BOSTON, Massachusetts (Jan. 13) - Kenneth Cormier and Aislinn Ryan, the
reigning Foot Locker Cross Country champions, headline a field of elite
international runners set for the Junior Invitational Mile at the Reebok
Boston Indoor Games on Jan. 29. With deep fields for both boys and girls,
the new Junior Invitational Mile is set to be one of the best in the country
in its inaugural year.
Cormier, a senior at Douglas High School in Douglas, Ariz, is also the 2004
Arizona 4A state champion at 3200 meters. His rivals include Laef Barnes
(Mead, Wash.), whose 4:09.61 in 2004 makes him one of the fastest returning
prep milers in the country; Kevin Tschirhart (North Port, NY), the 2004 New
York State 3200m champion; Ross Toole (England), a 3:47 1500m runner; Mark
Mitchell (Scotland), who has run 1:50.90 for 800 meters; Cody Harper
(Albuquerque, NM); Ryan Finn of Canada; Daniel LaCava (Hurst, Texas); E.C.
Gibbs (Cullman, Ala.); and Ryan Gasper (Ft. Atkinson, Wis.)
For the girls, Ryan is the 2004 indoor scholastic 2-mile national champion
and currently the fastest 3000-meter high schooler in the country. She is a
junior at Warwick Valley High School in Warwick, NY. She will be challenged
by Nicole Blood, the Saratoga Springs (NY) junior whose 4:42.4 was the
fastest high-school mile in the US last year;
Brittany Sheffey (Bellport, NY), who has run the fastest indoor mile in the
country this season (4:55.39); Devon Williams (Towson, MD), who last month
set a national record for 500 meters (1:11.44); Samantha Gawrych (Westerly,
RI), the Rhode Island state record-holder for both 1500m and the mile;
Lindsay Ferguson (Saratoga Springs, NY), the fastest (4:54.91) 1600m runner
in the US so far this year; plus Canada\'s Avril and Lise Ogrodnick; Jennifer
Barringer (Oviedo, Fla.); Brianna Felnagle (Tacoma, Wash.); and Natasha
LeBeaud (Folsom, Calif.)
More athletes may still be announced.
The 10th-annual Reebok Boston Indoor Games will be held at the Reggie Lewis
Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College, 1350 Tremont St.,
Boston, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 29, and will be broadcast on ESPN from 5
to 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 30. It is also the first stop on USA Track & Field\'s
Visa Championship Series. Tickets are available on-line at
www.BostonIndoorGames.com or by calling 1-866-GO-BIG05.