asics Greenville Track Club-ELITE - a post-collegiate, Olympic-development program
8 USA Olympic Trials Qualifiers
established 2012
8 USA Olympic Trials Qualifiers
established 2012
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Two ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE athletes are ranked among the top five women in the South Carolina Road Race Rankings published today by South Carolina's USATF record keeper Bill Marable. Emily Forner is ranked fourth while her teammate Mackenzie Lowe is fifth. The women's rankings are topped by Mauldin's Victoria Hammersmith. Forner recently won the United Community Bank 43rd Reedy River Run 10K and also won the Sunrise Run 8K in June. Lowe placed third in the UCB Reedy River Run 10K and was the runner-up in June's Sunrise 8K. She also won the Red, White and Blue Shoes 5K on July 3. Former ASICS GTC-ELITE runners Ricky Flynn moved up to second in the Men's Division after his third place finish at the UCB Reedy River Run 10K and Roland Hakes is ranked sixth. South Carolina Road Race Rankings |
 |  Mackenzie Lowe & Emily Forner |
GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. 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 and one qualifier for and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. Also, the group set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon). The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 49-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), the Borch Foundation, generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Running (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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Forner Wins Women's United Community Bank 43rd Reedy River Run 10K & Weitzel Takes Second Overall.
9/6/2021
Emily Forner. (photo: Stephen Moore)
On a cloudy and humid Labor Day morning with temperatures in the low 70s, ASICS Greenville Track Club ELITE's Emily Forner won the women's division of the United Community Bank 43rd Reedy River Run. Forner covered the hilly 10-kilometer course that starts and finishes on downtown Greenville's S. Main Street bridge in a time of 37:28. It was the first road 10K for the former NCAA DIII 3,000m champio while at Allegheny College. The victory also earned Forner the Road Runner's Club of America South Carolina State 10K championship. Emily's teammate, Mackenzie Lowe, placed third among women with a time of 37:55.
The overall winner was Olympic Trials Qualifier (both marathon and 3000m-Steeplechase) James Quattlebaum of Greenville, who just missed breaking 30 minutes with a time of 30:01. ASICS GTC-ELITE'S Jason Weitzel pulled away from Greenville's Ricky Flynn over the final kilometer to place second with a time of 30:22. It was Jason's first race as a member of the post-collegiate, Olympic-development program and he earned a total of $550 ($400 for 2nd + $100 time bonus + $50 for second SC runner). Flynn, a past member of ASICS GTC-ELITE whose focus is now in triathlon, ran 30:56 for third.
The overall winner was Olympic Trials Qualifier (both marathon and 3000m-Steeplechase) James Quattlebaum of Greenville, who just missed breaking 30 minutes with a time of 30:01. ASICS GTC-ELITE'S Jason Weitzel pulled away from Greenville's Ricky Flynn over the final kilometer to place second with a time of 30:22. It was Jason's first race as a member of the post-collegiate, Olympic-development program and he earned a total of $550 ($400 for 2nd + $100 time bonus + $50 for second SC runner). Flynn, a past member of ASICS GTC-ELITE whose focus is now in triathlon, ran 30:56 for third.
 Jason Weitzel |  Mackenzie Lowe |
GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. 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 and one qualifier for and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. Also, the group set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon). The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 49-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), the Borch Foundation, generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Running (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.
Mackenzie Lowe, Emily Forner and Eddie Garcia at a recent Greenville Track Club meeting.
Three athletes representing ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE are ranked among the top five in the South Carolina Road Race Rankings published today by South Carolina's USATF record keeper Bill Marable. In the men's division, Eduardo Garcia remains second, only behind Greenville's James Quattlebaum. James and Eddie are the two most recent South Carolina Long Distance Road Runner of the Year award winners.
In the women's division, Emily Forner is ranked third while her teammate Mackenzie Lowe is fifth. The women's rankings are topped by Mauldin's Victoria Hammersmith. Forner won the Sunrise Run 8K in June and Lowe was the runner-up. Lowe most recently won the Red, White and Blue Shoes 5K on July 3.
Former ASICS GTC-ELITE runners Ricky Flynn (4th) and Roland Hakes (8th) are also currently ranked.
