Posted: February 5, 2005

Athletics: Strong weekend for Canadian distance runners at US track meets

FEBRUARY 3, 2005 Ottawa – Nathan Brannen, Kevin Sullivan, Reid Coolsaet and Carmen Douma-Hussar were among a group of Canadian track and field athletes who enjoyed early-season success this past weekend at three separate meets in the United States.

At the Reebok Boston Indoor Games, held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston, Cambridge, Ontario’s Nathan Brannen ran his fastest mile ever and was one of four Canadians to run personal bests at the meet; his time is a new canadian record (pending ratification). Brannen, a Sports Management and Communications student at Michigan University finished fifth in the men’s one-mile run with a time of 3:55.11.Fellow Canadian and Michigan U. student Mike Woods also set a personal best time of 4:01.56 and finished eighth in the heat.

Veteran long-distance runners Carmen Douma-Hussar, also from Cambridge, and Brantford, Ontario’s Kevin Sullivan achieved sixth and fifth place finishes in their respective 3000 metre events. Sullivan crossed the line with a time of 7:50.75, while Douma-Hussar clocked a time of 8:59.20 in the women’s race. Both athletes are bound for the World Cross-Country Short Course championships on March 19th and 20th in France.

Other Canadian athletes who achieved personal bests in Boston over the weekend include Hilary Edmondson, who ran the women’s 3000 metres in a time of 9:09.53, and Lisa Labrecque who finished 11th in the same race (9:14.37).

This past weekend also featured Canadian track athletes competing in a few NCAA events. At the Penn State National competition hosted by the Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track in Pennsylvania, Hamilton, Ontario’s Reid Coolsaet won the men’s 3000 metre event by almost three seconds with a time of 7:59.23. His performance marked a personal best on a standard indoor track for Coolsaet, who will also be competing at the World Cross-Country Championships in France in March. Coolsaet is currently training at and racing for the Guelph National Endurance Centre.

At the Notre Dame Invitational, held on an over-sized track, four Canadians had strong competitions. Verdun Quebec’s Adam Currie, a freshman at Notre Dame, set a new personal best in the 800 metres, winning the race with a time of 1:50.29. Senior Eric Morrison, from Ancaster, Ontario, finished fourth in the same race (1:52.08).

In the men’s 3000 metre event, Ontario’s Kurt Benninger dominated the race, winning by almost 12 seconds. His time of 7:59.39 marked a personal best for Benninger, a 1500 metre specialist and teammate of Morrison’s on last year’s 4x800 metre Fighting Irish relay team, which earned him All Big East honours last season.

Wrapping up the weekend, Amy Kohlmeier of Sarnia, Ontario achieved an 8th-place finish in the women’s one-mile event with a time of 5:07.86.

Athletics Canada congratulates these outstanding Canadian athletes on a great weekend of competition. The 2005 season is underway. Make sure to stay informed with the latest Canadian track and field results from this season by checking www.athletics.ca.