Greenville Track Club-ELITE - a post-collegiate, Olympic-development program
11 USA Olympic Trials Qualifiers
established 2012
11 USA Olympic Trials Qualifiers
established 2012
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Jack Mastandrea ran 1:05:04 to win the Ameris Bank Jacksonville Half Marathon on Sunday morning as he led a sweep of the top four places by Greenville Track Club-ELITE. Jack, along with teammates Jason Weitzel, Eddie Garcia and Karl Thiessen took the lead from the 7:05 am start and passed 5K at 15:20. Only eventual fifth placer Sem Sultanov, a recent USA Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier with a 2:17.09, was with them. The GTC-ELITE teammates continued to run together before Mastandrea increased the pace during the eighth mile. His final time averaged 4:58 per mile or 3:05 per kilometer. Weitzel followed Mastandrea across the finish with a time of 1:05:36 and Garcia was third in 1:05:54. Thiessen was fourth in 1:06:33 in only his second Half Marathon. Both Mastandrea and Weitzel targeted this race to prepare for the upcoming USA Olympic Trials Marathon scheduled for February 3 in Orlando, FL. The temperature for this race was 65 degrees at the start with 92% humidity, which most likely will be somewhat similar or cooler than the 10:00 am start for the upcoming Marathon Trials. Greenville Track Club-ELITE was established in 2012 and is in its second decade as a post-collegiate, Olympic-development program. The program produced four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles, one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru, three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA, one qualifier and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase and three qualifiers for the 2024 USA Olympic Trials Marathon. The program's runners set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon--twice) and three (15K, 10-Mile and 20K) in 2021. GTC-ELITE also produced the South Carolina Men's 2020 Long Distance Runner of the Year.
The program is sponsored and supported by the 51-year-old Greenville Track Club, ASICS, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, UCAN energy products, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Movement (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.
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Greenville Track Club-ELITE's Jason Weitzel is once again ranked first in the most recent South Carolina Road Race Rankings, published by USATF State Record Keeper Bill Marable. Jason is ranked ahead of Greenville's James Quattlebaum, who previously led the rankings for the past couple of years. Weitzel's training partner and teammate, Eddie Garcia, remains third in the rankings. Each of the top three ranked runners have not recently raced within the state of South Carolina, as they have competed in top competitions elsewhere, including the USATF 20K Championships (New Haven, CT), USATF 10K Championships (Northport, NY), the Bakline McKirdy Marathon (Valley Cottage, NY) and the USATF 5K Championships (New York, NY). Both Jason an Eddie ran under the USA Olympic Trials Marathon qualifying standard of 2:18:00 at the Bakline McKirdy Marathon with Personal Bests of 2:15:55 and 2:17:09, respectively. Weitzel and Garcia's most recent South Carolina performances were Jason's victory at the Michelin Memorial 5K in August and Garcia's runner-up finish. Both Jason and Eddie crushed the previous course record of 14:42 (GTC-ELITE's Austin Steagall in 2016), with times of 14:15 and 14:20, respectively. Eddie previously had victories this summer at the Sunrise 8K and the Red, White and Blue Shoes 5K and was ranked second in the August rankings. Quattlebaum was the 2022 South Carolina Long Distance Runner of the Year and previously won the SCLDROY honors in 2019 and 2021. Garcia, was the 2020 SCLD Runner of the Year in 2020. GTC-ELITE alums Ricky Flynn (Greenville) and Roland Hakes (now residing in Columbia) continue to be ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. South Carolina Road Race Rankings |
1. Adam Freudenthal, 23:33 (2017) 2. Adam Freudenthal, 23:35 (2016) 3. Lucas Stalnaker, 23:46 (2017) 4. Lucas Stalnaker, 23:58 (2018) 5. Trent Binford-Walsh, 24:03 (2014) 6. Adam Freudenthal, 24:13, 2012) 7. Matthew Elliott, 24:18 (2017) 8. Adam Freudenthal, 24:20 (2018) 9. Bert Rodriguez, 24:24 (2017) 10. Jack Mastandrea, 24:25 (2023) 11. Henry Sterling, 24:27 (2018) 12. Lucas Stalnaker, 24:33 (2015) 13. Nick Weidman, 24:37 (2006) 14. Lucas Stalnaker, 24:39 (2014) 15. Everett Whiteside, 24:40 (2002) 16. Everett Whiteside, 24:41 (2001) 17. Matthew Gauthier, 24:43 (2009 18. Bert Rodriguez, 24:45 (2010) 18. Kevin Crosby, 24:45 (2008) 20. Chris Caldwell, 24:46 (2014) | 21. Brandon Hudgens, 24:47 (2011) 21. Christopher Estwani, 24:47 (2009) 21. Keaton Anderson, 24:47 (2023) 24. Bert Rodriguez, 24:49 (2013) 24. Matthew Johnsen, 24:49 (2013) 26. Bert Rodriguez, 24:50 (2013) 27. Bert Rodriguez, 24:52 (2015) 28. Josh Iżewski, 24:53 (2019) 28. Timothy Gruber, 24:53 (2017) 30. Stuart Moran, 24:54 (2008) 30. Scott Dvorak, 24:54 (2002) 32. Chris Colo, 24:56 (2014) 32. Chad Newton, 24:56 (2003) 34. Bert Rodriguez, 24:57 (2014) 35. Dylan Lowry, 24:58 (2017) 35. Justin Niedzialek, 24:48 (2000) 37. Kyle Soloff, 24:59 (2014) |