Minneapolis/St. Paul - Jan. 16, 2010 - Three Team USA Minnesota distance runners have received grants from the Minnesota Elite Athlete Development Program (MEADP) for 2011.  The athletes include Meghan Armstrong, Chris Rombough and Emily Brown.  The awards were announced on Jan. 15 at the annual meeting of the Minnesota Distance Running Association (MDRA).  Armstrong and Rombough each received a grant of $1,000, and Brown was awarded $750.

Armstrong, who joined Team USA Minnesota in 2008, graduated from the University of Iowa.  Since graduation, she has posted personal bests in the 5000 and 10,000 meters, and has placed well on the roads including fourth in 2010 at both the USA 5k Championships and USA 10 Mile Championships.  Next up for Armstrong is the USA Cross Country Championships on Feb. 5.

Rombough is a 2010 graduate of the University of Minnesota and joined Team USA Minnesota last summer.  As a Golden Gopher, he was a six-time All-American who was a Big Ten Cross Country and 10,000 meter champion.  He also competed at both the 2010 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships.  As a professional distance runner, Rombough is preparing for the outdoor track season.

Since joining Team USA Minnesota in 2007, Brown has been a three-time qualifier for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, won the USA Cross Country Championships in 2008, and was a member of the bronze medal women's 8k team at the 2010 World Cross Country Championships.  On the roads, she placed third at the 2009 USA 15k Championships.  Brown will next compete at the 2011 USA Cross Country Championships.

The Minnestoa Elite Athlete Development Program is a state-wide program that provides financial assistance to elite Minnesota distance runners who have completed their academic running careers.  It is funded by contributions from Grandma's Marathon, Twin Cities In Motion, and the Minnesota Distance Running Association.

2010 Road Racing Performances

Three Team USA Minnesota distance runners recorded the fastest times in USA road racing events during 2010 according to "Analytical Distance Runner," the official publication of the Association of Road Running Statisticians.  The athletes are Antonio Vega, Andrew Carlson and Katie McGregor.

During the year, Vega posted the fastest U.S. time in the 4 mile with a mark of 18:18 and Carlson was the fastest in the 25k distance with a time of 1:14:42.  McGregor had three of the fastest times in 2010 including in the 15k of 49:51, the 10 mile of 54:21, and at the 25k with a time of 1:26:24.

About Team USA Minnesota

Team USA Minnesota is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul.  Formed in 2001, the purpose of the training center is to improve the competitiveness of post-collegiate American distance running and to develop Olympians.  The athletes are coached by Dennis Barker, head cross country and track coach at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.  Team USA Minnesota's major sponsor is Life Time Fitness (www.lifetimefitness.com) and its silver sponsor is Twin Cities in Motion (www.mtcmarathon.org).  It is also supported by the New York Road Runners and the USA Distance Project.  For more information, visit the team's web site at www.teamusaminnesota.org.

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Contact:

Pat Goodwin

952-924-1081

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