DUBLIN, Ireland - Three-time Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton, competing in her first ever World Cross Country Championships, surged to the front of the field at the start and ran a gutsy race to claim fifth place Sunday in the Senior Women’s 4K race at the 30th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Dublin, Ireland. On a damp and cloudy day with calm winds and temperatures in the low 50s, Favor Hamilton’s performance is the best ever by an American at the short-course distance.

Hamilton (13:47) and U.S. runner-up Carrie Tollefson (14:05), who passed 7 people in the final furlong to claim 11th, led the Team USA senior women’s 4K squad to a 6th-place finish – a mere 5 points behind 3rd-place Ireland – the best for a U.S. women’s team in the short course race since the 1997 squad claimed the bronze medal at the inaugural event in Marrakech, Morocco. Sarah Toland (32nd, 14:27) and Janet Trujillo (52nd, 14:42) each moved up ten places over the second circuit to contribute to the team effort. Mary-Jayne Harrelson (63rd, 14:50) and Sarah Hann (66th, 14:52) rounded out the scorers for the Team USA squad.

U.S. 10,000-meter champion Abdi Abdirahman and two-time U.S. 12k cross country champion Meb Keflezighi led the U.S. senior men’s long course squad to a 5th-place finish. Abdirahman (36:03), who actually led the field during the first circuit, and Keflezighi (36:09) claimed top-15 finishes for the second consecutive year, placing 11th and 14th respectively. Abdirahman’s 11th-place effort is the best finish by an American at the 12k distance since Todd Williams claimed 9th in 1995 in Durham, England.

Finishing among the top-25 runners in his first outing in the senior men’s 12k world championship race, last year’s World junior bronze medalist Dathan Ritzenhein (36:31) ran as high as 20th mid-race before claiming 24th. However, despite the heroics of Abdirahman, Keflezighi, and Ritzenhein, the Team USA senior men’s 12k squad was unable to repeat their medal-winning ways from last year when they surprised the world with a strong third-place finish at Ostend, Belgium. Clint Wells (38:08) finished 87th to round out the U.S. scorers, while Greg Jimmerson (38:22) placed 94th. 2000 U.S. Fall Cross Country champion Matt Downin was unable to finish when a bad blister developed on the back of his right heel.

Former Texas 5A cross country champion Rob Koborsi and prep standout Bill Nelson led the Team USA Junior men’s squad to a 7th-place finish. Koborsi (25:14), a freshman at Georgetown University, and Nelson (25:18), 9th at last fall’s Foot Locker High School Championship, worked together much of the race to finish 30th and 33rd respectively. Foot Locker runner up Bobby Lockhart (25:26) finished 39th and Foot Locker finalist Yong-Sung Leal (25:30) placed 41st to round out the U.S. team’s scorers, with U.S. national champion Tim Moore (25:47) finishing 54th and Zach Sabatino (28:26) 81st.

All six squads forming the 2002 U.S. team finished in the top seven against the world’s best, with four teams finishing among the top five. The senior women’s 8K team won the silver medal while the junior women’s team and both senior men’s team claimed fifth place in their respective races. The senior women’s 4K squad claimed sixth, while the junior men finished seventh.

Highlighting one of the most successful World Cross Country Championships ever by Team USA, the team took home $66,000 in team and individual prize money from a total purse of $560,000. This is three times the amount that Team USA took home from last year’s event in Belgium. Senior Men 12K 1. Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), 34:52 2. John Yuda (TAN), 34:58 3. Wilberforce Talel (KEN), 35:20 4. Richard Limo (KEN), 35:26 5. Charles Kamathi (KEN), 35:29

Team USA 11. Abdi Abdirahman – 36:03 14. Meb Keflezighi – 36:09 24. Dathan Ritzenhein – 36:31 87. Clint Wells – 38:08 94. Greg Jimmerson – 38:22 dnf: Matt Downin

Team Scoring 1. Kenya – 18 points 2. Ethiopia - 43 3. Morocco - 58 4. France - 71 5. United States - 107

Senior Women 4K 1. Edith Masai (KEN), 13:30 2. Werknesh Kidane (ETH), 13:36 3. Isabella Ochichi (KEN), 13:39 4. Benita Johnson (AUS), 13:42 5. Suzy Favor Hamilton (USA), 13:47