In the women's division, Emily Forner is ranked third while her teammate Mackenzie Lowe is fifth. The women's rankings are topped by Mauldin's Victoria Hammersmith. Forner won the Sunrise Run 8K in June and Lowe was the runner-up. Lowe most recently won the Red, White and Blue Shoes 5K on July 3.
Former ASICS GTC-ELITE runners Ricky Flynn (4th) and Roland Hakes (8th) are also currently ranked.
South Carolina Road Race Rankings
(as of August 7, 2021)
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GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. 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 and one qualifier for and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. Also, the group set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon). The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 49-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), the Borch Foundation, generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Running (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.
ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE is excited to announce that Jason Weitzel will be joining the post-collegiate, Olympic-development program to continue his running career.
"We believe Jason is a great fit and will be a catalyst for growing our program as we begin a new Olympic cycle," stated program director/coach Mike Caldwell. "We really enjoyed getting to know him during his recent visit to Greenville and believe he has a lot of upside ranging from the 3,000-meter Steeplechase through the half-marathon."
One of the most decorated athletes in the history of West Virginia's Concord University, Jason was named to the USTFCCCA All-American Second Team after an 11th-place finish in the steeplechase at the NCAA Division II National Championships. 2021 marks the fourth straight year that Weitzel has been placed on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. The Athens, West Virginia native completed his course work for his masters of Health Promotion degree in May after earning his Health and Physical education degree during his undergraduate years. In grad school, Weitzel had a 3.54 GPA.
During his career that spans back to the fall of 2015, Weitzel has been a member of USTFCCCA All-Atlantic Region Teams 17 times—including landing on the squad all four years of cross country eligibility—and was All-Mountain East Conference 16 more times. He helped CU earn its first team bid to the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship in 2016, also the first MEC team to accomplish the feat. Furthermore, he helped the Mountain Lions to three consecutive MEC Championships in cross country (2015-17).
In the fall of 2018, Weitzel was the Atlantic Regional Runner of the Year as he was the champion of the Atlantic Cross Country Region Championship. Earlier that spring, Weitzel was the MEC Track Athlete of the Year, and wrapped his career by being the MEC MVP/High Point in track in 2021.
"We believe Jason is a great fit and will be a catalyst for growing our program as we begin a new Olympic cycle," stated program director/coach Mike Caldwell. "We really enjoyed getting to know him during his recent visit to Greenville and believe he has a lot of upside ranging from the 3,000-meter Steeplechase through the half-marathon."
One of the most decorated athletes in the history of West Virginia's Concord University, Jason was named to the USTFCCCA All-American Second Team after an 11th-place finish in the steeplechase at the NCAA Division II National Championships. 2021 marks the fourth straight year that Weitzel has been placed on the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team. The Athens, West Virginia native completed his course work for his masters of Health Promotion degree in May after earning his Health and Physical education degree during his undergraduate years. In grad school, Weitzel had a 3.54 GPA.
During his career that spans back to the fall of 2015, Weitzel has been a member of USTFCCCA All-Atlantic Region Teams 17 times—including landing on the squad all four years of cross country eligibility—and was All-Mountain East Conference 16 more times. He helped CU earn its first team bid to the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship in 2016, also the first MEC team to accomplish the feat. Furthermore, he helped the Mountain Lions to three consecutive MEC Championships in cross country (2015-17).
In the fall of 2018, Weitzel was the Atlantic Regional Runner of the Year as he was the champion of the Atlantic Cross Country Region Championship. Earlier that spring, Weitzel was the MEC Track Athlete of the Year, and wrapped his career by being the MEC MVP/High Point in track in 2021.
GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. 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 and one qualifier for the 2021 USATF Olympic Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. Also, the group set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon). The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 49-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), the Borch Foundation, generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Running (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.
 Eddie Garcia |  Mackenzie Lowe and Emily Forner |
Three ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE athletes are ranked in the most recent South Carolina Road Race Rankings published by USATF South Carolina Record Keeper Bill Marable. Eddie Garcia remains second in the men's standings, behind Greenville's James Quattlebaum. In the women's rankings, Emily Forner is ranked third and Mackenzie Lowe fifth. Emily recently won the Sunrise Run 8K in Simpsonville, while Mackenzie placed second in that race and then won the Red, White & Blue Shoes 5K (Simpsonville) on July 3rd.
