:39.32), but the pack slowed even more in front of her, thanks to Henderson's aggressive front running.

At 600 meters Seymour made her move, and by the top of the straightaway she had claimed the lead, inspiring the track announcer to repeat Seymour's name like an inspired Kentucky Derby finishing call. Sprinting down the rail for the tape, Seymour didn't sense Rebekka Simko of Mentor, OH finishing fast way out in lane 6. The two dove for the line, with Simko nipping Seymour; 2:14.54-to-2:14.56. With Vanessa Fabrizio (Littleton, CO) winning heat 1 in a quick 2:12.67, that put Seymour in third with the final heat to come.

Monica Kinney (Walker, MI), Grace Rodriquez (Norwich, VT) and Megan Patrignelli (Monroe, NY) came through in 2:12.11-2:12.15 and 2:12.60, but that's all that would eclipse Seymour's 2:14.56, giving her the sixth and final spot on the awards podium.

It was the fourth time an athlete representing the Mach Los Track Club appeared on the Nike podium, as Alison Smith finished fourth in the 2006 indoor mile, Ashlyn Sinclair claimed fifth in 2007 for the 2000m steeplechase, and Halsey Sinclair claimed 6th at the 2007 indoor champs for 5000m.

Also having a successful trip and gaining their first taste of National exposure was freshman Maura Linde and Charlotte Staver. Linde finished 9th in the Emerging Elite Mile run with a time of 5:12.85, splitting 5:10.7 through 1600m, while Staver placed 17th in the Freshman Mile with a time of 5:22.26, splitting 5:19.9 through 1600m.

The only freshman in the field, Linde competed in this event because a family wedding on Saturday conflicted with the freshman mile. The emerging elite race was conducted on Friday afternoon. A poor start found Linde boxed and well back of a pack of five that broke away early from the field of 13 girls, which included three seniors and four juniors.

Linde's 73.56 opening 400 was solid and a 77.44 (2:31.0) next quarter got her back in the hunt, but a slow third quarter of 81.41 (3:52.41) allowed the early break away pack to break away for a final time.

Linde finished well (78.22) for her new Mile PR of 5:12.85. Sixth place in the freshman mile was 5:11.95, and one would think in this field Linde would have found a way to place in the top six.

For Staver, who didn't even run outdoor track, she had qualified for an event that she had never run before. In her first time racing the 1500m on June 7th at the Milestat Gala, Staver qualified for Nike, running 4:58.11. At Nike, her plan was a simple one; hang on to the leaders for as long as she could, and in the final lap kick hard to finish within the top-6.

This plan was going great, as a 74.19 opening quarter found her close, and a 79.57 next lap (2:33.76) had her at 5:08 pace with just two laps remaining. However, slow identical laps of 83.06 seconds over the final 800 meters found her 9th in the fast heat and 17th overall.

Hillary Lee, Chelsea Heatley and Camilla Henriksen will join up with Seymour, Staver and Linde next week at the USATF Youth Championships in Charlotte, NC.

Posted 06/16/08
Staver Wins 1500m run

Catonsville—Charlotte Staver used teammates Ashley Seymour, Maura Linde and Hillary Lee as pacemakers during the girls 1500m run at the Catonsville Open at Catonsville High School. Staver did move on to win the event by over 100 meters in a time of 4:57.5, (a new personal best), however the pacers did not exactly follow the plan.

Seymour, Linde and Lee were supposed to travel through 800 meters in 2:30, running even splits of 75 and 75. However, the pace was more like 77 and 80, as Linde and Lee stepped off in 2:38. Seymour continued to lead Staver through 1000m, but Staver did not stay as close as she needed.

Using a fast final 300 meters (56 seconds), Staver established her PR, with Camilla Henriksen finishing fourth for Mach Los in 5:42.3.

The three pacers then went off the track for a hard 40 minute fartlek run over hilly roads.

Seymour, Linde and Staver will compete next at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, as Seymour will race in the emerging elite 800m dash, Linde in the emerging elite Mile run and Staver in the Freshman Girls Mile.

Posted 06/09/2008
Three Top Three Finishes at Milestat Gala

Richmond, VA—With temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and the humidity nearly 100 percent, racing conditions proved difficult, to say the least, at the 3rd Annual Milestat.com Track Gala at Sports Backers Stadium.

Although the girls didn't feel their best, Maura Linde, Charlotte Staver and Ashley Seymour all placed within the top three in their respective events, with Staver establishing an all-time best.

