CONTACTS:
Men's Team: Dave Dunham
108 Ferry Road, Bradford, MA 01835,
phone/fax (978) 373-9118, email: mtnman@greennet.net 
Women's Team: Nancy Hobbs, 
PO Box 9175, Colorado Springs, CO 80932 
(719) 570-9795 fax (719) 570-9729, email:  trlrunner@aol.com

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The 2000 US Mountain Running Team will travel to Bergen, Germany to compete in the World Mountain Running Trophy Race in
September. The senior women will run an 8K event on Saturday, September 9
and the senior men will race approximately 15K on Sunday, September 10.
The women's team includes four athletes and a manager with the top three
finisher scoring for the team while the men's team is represented by six
athletes and a manager/alternate with the top four finishers scoring. This
year's team was selected based on the following criteria:

* The first two US male and the first two US female finishers at the Mount
Washington Hill Climb (June 17th) received automatic berths * The first US
male finisher and the top two US female finishers at the Vail Hill Climb
(July 2nd) received automatic berths * Prior World championship
performances * International mountain results * National mountain results
* Regional mountain results * Trail and road results

For the first time this year top finishers at the selection races received
funding to use toward their trip to Germany as part of a sponsorship
agreement with Mountain Athletics by Timberland. The team receives partial
financial support from USATF and the IAAF with the host country providing
lodging and meals for all competitors.

The following athletes were selected for this year's US Mountain Running
Team: Matt Carpenter, CO (automatic - Vail) Eric Morse, VT (automatic -
Mt. Washington) Dave Dunham, MA (automatic - Mt. Washington) Scott Gall,
CO Richard Shelley, NM Paul Low, OR Julie Peterson, MA (Mt. Washington)
Suzy West, VT (Mt. Washington) Cindy O'Neill, CO (Vail) Rene Frazee, CO
(Vail)

ATHLETE BIOS:
Matt Carpenter (CO), 36, will be competing in his first mountain running
worlds. Matt is a part-time webmaster for The Colorado Springs Business
Journal. Carpenter lists his most satisfying running accomplishment as
getting to and finishing the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 1992. He has
won 13 of the 17 Sky Marathons he has entered, and is the current course
record holder of the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon. Matt holds the
official world marathon altitude record recognized by the Association of
International Marathons (AIMS). Carpenter qualified for the World's with
his first place finish at the Vail (CO) hill climb. He has won the Vail
hill climb seven times, and the Mount Washington (NH) road race three
times. Carpenter received the USATF Mountain Runner of the Year award in
1999, the first year the award was presented.

Dave Dunham (MA) a 36-year-old accountant for the IRS will be running on
his 7th USA Mountain running team ('92-96 and '98). Dave was selected but
injured in '97 and '99. Dunham captured the silver medal at the Worlds in
Gap France (1993), and was the top USA finisher in 1992-96 (2nd US in
'98). He qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials in 1992 and 2000. In
1996, Dunham founded the USATF NE mountain circuit, and then won the
circuit in both 1996 and 1998 (runner-up in 1999 and 2000). Dunham earned
an automatic spot on the team with his top US finish at Mount Washington
this year, and in addition finished 2nd at the Vail Hill Climb. Dunham won
the Mount Washington race three times and held the course record from
1988-1991.

Eric Morse (VT), 34, is employed as a draftsman. He will be running on his
third US Mountain running team having finished third in '96 and second in
'97 for the US. Morse has been named Vermont runner of the year nine times
and has won eleven USATF NE championships. Morse finished first at the
USATF New England Mountain Circuit 1997, 1999 & 2000, and was the USATF NE Mountain running champion 1998 & 1999. He earned an automatic berth on the team with his second-place US finish at the Mount Washington Hill Climb.
He finished second at both the 1997 and 1998 Mount Washington events. He
took third place honors at the Vail Hill Climb this year. He has PRs of
3:59 in the mile, 14:17 in the 5K, 29:20 in the 10K and 1:03:50 for the
half marathon.

