Blake Russell, a 2001 graduate of Elon’s Physical Therapy program, won the 2006 USA Cross Country Championships held Saturday, Feb. 18 in New York City.
Russell, who lives in Marina, Calif., won the open women’s 8k race with a time of 26:47. With the win, Russell qualified to represent the U.S. in the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, scheduled for April 1-2 in Fukuoka, Japan.
“I wanted to go out hard and get a good start,” Russell said after the race. “The course was good. When I ran it yesterday, I didn’t think that hill was all that bad; however, the hill was a little harder than I thought.”