ZAP-Reebok sent four athletes to St. Louis to contest the 2013 US Cross Country Championships this past weekend: Alissa McKaig, Sarah Crouch, Tyler Pennel, and Cameron Bean. The group, along with Pete and Zika, were able to visit with Zika’s alma mater high school, MICDS, the day before the race and talk to the young athletes about what it takes to be a distance runner.
The following day when the action began, the ZAP women started things off on the right foot. The women’s race covered 4 loops of the 2000m course and Alissa was a fixture in the top 10 from the start. Sarah was never too far behind, maintaining her position in the top 20 throughout the race. Alissa finished well and crossed the line with a 9th place finish, a few seconds from earning a birth on her 2nd World Cross Country Team, and Sarah crossed the line in 19th place. Both women had good days among a very high caliber field. “Even though Alissa didn’t make the World Championship team as she did two years ago, her performance for 9th today was better than what it was for 6th last time,” said Coach Pete Rea.
Shortly following the women’s race, the men took to the course to complete 6 of the same 2000m loops as the women. Cameron Bean was a fixture near the front over the first half of the race and ran tough all the way to the line where he finished 31st. Tyler came down with a sickness a few days before the race and was unable to finish. He will be back in action soon, at the US 15k Championships in Jacksonville, FL next month.
Alissa will turn her focus to the preparing for her first Boston Marathon, and will bring her 2:31 PR from the Olympic Trials last year to the table. Sarah is in Washington racing a 5k this weekend and then will join Tyler, Mike, Cole, Esther, and Alissa at the US 15k Championships next month.