Scott Gall (CO), 26, was the top USA finisher at last years Worlds with a
fifth place finish. This will be his third time on the team. In 1997 Gall
was the top US finisher at the Worlds with a 27th place. Gall recently won
the US Skyrunning Half-Marathon Championships in Aspen and was third at
the US Vertical K in Vail, Colorado. He qualified for the U.S. Olympic
Marathon Trials with a 2:20:42 at the Cal International Marathon. Gall
holds PRs of 30:10 for 10K, 24:30 for 8K and was a two-time All-America at
Wabash College. He works part time at the Runner's Roost in Colorado
Springs and is assistant coach at a local high school.

Richard Shelley (NM) was the top US finisher at the 1998 Worlds. This will
be Shelley's third appearance on the US Mountain team (1997 - 3rd US and
1998 1st US). Shelley was the top US finisher at 1997 & 1999 Challenge
Stellina (Susa Italy) and the Matterhorn-Lauf (Zermatt Switzerland) 1997.
He also won the Duke City Marathon in 1996. Shelley lists his PRs as
5K-14:19 and 10K-29:56.

Paul Low (OR), 26, a Geologist/Carpenter will be running on his second US
Mountain Running Team. Low was the second US finisher in 1999. He recently
placed 11th overall and top US at the first of the European Mountain Grand
Prix races. Low also finished third in the English European cup trial
race. He was All-MAC five times, and qualified for NAIA XC championships.
Low lists his PRs of 5K 14:44, 10K 30:36, half marathon 1:10:07.

Dan Verrington, 38, a cemetery manager, will act as the alternate/manger.
Verrington was selected to the team from 1994-1999. Verrington has been
one of the most consistent finishers for the team during that time. He was
the second US finisher in 1994, third US in 1996 & 1998, fourth US in
1997, and fifth US last year. Verrington recently finished fifth (third
US) at the Mount Washington Hill Climb. Verrington lists his PRs of 5K
14:48, 10K 30:35, half marathon 1:05:32 and 2:21:10 in the marathon. He
will compete in the open race or move up should one of the runners be
unable to compete.

Julie Peterson, 40, is a Physical Therapist based in MA. Peterson was the
first US finisher at this year's Mt. Washington Hill Climb and was the
final scoring athlete on the US Mountain Running Team at last year's World
Mountain Running Trophy race. Peterson is known primarily for her road
performances and qualified to run in all of the women's Olympic Marathon
Trials to date. She has made an excellent transition to the trails and
mountains finishing near the top in every event she has entered in the
past two years.

Suzy West has a dental practice in Putney, VT. The 37-year-old was the
second US female finisher at Mt. Washington this year and was the top US
finisher on last year's World Mountain Team. This year West has had
outstanding performances in the mountains placing first at Mt. Kearsarge
and Pack Monadnock and second to Peter son at Mt. Wachusett. Based on
these finishes, West received the nod as the New England Mountain Running
Circuit champion.

Cindy O'Neill won the Vail Hill Climb and will make her first appearance
on the US Mountain Running Team this year. The 38-year-old software
engineer lives and trains in the mountains near her home in Manitou
Springs, CO. O'Neill is an uphill specialist evident from her victories in
the Pikes Peak Ascent ('98 and '99). She is a past winner of the grueling
18-mile Imogene Pass Run ('98) proving her tenacity in the mountains.

Rene Frazee is the youngest competitor on the team at 33. She is a
two-time collegiate All American and has impressive victories in the
mountains this year winning the US Vertical K, a 3 mile uphill grunt at
the Vail Ski area in course record time. The following weekend she won the
US Fila Half SkyMarathon in Aspen followed up with a second-place finish
to O'Neill at the Vail Hill Climb.

Nancy Hobbs will serve as the US women's team manager. She will also
represent the US at the World Mountain Running Association meetings in
Bergen, the only female representative among the 26 countries attending
the event. Hobbs like Dunham is a member of the USATF MUT (mountain ultra
trail) subcommittee and founder and executive director of the All American
Trail Running Association.

# # #  

Special thanks to 
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Coordinator for providing us this press release.
USATF Road Running Information Center
5522 Camino Cerralvo, Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 696-6252
http://www.usaldr.org