By David Rogers. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A stacked field of 131 elite athletes from across the nation, including full contingents from 20 top U.S. clubs and a smattering of top-level unattached harriers didn’t faze Amanda Vestri on Dec. 9. The former Syracuse University athlete now training with Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance claimed the championship title of the 2023 USATF National Club Cross Country Championships staged in Apalachee Regional Park.
Vestri was the only member of the ZAP Endurance professional running team competing in the event. Head coach Pete Rea explained that several others who might have taken on the challenge are in a different training mode.
“We have six of our members who qualified to run in the U.S. Olympic Trials for the Marathon in early February,” said Rea.
Vestri, however, embraced the challenge of the 6k USATF National Club Championships course, finishing the distance in 20:06.3, more than 14 seconds before No. 2 Claire Green of the Peninsula Distance Club (20:20.4). No. 3 Maya Weigel of Peninsula Distance Club was two seconds behind her teammate (20:22.8).
In the club team competition, Peninsula Distance Club had all five of its athletes finish in the top 10, easily beating the No. 2 club, Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, as well as the No. 3 club, Pacers Running//GRC NB ‘A’.
Kiawah Island Half Marathon
Three other ZAP members also got in a competitive training run on Dec. 9, in the Kiawah Island Half Marathon. Andrew Colley finished No. 1 in the men’s division while Kristin Van Ord and Annmarie Tuxbury finished 1-2 in the women’s division.