Team USA 5. Favor Hamilton – 13:47 11. Carrie Tollefson – 14:05 32. Sarah Tolan – 14:27 52. Janet Trujillo – 14:42 63. Mary Jayne Harrelson – 14:50 66. Sarah Hann – 14:52

Team Scoring 1. Ethiopia – 32 points 2. Kenya - 34 3. Ireland - 85 4. Russia - 86 5. Australia – 86

Team USA finished 6th with 90 points

Junior Men 8K 1. Gebre-egziab Gebremariam (ETH), 23:18 2. Abel Cheruiyot (KEN), 23:19 3. Boniface Kiprop (UGA), 23:28 4. Thomas Kiplitan (KEN), 23:33 5. Eliud Kipchoge (KEN), 23:29

Team USA 30. Rod Koborsi – 25:14 33. William Nelson – 25:18 39. Bobby Lockhart – 25:26 41. Yong-Sung Leal – 25:30 54. Tim Moore – 25:47 81. Zach Sabatino – 26:26

Team Scoring

1. Kenya – 18 points 2. Ethiopia – 24 3. Uganda – 37 4. Japan – 77 5. Morocco - 89

Team USA finished 7th with 113 points.

Senior Men Quotes

Abdi Abdirahman (Tuscon, Arizona) It was real tough…I didn’t run my race (at the start), and got stuck early, and I got cut off…and by the time I got to the front the gap was so big and I decided to hang with the second group. All things considered, I’m happy with my race…I wished I would’ve gone out with the first group I felt like I had a lot left. I think I passed about three guys in the last lap…the course was hard, and it took a lot out of me, but it’s a good thing that I like to run hills…every time we came up on the hill I would close the gap a little…the hill helped me out.

Matt Downin (Madison, Wisconsin) I felt really good going into the race; I felt like I was in really good shape. I got a blister around the second lap and it kept getting worse and worse, and I couldn’t take anymore, so I stopped. I felt pretty good, and with Dathan there I thought I could hang with him. I dropped out with about 3 1/2 laps to go…I just couldn’t take any more.

Greg Jimmerson (Los Altos, California) I was pretty pleased. I got out a little bit slow. I just didn’t have quite the juice. I knew I wasn’t quite in the fitness or shape I wanted to be in going into the meet, but I felt like I could give it a good run, and I did. I moved up pretty well, and so I was happy with it. Someone had said that Matt had dropped out, and that there’s only five so you’ve got to stick with it, so it gave me a little bit more motivation to keep going. Overall, it’s awesome to be a part of this group.

Meb Keflezighi (Chula Vista, California) Obviously, it was a fast start, and I was up in the front. I tried to work with Abdi, but I ran into a bit of trouble with the stitch in the right side. I was picking it up off and on, and it would go away. I felt the stitch coming on about the third lap. I have problems with the stitch on and off, and it’s unpredictable. Sometimes I never see it, and sometimes, when it comes, it’s pretty bad. I was trying to rub it down with my right hand. Abdi ran a great race, and I think everyone else ran pretty well…Matt had that injury.

Dathan Ritzenhein (Rockford, Michigan) I knew I had to get out a little bit faster and if you don’t, then they don’t come back to you. I went out a little bit faster than (Colorado coach Mark Wetmore) would’ve liked me to, but I stayed back. Instead of moving up with 2 laps to go, I moved up with 4 laps to go. I was trying to get into the top 20, and at one point I was about 21st, and then they passed me. I worked my way back up, and I was gaining on the group, but it was too short. The 12K is so competitive.

Clint Wells (Boulder, Colorado) I got out fine but I couldn’t move up, but then the soft surface started sucking up my energy, then soon you get settled down into a pace and my race didn’t happen. I just hung on as best as I could. The last two times I was at Worlds I felt better, but it was still a good experience. I still have a lot of work to do.

