Posted: May 25, 2006

Athletics: RRCA Announces 2006 Roads Scholars®

From: Jean Knaack, RRCA

Since 1996, the Road Runners Club of America has awarded grants totaling $160,000 thru the Roads Scholar® program. The goal of the program is to assist U.S. post-collegiate road runners who show great promise to develop into national and world class road running athletes. The $5000 grants awarded by the RRCA go directly to the athletes to help support their development. The selection process was very competitive this year as the applicant pool increased by almost 50% compared to last year.

The RRCA Roads Scholar® selection for 2006 committee was chaired by Carl Sniffen and consisted of Don Kardong, Deena Kastor (1997 Roads Scholar), Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Dan Browne, Freddi Carlip, Phil Stewart, Bee McLeod and Jean Knaack.

The RRCA is pleased to introduce the 2006 Class of Roads Scholars®:

SAMIA AKBAR, 25, Herndon, VA
Samia Akbar graduated from American University in 2004 as their most decorated female runner. She became the school's first female track All-American after finishing ninth in the 10,000m at the 2003 NCAA Championships. Akbar still holds many American University records including her record setting 10,000m time of 33:38.55 at the 2003 NCAAs.

Akbar spent her fifth year at American University pursuing her master's degree in clinical psychology while working as a teaching assistant and assistant coach all the while trying to further her running career. In 2005, she focused on her running career full-time and worked part-time as a substitute teacher.

Akbar trains with Coach Scott Raczko who also coached Akbar for a brief period while she was in high school. Raczko, the USATF Nike Youth Coach of the Year in 2001, is Alan Webb's coach.

Her goals for 2006 include competing in the USA Half-Marathon Championship, Philadelphia Half-Marathon, Twin Cities Marathon or LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. She also plans to qualify for the Olympic Trials 10,000m.

MARIA CICERO, 23, Boston, MA
Originally from Elmhurst (a suburb outside Chicago), Maria attended York High School where she was coached by Annette Schulte and Larry Bassett. The Illinois Cross Country state champion, she was also the state indoor and outdoor track champion in the 1600 and 3200 her senior year where she set the 3200 state record (10:17). She finished second at the Golden West Invitational 3200. In 2001, she held the fastest indoor 3200 time in the nation.

At Boston College, she was a four-time All-American in both Cross Country and Track & Field. She captured the 10,000 title at the 2005 Big East Championship and is the current school record holder in the 10,000m. As a Boston College freshman, she won the USA Junior Cross Country title and competed at the 2002 World Cross Country Championships in Ireland where she finished 29th.

Future plans include the 2006 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in hopes of achieving the Olympic Trials standard. Other races she plans to compete in include the Boilermaker 15K and Bix 7 in July, the Chicago Distance Classic in August, the USA Cross Country Nationals in February and the Shamrock Shuffle in March 2007.

Maria is coached by Randy Thomas, a former world-class marathoner. She resides in Boston and is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Counseling Psychology at Boston College and hopes to complete her graduate degree in 2007.

STEPHANIE BYLANDER, 23, Alamosa, CO
The beginning of Stephanie Bylander's running career began where many do, with her mom's encouragement. As a child of a military parent, she moved around a lot when she was in elementary school. Her family "settled down" in Colorado, where she attended middle school and high school. Persuaded by her mom participate in sports in high school, she chose track in the spring.

Bylander graduated from Adams State College in the spring of 2005 and made the decision to stay in Alamosa to continue with her training. She is currently coached by Peter DeLaCerda, the 2000 Olympic Marathon Trials runner-up.

For the rest of 2006, Bylander plans some aggressive goals: top 10 placements in USA Championships, the World Road Race team and improve her half-marathon to sub-1:15. To help support her running goals, Bylander works part-time as a substitute teacher, but feels running is her "full-time job".

"One thing is for certain, support is crucial to any runner trying to achieve their goals, so I couldn't be happier about being chosen as a 2006 RRCA Roads Scholar," said Bylander.