Linde led for much of the girls 1500m run, taking the pack through 400m in 76.5 with Staver trailing in the mid-pack at 77.96. However, Linde's second lap of 81.25 (2:37.75) allowed Anneka Wilson (VA) to assume the lead just before the third lap and Staver to inch closer (80.69).

A 78.56 third quarter (3:56.31) from Linde pulled her closer to Wilson, while Staver stayed consistent (80.21). Linde's final 300m of 56.53 (75.4 pace) was not enough to catch Wilson's winning time of 4:48.08; as Linde placed second in 4:53.3. Staver moved up well over the final 400 meters to take third in 4:58.11.

Staver had never before raced 1600m let alone a 1500m, as her conversion would equal 5:17.1 for 1600m. The closest the freshman had come to the event was a gym class timed mile of 5:49.  

For Seymour, she had plans of a sub-2:15 800m dash effort, but it did not come to pass. Her poor start put her well back, and she had to struggle to move up through an over-crowed heat of 17 girls. Although she was well back at 200m she still split 32.82, but with the pack slowing in front of her, her next split slowed to 34.3 (67.12).

Plans of a 64-second 400m was out the window, so Seymour blasted the third 200 in 32.13 (1:39.25) and moved to the lead. At this point it looked as though she would move away easily from rivals Laura Rapp (VA) and Christina Lee (VA), but she tensed during the final 100m, allowing Rapp to win in 2:12.48. Lee held on for second in 2:13.09, while Seymour struggled in at 2:15.62.

Posted 6/7/08
Mach Los to begin season at Milestat Gala

Maura Linde and Charlotte Staver will kick off the 2008 summer track season for the Mach Los Track Club in the 1500m at the Milestat.com Track Gala at Sportsbackers Stadium, Richmond, Virginia.

Linde is the #1 seed and looks to better her PR of 4:43.89, while Staver is competing in the event for the first time.

Ashley Seymour will look to improve on last year's third place finish in the 800m while also hoping for a lifetime best. The senior to be plans to run under 2:14.

Posted 05/27/08
Three new runners join Mach Los

Maura Linde, Charlotte Staver and Camilla Henriksen have joined up with Ashley Seymour on the Mach Los Track Club, a club which caters to elite distance runners age 14 and over.

Linde, who recently completed her freshman year at Century H.S., was a two-time state champion at the 2008 2A outdoor championships, winning the 1600m and 3200m runs, while also placing third for 800m. Her winning 3200m time of 10:57.51 was the fastest in Maryland since 1996.

Staver just completed her freshman year at Queen Anne's H.S. and was the 2A indoor state champion for 800m and placed third for 500m with the 39th fastest time in the U.S. (1:18.70). Staver played lacrosse outdoors.

Henriksen will be a junior next fall at Annapolis H.S. and looks to regroup this summer from a tough 2008 regular season. A bout with Lime disease mid-way through the year knocked her out of the indoor season, and finding it difficult to return with much time lost to training, Henriksen also decided to play lacrosse in the spring. She finished 17th as a freshman at the 3A state cross country championships and looks to begin to regain that form this summer.

You can read more detail bios on all three new additions to the Mach Los Track Club in the athlete section. All four girls will race at the first meet of the summer, the 3rd Annual MileStat.com Gala in Richmond, VA.

Posted 03/16/08
Oh So Close To All-American

Landover, MD—After her heat three victory in the 800m dash at the Nike Indoor National Championships, Ashley Seymour had to hope against hope that her new indoor PR of 2:15.98 would hold up against the final two sections and earn her a top-six finish.

What's the old saying; close but no cigar? Well in this case it was close (by three tenths of a second) but no medal or All-American certificate (top-six finishers).

Laura Rapp (VA) finished second in heat four with a time of 2:15.66 to move Seymour into third overall with the final section yet to race. Seymour's time bettered two of the six in the final section, but was ultimately only good enough for seventh place.

The first three heats began at 8:00 am, whereas the final two heats did not have to compete until 2:00pm Sunday afternoon. Seymour was the event leader after the early morning heats.

She went out fast (30.74) and trailed Taylor Bumpas (PA) for the first two laps, as they split 64.91 for the first 400-meters. On the third lap, Seymour moved by Bumpas and took the lead at the bell (1:39.35) holding off her hard challenge in the final 100-meters.