South Carolina Road Race Rankings
(as of July 5, 2021)
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GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. 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 and one qualifier for the 2021 USATF Olympic Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. Also, the group set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon). The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 49-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), the Borch Foundation, generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Running (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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ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE's Mackenzie Lowe ran 18:01 to win the Red, White & Blue Shoes 5K on Saturday morning in Simpsonville, SC. She had finished second to teammate Emily Forner in the Sunrise 8K on a course using the same start and finish area in the Greenville suburb last month. It was her first victory since joining the program in August of 2020.
The Greenville Track Club event was moved from its traditional venue at Furman University to Simpsonville due to COVID-19 concerns, which were more restrictive during the planning period for the race months ago. There were 576 finishers.
The Greenville Track Club event was moved from its traditional venue at Furman University to Simpsonville due to COVID-19 concerns, which were more restrictive during the planning period for the race months ago. There were 576 finishers.
 Red, White & Blues Shoes women's winner in Red, White & Blue |  Post-race smiles |
GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. 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 and one qualifier for the 2021 USATF Olympic Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. Also, the group set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon). The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 49-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), the Borch Foundation, generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Running (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.
Greenville Tech coach Rodenfels to use Olympic Trials run as motivation for self, her team
6/29/2021
Greenville Tech girls' cross country/track and field coach Annie Rodenfels running at Hayward Field. photo: Collin Woodruff
This article originally appeared in the June 29th edition of the Greenville News and was written by Geoff Preston.
When she was a junior at Dayton Christian School in Miamisburg, Ohio, Annie Rodenfels wasn't thinking about the U.S. Olympic Trials.
A lifelong soccer player, Rodenfels decided she would try track and field to stay in shape for when she would get back on the pitch.
Seven years later and now the girls cross country and track and field coach at Greenville Tech Charter School, Rodenfels was standing on the starting line at the legendary University of Oregon's Haywood Field in Eugene, Oregon, ready to compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
A lifelong soccer player, Rodenfels decided she would try track and field to stay in shape for when she would get back on the pitch.
Seven years later and now the girls cross country and track and field coach at Greenville Tech Charter School, Rodenfels was standing on the starting line at the legendary University of Oregon's Haywood Field in Eugene, Oregon, ready to compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
She had gone from trying a new sport at a small school in Ohio to being roughly 10 minutes away from representing her country in the Tokyo Olympics.
"Being at such a big event with the best competition in the United States, that’s an opportunity I only could have dreamed of and didn’t think was possible at all," she said. "Even my last year of college, I would have said my biggest goal was to run at the Olympic Trials, and as I’ve gotten better I can continue to dream bigger."
"Being at such a big event with the best competition in the United States, that’s an opportunity I only could have dreamed of and didn’t think was possible at all," she said. "Even my last year of college, I would have said my biggest goal was to run at the Olympic Trials, and as I’ve gotten better I can continue to dream bigger."
Rodenfels finished 30th, missing the cut for the U.S. Olympic team, but the 24-year-old knew that this would not be her only opportunity to compete at the highest level.
Especially because she's relatively new to the sport, Rodenfels said the finish only motivated her more.
"I have three years until the next Olympic Trials come around and I want to be in the final and contending to make a team," she said. "I’ve had the experience now, so the next time it’s like, ‘I’ve been here, I can do it.’ "
While competing, she was thinking about her team. Competing in the Olympics isn't a goal that stops and ends with her, she said; she wants her Greenville Tech runners to see her success and realize that with hard work, anything can be possible.
Especially because she's relatively new to the sport, Rodenfels said the finish only motivated her more.
"I have three years until the next Olympic Trials come around and I want to be in the final and contending to make a team," she said. "I’ve had the experience now, so the next time it’s like, ‘I’ve been here, I can do it.’ "
While competing, she was thinking about her team. Competing in the Olympics isn't a goal that stops and ends with her, she said; she wants her Greenville Tech runners to see her success and realize that with hard work, anything can be possible.
Rodenfels with some of her Greenville Tech Charter athletes. photo: Collin Woodruff
Rodenfels' trip from Ohio to Greenville
Track and field was a natural fit for Rodenfels, who loved to go on long runs for the ball during her soccer career.
When playing college soccer didn't work out, she enrolled in 2015 at Centre College, an NCAA Division III school in Danville, Kentucky. It was out of the spotlight, which was perfect for her to make a go at track and field in college.
