by Larry Eder
Andrew Carlson, photo by PhotoRun.net
What I like about Team USA Minnesota is that athletes in the Heartland get a chance to see how fast they can become. The cool thing about Team USA is that they are supported by several groups who care enough to support this club as they train and race. Thinking about how amazing such support is, I salute the sponsors of Team Minnesota USA.
Jon Grey, Dani Stack Win TC 10k Races in Course Record Times;
Andrew Carlson, Travis Burkstrand 1st and 2nd in TC 5k
Minneapolis/St. Paul – Oct. 5, 2013 – Team USA Minnesota’s Jon Grey and Dani Stack won their respective races in course record times at the TC 10k today, while Andrew Carlson and Travis Burkstrandwere first and second in the men’s division of the TC 5k. The 10k and 5k races were part of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon weekend of events.
In the TC 10k, Grey’s time was 29:58 and Stack posted 35:21. Both athletes led their respective races from start to finish in an event that began and ended at the State Capitol grounds in St. Paul and had over 2,000 finishers.
This was Grey’s return to competition since an injury sidelined him last spring. Stack made her professional debut at the 10k having graduated last spring from Iowa State University and joining Team USA Minnesota in September.
In the TC 5k, which had over 2,400 participants, Carlson edged out his teammate with a time of 14:46 and Burkstrand came across the line in14:48. Like the 10k, the 5k started and finished at the State Capitol grounds.
Carlson is in a buildup toward the Fukuoka Marathon on Dec. 1 and most recently finished sixth at the Cow Harbor 10k on Sept. 21. Burkstrand, who completed his eligibility at the University of Minnesota last spring and joined Team USA Minnesota in September, was making his professional debut as well as running his first 5k road race.
Two more Team USA Minnesota distance runners will compete yet this weekend, with Jon Peterson running in the Medtronic TC 10 Mile and Meghan Peyton competing in the USA Marathon Championships, hosted by the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. The 10 Mile race is at 7:00 a.m. on Oct. 6 and the marathon starts at 8:00 a.m.
About Team USA Minnesota
Team USA Minnesota is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Formed in 2001, the purpose of the training center is to improve the competitiveness of post-collegiate American distance running and to develop Olympians. The athletes are coached by Dennis Barker, head cross country and track coach at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. Team USA Minnesota’s major sponsor is Life Time Run (www.lifetimerun.com) and its silver sponsor is Twin Cities In Motion (www.tcmevents.org). It is also supported by the New York Road Runners and the USA Distance Project. For more information, visit the team’s web site at www.teamusaminnesota.org.
