Minneapolis/St. Paul – Feb. 19, 2019 – Team USA Minnesota’s Breanna Sieracki won the NACAC (North America, Central America & Caribbean Athletic Association) Cross Country Senior Women’s 10k Championship and led the U.S. team to first place over Canada with a score of 18-20. In the Senior Men’s 10k, Joel Reichow finished eighth overall and was a member of the U.S. team that also claimed first place in the NACAC team championships.
The championships were held in Queen’s Park Savannah on Feb. 16 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Sieracki’s time on the cross country course was 36:34, with Reichow crossing the finish line in 32:32. The senior U.S. squads each had six women and six men in the 10k races. Sieracki qualified for the NACAC Championships by finishing 19th at the USATF Cross Country Championships on Feb. 2, while Reichow ran to a 14th place finish at the championships in Tallahassee.
“This was my first time representing and being part of a USA team and I couldn’t be happier or more proud of each lady on the squad,” said Sieracki. “We fought the good fight together, pulling each other along, encouraging one another in a very hot and technical race, and came out on top beating Canada by a mere two points.
“I went into the race with my only goal being to pack up with the other USA ladies and do the best I could to contribute to our team goal of winning. The thought of the possibility of winning didn’t enter my mind until we came through the 6k, but once it popped into my head, I knew I would regret it if I didn’t do everything I could to achieve it.”
The senior women’s 10k squad finished 1, 3, 6, 8, 10 and 11. The other two teams were Canada and Mexico with individual competitors from Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, and El Salvador.
USATF Indoor Championships
Heather Kampf will compete in the 2 mile race at the USATF Indoor Championships on Sunday, Feb. 24. The championships, which begin Feb. 22, are being held at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in New York City. The Women’s 2 Mile is scheduled for 5:07 p.m. (Eastern time) and will be part of the live televised broadcast from 4-6 p.m. on NBCSN.
Kampf qualified for the indoor championships with an 8:56.87 mark in the 3000 meters in January. She competed in the 2 mile at the 2017 USATF Indoor Championships when the event was held in Albuquerque. She finished second in that race with a time of 10:21.80.
About Team USA Minnesota
Team USA Minnesota is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Founded in 2001, the purpose of the training group is to improve the competitiveness of post-collegiate American distance running and to develop Olympians. The athletes are coached by Chris Lundstrom. Team USA Minnesota’s sponsors include Twin Cities Orthopedics, Twin Cities In Motion and the Houston Marathon Foundation. For more information, visit the team’s web site at www.teamusamnnesota.org.
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Contact:
Pat Goodwin
952-454-8876
pfgoodwin@teamusaminnesota.org