Senior Women Quotes

Suzy Favor Hamilton (New Glarus, Wisconsin): With about a lap to go I was surprised where I was. I was counting the places in front of me and I was surprised where I was. My goal was to get in the top ten, and I achieved that and surpassed it so I’m extremely happy. I’m really disappointed that Regina was not here. With her on our team we most certainly would’ve won a team medal, without a doubt. I feel like it’s a shame that she didn’t show up. I know she’s training for the steeplechase and in my mind it makes no sense that she didn’t come here. In my mind cross country is excellent training if you’re doing the steeplechase. Without a doubt I would compete in this race again. After Vancouver I told myself, ‘Oh my God, what are you doing?’ We were so fired up after seeing the women’s team take the silver. We wanted to be on that podium, and we could’ve been if our number one runner at the Trials would’ve been here. It just shows that the Americans have a lot of depth now and I think we’re going to open some eyes in the distance world. We’re starting to show our potential, which is exciting.

Carrie Tollefson (Edina, Minnesota): Knowing what I know now I probably would’ve been more aggressive on the first half of that second lap as opposed to trying to save it for a big kick. It’s really hard to kick, and this is the kind of race where you just can’t save anything. You have to give it all, all the time. These people out there are very good. You have to keep digging the whole way because there is no break. It’s a good day. I’m very pleased. I expect a lot from myself. I want to be the best in the country.

Sarah Hann (Winchester, N.H.): It went out a little fast for me. This is the World Championships and I’m not used to the pace. I fell down on the first race and that messed me up a little bit. This was a good experience and I could see my team the whole way, which helped me along.

Sarah Toland (Boulder, Colorado): I was really nervous because I’m not used to races where we go out so fast. I consider myself more of a 4K runner really and not a sprinter, so when it went out as fast as it did it shocked me a little bit. I stuck to what I did at Cross Country Nationals in Vancouver, where I went out slow and went out to catch people. I felt really good and I wish I wouldn’t have got so nervous so I could’ve put more aggression into the race.

Mary Jayne Harrelson (Blacksburg, Virginia): This race I expected to be tough, and you can never be prepared enough. My goal was to go out and stay with the top girls as long as I could. I was there for about the first 1,500 meters before I started getting passed. I just wanted to finish the best I could, and that was the best I could do today.

Janet Trujillo (Superior, Colorado): It was a little bit tougher than I thought. I didn’t relax until about a half a mile into it because I was cold and had lost my breath. I was just trying to pick off people as I went along. I just couldn’t really get it going. I had a little bit of trouble with the footing at the beginning.

Junior Men Quotes

Bill Nelson (Bakersfield, California): I always get out fast and that’s my key, and then I settle back in. In this race I kinda changed it up with there being so many good people. So I got out quick and I got in the big pack and got a little frustrated until it cleared out a little bit. I caught my stride and then just started picking off people one-by-one. This was great. It was wonderful.

Rod Koborsi (Houston, Texas): It went out really quick and we expected that. I just kept trying to move up. I saw Bobby (Lockhart) up ahead of me and I worked to catch up to him and then we worked together. It worked well and that’s how we finished it up. My throat is killing me right now, but it was worth it. It was a great race. You walk around and you can feel people look at you and cheer for you because you’re USA.

Bobby Lockhart (Winchester, Virginia): I tried to push it for the first three laps and then see what I might have left. I know I don’t have the base for this race, but I came in wanting to do well. I think I did an okay job. Honestly, to tell you the truth I just didn’t have the strength. Right now I feel I’m in much better track shape, but I’ve had a great time running in international competition and being on the team. The last 600 meters my legs were shot.

Zachary Sabatino (Charleston, W.V.): I went out real fast and it was real physical and I stumbled a couple times in the beginning. It’s just racing and it’s a nice experience. This is the kind of race that you can’t just do want you want to do. You can’t dictate here, so I just had to play chase and it’s hard catching them. I didn’t run great, but I had a wonderful experience being a part of this team.

Yong Sung-Leal (San Leandro, California): It was alright, though the start wasn’t very good. I couldn’t hear the officials in the back and before I knew it the gun went off and it was a big surprise. Some guy pushed me and I got spiked by Zach (Sabatino) in the knee and then I got knocked behind. Then after the first lap I just worked to improve and catch other runners. Besides the start I thought it was a good race. Overall it was a good experience.

Tim Moore (Novi, Michigan): I wanted to go out hard because I wanted to give myself a chance to compete. After that I didn’t feel good. This was fun hanging out with the guys, learning from the senior team members and watching the races. It is a great experience. I have no regrets about it.

For more information on Team USA at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, visit www.usatf.org. For complete results from Dublin, visit: www.iaaf.org.