FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Team B.A.A. sends 14 athletes to compete at the
2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon
Boston-based running club to race for spots on Team U.S.A. on February 29
BOSTON-The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) will send 14 members of the
organization's High Performance and Racing teams-the largest contingent
among any running club in America-to compete at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team
Trials - Men's and Women's Marathon in Atlanta on February 29. The top
three finishers in both races will earn automatic bids to represent Team
U.S.A. at the Olympic Marathons as part of this summer's Olympic Games in
Japan.
Leading the way are B.A.A. High Performance Team members Jerrell Mock
(personal best of 2:10:37) and Kaitlin Goodman (2:32:08).
B.A.A. High Performance and Racing Team Members Competing at the U.S.
Olympic Team Trials
Name Personal Best Hometown Name Personal Best Hometown
Jerrell Mock 2:10:37 Logan,UT Kaitlin Goodman 2:32:08 Providence,RI
Brian Harvey 2:17:05 Cambridge,MA Rachel Hyland 2:37:22 Somerville,MA
Eric Ashe 2:17:06 Natick,MA Laura Paulsen 2:39:54 Brookline,MA
Alex Taylor 2:17:08 Lincoln,MA Katie Kellner 2:41:07 Boston,MA
Dan Harper 2:17:32 Chicago,IL Allie Hackett 2:42:48 Boston,MA
Michaela Hackett 2:44:11 Boston,MA
Rachel Coogan 2:44:10 Somerset,MA
Hannah Rowe 2:44:26 Boston,MA
Katie Edwards 2:44:54 Cambridge,MA
Notable Stats and Numbers
- 14: Of all running clubs in America, the B.A.A. will have the most
athletes competing at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon with a
total of 14 runners (5 men and 9 women). At the last two U.S. Olympic Team
Trials, the B.A.A. sent 7 competitors (2016 in Los Angeles, 4 men and 3
women) and 4 competitors (2012 in Houston, 1 man and 3 women).
- 7: A total of seven B.A.A. athletes have represented the United States at
the Olympic Marathon while competing for Team B.A.A.
o Arthur Blake (1896), Richard Grant (1900), Ted Vogel (1948), Aulis
Manninen (1948), John J. Kelley (1956 and 1960), and Dean Thackwray (1956).
- 9: The B.A.A. sent nine athletes to compete at the first modern Olympic
Games in Athens, Greece in 1896, making up a majority of the American
contingent. They returned with six medals, and were inspired to create the
Boston Marathon, which made its debut a year later.
- 1964: The most recent Olympic medalist to represent the B.A.A. is John
Thomas, who earned a silver medal in the high jump at the 1964 Olympic
Games - the last time the Games were held in Tokyo.
B.A.A. Athlete Biographies and Storylines
Jerrell Mock is the most recent professional runner to join the B.A.A. High
Performance team. He finished tenth at the 2019 Chicago Marathon
(second-fastest American) in 2:10:37. An All-American in college at
Colorado State, he enters the Olympic Trials Marathon as the sixth-fastest
men's competitor in the field. A press release announcing Jerrell joining
Team B.A.A. can be found here.
Brian Harvey competed in the 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon, placing 32nd. He
is a Biomedical Engineer and was a 5-time Division III All-American while
at Carnegie Mellon University. He's a father to a 2-year-old daughter,
Olive.
Eric Ashe is a native of Hanson, MA and competed at Boston University in
college. He's a past winner of the Cape Cod Marathon. Eric qualified for
the 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles, though did not finish.
Alex Taylor is racing his first Olympic Trials Marathon after chasing the
elusive Olympic Trials qualifying standard for 10 years. He's a father of
two, and is competing as a masters (over 40) runner. Alex is a Software
Engineer in Natick.
Dan Harper will be running his first Olympic Trials Marathon. A graduate of
MIT, Dan is a medical student at Rush Medical College (Illinois) and was
the 2013 USATF-New England Outdoor champion in the 10,000 meters.
Kaitlin Goodman is a member of the B.A.A. High Performance team, coached by
the B.A.A.'s Mark Carroll, an Irish Olympian. Kaitlin won the Naples Half
Marathon earlier this year in 1:13:52 (a personal record). Her career best
marathon finish is a 2:32:08 from the 2017 U.S.A. National Championships,
where she finished fifth. Kaitlin was one of only two women to qualify and
compete at three distances at the 2016 Olympic Trials (5,000 meters, 10,000
meters, and the marathon). More information on Kaitlin can be found at
www.teambaa.org.
Rachel Hyland finished fourth at the 2018 Boston Marathon, persevering
through the rain and windy conditions to earn the highest finish by a
B.A.A. athlete since Patti Dillon's runner-up placing in 1979. Rachel is a
graduate of Williams College, and finished 46th at the 2016 Olympic Trials
Marathon.
Laura Paulsen competed at the 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon, finishing 59th.
Laura ran at Johns Hopkins University and now is a Director of Product
Management at a medical device company in Lexington. She won the 2013
Medtronic Twin Cities 10 Mile race in 2013.
Katie Kellner earned national headlines last fall when she saved a man and
dog from drowning in the Chestnut Hill Reservoir while out on a training
run. Since her heroic actions, Katie has been honored by the Boston Celtics
as their 'Hero Among Us'; recognized by PETA with their Compassionate
Action Award and named as one of the organization's Top Animal Rescuers of
the Year for 2019; and was honored at Boston College's annual red bandana
football game. Katie was a three-time All-American at Cornell and earned
her graduate degree at Boston University. She competed at the 2016 Olympic
Trials Marathon, finishing 28th. She owns her own online coaching business
called Forward Focus Running.
Identical twins Allie Hackett and Michaela Hackett are both qualified for
the Olympic Trials Marathon and will compete for Team B.A.A. They are
believed to be the only set of identical twins to have qualified for this
year's Olympic Trials. Both are from Cranston, RI; ran at Abilene Christian
University; work as CPA's at Ernst & Young; and live in Boston. Allie
qualified for the Trials thanks to a 2:42:48 time at the Cal International
Marathon, while Michaela qualified by way of a 2:44:11 time at the
Grandma's Marathon.
Rachel Coogan qualified for the Olympic Trials thanks to her 2:44:10 finish
at the 2019 Boston Marathon. This will be her first Olympic Trials
Marathon. Rachel finished 44th at the 2019 Boston Marathon.
Hannah Rowe qualified for the Olympic Trials Marathon by finishing this
year's Houston Marathon in 2:44:26 on January 19 - the deadline and last
possible day to earn a qualifying time for this year's Trials. Hannah ran
at Dartmouth College, and also won the 2019 Cape Cod Marathon last October
in 2:46:42.
Katie Edwards ran 2:44:54 to finish runner-up at the 2019 Bay State
Marathon in Lowell. At the 2014 Boston Marathon she placed 35th in 2:45:29.
Lauren Philbrook, a native of Hopkinton, MA, is an Assistant Professor in
the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department at Colgate University in
Hamilton, NY. She finished 29th at the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials and
32nd at the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials. Her career-high finish at the
Boston Marathon is 16th in 2015, a special achievement considering the
Boston Marathon starts in her hometown of Hopkinton. Philbrook successfully
earned a qualifying time for the 2020 Olympic Trials Marathon, though will
not be competing.
ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.)
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit
organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through
sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston Marathon is the world's
oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and
supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs.
Since 1986, the principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John
Hancock. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors,
along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and
New York City. More than 60,000 runners will participate in B.A.A. events
in 2020. The 124th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 20, 2020.
For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org. For more
information on the B.A.A. club, racing team and high performance group,
visit www.teambaa.org.
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