OFollowing the completion of the 2016 USA Olympic Track and Field Trials this week, ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE has announced a few changes in their athlete roster, including the departure of Ricky Flynn and Chelsi Woodruff. 

"Ricky joined our post-collegiate, Olympic development group in December of 2013 with a goal of improving his 2:13:44 marathon at the 2016 Olympic Trials. He ran Olympic Trials marathon qualifying performances on three different occasions (sub 1:05:00 for the half marathon distance), but was never able to make it to the starting line in our selected marathon events (Chicago, Grandma's, Los Angeles and the actual Trials in LA)," explained director/coach Mike Caldwell. "Ricky has a lot of talent. We've often said he has a Ferrari engine, but on a VW frame. He has a very high max VO2, but has a history of sustaining lower leg injuries. He also has a propensity of training very hard when he is healthy. Following his scratch at the Olympic Trials marathon, we mutually decided that he should turn his focus to Triathlon. From his first couple of performances, it looks like a good transition for him. We definitely wish him the best and will continue to cheer for him in his new endeavor."

"Chelsi joined our group late last summer (2015) and had finished third in the 3000-meter Steeplechase in the Atlantic Coast Conference while at Florida State University. She had a decent fall training period and was our fourth finisher at the 2015 USATF Club Cross Country Championships in San Francisco. Although she struggled at 3000 meters indoors, she improved her personal best by three seconds over 1500 meters outdoors," explained Caldwell. "We thought she had potential to run under 10:00 in the steeple and possibly even qualify for the Olympic Trials, but had some recurring issues with the water jump in each of her races. We wish her the best in her new career as a personal trainer."

As previously announced, ASICS GTC-ELITE is adding Ryan Root and Austin Steagall to the group and may be announcing more additions in the coming months. Steagall won his first race wearing the ASICS GTC-ELITE singlet over the weekend at his hometown Peach Festival 5K. 

GTC-ELITE produced four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles and is sponsored by ASICS, the Greenville Track Club, Performance Therapy, Greenville Health System's North Greenville Hospital, ScanSource, Soleus Running Watches, Boston Bill Sunglasses, Roll Recovery, FinalSurge, Joy Real Estate, The TD Bank Foundation, The Kroc Center, Carolina Spine and Rehab, The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, the Bare Minimum Track Club and generous individual contributors. ​​​​​​

ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE runners were busy over the last week with athletes running in various holiday road races in South Carolina, Ohio and Illinois. 

Austin Steagall donned the ASICS GTC-ELITE singlet for the initial time as he won the Peach Festival 5K in his hometown of Gaffney, SC. The recent graduate of Mt. Olive University won for the fourth consecutive year, running 14:45.

On July 4th, Mark Leininger won the Red, White & Blue Shoes 5K at Furman University in Greenville, SC with a time of 14:50. It was his first competition since taking a break from running following the Portland Track Festival in mid-June. His teammates, Kate Dodds and Alison Paris placed second and third in the women's division with times of 17:25 and 18:10, respectively on a hot and humid holiday morning.

Meanwhile down on the coast, Kimberly Ruck won the 4th annual Firecracker 4-Mile over the trails of Laurel Hill Country Park in Mt. Pleasant, SC. For her efforts she took home a very large set of fireworks. She ran 23:11 for the 2 x 2-mile-loop in hot and humid conditions. Carolyn Watson was in her home state of Ohio and ran 17:18 to win the Aurora 4th 5K. 

Also, running in his home state of Illinois, Ryan Root won a 5K in 15:06 in his last competition before relocating to Greenville.

GTC-ELITE produced four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles and is sponsored by ASICS, the Greenville Track Club, Performance Therapy, Greenville Health System's North Greenville Hospital, ScanSource, Soleus Running Watches, Boston Bill Sunglasses, Roll Recovery, FinalSurge, Joy Realty, The TD Bank Foundation, The Kroc Center, Carolina Spine and Rehab, The ATI Running Academy, ElliptiGO, the Bare Minimum Track Club and generous individual contributors. ​​​​​​​