Jenny Spangler, who ran her best marathon 13 years ago, scored a stunning victory in the U.S. women's Olympic marathon trials today, as sentimental favorite Joan Benoit Samuelson never was in contention and failed to make the three-woman team.
Joining the unheralded Spangler on the team that will compete against the world's best long-distance runners at the Atlanta Games were Linda Somers, the 1993 and 1994 U.S. marathon champion, and Anne Marie Lauck, who dedicated the race to her late mother.The 32-year-old Spangler, wearing bib No. 61 because of her slow qualifying time, was among the leaders from the outset before taking control of the race between miles 11 and 12.
After that, no one threatened her. Spangler completed the 26 miles, 385 yards in 2 hours, 29 minutes, 53 seconds, her personal best and a course record.
Spangler, from Gurney, Ill., had run her previous best of 2:33:52 at Grandma's Marathon at Duluth, Minn., in 1983. The time was a U.S. junior marathon best, a mark that still stands.
The previous course record was 2:34:42 by Debbi Kilpatrick in winning the U.S. marathon championship last year.
In qualifying for the trials, however, Spangler was timed in 2:43:02 at Chicago in 1994.
For the past month, Spangler has been training with the Santa Monica Track Club, a group noted for its outstanding sprinters, notably Carl Lewis, Leroy Burrell and Mike Marsh, rather than its distance runners.
The victory was worth $45,000 to Spangler, while Somers got $40,000 and Lauck $35,000 from the purse of $250,000.
The German-born Somers, 34, now living in Oakland, Calif., won the 1992 Chicago Marathon, the 1993 California International and Long Beach marathons, and the 1994 Grandma's Marathon.
Lauck, 26, from Glen Gardner, N.J., was competing in only her third marathon.
Her mother, Sandy Letko, died last August after a six-year battle with breast cancer, and her daughter said before the race, "My mom is not here physically, but she'll be here."
Samuelson, the heroine of the 1984 Los Angeles Games, winning the gold medal in the first women's Olympic marathon, made a game effort today, but at 38, and after years of illnesses and injuries, she could not keep up with the front-runners.
Another of the favorites, Olga Appell, the top U.S. road runner last year, did not start. Bothered by a stress fracture of the right foot, she warmed up prior to the race, but the pain was so intense, she did not want to risk further injury.
One of the early dropouts was another highly regarded runner, Andrea Bowman.
Bowman, hospitalized four days last week with food poisoning and hobbled by a stress fracture of the left foot, struggled for 9 miles before being helped off the course and taken to a hospital for treatment. First reports were that she was all right.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Women's Marathon Trials Results
1. Jenny Spangler, Gurnee, Ill., 2:29:54, $45,000.
2. Linda Somers, Oakland, Calif., 2:30:06, $40,000.
3. Anne Marie Lauck, Marietta, Ga., 2:31:18, $35,000.
4. Gwyn Coogan, Boulder, Colo., 2:33:51, $18,000.
5. Kristy Johnson, Boulder, Colo., 2:34:21, $16,000.
6. Debbi Kilpatrck-Morris, Berea, Ohio, 2:34:52, $14,000.
7. Jeanne Peterson, Massapequa, N.Y., 2:35:19, $13,000.
8. Elaine Van Blunk, Drexel Hill, Pa., 2:35:31, $12,000.
9. Lynn Nelson, Fort Collins, Colo., 2:35:34, $11,000.
10. Lisa Knoblich, Horwalk, Conn., 2:36:05, $10,000.
11. Bonnie McReynolds, Nashville, Tenn., 2:36:15, $7,500.
12. Jennifer Martin, Erie, Pa., 2:36:26, $6,500.
13. Joan Benoit Samuelson, Maine, 2:36:54, $5,500.
14. Julia Kirtland, South Harpswell, Maine, 2:37:53, $4,500.
15. Lorraine Hochella, Newport News, Va., 2:38:21, $3,500.
16. Patty Valadka, Houston, 2:38:35, $2,500.
17. Christine McNamara, Providence, R.I., 2:38:38, $2,000.
18. Mary Lynn Currier, Humarock, Mass., 2:38:39, $1,750.
19. Lisa Rainsberger, Hutchinson, Kan., 2:38:44, $1,250.
20, Gordon Bakoulis, New York, 2:39:08, $1,000.
