Media Contact: Al Heppner
North American Racewalking Institute
Phone: 619-410-1181
September 1, 2002
For immediate release

Seaman extends reign; Armenta sets US best

Ocean Township, NJ -- Short distance specialist Tim Seaman went long this

morning to win the National 40 km (24.8 miles) Racewalk Championship and set

the meet record in a time of 3 hours, 6 minutes, and 15 seconds. Susan Armenta

set an American Best in capturing the women's title in 3:32:08, despite heavy rain

and gusting winds.

The Army's Al Heppner led the rain-soaked pack through 10 km in 47:29, with Seaman,

Curt Clausen, and defending champion Philip Dunn walking together, nine seconds back.

The trio assed Heppner just before the 13 km mark.

The top three walkers, all from the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California,

passed through 20 km in 1:35:01. As the weather got worse, Seaman and Dunn got faster

and Clausen began to fall off the pace. Dunn briefly led at 24 km, after Seaman stopped

to go the bathroom. However, Seaman roared back to catch Dunn by 27 km and pulled

away one kilometer later.

"Going into the race, I wasn't concerned with my place. I just wanted to negative split

(walk the second half faster)," said
Seaman of New York Athletic Club.

Seaman speeded through 30 km in 2:20:10, walking 25 to
30 km in 23:09. Dunn was 40 seconds back.

"I tried to go with Tim. My heart rate was still really low, but I tightened up," said Dunn

of New Balance.

Walking his fastest 5 km from 30-35 km (22:06), Seaman
continued to widen his margin over Dunn, which was at 2:06 by 35 km.

"When I made my move, I did my best to maintain it," said the 30-year-old Seaman.

Seaman held on over the final 5 km to set a 40 km personal best and better the meet

record of 3:13:57 by four-time Olympian Carl
Schueler in 1984. Although denied a second consecutive 40 km title, Dunn was also

under the old meet record (3:08:34) as the runner-up. This marked the 18 straight

race that the previous year's champion failed to defend. Clausen, the third place
finisher was also under the old mark (3:12:23).

"My knee was a little sore, but I finished 35 km last
week and used that for inspiration," said Seaman.

The win was a big step forward for Seaman. He has
dominated the shorter distances, winning five straight indoor 5 km titles. Even in the

20 km, Seaman has won three out of the past five national championships. Although

he trudged his way through the 30 km nationals earlier this year for a win, this
was Seaman's first significant victory at a distance over 20 km, as he handled 50 km

stalwarts Dunn and Clausen.

The women's race was no contest, once it became
apparent who the leader was. Armenta declared for the accompanying 20 km race,

so it appeared that Erin
Taylor was the 40 km leader for the first half of the
race. However, Armenta was not happy with her 20 km time of 1:42:40 so she

kept going.

"My 20 km wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I
was hoping to walk under 1:40," said Armenta, of New Balance.

Race director Elliott Denman had told Armenta prior to
the race to "do the final 20 km as a cool down" so she could collect the $300 first prize.

Armenta declined.

But she ended up doing that and more, as she set a new
US 40 km best. She beat the old mark of 3:40:28 walked by Cheryl Rellinger in 1998 by

over eight minutes and would have finished fifth in the men's race. Taylor finished slightly

over 40 minutes behind Armenta in 4:12:23 to claim second. Rellinger
was also in this morning's race, passing Loretta Schuellein on the final 2 km lap to finish

fourth (4:19:26).

"Just before 20 km, I slowed to 5:15 per kilometer. I thought I could hold it for 10-15 km more.

I figured if I could do that, then
I could get in a decent 40 km," explained the 28-year-old Armenta.

Armenta also set a personal best for 30 km along the
way.

Perhaps the most inspiring story, however, was third place finisher Sherry Brosnahan.

While nearly one-quarter of the field
called it a day before finishing the 40 km race, Brosnahan one-upped Armenta by continuing

on to 50 km, hoping to set a new master's (40 & over) record.

Brosnahan was the Energizer Bunny. Down came the rain.
Down swooped the wind. But Brosnahan just kept banging the drum. And down came the

World Master's Best as she walked 5:21:52.

At the awards ceremony, Brosnahan simply said, "It was
hard." But she said it with a smile.

"This was one of the best 40 km Championships ever.
Considering the terrible conditions, these were some of the gutsiest performances I've ever

seen," said Denman.