"I ended up being OK at it," Rodenfels said of her high school track and field career. "I decided I wanted to do that in college. My coach convinced me that I could be good, so I started to get better and better when I put my mind to it."
She actually got better quickly. By 2017, she was an All-American in the steeplechase. The next year, she won the national title in the same event and set a Division III record in the event that still stands. In 2019, she won the national title again in the same event.
She also won the 5,000 meter national championship in 2018.
Track and field was a natural fit for Rodenfels, who loved to go on long runs for the ball during her soccer career.
When playing college soccer didn't work out, she enrolled in 2015 at Centre College, an NCAA Division III school in Danville, Kentucky. It was out of the spotlight, which was perfect for her to make a go at track and field in college.
"I ended up being OK at it," Rodenfels said of her high school track and field career. "I decided I wanted to do that in college. My coach convinced me that I could be good, so I started to get better and better when I put my mind to it."
She actually got better quickly. By 2017, she was an All-American in the steeplechase. The next year, she won the national title in the same event and set a Division III record in the event that still stands. In 2019, she won the national title again in the same event.
She also won the 5,000 meter national championship in 2018.
photo: Collin Woodruff
The steeplechase was another event she came into almost unexpectedly. She had competed once in the event in high school, which put her above most of the distance runners on her college team.
It's an event that isn't for the faint of the heart. The 3,000-meter run features jumping over multiple barriers, one of which is followed by a pit that is roughly two feet deep and filled with water.
It can be grueling, and that's why Rodenfels fell in love with it.
"It’s a very gritty event. It’s more challenging than a flat 3K," she said. "You get tired in a different way than a normal distance race. I think most people thought it was very challenging, and that made me want to do it more."
She also competed in the 5,000-meter run, an event in which she nearly qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials for as well.
When she graduated from Centre in 2019, she moved to Greenville to pursue running for the Greenville Track Club Elite, a professional team sponsored by ASICS. One of her teammates at Centre told her about the opportunity because they had started running for the team.
As if moving to South Carolina wasn't a big enough post-college leap, she also wanted to give back to high school athletes who were pursuing the sport she had quickly grown to love.
"Being their coach and thinking about the day-to-day basics makes me think a lot more about why I’m doing my stuff as well," she said about workouts. "When I’m coaching new high school runners, 'Why am I making them do this workout?' I feel like it’s made me a better runner. I hope I’ve helped them become better runners."
Greenville Tech Charter runners Holly White (left), Addie Simpson (second from right) and Maggie Hill (right) with coach Annie Rodenfels (second from left).
It wasn't something she expected, but learning more about the sport she only started as a junior in high school has been an added benefit to coaching.
"Coaching sprinters has especially taught me a lot," she said. "It helped me expand my own knowledge of the sport. I had to learn how to come out of blocks, and proper sprinting form and I think that helped me get faster. That was really cool to learn aside them."
Rodenfels is almost always on the run
Between her morning training with the Greenville Track Club and evening practices, Rodenfels' days are busy.
In addition, she travels for races to try to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Last season, during the high school track and field season, she raced five times in fields that took her to places like Kansas City, Atlanta and Tennessee.
"It can be really tricky during track season because that’s when I’m doing races, but I didn’t have to miss any this year," she said. "The athletic director (Ben Shiley) is very flexible with me when I need to do that, and I put my seniors in charge."
In order to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials, a runner needs to reach a certain time in an event at a United States Track and Field Federation-sanctioned event.
The cut-off time for the steeplechase was 9 minutes, 50 seconds. On April 10, at the Flames Invitational at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, she won the event with a personal best time of 9:46.98. That time sent her to Eugene.
She fought through a series of small injuries throughout the season, and when she got to the Trials she was still fighting through an injury. Although it wasn't her best performance, she said the experience was something she wouldn't trade.
"I knew I wouldn’t quite be at my best, and that was definitely hard to deal with," Rodenfels said. "The Olympics only come up every four years, and I wanted to be in the best shape I could be in, and that wasn’t a reality this year."
Division doesn't matter
When Rodenfels lined up for the steeplechase race in Eugene, not many people knew who she was.
She was competing against athletes who had gone to Division I schools and had been on the track community's radar for years. Although Rodenfels was a Division III national champion and record holder, success in the NCAA'S non-scholarship level didn't draw a lot of attention outside of the 106-acre Centre campus.