The event was won by freshman Chelsey Sveinsson (TX), in 2:11.52 barely surviving Eleanor Roosevelt's Tasha Stanley's kick and finish of 2:12.24. Sveinsson had previously won the freshman mile on Saturday afternoon in a new meet record of 4:49.37. She went out hard in the 800 final, splitting 28-60-and 1:33 before slowing to allow Stanley and several others back into the race.

Seymour will return to this meet next year as the #5 returnee for 800-meters and will be hopeful to move up from there. Considering she was 24th (2:21.69) in 2007, and 7th in 2008, who knows what may happen next year. According to dyestat.com she is currently ranked 29th in the U.S.

Posted 03/06/08
Confidence High Heading into NIN

With 2008 indoor personal bests of 2:18.21 for 800m; 5:16c for 1600m; and 58.0 for 400m (leadoff relay split), Ashley Seymour is confident of big things to come at Next Sunday's Nike Indoor National Championships at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Center.

Entered in the 800m dash, Seymour looks to shatter her indoor personal best set at the Penn State High School meet on Feb. 22nd where the high school junior placed second overall.

She is bolstered by a recent indoor workout where she eased through 600m in 1:38.38 (splitting 31-33-33) which equates to roughly 2:13 for 800m, followed by 400's in 67 and 68 with just 100m recovery. In early February, Seymour in the cold and wind, ran 3:06.76 for 1000m in practice (sub 5:00 pace), followed by two sets of 300-400-500 at sub 5:00 pace w/100m jog recovery.

More than likely her race will be run at 8:00am on Sunday March 16th. The NIN is contested at the same indoor site where the Mach Los Track Club practices; another advantage that adds to her confidence.

Posted 10/30/07
Stellar season and huge improvement
continues for Seymour

Reston, VA—Ashley Seymour wanted to improve on her 8th place finish from the 2006 WCAC (Washington Christian Athletic Conference) Championships. After winning her last two races, the junior was confident that could happen.

Saturday at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, Virginia, Seymour finished second overall in 21:13, just 17 seconds behind winner Megan Fitzpatrick of Bishop O'Connell, but 59 seconds ahead of her 2006 performance. Seymour hung close to the heavily favored Fitzpatrick for most of the race, but could not make up for a slow start resulting from a slip on the starting line.

Three days of rain had made the course slippery and slower than it usually races, causing Seymour's early slip up. The course features a long and steady incline from the first step and a two-foot deep river to cross 800 meters into the race. Three more steep and long hills awaited, with muddy conditions over the entire course.

At one mile, Seymour split 6:20, and was 14 seconds behind Fitzpatrick at 1.5 miles but could not cut into the gap any further.

Jullianne Tela of Bishop Ireton stayed on Seymour's shoulder for the duration, but could never forge past, finishing third, 21 seconds better than her 6th place finish last year. Fitzpatrick, who finished third last year, but entered as the number one returnee, improved by 22 seconds.

Full Results can be found at milestat.com at http://va.milesplit.us/meets/29707/results/58413

Seymour will have an off weekend before she toes the line at the Private School Championships on November 10th in Ellicott City, MD, then finishes her season at the Footlocker Northeast Championships on November 24th.

Posted 10/21/07
Seymour does it Again; this time for Mach Los

Towson—For the second consecutive Saturday, Ashley Seymour placed first overall for 5000 meters. The sixteen year-old high school junior won the First Annual Mosaic 5k Recovery Run in a time of 19:40.

The challenging and hilly course began at 8:30am on the campus of Towson University and saw 151 runners finish the race. Seymour, running this week for the Mach Los Track club, was 52 seconds ahead of second place finisher Lindsey Warfield of Woodbine, MD.

Seymour's high school team, John Carroll of DC, was slated to run at the Georgetown Prep Invitational but pulled out at the last minute, prompting the Towson 5k.

The inaugural race was won by Christopher Sufczynski of Baltimore in 18:28. Seymour finished fifth overall among all competitors and was just 1:12 behind Sufczynski.

Full results can be found at http://www.charmcityrun.com/eventResults.cfm?eventid=678

Posted 10/16/07
Seymour Runs Away with Landon Invite Crown

Bethesda—From the first step of the race, junior Ashley Seymour had control of the Landon Invite--hosted by the Landon School--and cruised to her first cross country victory since her freshman year of high school.

Seymour finished the 5k course in 19:33, bettering the runner-up by 35 seconds. Her first mile over the slow and winding course was 6:13, followed by a second mile split of 13:03 (6:49). Seymour closed in 6:29 and was never seriously challenged at any point.

