Courtesy: USATF

Sean Albert of Chula Vista, California and Jill Zenner from Fairborn, Ohio, were Team USA's leading performers at the 10th Pan American Race Walk Cup in the thin air of Cuenca, Ecuador on Saturday.

Albert finished eighth in the men's 20k competition, finishing the challenging course at 8,100 feet of elevation in 1:33:22. Albert's teammate, John Nunn from Medford, N.J., was eighth in 1:36:36, with Philip Dunn, also from Chula Vista, 11th in 1:38:20. The men's squad finished third in the team standings. Mexico's Alejandro Lopez won the event in 1:25:25.

Zenner led the U.S. women's team to a second-place finish by placing ninth in 1:48:24. Deborah Huberty of Greendale, Wis., was 12th in 2:02:47 and Samantha Cohen of Racine, Wisconsin was 13th in 2:05:33. Mexico's Guadalupe Sanchez captured the women's individual title in 1:38:03. Mexico won both the men's and women's team titles.

In the men's 50k competition, Dave McGovern of Mobile, Alabama led the U.S. squad with a fifth-place finish in 4:54:07, with John Souchek of Little Silver, N.J., placing sixth in 4:55:06. Two-time Olympian Curt Clausen of Chula Vista, and Theron Kissinger of Albuerque, N.M., were disqualified late in the race.