Rodenfels wouldn't have it any other way.
"I think division matters a lot less than people think it does," she said. "A lot of Division I programs have larger budgets, but I think that’s the only difference, especially in track and field and cross country," she said. "If you’re a distance runner, you’re not really going to get a full-ride scholarship. I think school and coaches are a much bigger fit."
Although she didn't run cross country in high school, she started in college. That gave her the opportunity to become a cross country coach at Greenville Tech later.
Greenville Tech Charter girls cross country and track and field coach Annie Rodenfels competes at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
For both sports she was still very raw when she got to Centre, and said she needed the coaching staff led by Lisa Owens, who had been part of the coaching staff since 1998.
Rodenfels said without proper coaching, she wouldn't be able to make it to U.S. Olympic Trials. She also said she felt passionately that an athlete doesn't need to go to a Division I school to make it to that stage.
"I wouldn’t chose to go back and go to a Division I college," she said. "I think I grew and developed in all the right ways and I was given that room without a lot of pressure. I don’t think I’d be where I am today if I went Division I."
Still, she knows she has to do more to earn credibility in the running community because she didn't go to a powerhouse Division I school. While it can be frustrating, she said her week in Eugene showed her that she can compete with anyone, no matter where they went to school.
"I have some of the same times as the other runners, but more people know them because of the press Division I gets," she said. "But I know I’m just as good."
Lessons learned
Although the finish wasn't what she wanted, Rodenfels said she took a lot away from the Trials. It wasn't just competing at a historic venue at Oregon. She also learned that she belonged on the sport's biggest stage.
She'll be 27 when the 2024 Olympic Trials take place, and being at the event this year and seeing some of her peers make the Olympic team lit a fire in her to be ready for the next Trials. Rodenfels said women's distance runners usually hit their prime between 27 and 30 years old.
She thinks that especially because she hasn't participated in the sport for very long, she's ready to train harder, with more miles, to get ready to go to Paris in the 2024 Olympics.
"I believe in myself more," she said. "I belong here and I’m going to train like it for the next three years so when I step on this track I’m going to be able to be like, ‘I can race with the best.’ I think I proved that to myself."
Even though it has been an adjustment to be on the big stage, she draws strength from the runners that rely on her to coach that at Greenville Tech.
She said she wants everyone on the team to reach their potential. Even if they don't have the fastest times in the state, she knows what the sport can do for health and where it can take some runners.
In addition to winning races, teaching the sport has become her passion.
"I hope they can take the things I’ve learned and my experience and use that the best they can to get better," she said. "I know it’s more useful than to just myself. If I was just racing to run for myself that’s one thing, but to be able to learn these things and understand how racing works at the highest level, I hope I can share that knowledge with them so they can take their running where they want to go."
It's an event that isn't for the faint of the heart. The 3,000-meter run features jumping over multiple barriers, one of which is followed by a pit that is roughly two feet deep and filled with water.
It can be grueling, and that's why Rodenfels fell in love with it.
"It’s a very gritty event. It’s more challenging than a flat 3K," she said. "You get tired in a different way than a normal distance race. I think most people thought it was very challenging, and that made me want to do it more."
She also competed in the 5,000-meter run, an event in which she nearly qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials for as well.
When she graduated from Centre in 2019, she moved to Greenville to pursue running for the Greenville Track Club Elite, a professional team sponsored by ASICS. One of her teammates at Centre told her about the opportunity because they had started running for the team.
As if moving to South Carolina wasn't a big enough post-college leap, she also wanted to give back to high school athletes who were pursuing the sport she had quickly grown to love.
"Being their coach and thinking about the day-to-day basics makes me think a lot more about why I’m doing my stuff as well," she said about workouts. "When I’m coaching new high school runners, 'Why am I making them do this workout?' I feel like it’s made me a better runner. I hope I’ve helped them become better runners."
Greenville Tech Charter runners Holly White (left), Addie Simpson (second from right) and Maggie Hill (right) with coach Annie Rodenfels (second from left).
It wasn't something she expected, but learning more about the sport she only started as a junior in high school has been an added benefit to coaching.
"Coaching sprinters has especially taught me a lot," she said. "It helped me expand my own knowledge of the sport. I had to learn how to come out of blocks, and proper sprinting form and I think that helped me get faster. That was really cool to learn aside them."