Last season Seymour finished second in 19:45 on a course that was slightly faster due to a course change this year. "I never felt very good," commented Seymour, who trained through the meet. "My legs were heavy but I felt good about my finish."

Next up for Seymour will be the first annual Towson 5k road race at Towson University on Saturday, October 20th at 8:30am.

Posted 09/24/2007
Seymour 10th at William & Mary Invite

Williamsburg, VA—Ashley Seymour is still learning how to put an entire cross country race together. On Saturday at the William & Mary Invitational, the John Carroll (DC) junior took another step in the right direction.

Seymour finished 10th overall (17th in 2006) in a talented field (161 runners) with a time of 19:42.97. A quick first mile of 5:58.56 put her just behind the leaders (5:50) in about 10th place. However a lack of focus led to a slow second mile, hitting the two mile split in 12:52.79 (6:54.23) dropping her back to 19th overall.

With just 800m to go, Seymour had moved up to 17th, but by the finish she had knocked off another six runners to claim her top ten finish and close off the last 1.05 miles faster than her second mile (6:50.18).

The race was won by Octavia Rinehardt (Tallwood, VA) in 18:33 who is ranked by milestat.com as the #10 harrier in Virginia.

Seymour will take what she learned in Williamsburg and use that next Saturday at the McDonalds Cross Country Festival at Maymont Park in Richmond, VA.

Posted 09/16/2007
Former Mach Los Star Wins Collegiate Opener

Newark, DE—Alison Smith didn't waste any time getting acclimated to collegiate racing, grabbing a win in her Villanova debut at the Delaware Invitational at Clay Creek State Park.

Smith sat behind teammates Ellen Dougherty (Jr) and Akillah Vargas (Sr) for the first half of the 6 kilometer course, hitting 3:31 at 1k and 5:47 for the one mile split. As the course wore on and became a bit hillier; Smith slowly pulled away for an easy six second win over Dougherty; 22:29-to-22:35.

Pennsylvania senior Stacy Kim (2006 NCAA 1500m qualifier) placed third, followed by her Quaker teammate Leah Brogan. The Wildcats placed three more freshman in the top seven, as Amanda Marino (5th), Sarah Morrison (6th and Smith's roommate), and Callie Hogan (7th) sealed the team win. Vargas slipped to 8th, and sophomore Kaitlyn Tallman rounded out the top ten.

Villanova bettered runner-up Penn 21-41, followed by host Delaware (105), Towson (110) and Hofstra (117). Smith and the rest of the Wildcats will race again at the Paul Short Invitational on September 28th. Full results can be found at
http://www.udel.edu/sportsinfo/womens_cross_country/wcc07-udinvite1-box.html

Smith ended her high school career on June 23rd with a DNF at the United States Junior Championships (1500m), pulling up with a severe calf strain due to a hip imbalance that plagued her much of the 2006-07 season. With a strong summer of rehab and road work, Smith entered Villanova in a much better place.

Posted June 10, 2007
Strong cross country opener for Seymour

Sept. 1st — Training through the race, Junior Ashley Seymour (Archbishop Carroll H.S.) finished fifth at the Chancellor Invitational with a course personal best time of 20:34, an improvement of nearly 20 seconds.

Seymour, who trains year round with the Mach Los track club, competes during the regular season for her private school in the District of Columbia. Last spring as a sophomore, Seymour posted personal bests of 2:15.22 for 800 meters and 5:09 for 1600 meters. This fall she will look to improve markedly in cross country with hopes of a high finish at the Footlocker Northeast Championships in late November.

Saturday's race was won by Virginia's Elizabeth Wall's (Battlefield) in a new course record time of 19:45.75. Seymour admitted to getting a slow start due to a lack of confidence, but once the race progressed, she began to move forward more aggressively.

"I definitely had too much left at the end," claimed Seymour. Her attention will now turn to more hard training before she next races on September 22nd at the William and Mary Invitational in Williamsburg, VA.

Posted June 10, 2007
US #8 for Smith at MileStat.Com

Gala Richmond, VA—Determined to run a good 1500m in preparation for the USA Junior Championships in two weeks, Alison Smith dominated from her first step at the 2007 Milestat.com Gala at Sportbackers Stadium.

Smith posted the fourth best 1500m time of her career, and the 2007 US #8 performance, finishing in 4:34.76, bettering Halsey Sinclair by more than nine seconds. Her opening split of 68.28 had already distanced herself from the field, and a 73.00 second quarter (2:21.28), put her ahead by nearly 90 meters.


