In the men’s race, with a high-powered lead three of Nick Arciniaga, Aaron Braun, and Brett Gotcher, McMillan Elite has to be the favorite. ZAP Fitness and a Hanson’s team, including Adams State alum Brian Medigovich, are both entered, but I expect BRC to take them down. It’s between McMillan and BRC for the men’s team title.
Competing unattached, Boulder’s Jason Hartmann and Pat Rizzo are both entered.
For Boulder Running Company / adidas then, their A-team includes Scott Dahlberg, Jason Delaney, Ryan Hafer, Paul Michel, Tommy Neal, Greg Reindl, Adam Rich, and Robby Young. Eight guys, didn’t realize that they could enter more than seven, but that’s what I see. It appears that BRC’s Jay Luna and Pete Remien will compete unattached.
Last year’s A-team finished second to ZAP Fitness. From that team, Michel, Reindl, Dahlberg, Neal, and Delaney all return.
It’s hard to say who will lead the BRC men, probably Dahlberg. He won the Fort Collins Thanksgiving Day Race 4M over Hartmann and teammates Michel and Delaney. Rich won the Colorado Springs Turkey Trot on a shortened course, over teammate Young. Hafer ran 1:10 if I recall at November’s Big Sur Half Marathon. Reindl won Denver’s Wash Park Turkey Trot 4M.
With that depth, I think Boulder Running Company’s men have a good shot to take the title. I think it’s probably more likely that the men win than the women, even though the women are defending champs.
In addition to three mentioned above, McMillan has Marco Anzures, Jordan Horn, and Scott Smith. Braun and Gotcher should get in before all of the BRC men, but the BRC guys can match Arciniaga, a 2:12 marathoner, in a cross race and also get in ahead of Anzures, Horn, and Smith. Roll the dice how you will, it’s going to be close.
Good luck to the BRC men.
For the women, their toughest competition will come from Boulder. The Running Republic of Boulder team includes the ageless Colleen DeReuck, US indoor 3K champion Renee Metivier-Baillie, and 2:35 marathoner Nan Kennard. That’s the Running Republic’s top three. Their four and five are Sara Vaughn and Sara Slattery. I don’t think anyone would disagree with me in saying that the Sara’s are big question marks. Vaughn hasn’t raced since giving birth to her second child and Slattery has been absent the race scene for a year. A sixth-place 22:30 at the 2009 Thanksgiving Day 4M is the last result I can recall for her.
I have no problem with it, but there was some criticism directed at some of the teams fabricated for this event, including Running Republic, on LetsRun. At the same time though, I recall criticism on there directed at BRC for pulling girls from all over Colorado rather than from one city. Moving right along then…
Boulder Running Company / adidas is led by last year’s third-place finisher Nicole Feest. Feest ran 1:29 slower at this year Fort Collins Thanksgiving Day 4M than last year though. The team also includes Stephanie Bylander, Tera Moody, Amanda Occhi, Shannon Payne, Cassie Slade, Wendy Thomas, and Alisha Williams. I think it’s most likely that either Slade, Williams, or Thomas lead the team. BRC’s Ashley Birger, Adrian Chouinard, Kristen Hemphill, Lori Walker all appear to be competing unattached.
Feest, Moody, Williams, Occhi, Slade are all returning members from last year’s winning team.
Putting them head-to-head then, Metivier-Baillie will contend for the individual title, likely with Desiree Davila and Sally Meyerhoff. Like Metivier-Baillie, Kennard will also get in before all of the BRC team. Slade, Thomas, and/or Williams may get in before DeReuck and I’m going to say that BRC’s 4-5 will get in before Running Republic’s 4-5.
Similar to the men’s race then, it’s a toss-up. Good luck to the Running Republic of Boulder and BRC women, one of them will likely take the team title.
Orange Mud
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