21. Lisa Kelp, Cranberry Township, Pa., 2:39:15.
22. Marie Boyd, Albuquerque, N.M., 2:39:19.
23. Lisa Vaill, Brooksville, Fla., 2:39:43.
24. Regina Joyce-Bonnet, Lynnwood, Wash., 2:40:07.
25. Alice Thurau, Fisher, Pa., 2:40:36.
26. Cheryl Collins, Pittsburgh, 2:40:49.
27. Ann Schaefers, Schaumburg, Ill., 2:41:05.
28. Gail Hall, Bothell, Wash., 2:41:08.
29. Mimi Corcoran, Mendon, Mass., 2:41:34.
30. Madeline Tormoen, Colorado Springs, Colo., 2:41:46.
31. Sharon Stubler, Minnetonka, Minn., 2:41:54.
32. Diana Fitzpatrick, San Francisco, 2:42:19.
33. Karen Peterson, Massapequa, N.Y., 2:42:25.
34. Wendy Nelson-Barrett, Lebanon, Pa., 2:42:42.
35. Bridget Degan, Houston, 2:42:50.
36. Laura Mizener, Boulder, Colo., 2:43:39.
37. Julie Peterson, Beverly, Mass., 2:43:56.
38. Roxi Erickson, Omaha, Neb., 2:44:16.
39. Rebecca Redding, Tampa, Fla., 2:44:18.
40. Susan Molloy, Slidell, La., 2:44:53.
41. Amber Anderson, Omaha, Neb., 2:44:56.
42. Sylvia Sanchez-Fisher, Honolulu, 2:45:04.
43. Janis Klecker, Minnetonka, Minn., 2:45:08.
44. Jane Murphy, Portage, Ind., 2:45:10.
45. Mary Alico, Orlando, Fla., 2:45:30.
46. Ann Boyd, Ann Arbor, Mich., 2:45:41.
47. Christina Scobey, Tarrytown, N.Y., 2:45:49.
48. Alysun Deckert, Seattle, 2:46:00.
49. Honor Featherston, Mill Valley, Calif., 2:46:14.
50. Karen Sanford-Gall, Billings, Mont., 2:46:17.
51. Betsey Kempter, Chapel Hill, N.C., 2:46:20.
52. Shauna Whitmer, Portland, Ore., 2:46:29.
53. Tammy Slusser, Monroeville, Pa., 2:46:40.
54. Kari Pederson, Wayzata, Minn., 2:46:52.
55. Stacey Nicholson, Lutherville, Md., 2:46:58.
56. Mary Burns Prine, San Diego, 2:47:16.
57. Edith Dubord, Waterville, Maine, 2:47:27.
58. Kellie Archuletta, Las Vegas, 2:47:33.
59. Jean Gill, Waterbury, Neb., 2:47:44.
60. Mary Braverman, Coopersburg, Pa., 2:48:00.
61. Nikki Rafie, Tigard, Ore., 2:48:27.
62. Wileen Gausman, Oak Lawn, Ill., 2:48:28.
63. Rachel Hopkins, Athens, Ga., 2:48:49.
64. Carrie Booth-Kissel, Hermossa Beach, Calif., 2:49:14.
65. Lisbet Engberg, San Francisco, 2:49:17.
66. Regina Ronan, Northport, N.Y., 2:49:18.
67. Bridget Collins, Lisle, Ill., 2:49:24.
68. Debra Gormley, Minnetonka, Minn., 2:49:35.
69. Bonnie Barnard-Lopez, Bethesda, Md., 2:49:38.
70. Mary Ellen Kelly, Colubmia, S.C., 2:49:40.
71. Naoko Ishibe, Somerville, Mass., 2:49:43.
72. Mary Carol Knight, Atlanta, 2:50:00.
73. Susan Anderson-Ayers, Salt Lake City, 2:50:29.
74. Sarah Kramer, Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., 2:50:34.
75. Janeth Salazar-Ohst, Wood Dale, Ill., 2:50:42.