With no one to push her, she had to find inspiration from within, splitting a respectable 75.75 third quarter (3:37.03), but found it hard to blast in the final 300 meters (57.41).

“I wasn’t going to go out there today and not run well, there was just no way,” said Smith.

Next week, Smith will race the 800m dash at the Nike Outdoor Nationals, where last year she finished 8th overall, winning her heat in a PR of 2:11.12. She will look to better that mark in prep for the USA Junior championships in either the 800 meters or most likely the 1500m run.

Smith’s new Mach Los training partner, Ashley Seymour, ran an exceptional 800m, finishing third in 2:15.44, just off her personal best set two weeks ago of 2:15.22. However, she ran much stronger than her time indicates.

Trying for a USA Junior qualifying time of 2:13.64, Seymour really went for it, coming through the quarter in 63.82, and the 600m mark in 1:37.97 (2:10.64 pace), trailing just behind race winner Tasia Potasinski. Through 700m she was still in second behind Potasinski, who maintained for a 2:12.21 clocking. But the early pace proved too much over the final 100 for Seymour, as the sophomore slipped to third behind Laura Rapp (2:14.78).

Andrew Revelle had a disappointing day. Also trying to better his time for the US Junior Championships, Revelle needed only to slightly improve on his 1600m PR of 4:14.84, by running just under 3:58.

Things looked good early, splitting 61.69 and 64.75 (2:06.44), but trying to pass race winner Peter Dorrell on the backstretch of the third lap and not succeeding, Revelle seemed to lose his way, slipping way back to eighth overall in 4:06.22.



Posted 03/19/07
Training Center Established at US Naval Academy

The Mach Los Track Club has secured the US Naval Academy as a training site for its future post-collegiate distance group.

The sole purpose of the post-collegiate group is to qualify for US Indoor and Outdoor Championships, the 2008 US Olympic Trials, 2008 Olympic Games and future national, international and Olympic competitions.

The selection process has begun and the group will begin in the summer of 2007. Training will take place at the Academy's outdoor track and cross country course, and the group will utilize local parks, trails, pools and gyms for additional training.

Furthermore, construction is now underway to the state of the art indoor track & field facility called the Wesley Brown Field House located along the Severn River and will serve as the new home of Naval Academy indoor track. Halsey Field House, the current track & field facility on campus, will continue to serve the indoor track team, gym classes and training activities until the Wesley Brown Field House is completed.

US Naval Academy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuck:
"The first priority is the Wesley Brown Field House, which will be a 150,000 square foot, indoor track and multipurpose complex."

Posted 03/12/07
Halsey Sinclair All-American at Nike

Landover, MD—Halsey Sinclair made her indoor 5000m debut a good one, finishing 6th at the Nike Indoor National meet in 18:36.74, earning her third All-American distinction.

However, Sinclair achieved that distinction in an unconventional way. Running against Footlocker National qualifiers such as National runner-up Aurora Scott (VA), Alex Banfich, (IN), and Kristen McGlynn (CO), Sinclair went right to the front of the pack, leading for the first 150 meters before giving way to Scott.

Sinclair maintained second place until the chase pack led by Banfich, McGlynn and Cara Harrison (MD) caught her at the mile (5:34.50). She would run with the pack for the next several laps, but then slid to the sixth position by the two mile (11:40.19-6:05.69).

With just four laps remaining Sinclair had given way to Virginia teammates Sullivan Parkes and Jillian Pollack, and it looked as though the final All-American spot would be theirs to fight for. But Sinclair passed them back for good with 250m remaining. However, out of nowhere, Katherine Ward went by Sinclair with just 100 to go to finish sixth overall, it seemed, leaving Sinclair in seventh.

After a discussion by meet officials it had been determined that either Ward or Kassie Meholick ran one lap short, (was never explained) moving Sinclair back to her rightful sixth place finish.

Scott won the race in 16:53.55, followed by McGlynn (17:36.60), Banfich (17:41.08), and Harrison (18:01.90). Meholick was listed as fifth in 18:23.49, followed by Ward (18:32.61). Parkes and Pollack finished and adjusted seventh and eighth in 18:39.11 and 18:40.29.

Sinclair earned her first All-American distinction for her Nike Indoor National victory in the freshman mile in 2004, and followed that up with her third place finish at the Adidas Outdoor Championships (now Nike).