JACOB FREY, 25, Oakton, VA
Jacob Frey beat his father back home for the first time in the fourth grade and fell for the sport of distance running. However, he did not give up soccer and basketball to make distance running his prime focus until he entered Oakton High School in Oakton, Virginia. Jacob entered high school as an 11 minute two miler and graduated a State Champion with a 9:17 two mile.

Frey attended William & Mary where he was a multiple-time CAA Conference Champion and All-East recipient. His durability and endurance were not fully realized until he dabbled in his first half-marathon in his final year of college running a solo 1:06:34.

Frey spent a year at the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in Rochester, Michigan logging miles and gathering experience in the longer distance events. After returning to Virginia to train under 5th year college coach Alex Gibby, Frey ran the Olympic Marathon Trials "A" standard in 2:17:37 at the 2006 Freescale Austin Marathon.

Frey has continued with breakthru performances this season by finishing 12th at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, 3rd in the Pikes Peak 10K (29:37) and 7th at the USA 25K Championships in 1:17:48.

Further 2006 goals include a top 5 finish at the USA 20K Championships (New Haven) and a spot on a National Team with a top place at the USA Marathon Championship (Twin Cities).

Beyond running, Jacob has goals in local politics in Northern Virginia and plans to further his education at law school.

NEPHI TYLER, 25, Fayetteville, AR
Nephi Tyler grew up in the coastal town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. It wasn't until his senior year of high school that he joined a track club coached by Geoff Smith. Geoff taught Tyler what it meant to train hard and gave him the confidence needed to earn an athletic scholarship to college. As Tyler puts it, "I more or less chose the University of Utah because Utah chose me."

Utah coach, Mike Jones, believed in Tyler. Tyler found training at the 5000ft elevation of Salt Lake City to be a great experience and beneficial to his running. When Coach Jones retired, Brian Appell became head coach at Utah. Under Appell, Tyler found consistent success and a breakthru performance when he made the mile final at the 2003 Indoor Nationals in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

After graduating from Utah in the spring of 2005, Tyler spent the summer with his brother shell-fishing or quahauging (pronounced ko-hog). That summer, Tyler had saved up enough money from his race winnings and shell-fishing enterprises to move to Fayetteville in the fall of 2005 to train full-time under Coach John McDonnell.

This past 2006 indoor season, Tyler ran a 3000m PR of 7:57. Tyler's running goals for 2006 are to keep improving, stay hungry and ultimately race in a USA uniform.

MATT GONZALES, 25, Albuquerque, NM
Bio information from the Daily Lobo
Matt Gonzales started running in junior high and ran the 100, 200 and 400 meter dashes. It was during his senior year of high school that Gonzales started to run cross country and longer distances. The switch worked as he took home three New Mexico 4-A state high school championships, one in cross country and a dual win in the one mile and two mile as a senior in 2000. After graduating from Santa Fe High School, Gonzales headed to Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M. While there, the funds for the track team disappeared. Upon hearing that Coach Matt Henry had been hired at the University of New Mexico, Gonzales transferred there.

In 2004, Gonzales earned All-American laurels for the second straight year at the NCAA Championships and eclipsed the 1986 University of New Mexico 5000m record. That July in Sacramento, Gonzales placed 6th at the U.S. Olympic Trials 5000m (13:41.25).

After graduating, Gonzales has pursued running full-time. In March at the Gate River 15K in Jacksonville, FL, he was USA Championship runner-up in 44:09. Gonzales goals include using the track season to continue his running development and translate that success into world class competition in road running from the 5K to the marathon.

The RRCA is the national association of running clubs, running events and runners. The mission of the RRCA is to promote long distance grassroots running as a competitive sport and healthful exercise. The RRCA achieves their mission by promoting the common interests of its members by providing educational opportunities, programs and services. The organization's membership consists of over 700 running clubs and events which comprise over 125,000 household in the U.S. For more information, visit: RRCA.org

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.

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