Kloz Wins Horno Ridge, Takes Dirt Dogs Lead; 89 Qualify for Series Championship

by Graeme Shirley

Camp Pendleton, Calif. - (November 2, 2002) - David Kloz didn't let the 853-foot climb in the first mile faze him as he ran away from the field to win the Horno Ridge 10K by almost one and a half minutes. His 35:19 victory moved him one point ahead of Bryan Wallbank and four points ahead of Brian Culley in the 2002 Dirt Dogs Cross Cross Country Championship Series heading into the final race, the November 16 USATF San Diego Association Championship.

40-year-old Sandy Meister-Meredith (39:46) beat all the other women at Horno Ridge by over a minute. This was Meister-Meredith's fourth consecutive Dirt Dogs win.

In each of the six divisions there are at least two runners who could win the series with a victory in the final race, since it awards double points.

For men 39 and under, if any of Kloz, Wallbank, or Culley wins the Association Championship, they win the series.

For women 39 and under, Joey Bonfiglio (40:53), second woman overall at Horno Ridge, won her age group, and caught Kathy Kasischke.

David Spinler (36:42) pulled even with Jim Walsh in the men's masters (age 40-49) age group by finishing second overall and gaining his third victory in the series.

In that same age-group for women, Meister-Meredith and Kimberlee Rouse also enter the Championships tied with the maximum 60 points.

For men 50 and over, Greg Wilson (40:58) made Horno Ridge his fourth win in four starts, but can still be caught by Phil Camp if Camp wins the Championship race in that age group.

And even with five victories over the women 50 and up, Teri Fitzgibbons could be caught by Willie Mundt or Joni Shirley.

The Association Championships will determine not only the Dirt Dogs series winners, and its $3000 in total prizes, but the San Diego and Imperial County champions, and is open to all San Diego USATF members, whether or not they have competed in the Dirt Dogs series.

Compete results are available for both the civilian and military competitors.

For more information visit the Cross Country Championship Series page.

For More Information Visit the Graeme Shirley Track Home Page

Web Page Created by Graeme Shirley

Valid HTML 4.01!