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USA Edges Canada in Junior Race Walk Match
Women, Men split men’s and women’s wins
August 14, Boston MA
The USA women and Canadian men walked to team and individual race wins, but the combined scoring trophy went to the host Team USA at the 23rd annual USA vs. Canada Junior Race Walk Match held at East Boston Memorial Park on Sunday. While showers ended before the starting gun, conditions in the 70′s with high humidity tempered the times recorded by competitors.
The US women were led by three time match competitor Abby Dunn (Auburn, Maine), who moved strongly in the final kilometer to take the win in 25:54 ahead of early pacesetter and teammate Erica Shaver (Washington Township, Ohio) in 26:31. Following bronze medal winner and first Canadian finisher, Katelyn Ramage (British Columbia), Courtney Williams(Vassalboro, Maine) sealed the team win for the USA with her fourth place finish in 27:13. Scoring 7-5-4-3-2-1, the USA earned a 15-7 victory margin.
Fortunes were reversed in the men’s race, as Ben Thorne (British Columbia), Canadian Junior Record holder at 10,000 meters, took the lead at the gun and was never challenged; improving on his fifth place finish of 2010, his 44:13 winning time is now the fourth fastest in match history. Teammate Bruno Carriere (Quebec) gave team support by taking the silver medal ahead of first American Alejandro Chavez, and combined with sixth place finisher Kevin Gaiesky, Canada outscored the USA 13-9.
In combined scoring, the tighter USA women’s pack provided the point total to give earn a 24-20 combined score win over the guests.
Novice and all-comers races at 1, 2, and 3 kilometers conducted in conjunction with the international match. The meet is scheduled to return to Canada in the summer of 2012
Full results are here.