Rob Cook and Tina Connelly Repeat Wins at Seattle Open by Michael Scott
(Seattle, WA) Jan 29, 2000 --Seattle's Rob Cook and Canadian Tina Connelly both ran away
from their competition today to repeat as winners at the Seattle Open
Winter Cross Country Meet at Lincoln Park in Seattle. The Seattle Open
was the final stop on the 2nd Annual North American Winter Cross Country
Series, which was developed to provide high-performance racing
opportunities for athletes preparing for the USA Winter Cross Country
Championships.
Three-time US national cross country team member Rob Cook, who finished
fifth at the 1996 and 1997 USA harrier championships and won the 1996
USA/Reebok Cross Country Grand Prix, pulled away from the field early on
during the 5-loop rolling hill course.
Cook won in 29-minutes, 50-seconds over the 9,836-meter course,
18-seconds faster than he recorded winning last year. Canada's Jeremy
Deere , but finished about 18-seconds back, with Germany's Uli Steidl in
3rd.
Like Cook, Canadian champ Tina Connelly left her competition behind early
and was never challenged as she won over the 6,130-meter course.
Portland's Ray McClanahan won the men's 4k event over the 4,277-meter
course, while former Georgetown star Mindy Leffler won the women's short
course event.
The USA Winter Cross Country Championships, will be contested on February
12-13 at Bryan Park Golf Course near Greensboro, North Carolina.
****MORE RESULTS AS AVAILABLE****
Media Contact: Paul Merca 206-499-4329, clubalrd@accessone.com