Rodenfels is almost always on the run
Between her morning training with the Greenville Track Club and evening practices, Rodenfels' days are busy.
In addition, she travels for races to try to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Last season, during the high school track and field season, she raced five times in fields that took her to places like Kansas City, Atlanta and Tennessee.
"It can be really tricky during track season because that’s when I’m doing races, but I didn’t have to miss any this year," she said. "The athletic director (Ben Shiley) is very flexible with me when I need to do that, and I put my seniors in charge."
In order to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials, a runner needs to reach a certain time in an event at a United States Track and Field Federation-sanctioned event.
The cut-off time for the steeplechase was 9 minutes, 50 seconds. On April 10, at the Flames Invitational at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, she won the event with a personal best time of 9:46.98. That time sent her to Eugene.
She fought through a series of small injuries throughout the season, and when she got to the Trials she was still fighting through an injury. Although it wasn't her best performance, she said the experience was something she wouldn't trade.
"I knew I wouldn’t quite be at my best, and that was definitely hard to deal with," Rodenfels said. "The Olympics only come up every four years, and I wanted to be in the best shape I could be in, and that wasn’t a reality this year."
Division doesn't matter
When Rodenfels lined up for the steeplechase race in Eugene, not many people knew who she was.
She was competing against athletes who had gone to Division I schools and had been on the track community's radar for years. Although Rodenfels was a Division III national champion and record holder, success in the NCAA'S non-scholarship level didn't draw a lot of attention outside of the 106-acre Centre campus.
Rodenfels wouldn't have it any other way.
"I think division matters a lot less than people think it does," she said. "A lot of Division I programs have larger budgets, but I think that’s the only difference, especially in track and field and cross country," she said. "If you’re a distance runner, you’re not really going to get a full-ride scholarship. I think school and coaches are a much bigger fit."
Although she didn't run cross country in high school, she started in college. That gave her the opportunity to become a cross country coach at Greenville Tech later.
Greenville Tech Charter girls cross country and track and field coach Annie Rodenfels competes at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
For both sports she was still very raw when she got to Centre, and said she needed the coaching staff led by Lisa Owens, who had been part of the coaching staff since 1998.
Rodenfels said without proper coaching, she wouldn't be able to make it to U.S. Olympic Trials. She also said she felt passionately that an athlete doesn't need to go to a Division I school to make it to that stage.
"I wouldn’t chose to go back and go to a Division I college," she said. "I think I grew and developed in all the right ways and I was given that room without a lot of pressure. I don’t think I’d be where I am today if I went Division I."
Still, she knows she has to do more to earn credibility in the running community because she didn't go to a powerhouse Division I school. While it can be frustrating, she said her week in Eugene showed her that she can compete with anyone, no matter where they went to school.
"I have some of the same times as the other runners, but more people know them because of the press Division I gets," she said. "But I know I’m just as good."
Lessons learned
Although the finish wasn't what she wanted, Rodenfels said she took a lot away from the Trials. It wasn't just competing at a historic venue at Oregon. She also learned that she belonged on the sport's biggest stage.
She'll be 27 when the 2024 Olympic Trials take place, and being at the event this year and seeing some of her peers make the Olympic team lit a fire in her to be ready for the next Trials. Rodenfels said women's distance runners usually hit their prime between 27 and 30 years old.
She thinks that especially because she hasn't participated in the sport for very long, she's ready to train harder, with more miles, to get ready to go to Paris in the 2024 Olympics.
"I believe in myself more," she said. "I belong here and I’m going to train like it for the next three years so when I step on this track I’m going to be able to be like, ‘I can race with the best.’ I think I proved that to myself."
Even though it has been an adjustment to be on the big stage, she draws strength from the runners that rely on her to coach that at Greenville Tech.
She said she wants everyone on the team to reach their potential. Even if they don't have the fastest times in the state, she knows what the sport can do for health and where it can take some runners.
In addition to winning races, teaching the sport has become her passion.
"I hope they can take the things I’ve learned and my experience and use that the best they can to get better," she said. "I know it’s more useful than to just myself. If I was just racing to run for myself that’s one thing, but to be able to learn these things and understand how racing works at the highest level, I hope I can share that knowledge with them so they can take their running where they want to go."