Posted 02/18/07
Redemption in Jersey

Princeton, NJ—Three weeks ago, Andrew Revelle forgot to bring his spikes to Chapel Hill. Last week he was tripped up and fell 400 meters into the mile run in Boston. Today, he forgot his racing jersey, but unlike the last two weeks, Revelle turned bad luck into good, setting his all-time PR in the mile at the Princeton Invitational.

Revelle finished third overall, running 4:18.20 FAT, coming through 1600 meters in 4:16.47 ht, also an all-time best. His time currently ranks #20 on the Dyestat Elite national list as of February 17th. In fact, three Maryland runners rank in the top 20 on that list, with Matt Centrowitz sitting #2 (4:10.85) and Chris Moen #12 (4:16.76).

A rabbit from Princeton pulled two of his teammates along, including last year’s race winner, Bryan Sharkey. Revelle, after a bumpy start, came through the 400m mark in 62.44, trailing in fourth behind the rabbit, Sharkey, and Princeton’s Robert Grote, who boasts a 4:11.63 PR.

In a line, the four remained the same, with Revelle hanging on for dear life. At the 800m mark the rabbit gave way to Sharkey, with Revelle now moving into third (64.94, 2:07.38). Over the next lap (2:39.79 at 1k), he passed Grote to move into second, and gave Sharkey a chase through 1200 meters (65.5, 3:12.88).

Grote went back in front of Revelle at the 1200 mark, and so did unattached athlete Brian Donovan—last year’s NCAA DIII national runner-up for 10k—but a 63.59 final quarter caught Donovan (4:19.08) and nearly Grote (4:17.20) to finish with his all time best. Sharkey went on to win in 4:14.42.

Full results can be found at www.goprincetontigers.com Next up for Revelle will be the Nike Indoor Championships, where he will look to improve on his lifetime best.

Posted 02/11/07
Smith overcomes injury in Boston

Boston—Alison Smith ran her first mile of the season, finishing in 4:59.65 on the banked track at Boston University's Valentine Invite. In fact, it will be her only mile of the year before entering the Nike Indoor Championships on March 11th.

Smith suffered a mild hamstring pull last week in New York during the Junior Girls 1000m, and was not at 100% in Boston. However, for 5 and one half laps, Smith was rocking a 4:50 mile pace. But over the final laps, her left quad and hamstring tightened again, not allowing her to run at full stride.

"I felt insanely good for the first 1k," said Smith. "But then it got super tight, and I told myself, 'just keep running normal,' but it was hard."

Smith, running in the second heat, took the lead immediately, splitting 72.91 for the first quarter, and increased that pace to 72.41 (2:25.32) for the second quarter. At 1000m, her 3:03.22 continued to lead over Oneonta State's Kaitlin O'Sullivan, who had remained on Smith's shoulder since the outset.

The third quarter slowed to 74.9 (3:40.22), and as her left leg tightened, her lead had been surrendered to O'Sullivan. Unable to close the race in her normal 68-to-69 range-which would have given Smith a 4:49.9 to 4:50.9 indoor best-she slowed to 77.03, hitting the 1600m mark in 4:57.25.

Next week will be devoted to recovery for Smith, before again turning to hard training to prepare for Nike. As a tune-up, Smith may race 800m a week before Nike.


Trip up on the boards

Andrew Revelle was primed for a fast mile time in Boston. Through 400 meters of the banked track, he was clocked in 62 seconds-nailing his goal time. A few meters later, he was face down on the track, writhing in pain.

"Someone clipped my foot from behind," said Revelle. "I just went down."

By the time Revelle had gathered himself-and got back on his feet-the field was 100 meters ahead, and the trip to bean-town was all-but ruined. Over the next 200 meters, he tried to get back in the race, but realizing it to be impossible; Revelle dejectedly jogged the rest of the way in.

The race was won in 4:15, and went out exactly the way Revelle had hoped to run; 2:07 at 800 meters, 3:12 at 1200 meters, but it was not meant to be.

Revelle will look to rebound in the mile next week.

Posted 02/05/07
Sinclair Produces Indoor Best; Again
Smith pulls out of race

New York—Ashlyn Sinclair continued her improvement in 2007, establishing a new personal best for 1000m, (2:57.54), finishing 7th in the New Balance Collegiate junior girls race.

In fact, Sinclair set an indoor 800 PR en route, splitting 2:18.18, and was on pace to run around 2:53, but a tactical mistake led to a difficult final lap.

"I was boxed in, so I slowed down to try and step out and around," said Sinclair. "But once I did that, I just couldn't get going again."

