News & Notes, Volume 9, Number 6

Dunn wins, Barron sets American junior record

Three-time Olympian Philip Dunn won his fifth men's national 50 km title and Trevor Barron set the U.S. junior 20 km record Sunday at the 2009 USA 50 km Race Walk Championships in Santee, Calif.

The championships served as the qualifying race for Team USA for both the 1^st Americas Cup in El Salvador, April 28-29, and the 2009 World Track & Field Championships August 15-23 in Berlin, Germany. The only U.S. qualifier for both events is Philip Dunn, who won the U.S. 50 km title in 4 hours 28 minutes 53 seconds. Theron Kissinger was the runner-up in 5:04:33, with Steven McCullough finishing third in 7:00:21.

The men's 20 km Western Regional title was won by two-time Olympian Tim Seaman, who crossed the finish line in 1 hour 37 minutes 49 seconds. Finishing in the identical time was 16-year-old runner-up Trevor Barron, who shattered Philip Dunn's American junior record time of 1:42:15, set when he was a freshman at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. Barron, who is coached by Seaman, competes for South Park Track Club and resides in Bethel Park, Pa.

Other winners on Sunday included Karen Karavanic in the women's 50 km (6:24:22), and Rachel Lavalee of Canada won the women's 20 km in 1:38:30, with Solomiya Login capturing the U.S. Western Regional Championship with her runner-up finish in 1:48:43. Mike Tarantino won the men's 10 km title in 44 minutes 43 seconds, with 13-year-old Nicolette Sorensen capturing the women's 20km crown in 55:10.

The next stop on the USA Race Walk Grand Prix is the 2009 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Feb. 28-March 1 in Boston, where Tim Seaman will try to win his 11^th career national indoor crown, and seven-time champion Teresa Vaill will look to defend her 2008 title.

For more information on USA Race Walking, visit: www.usatf.org.