Posted: April 20, 2004

Athletics: Solid Performances by Team USA Monterey Bay at Mt. SAC Relays

MONTEREY, Calif. - (April 19, 2004) - Team USA Monterey Bay distance runners continued to make inroads in the early outdoor track and field season on Friday. At the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. James Carney and Ryan Bak improved their personal bests at 5,000 meters and solidified positions for this summer's U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials.

In the typically deep invitational section of the men's 5,000 meter run at Mount San Antonio College, Carney, 25, of Marina, Calif. placed 13th among 28 competitors in a time of 13 minutes, 37.66 seconds, improving his career best by almost 23 seconds. Bak, 22, also of Marina, finished 16th in 13:38.52, dropping an additional eight seconds from his 14-second personal record set at the Stanford Invitational three weeks ago. The times for both men are well under USA Track & Field's provisional 5,000 meter standard of 13:48 for the Olympic Trials, virtually assuring them of a starting position at the Trials in Sacramento, July 9-18.

Team USA Monterey Bay's Fasil Bizuneh also ran in the invitational 5,000, posting a 13:59.74. Bizuneh, competing in his first outdoor meet of the season, is gearing up for an Olympic Trials qualifying assault at 10,000 meters in the coming weeks.

Carney's 5,000 mark qualifies him for his second event for the Trials. He has already posted a provisional qualifying time of 28:31.16 for 10,000 meters - theoretically fast enough to land him in the Trials' field at that distance. Provisional, or "B" standard, qualifiers are allowed to compete at the Trials only if additional competitors are needed to fill out a field size in an event after all "A" standard qualifiers have been accommodated.

With U.S. distance running on the upswing, however, competition for an Olympic Trials spot and a chance to go to the 2004 Games in Athens is intense.

"There is more depth in the long distances now in the U.S. than any time since the 1980s," said Team USA Monterey Bay's head coach Bob Sevene. "And that, primarily, has to do with group training support for our athletes in programs like the Team USA Distance Running centers, Nike Oregon Project, Farm Team and ZAP Fitness."

The 46th running of the Mt. SAC Relays offered over 500 events for track and field athletes from the high school level to elite. It is considered one of the most competitive meets in the nation. Full results of the meet are available online at http://vm.mtsac.edu/relays/

Team USA Monterey Bay, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit organization, operates a year-round training center at California State University, Monterey Bay to develop, support and promote U.S. distance runners capable of winning medals in Olympic and World Championship competition. The organization is also committed to creating role models for the general community who promote physical fitness and a positive and productive lifestyle for people of all ages.

Team USA Monterey Bay is one of five national Team USA Distance Running Training Centers for elite and emerging elite U.S. distance runners in a cooperative project between Running USA and USA Track & Field.