2010 Northeast Ohio Cross Country Camp
This Year's Speakers & Special Guests
Craig Virgin
from Illinois, was one of the most successful American distance runners ever showing great versatility on the track, the roads, and the grass. He is the ONLY American to win the World Cross Country Championship, which he did in 1980 and 1981. He made the U.S. Olympic team 3x in the 10,000m run (1976, 1980, 1984). To his credit he also held the high school 3200m record for a time.
In this video he comes from behind to win, but watch out - it's not the guy you think it is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYr-anCd300For more information, pictures, and video links go to http://www.craigvirgin.com/ and see his bio here
Bridget Franek
is a NEO Camp mainstay. A graduate of Crestwood High School and Penn State University Bridget already has some great international results to her credit as well. She has 10 All- American certificates from college including a national championship in the steeplechase this past spring. Bridget also has the 6th fastest steeple for any U.S. woman ever. She has broken 16:00 for the 5k and in high school won the impossible triple - 1600, 800, and 3200 - as a senior.
Here are 2 links to a great CC race between Franek and Angela Bizzari of Illinois, who is also from an Ohio high school and was a national champion in the 5k on the track. The first link picks up the race near the start. The second link is the conclusion of the race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58O7mTk8Qc0&feature=related (part 1)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58O7mTk8Qc0&feature=related (part 2)
Below are links to some brief articles about Bridget.
http://www.runohio.com/read_new/bridget-franekhttp://www.recordpub.com/news/sports_article/4847354
Below is a link to an interview of Bridget from February 2010. http://www.flotrack.org/videos/speaker/2443-bridget-franek/287057-penn-states-bridget-franek-talks-about-making-the-world-team
Frank Shorter
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Frank Shorter is
considered one of the best U.S. distance runners ever. He was extremely versatile, earning success
on the roads, the track, and in cross country.
He won 4 U.S. national cross country titles, was ranked first in the
U.S. at a 10k runner 6 times, and won many prominent road races including
Peachtree, Falmouth, and the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan 4 times. His greatest claim to fame would be the Gold
Medal he won in the 1972 Olympics in Berlin, Germany in the marathon after having
already finished 5th in the 10,000.
He would come back 4 years later in the Olympics at Montreal to earn a
silver medal in the marathon.
Shorter has a law degree, which he earned while running nearly 20 miles per day, has helped developed the U.S. anti-doping agency, started a running apparel company, and does TV broadcasts on occasion. Together with Bill Bowerman and Bill Rodgers, he is credited with helping ignite the running boom of the 1970's.
Some Frank Shorter quotes
"A good athlete always mentally replays a competition over and over, even in victory, to see what might be done to improve the performance the next time."
"Because running fast is more fun than running slow."
"Hills are speedwork in disguise."
"You don't run 26 miles at five minutes a mile on good looks and a secret recipe."
Some Frank Shorter video links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THUKgZX9pw8 (No sound!!!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YysHj9iz2M - watch this!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10klQocInvo (only first part is Shorter, but good nonetheless)