76. Christine Clark, Anchorage, 2:51:07.
77. Charlotte Thomas, Bridgewater, Vt., 2:51:11.
78. Gayle Jacklin, Post Falls, Idaho, 2:51:27.
79. Cindy Keeler, Lake Worth, Fla., 2:51:29.
80. Leslie Fedon-Willis, Virginia Beach, Va., 2:51:38.
81. Kate Bricker-Kent, Estes Park, Colo., 2:51:55.
82. Myra Klettke, Beaverton, Ore., 2:52:36.
83. Jill Anderson, Duluth, Minn., 2:52:36.
84. Jennifer Crain, Shorewood, Wis., 2:52:47.
85. Rosalva Bonilla, Guadalajara, Mexico, 2:53:26.
86. Rosa Gutierrez, Sunnyvale, Calif., 2:53:31.
87. Marina Jones, Rancho Santa Ma, Calif., 2:53:36.
88. Jane Welzel, Fort Collins, Colo., 2:53:40.
89. Laura Stuart, Solana Beach, Calif., 2:53:45.
90. Holly Ebert, Ogden, Utah, 2:53:57.
91. Margee Brown, Shoreview, Minn., 2:53:57.
92. Janie Ettle, St. Paul, Minn., 2:53:58.
93. Kathy Lencio, Fayetteville, W.Va., 2:54:14.
94. Victoria Marshall-Mills, Atlanta, 2:54:15.
95. Laura Murphy, Rochester, Minn., 2:55:04.
96. Chris Nichols-Allwine, Athens, Ohio, 2:55:06.
97. Angela French, Phoenix, 2:55:08.
98. Kathy Matson, Orem, Utah, 2:55:08.
99. Claudia Kasen, Williamsburg, Va., 2:56:09.
100. Heather Bessette, Stonington, Conn., 2:56:33.
101. Heather Gracie, Califen, N.J., 2:56:43.
102. Nancy Hinkel, Vancouver, Wash., 2:57:18.
103. Danelle Ballengee, Boulder, Colo., 2:57:27.
104. Darlene Mota, Honolulu, 2:57:49.
105. Heather Lucas, Murphysboro, Ill., 2:57:55.
106. Jennifer Latham, Los Angeles, 2:58:06.
107. Kristi Klinnert, Anchorage, 2:58:06.
108. Noelle Stenger, Houston, 2:58:28.
109. Lynn Fitzsimmons, Mequon, Wis., 2:58:31.
110. Kirsten Ohara, Manhattan, Kansas, 2:58:31.
111. Charlene Soby, Chicago, 2:58:42.
112. Cheryl Harper, Orem, Utah, 2:59:31.
113. Lynn Holda, Decatur, Ga., 2:59:32.
114. Beverly Docherty, St. Paul, Minn., 2:59:33.
115. Elise Rainbowstar, Woodland Park, Colo., 2:59:43.
116. Catherine Christensen, San Jose, Calif., 2:59:57.
117. Jeannie Wokasch, Honolulu, 3:00:25.
118. Jill Hargis, Atlanta, 3:00:34.
119. Chris Meyers, Norfolk, Va., 3:01:15.
120. Lisa Chipman, Evanston, Ill., 3:01:20.
121. Ann Remmers, Ann Arbor, Mich., 3:01:46.
122. Lisa Reilly, Orwigsburg, Pa., 3:02:03.
123. Barb Myers-Acosta, Santa Cruz, Calif., 3:03:45.
124. Kimberly Carlson Benner, Framingham, Mass., 3:05:55.
125. Judy Mercon, Clearwater, Fla., 3:07:46.
126. Sharlet Gilbert, Richmond, Calif., 3:09:19.
127. Christine Snow-Reaser, Augusta, Maine, 3:09:36.
128. Cheryl Dube, South Hadley, Mass., 3:10:37.
129. Jeanne Sapienza, Minnetonka, Minn., 3:11:04.