Sinclair, and Mach Los teammate Alison Smith did not get very good starts, and found themselves boxed-in and behind early. As the two split virtually identical splits through the first quarter, 32.18, 35.62 (67.8), entering the third lap, Smith began to tighten and cramp in her left hamstring. On the turn approaching the straightaway, Smith pulled out, leaving the door open for Sinclair.

"I felt it tightening approaching the quarter, but I just tried to keep going," said Smith. "But as I came into the turn off the backstretch, it hurt too much to continue. I thought it was going to rip in half."

A 35.41 third lap (1:43.21) kept Sinclair in contention and still with the lead group, and she stepped that pace up on the fourth (34.97), before faltering over the final 200 (38.86).

Despite the tactical error, Sinclair still bettered her season best from last week of 2:58.96 and improved her US ranking from #11 to #10. Of the seven girls in the race, all seven rank in the top 10 in the US.

Dating back to January 6th, Sinclair has set personal bests for 800m and 1000m each time she has stepped onto the track.

Unfortunately for Smith, she had plans of a sub-2:50 performance before her hamstring problem, and will now look to re-hab quickly in hopes of racing the mile for the first time in 07 this Saturday in Boston.

Girls Junior 1000m Results

1 Sheffey, Brittany Unattached 2:51.09
2 Morrison, Leslie Unattached 2:52.23
3 White, Catherine Unattached 2:52.25
4 Welch, Brianna Unattached 2:53.02
5 Chambers, Shaniel Unattached 2:54.34
6 Lane, Caitlin Unattached 2:55.41
7 Sinclair, Ashlyn Unattached 2:57.54
-- Smith, Alison Unattached DNF

Posted 01/30/07
Smith Chooses Villanova

Alison Smith has accepted an athletic scholarship with Villanova University, verbally committing to head coach Gina Procaccio on Monday night. Smith decided on the Big East power over schools such as Georgetown, Florida, Virginia, Syracuse and Arkansas.

Smith is now the fourth girl to sign or verbally commit to Villanova this fall, joining Callie Hogan (Bay Shore, NY) Amanda Marino (Jackson Memorial, NJ), and Sarah Morrison (Chambersburg, PA), all of which are top national prospects.

Of the four seniors, Smith is the only Footlocker National Cross Country qualifier, and boasts the fastest incoming 800 and 1500m times of 2:11.12 and 4:31.45. But Hogan is hot right now, running the #2 US 1000m time (2:53.81), the #2 US 3000m (9:52.83) and the #10 US Mile (4:56.28), according to dyestat.com.

Morrison has PR's of 4:54.05 for the Mile run and 2:14 for 800 meters, while Marino has an indoor Mile best of 4:57.45, finishing fifth at last year's Nike Indoor Championships, just .36 tenths of a second behind Smith.

Entering the 2007 track season, Smith is the #3 returnee in the US for 1000 meters (2:54.52), #5 US for 1500 meters (4:31.45) and is the #2 returnee from the Nike Indoor Championships for the Mile run. Currently she ranks #14 for 800 meters with her indoor best of 2:16.66.

Sinclair's nationally ranked

Twins Ashlyn and Halsey Sinclair, both of whom compete for Blair H.S., are currently nationally ranked according to dyestat.com.

With her second place time of 2:58.96 at the Virginia Tech Invite, Ashlyn now ranks #11 in the US for 1000 meters, while Halsey is ranked #11 for 1600m (5:07.42) and #14 for 3200m (11:14.45).

Both sisters are heavy in the recruiting process and are undecided on where they will run next fall.

Posted 01/28/07
Revelle 2nd at UNC Fast Times Invite

Chapel Hill, NC—Andrew Revelle eclipsed his indoor Mile PR of 4:23.89 set last year at the Nike Indoor Championships (3/12) with his second place finish of 4:23.60 at the UNC Fast Times Invite on the campus of North Carolina University.

Revelle's splits show his strength and racing discipline, running virtually even throughout; 65.35, 65.31 (2:10.66), 66.97 (3:17.63), 64.06 (4:21.69), 1.69.

The race went out slow, with three UNC runners taking the early pace, but not doing much with it. Revelle steadily clawed his way up to the front, despite forgetting to bring his spikes, he moved into second with two laps remaining.

A 31.19 final 200 from Revelle almost caught High Point's Josh Morgan (4:22.19), who had broken away from the pack with three to go.

In the women's 800m dash, Alison Smith had a sub-par performance, and actually looked better in her workout immediately following the race done on the outdoor track.

