Kelsey Chmiel To Lead Team USATF at 2018 Great Edinburgh XCountry Challenge


INDIANAPOLIS -- Team USATF will have a talent-laden roster January 13, 2018 as it returns to Scotland to take on the world at the 2018 Great Edinburgh XCountry Challenge at Holyrood Park. At last year's event, the U.S. took top honors for the second time in three years with 149 points, beating out Team Europe (152 points) and Team Great Britain (208 points) for the title.

 

Defending men's champion Leonard Korir and three-time winner Garrett Heath lead a squad that also features USATF Club Cross Country champion Ian La Mere and 2013 IAAF World Outdoor Championships team member Chris Derrick. Korir, a 2016 Olympian at 10,000m, outkicked Britain's Callum Hawkins last year to win in 24:03 and help the U.S. to the team title.

 

2016 Olympic marathon seventh-placer Desi Linden drops down in distance to lead the American women, and she will be joined by 2015 NCAA cross country champion Molly Seidel and reigning USATF Half Marathon champion Natosha Rogers, who finished 23rd at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in March. Team USATF tied for second in the women's point standings in 2017.

 

Looking to defend their team title, the junior women will have California state champion Claudia Lane, who also won the Foot Locker national meet on December 9, along with NXN Nike Cross Nationals runner-up Kelsey Chmiel. Katelynne Hart was the runner-up to Lane at Foot Locker, while Iowa State's Cailie Logue was fourth at the Big Ten championships.

 

Team USATF's junior men also took home top team honors last time out, and Foot Locker champion Dylan Jacobs will help defend that title. Texas 5A state champion Graydon Morris, runner-up at Foot Locker, and Illinois state champion Danny Kilrea, who was fifth at the NXN Nike Cross Nationals and third at Foot Locker, add quality depth.

 

The popular co-ed 4x1K relay will see sub-13:20 5,000m performer Will Geoghegan and steeplechaser Travis Mahoney team up with 2017 NCAA 1500m sixth-place finisher Rebecca Mehra and Ayla Granados to try and move up one spot atop the podium after a second-place finish in 2017.


Team USATF Roster - 2018 Great Edinburgh XCountry Challenge

8k Senior Men

Emmanuel Bor                       Colorado Springs, Colorado                 Colorado

hris Derrick                          Portland, Oregon                                Oregon

Trevor Dunbar                       Boulder, Colorado                               Colorado

Garrett Heath                        Seattle, Washington                           Pacific Northwest

Leonard Korir                         Colorado Springs, Colorado                 Colorado

Ian La Mere                           Green Bay, Wisconsin                         Wisconsin

Ryan Mahalsky                       Rochester, Michigan                           Michigan

Morgan Pearson                     Boulder, Colorado                               Colorado

Abbabiya Simbassa                Colorado Springs, Colorado                 Colorado

 

6km Senior Women

Chelsea Blaase                       Rochester Hills, Michigan                   Michigan

Anne-Marie Blaney                 Rochester Hills, Michigan                    Michigan

Desiree Linden                       Washington Township, Michigan        Michigan

Rosa Moriello                          Brighton, Massachusetts                   New England

Olivia Pratt                             Rochester Hills, Michigan                    Michigan

Natosha Rogers                     Litton, Colorado                                  New England

Molly Seidel                            Watertown, Massachusetts                New England

Makenna Smith                      Rancho Santa Margarita, California      Southern California

Katrina Spratford                   Woonsocket, Rhode Island                 New England

 

6km Junior Women

Kelsey Chmiel                         Greenfield Center, New York               Adirondack

Maggie Farrell                        Battle Creek, Michigan                        Michigan

Katelynne Hart                       Glen Ellyn, Illinois                               Illinois

Claudia Lane                          Malibu, California                                Southern California

Cailie Logue                            Erie, Kansas                                       Kansas

Emily Venters                        Lawrence, Kansas                              Kansas

 

6km Junior Men

Drew Bosley                           Thiensville, Wisconsin                         Wisconsin

Dustin Horter                        Liberty Township, Ohio                       Ohio

Dylan Jacobs                          Orland Park, Illinois                            Illinois

Danny Kilrea                          LaGrange, Illinois                               Illinois

Clayton Mendez                     Chicago, Illinois                                  Illinois

Graydon Morris                      Aledo, Texas                                      Southwestern

 

4x1km Senior Relay

Will Geoghegan                      Brunswick, Maine                               Maine

Travis Mahoney                      Old Bridge, New Jersey                       New York

Ayla Granados                        Castro Valley, California                     Pacific

Rebecca Mehra                      Palos Verdes Estates, California           Pacific