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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It is with deep sadness that one of our ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE Board of Directors and lifetime runner Mical E. Embler has passed. Mical was a standout runner at Charleston Southern University (formerly Baptist College), where he received his bachelor's degree in education. Several years after starting his career as a high school teacher, he developed an interest in accounting, so he enrolled in classes at Clemson University. Within just three years he received his certified public accountant license, and five years later he opened his own firm, which he would manage in Greenville for the next 25 years. Mical was a member of the South Carolina Association of CPAs, and the American Institute of CPAs. Mical and his wife Kim have two grown children and reside on Paris Mountain near Furman University. At one time they had five dogs who ran with Mical almost every day. Mical was very active in his church and also enjoyed martial arts, biking and training dogs. In recent years he spent much of his free time playing with his grandson. Mical was a valued member of our Board, serving as Treasurer, beginning in 2013 until his passing on May 22, 2021 due to complications from cancer. He will be greatly missed.
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 Teammates Annie Rodenfels and Eddie Garcia. Annie Rodenfels of ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE continues to lead the South Carolina Road Rankings that were published by USATF Record Keeper Bill Marable on May 5. Rodenfels set a SC state record for the road 5K with a 16:09 clocking back in September at the Mortgage Network Low Country Elite Invitational, which earned her the Top Woman's Performance of 2020 for South Carolina road racing. She followed that up with an outstanding 15:35 for 5,000 meters on the track at the Five & Dime Athletics Meet in Columbia, SC in mid-December. Annie's focus in 2021 has been on the track, which doesn't affect the road rankings. This year on the oval she has run 15:46.7 for 5,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays and then a huge personal best of 4:13.49 in the 1500 meters at the Atlanta Track Club's Spring Track Meet. She followed those performances by qualifying for the upcoming USATF Olympic Trials 3000m Steeplechase with a 9:46.9 victory in the Flames Invitational at Lee University in Tennessee. Her teammates, Eddie Garcia and Mackenzie Lowe, also continue to be highly ranked. Garcia remains second to Greenville's James Quattlebaum. James won the Greenville Half Marathon on February 27th and Eddie was second, reflecting their respective places in the state rankings. Quattlebaum was the 2019 South Carolina Long Distance Runner of the Year, while Eddie earned that same honor for 2020. Lowe is ranked seventh among women after finishing sixth in that Greenville Half Marathon. South Carolina Road Race Rankings as of May 1, 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 48-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's Annie Rodenfels experienced some Kansas City Blues on Saturday night at the Trials of Miles Kansas City Qualifier. After having run a basically solo effort in qualifying for June's USATF Olympic Trials in the 3000-meter Steeplechase with her 9:46.98 performance on April 10 at the Flames Invitational at Lee University, Annie had her sights set on dipping under 9:40 at this unique meeting. Unfortunately, her race did not go as planned as she finished eighth in a field of fourteen with a time of 10:00.31.
Marisa Howard, representing Idaho Afoot, broke away from the field and held off a late charge by Great Britain's Amiee Pratt to win with an outstanding time of 9:32.75. Pratt's 9:38.99 was good for second, ahead of another British runner--Lizzie Bird (9:44.52). Kathy Kunc ran 9:44.59 to join Howard under the 9:50.0 qualifying standard for the USA Olympic Trials. While easily qualifying for the USA OTs, in Eugene, OR, Howard's time was just short of the 9:30.0 qualifying standard needed for the Olympic Games (Tokyo). Annie's post-race Instagram post stated, "Bad day at the track. Legit no explanation for it. Felt ready and have been training really well. For some reason got in the race and just let it get away from me and didn't fight at all. On well. Onto the next. I'll be upset for a day or three. Take what I can learn from it and move on." The event was the second of three "Olympic and Olympic Trials Qualifiers" promoted and conducted by Trials of Miles Racing, sponsored by Heartbreak Run Co., and live-streamed and announced by CitiusMag on YouTube. This meet was run at the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, KS--just across the Missouri River from Kansas City, MO. 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 Pan American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru, three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA and now one for the 3,000-meter Steeplechase in 2021 at Eugene, OR. 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.