Smith came through the first 200 looking sharp (31.82), but began to give way to former Olympic Bronze medalist Inez Turner, and two top level runners from NC State. At 400 (66.66), she was still in the race, but her legs would not keep her in contention, slipping to fifth in 2:19.05 FAT.

Posted 01/11/07
Indoor PR for Smith at Maryland Invite

Landover—Last year Alison Smith finished fourth in the 800m dash at the Maryland Invite at the Prince George's Sports and Learning Center, setting her indoor PR. This year she bettered that PR by two seconds, and placed third overall in 2:16.66 FAT.

Smith came through 200 meters at 32.03 and trailed the fast pace setting Marlene Belezaire of Hampton Univeristy (Bethel H.S. VA). Smith came through the second lap in 34.88 (66.91), bringing her closer to Belezaire and her teammate Kenya Jones, and a consistent third lap of 35.19 (1:42.1) kept her within striking distance.

With 150m to go, Smith charged after the two runners from Hampton, but only narrowed the gap slightly, splitting 34.12 over the final lap (69.31) to finish with her indoor personal best.

Full results can be obtained at www.cfpitiming.com

Smith will look to continue her 2007 improvement at 800m in the UNC Fast Times Invitational in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on Saturday, January 27, before stepping up to run in the junior girls Invitational 1000m dash at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational on February 3rd.

Posted 01/08/07
Smith and Revelle make 2007 Debut
Sinclair’s run well in New York

Princess Anne, MD—It had been a month since Alison Smith last raced, finishing 18th at the Footlocker Cross Country National Championships. At the UMES Coach O Invite, Smith’s focus was on improving speed.

Entered in the 400-meter and 800 meter dashes, which were contested back-to-back, Smith won her heat in 62.65, and finished 12th overall. She split 29.79 through 200, and came back in 32.53, roughly splitting 45-high through 300 meters only to fade slightly down the stretch.

Twenty minutes later Smith was back on the track in the 800m, going out conservatively in 33.22, then 68.25 (35.03), before slowing to 36.75 (1:45.00). She trailed for most of the race before pulling behind the leader, Francena McCorory of Hampton University entering the bell lap. Coming off the final turn, Smith went by McCorory for what appeared to be a winning move, but McCorory summoned on more burst in the final meters to nip Smith, 2:20.25-to-2:20.64.

For Andrew Revelle, his layoff was a bit longer. Revelle had not raced since Thanksgiving weekend at the Footlocker Northeast cross country championships, and he too was concerned with improving speed.

Running the same schedule as Smith, Revelle finished the 400 meter dash in 55.85 (56.20 FAT), splitting 27.28 and 28.57, then followed that up in the 800m dash, finishing sixth overall in 2:04.64.

In the 800, his opening 200m of 29.41 put him in an early hole with the leaders coming through in 26 seconds. But with consistent splits of 31.19 (60.60), 32.28 (1:32.88) and 31.50, he slowly got back into contention, picking off three runners over the final 300 meters.

For both runners, the goal was more about preparing for future races than about major success in their contested events, and they did fairly well considering they have had NO speed training.

Smith will race the 800 meters again on January 20th at the Maryland Invite, where this time she’ll be fresh. After college visits to Florida and NC State on back-to-back weekends, Revelle will join Smith at the UNC Fast Times Invite in Chapel Hill on January 27th.

Sinclair’s race well in NYC

Ashlyn Sinclair and Halsey Sinclair, competing under their high school team (Blair) both finished 7th overall in the Invitational 800 and Mile races last Saturday at the Hispanic Games at the New York Armory. Ashlyn established her indoor PR for 800m, running 2:19.54. Also following a conservative race plan, Sinclair split 33.4, 34.31 (67.71), 35.50 (1:43.21), and 36.13 to set her all-time best.

Halsey found herself in the fastest indoor Mile race in the US this year, and was pulled along to splits of 71.48, 76.51 (2:27.99), (3:05.9 1k), 78.28 (3:46.27), before fading in the final quarter (84.66) to post a Maryland best 5:11.25, a time which converts to 5:09.55 for 1600 meters. The race was won in 4:53, by New York’s Kristen Reese.

Nilan Schnure, another MLTC member who competes for Blair, finished the 800m dash in 2:07.5 with splits of 30.7, 32.43 (63.13), 31.67 (1:34.8), and 32.8 for one of his best indoor performances.

Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions can be sent to briantfunk@yahoo.com

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