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Best-ever international women's steeple in USA set for May 21
May 6, 2005
     The Minnesota Distance Invitational meet, May 21 at Macalester College stadium in St. Paul, has filled its women's 3000 meter steeplechase field. Six nations are represented in the entry list of 16 steeplers of whom 10 have bettered 10 minutes for the 3000m steeple.
     "The field for our 3000 meter steeplechase is the best field assembled in the U.S. and the world so far this year," says meet director Dennis Barker.
     The May 21 field is even better than the women's steeple at 1998 Goodwill Games in New York where Russia's Svetlana Rogova won by less than a second over Romania's Daniela Petrescu. Here are the St. Paul entrants with their best-ever times in races using the standard 3.66m water jump:
          09:29.32 Briana Shook, USA-Nike
          09:39.35 Ann Gaffigan, USA-unattached
          09:47.35 Elizabeth Jackson, USA-unattached
          09:45.60 Roisin McGettigan, Ireland
          09:46.30 Lisa Aguilera Galaviz, USA-unattached
          09:49.40 Carrie Messner, USA-Asics/Boulder Wave
          09:55.49 Kelly MacDonald Strong, USA-Asics
          09:56.51 Rasa Michniovaite Troup, Lithuania
          09:58.79 Jo Ankier, Great Britain
          09:59.30 Dawn Cromer, USA-unattached
          10:02.86 Minori Hayakari, Japan
          10:05.29 Victoria Mitchell, Australia
          10:09.75 Jane Rudkin, USA-Kansas City
          10:13.12 Jinny Hanifan, USA-unattached
          10:18.55 Lesley Read, USA-Indiana Invaders
          10:19.01 Lucinda Hull, USA-Adidas
     Briana Shook is the USA record holder. Four of the overseas entrants hold the record for their nation: Britain's Jo Ankier, Ireland's Roisin McGettigan, Japan's Minori Hayakari, and Lithuania's Rasa Michnioviate Troup. Victoria Mitchell is Australia's 2003 champion.
     Ann Gaffigan is the defending USA champion, Elizabeth Jackson has won multiple nationals in the past, and Lisa Galaviz became the 2005 world leader on May 1. Most of the entrants have major racing achievements.
     Based on races this year, the time spread between ends of the entry list is smaller than indicated by their all-time bests. So the field of 16 may stay close as USA runners focus on getting current qualifying times into their championships next month and those from other nations target entry standards for the World Championships this August at Helsinki.
     The women's steeplechase will open the Minnesota Distance Invitational at 6:30 p.m. and be followed by races of 1500 meters, 5000 meters and 10,000 meters -- each with men's and women's sections. Those races have entrants from Brazil, Canada, Kenya, Russia, and Sweden - as well as USA.
     The meet is hosted by Team USA Minnesota, a post-collegiate developmental training center for elite distance runners.
     http://www.teamusaminnesota.org/mdi/ is the meet web site with information about all the events, and their entry status, as well as tickets.

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