We are pleased and excited to announce that two of our program's alumni, Kate Dodds and Frank DeVar, were happily married on Sunday in beautiful Greenville, SC. Kate joined our ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE post-collegiate, Olympic-development program in early 2016 following her December 2015 graduation from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania. Frank relocated to Greenville that same year, from Washington, DC. Although both are no longer active members of our program we still see them regularly as they continue to live and train locally. Kate is still coached by Laura Caldwell and Frank is an aspiring competitive race walker. We wish them the best for their future.  Kate and Frank on the right side of this 2017 group photo.  Top Left to Right; Amy Yoder Begley, Shalane Flanagan, Laura Caldwell, (Bottom, L-R) Lauren Fleshman, Shelia Burrell and Charlotte Lettis Richardson. Photo credit: Women's Running. ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE's Laura Caldwell was one of five featured women's coaches, who coach post-collegiate and pro runners, that were on a panel presented by the Women's Running Coaches Collective. The ZOOM presentation was produced by the non-profit organization and moderated by former distance standout, coach and WRCC co-founder Charlotte Lettis Richardson. The panel included Caldwell, Lauren Fleshman (Oiselle Little Wing Track Club), Shalane Flanagan (Bowerman Track Club), Amy Yoder Begley (Atlanta Track Club Elite) and Shelia Burrell (San Diego State Univeristy + pros). While all five women were outstanding athletes at the national level, the latter three were also Olympians.  -In a wide-ranging conversation, Shelia Burrell, Shalane Flanagan, Lauren Fleshman, and other pro coaches talked to Women's Running Coaching Collective about their experiences, plus the state of their profession and our sport. - The online/website Women's Running published an in-depth article highlighting the ZOOM presentation that was expertly covered by their Elizabeth Carey. To access Carey's article please visit Women's Running article.  In his weekly newsletter The Morning Shakeout, running writer/thinker/podcaster Mario Fraioli wrote the following: — The Women’s Running Coaches Collective recently brought together a panel of five top female coaches from across running and track and field—Shelia Burrell, Shalane Flanagan, Lauren Fleshman, Laura Caldwell, and Amy Yoder Begley—to discuss their respective paths in coaching, why there are so few women in the profession, creating more opportunities, and more. This is a condensed version of the conversation that occurred for the panel and I found it to be honest and insightful. The system needs to shift and more opportunities need to be created for women to grow and develop as coaches at all levels of the sport. As someone who was coached by a woman in college, I agree with what Laura Caldwell, coach of the ASICS Greenville Track Club Elite in South Carolina said, “My husband thinks that women make much better coaches. I would say I think he’s right.” The reason I agree with Laura (and her husband Michael) is that in addition to being just as capable on the X’s and O’s side of things, women generally tend to be more patient, nurturing, empathetic, and understanding than men, which, when you’re developing an athlete and looking out for their best interests, are important tools to have in your belt. We need more of that in the profession and I think more male coaches can learn from those examples. (Elizabeth Carey, Women’s Running)
ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE's Annie Rodenfels qualified for the upcoming USATF Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR with her impressive 9:46.98 victory in the 3000-meter Steeplechase. On a cloudy and windy Saturday morning, Annie took the lead from the gun on the brand new Beynon track surface at Lee University in Cleveland, TN. Her goal was to run under the 9:50.00 qualifying standard that would provide an automatic-qualifier to be included in the field of top women steeplechasers at the new Hayward Field in Tracktown USA in late June. Rodenfels covered the first full lap of the race, which includes 35 wooden hurdles, 7 of which have a water pit, in a brisk 72 seconds and had already put a gap of 30 meters on the remainder of the field. Midway through the race, veteran public address announcer Dave Milner informed those in attendance that Rodenfels was on pace to take the current USA lead in the event. ON Athletics Club's Leah (O'Connor) Falland, a 2-time NCAA DI champion while at Michigan State, has the fastest 2021 USA time of 9:44.73. However, Annie slowed slightly over the next laps before rallying with a 76-second final circuit. Her time was a personal best by over ten seconds and was basically a solo effort as the runner-up's time was 10:57.37. Annie's performance is now the third fastest in the USA during 2021--only behind Falland's time and Hannah Steelman (9:46.35) of NC State. Annie is the eighth ASICS GTC-ELITE athlete to qualify for a USATF Olympic Trials and the first to do so on the track. The previous seven were at the marathon distance.