Temperatures held in the low 60's, but heavy rain
flooded parts of the course and gusting winds were particularly troublesome on the last

500 meters of the 2000 meter looped-course.

Seaman and company will be back on the East Coast
September 29 for the National 1-hour/2-hour Championships on Long Island.The race will

be held on the track of Seaman's alma matter, North Babylon High School. The school's

claim to fame includes rapper/actor LL Cool J in addition to Seaman, a 1990
graduate.

National 40 km Championships
Joe Palaia Park
Ocean Township, NJ

MEN
Place  Name Team/Home  Age  Time  Pace/Mile
1 Tim Seaman  NYAC  3:06:17 -  0:07:30
2  Philip Dunn  30 -  3:08:34 - 0:07:35
3  Curt Clausen NYAC  34 - 3:12:23 - 0:07:44
4  Al Heppner  U S Army  3:27:43 -  0:08:21
5  John Soucheck  Shore AC  37 - 3:47:01 -  0:09:08
6   Billl Vayo  East Side  38 - 3:51:50 -  0:09:20
7  Chris Knotts  Miami Valley  46 -  3:56:25 - 0:09:31
8  Rod Craig  Pegasus AC  44 -  3:58:37 - 0:09:36
9  Erik Litt  Shore AC  34 - 4:15:03 - 0:10:16
10  Dan O'Brien  Pegasus AC  37 -  4:15:42 -  0:10:17
11  Leon Jasionowski  Pegasus AC  57 -  4:17:22 - 0:10:21
12  Chris Rael  Shore AC  44 -  4:20:22 -  0:10:29
13  Bob Keating  N E Walkers  55 - 4:26:27 - 0:10:43
14  Ed Fitch  Miami Valley 41 - 4:26:45 - 0:10:44
15  Alexis Davidson 46 - 4:27:02 - 0:10:45
16  Tom Quattrocchi  Shore AC 51 - 4:35:20 - 0:11:05
17  Bruce Cooper Kansas  49 - 4:47:28 - 0:11:34
18  Lon Wilson  East Side  55 - 4:50:09 - 0:11:40
19  Jack Starr  Phast 74 - 4:57:11 - 0:11:57
20 Jack Blackburn Miami Valley - 5:16:48 - 0:12:45
21  Art Glass  Shore AC  53 - 5:19:14 - 0:12:51
22  Mike Michel Lynn, NC - 5:20:14 - 0:12:53
23  John Molendyk  Shore AC  60 - 5:20:44 - 0:12:54
24  Tom Hartman  Shore AC  60 - 5:21:00 - 0:12:55
25  Edward Gawinski Phast  5:22:17 - 0:12:58
26  Bill Norton  Shore AC  52 - 5:25:17 - 0:13:05
27  Eliot Collins  Shore AC  50 - 6:04:53 -  0:14:41

24km
Ralph Edwards  Shore AC  60 - 3:13:10 - 0:12:57

22km
Jack Lach  Shore AC -  2:29:07 - 0:10:54

20km
Dick Van Benthuysen  Shore AC  54 - 2:08:35 - 0:10:21

18km
Alex Major Baltimore  31 - 1:44:50 - 0:09:22

10km
Wayne Baker  Shore AC  1:03:25 - 0:10:12

DQ  Herb Appell  Pennsylvania  83
DQ  John Fredericks  Shore AC  54

WOMEN:     
1  Susan Armeta  3:32:08 - 0:08:32
2  Erin Taylor  Park Racewalkers 24 - 4:12:23 - 0:10:09
3  Sherry Brosnahan  Shore AC  50 - 4:15:18 - 0:10:16
4  Cheryl Rellinger  Troy, NY 35  - 4:19:26 - 0:10:26
5  Loretta Schuellein  East Side  24 - 4:20:28 - 0:10:29
6  Anne Gonella  Shore AC  41 - 4:54:17  - 0:11:50
7  Eileen Druckenmiller  5:22:16 - 0:12:58
8  Sandy Rubel  Shore AC 55 - 5:28:32 -0:13:13

24km
Nancy Linky Shore AC  3:22:08 - 0:13:33

20km
Joan Venslavsky Shore AC  52 - 2:21:35 - 0:11:24

10km
Jennifer Marlborough  Park Racewalkers 30 - 1:00:44 - 0:09:46

DQ  Karen Diaz