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ASICS Greenville Track Club ELITE's Annie Rodenfels competed in her first USATF Olympic Trials and finished 30th in a field of 33 in the 3000-meter Steeplechase. The three-time NCAA DIII champion (twice in the steeplechase) ran 10:11.76, well off her personal best of 9:46.9 that she ran back in April.
Following that April race the future looked bright as these Olympic Trials beckoned. However, plans don't always come to fruition and Annie suffered a lower back injury that was later diagnosed as a bulging disk. That injury resulted in missing almost 20 days of running during a crucial period of training and competition. Although cross training with aqua jogging and using the ElliptiGO helped maintain some general fitness, not being able to run hard or hurdle posed significant issues as the Olympic Trials approached.
"We don't like to offer excuses and when we toe the starting line, we are there to compete and give it 100%," stated director/coach Mike Caldwell. "So I want to commend Annie and coach Laura Caldwell for doing their best under such circumstances to get Annie prepared and able to run in this historic event in Eugene, OR's new Hayward Field. Our goals from the initial vision of ASICS GTC-ELITE was to develop athletes to qualify for and compete in the Olympic Trials and Annie achieved that goal today."
Following that April race the future looked bright as these Olympic Trials beckoned. However, plans don't always come to fruition and Annie suffered a lower back injury that was later diagnosed as a bulging disk. That injury resulted in missing almost 20 days of running during a crucial period of training and competition. Although cross training with aqua jogging and using the ElliptiGO helped maintain some general fitness, not being able to run hard or hurdle posed significant issues as the Olympic Trials approached.
"We don't like to offer excuses and when we toe the starting line, we are there to compete and give it 100%," stated director/coach Mike Caldwell. "So I want to commend Annie and coach Laura Caldwell for doing their best under such circumstances to get Annie prepared and able to run in this historic event in Eugene, OR's new Hayward Field. Our goals from the initial vision of ASICS GTC-ELITE was to develop athletes to qualify for and compete in the Olympic Trials and Annie achieved that goal today."
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GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. 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 and one qualifier for the 2021 USATF Olympic Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. Also, the group set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon). The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 49-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), the Borch Foundation, generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Running (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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ASICS Greenville Track Club ELITE's Eduardo Garcia placed 11th at Saturday's Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN. He finished with a time of 2:19:52 after passing the halfway point in 1:09:08. Eddie passed the 20-mile mark at 1:45:27 in ninth place. That was 2:18:08 pace, but he slowed considerably over the final few miles. His finishing time was 62 seconds off his personal best of 2:18:50 which he ran at the 2019 Chevron Houston Marathon.
GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. 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 and one qualifier for the 2021 USATF Olympic Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. Also, the group set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon). The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 49-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), the Borch Foundation, generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Running (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.
Annie Rodenfels, Mackenzie Lowe, Emily Forner, Eddie Garcia and coach Laura Caldwell
ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE were the speakers at the GTC's June monthly meeting on June 14th. After a long period without in-person meetings, due to COVID-19, the 49-year-old running club conducted their first non-race gathering. On a nice Monday evening the members met at Conestee Nature Park. Following various club-business topics, GTC-ELITE coach Laura Caldwell led the brief presentation and introduced team members, Eddie Garcia, Emily Forner, Mackenzie Lowe and Annie Rodenfels. Each athlete informed the audience with their running bios.
The meeting was sandwiched on the preceding and following weekends by competitions for the athletes. Garcia is headed to Duluth, MN for this Saturday's Grandma's Marathon. Rodenfels will be competing in the USATF Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, OR on Sunday (3,000m Steeplechase). Forner and Lowe finished first and second among women in last Saturday's Sunrise 8K.
The meeting was sandwiched on the preceding and following weekends by competitions for the athletes. Garcia is headed to Duluth, MN for this Saturday's Grandma's Marathon. Rodenfels will be competing in the USATF Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, OR on Sunday (3,000m Steeplechase). Forner and Lowe finished first and second among women in last Saturday's Sunrise 8K.
 Eddie Garcia |  Emily Forner |  Mackenzie Lowe |  Annie Rodenfels |
GTC-ELITE was established in 2012. 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 and one qualifier for the 2021 USATF Olympic Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. Also, the group set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon). The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 49-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), the Borch Foundation, generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Running (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.