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 Pan American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru, three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA and now one for the 3,000-meter Steeplechase in 2021 at Eugene, OR. 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 of ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE continues to lead the South Carolina Road Rankings that were published by USATF Record Keeper Bill Marable on April 8th. Rodenfels set a SC state record for the road 5K with a 16:09 clocking back in September at the Mortgage Network Low Country Elite Invitational, which earned her the Top Woman's Performance of 2020 for South Carolina road racing. She followed that up with an outstanding 15:35 for 5,000 meters on the track at the Five & Dime Athletics Meet in Columbia, SC in mid-December. Annie's focus in 2021 has been on the track, which doesn't affect the road rankings, where she ran 15:46.7 for 5,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays and then a huge personal best of 4:13.49 in the 1500 meters at the Atlanta Track Club's Spring Track Meet. Her teammates, Eddie Garcia and Mackenzie Lowe, are also ranked. Garcia remains second to Greenville's James Quattlebaum. James won the Greenville Half Marathon on February 27th and Eddie was second, reflecting their respective places in the state rankings. Quattlebaum was the 2019 South Carolina Long Distance Runner of the Year, while Eddie earned that same honor for 2020. Lowe is ranked seventh among women after finishing sixth in that Greenville Half Marathon. South Carolina Road Race Rankings as of April 3, 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 and three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA. 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 48-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 (4th from right) en route to a new personal best of 4:13.49 1500 meters. ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE's Annie Rodenfels ran a huge personal best to place fourth in the 1500 meters at the first of the Atlanta Track Club's Spring Series meets. On a clear, crisp Saturday evening in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta she dropped over 14 seconds from her previous best 1500 best. The Atlanta Track Club intended to provide an opportunity to gain qualifying times for the upcoming Olympic Trials in June. However, the ASICS GTC-ELITE coaches saw it as opportunity for Annie to demonstrate her speed over a shorter distance as she prepares to qualify in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase. She had not run a 1500m since joining the Greenville post-collegiate, Olympic-development program in August of 2019. The plan was to run the first 400 in 68 seconds and then progress accordingly. Working that plan, Annie covered the first lap in 68.74 and passed 800 meters at 2:16.32, which was a 67.57 lap. She then ran 67.83 and passed 1200 meters at 3:24.14 before closing the final 300 in 49.35. She moved from sixth to fourth over the final 200 meters, besting such standouts as 2016 Olympian Abby Cooper and Heather Kamph of Minnesota Distance Elite. Kamph has competed in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials, is a 4-time USA Mile Road Champion, and has been deemed the “Queen of the road Mile,” given she has won 28 races of that distance between 2011-2019. British Athletics Adelle Tracey won the event in 4:11.29. Former NC State runner Sammy George, now running for Mountain South Elite, placed second in 4:12.47 and Rhode Island Track Club's Maddy Berkson was third in 4:12.73. Former Florida State University standout Amanda (Winslow) Rego, now running for Colorado Springs Elite was fifth at 4:16.08.
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 and three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA. The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 48-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's Annie Rodenfels ran 15:46.7 to place fourth in the women's 5,000 meters at the Raleigh Relays, conducted Friday at North Carolina State University. On a warm, late March evening Rodenfels was targeting a new personal best as the deep field of women athletes started the fifth and final heat of the evening's 5,000s at 9:00 pm. However, after passing the first 800 meters slightly slower than her desired pace, Annie took the lead and passed the first kilometer in 3:08.89. She continued to lead through halfway (2500m), but relinquished it soon after to Providence College's Abby Wheeler. Wheeler led through 3,000m (9:28.7) with Rodenfels less than a second back in fourth position. By 3800m, Georgia Tech's All American Nicole Fegans was in front, followed by Notre Dame's Katie Wasserman, Wheeler and Rodenfels, all less than one second behind. The pace quickened over the final kilometer and the race came down to a ferocious final 400 as Wasserman closed the final lap in an impressive 64.75 to finish in a new meet record of 15:33.35, breaking Furman's Allie Buchalski's 2017 mark of 15:35.55. Fegans ran a personal best of 15:37.16 for second and NC State's Savannah Shaw ran 15:40.37 for third. Rodenfels had been passed by a couple of runners and was in sixth with 400m remaining, but rallied with a 71.6 final lap to place fourth. Wheeler placed fifth in 15:46.87 in what was the Raleigh Relays deepest field in the event's history as eleven of the 88 finishers (5 heats) broke 16:00 minutes. Rodenfels was disappointed in not being able to better her personal best of 15:35.18, but her 15:46.7 was her second best time over the 5,000m distance. Her kilometer splits were: 3:08.89, 3:09.86, 3:10.82, 3:11.8 and 3:05.33. She is currently scheduled to run in the Atlanta Track Club's elite 1500-meter event next week. 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 and three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA. The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 48-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 of ASICS Greenville Track Club-ELITE continues to lead the South Carolina Road Rankings that were published on March 9th. Rodenfels set a SC state record for the road 5K of 16:09 back in September at the Mortgage Network Low Country Elite Invitational, which earned her the Top Woman's Performance of 2020 for South Carolina road racing. She followed that up with an outstanding 15:35 for 5,000 meters on the track at the Five & Dime Athletics Meet in Columbia, SC in mid-December. Her teammates, Eddie Garcia and Mackenzie Lowe, are also ranked. Garcia remains second to Greenville's James Quattlebaum. James won the Greenville Half Marathon on February 27th and Eddie was second, reflecting their respective places in the state rankings. Quattlebaum was the 2019 South Carolina Long Distance Runner of the Year, while Eddie earned that same honor for 2020. Lowe is ranked sixth among women after finishing sixth in that Greenville Half 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 and three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA. The post-collegiate, Olympic development program is sponsored by ASICS, the 48-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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