Courtesy: USATF

America's finest cross country runners, including returning champions Deena Drossin, Meb Keflezighi and Timothy Moore, will compete at the 2003 USA Cross Country Championships February 15-16 at Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston, Tex.

In addition to crowning national champions, the USA Cross Country Championships serve as the selection event for the U.S. team that will compete at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, March 29-30 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The USA Championships follows the same format as the upcoming World Championships, with six races over a two- day span.

More than 500 athletes will compete in six championship races that will be conducted in Houston. The top six finishers in the Senior (open/no age limit) and Junior (age 19 and under) competitions qualify for the U.S. team that will travel to Lausanne for the World Championships. In addition, the U.S. Masters Men and Women National 6 km Cross Country Championships for athletes ages 40 and over will take place on Saturday, February 15.

The event will be hosted by the Houston Harriers and the Gulf Association of USA Track & Field. Sponsors of the event are Southwest Bank of Texas and Academy Sports & Outdoors. Buffalo Bayou Park, located just west of downtown along Allen Parkway, previously hosted the USA Championships in 1977 when Nick Rose won the men's event. The site also hosted the 1997 USA Women's World Cross Country Team Trials, won by former Villanova star Nnenna Lynch.

The Buffalo Bayou Park circuit features a spectator-friendly, international-style 2000-meter loop grass course. Competitors will be challenged by relatively short, steep hills and many turns on the course alongside Buffalo Bayou.

Many of America's top distance runners are expected to compete, including defending champions, Deena Drossin (Women's 8 km), Meb Keflezighi (Men's 12 km) and Timothy Moore (Junior Men). Carmen Ayala-Troncoso also will defend her USA Masters Women's title. In winning her fifth U.S. 8 km national cross country title at the 2002 USA Winter Nationals in Vancouver, Washington, Drossin easily defended her crown by a 15-second margin over runner-up Colleen De Reuck. Drossin went on to win the individual silver medal, leading the Team USA women's 8 km squad to the team silver medal at the 2002 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Dublin, Ireland. Drossin's 2002 campaign also included and American record on the track at 10,000 meters (30:52.32) and the world best for 5,000 meters on the roads (14:54).

Keflezighi, who placed 14th at the 2002 World Cross Country Championships, defended his U.S. 12 km cross country title last year by edging Abdi Abdirahman in a photo finish. The 2000 Olympic Trials 10,000m champion, Keflezighi set the American record in that event in 2001 with his time of 27:13.98. The owner of four NCAA titles, Keflezighi ended the 2002 season ranked #1 in the U.S. at 5,000m and 10,000m by T&FN.

All times are Central Standard Time.

February 15, 2003

9:30 a.m. Community 4 km Fun Run 10:45 p.m.
10:30 a.m. Masters Women's 6 km Championship
11:30 a.m. Masters Men's 6 km Championship
12:15 p.m. Junior Women's 6 km Championship
12:45 p.m. Senior Men's 4 km Championship
1:15 p.m. Senior Women's 8 km Championship

February 16, 2003

10:00 a.m. Junior Men's 8 km Championship
10:45 a.m. Senior Women's 4 km Championship
11:15 a.m. Senior Men's 12 km Championship