ZAP Fitness is adding 4 of America's top young post collegiate runners to its resident program. See Below for bios on ZAP's new athletes.
Esther Erb - Erb is a 2008 graduate of Case Western Reserve University where she studied Music and Cognitive Science. Erb was the 2008 NCAA Division III 10,000m champion and, while teaching in Vienna, Austria this past year, ran 2:39.47 for the marathon - qualifying her for the 2012 Olympic Trials. Erb hails from Richmond, VA.
Josh Simpson - Simpson is a graduate of the University of West Virginia and comes to ZAP with an impressive resume having run 28:22 for 10,000m and 13:41 for 5,000m on the track. Simpson has also run 1:03.27 for the 1/2 marathon distance in 2010 qualifying him for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials. Simpson has also represented the United States on the North american XC Team in 2008. Simpson is moving to Blowing Rock from Morgantown, WV.
Chris Clark - Clark, a native Pennsylvanian, is a graduate of California University (PA). A Multi-time Division II All American, Clark has run 7:58 for 3,000m and 13:51 for 5,000m. Clark also ran the Half Marathon in 1:04.38 in 2010, making him a 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier. Clark teaches on-line college courses for the University of Phoenix.
Cole Atkins - Atkins is a 2010 graduate of High Point University (NC) where his career began on the soccer field. A standout high school player, Atkins played 4 years of Division I soccer before walking on the track team. In only 2 years of running Atkins' meteoric improvements saw him run 29:20 for 10,000m and 14:17 for 5,000m. Atkins holds an MBA from High Point and has been hired locally to teach in the business department at Lees McRae College (Banner Elk, NC). Atkins is a native of Charleston, SC.
Coach Pete Rea's Comments about the incoming fall 2010 class - "Cole, Esther, Josh, and Chris all possess great talent and even greater work ethics. I have no doubt that the four of them will see great success here in the coming years. Equally important to us at ZAP - the four of them are positive and will contribute to the group energy well. We look forward to working with them and watching them progress."
Coming off 1500m personal bests the week before, ZAP resident athletes Alli Grace and David Jankowski finished their 2010 Belgium trip with successful 5,000m races this past weekend. On Saturday July 10th Jankowski won the National Section 5,000m at the Heusden Athletics Meeting race in a time of 13:41.87 - a mere one second off his personal best. He won the race by 14 seconds. Jankowski will be contesting the Crazy 8s 8k road race in Kingsport, TN this weekend.
On Sunday July 11th Grace ran her final track race as a resident ZAP athlete finishing 3rd in the Brasschaat Athletics Meeting 5,000m in a time of 15:50.00. Both she and ZAP athlete Thomas Morgan will be relocating to Lexington, KY following their wedding in August. Grace will be running the USATF-NC 5k Road Championships this weekend at the Beat the Heat 5k (Winston Salem, NC).
Resident athletes Allison Grace and David Jankowski began their European track tour at the 2010 Leon Buyle Memorial (Oortigem, Belgium) on Saturday July 3rd and both came away with personal bests over 1500m. Grace began things with a 3.1 second PR of 4:20.34 and Jankowski followed suit less than an hour later with a PR of 3:45.34. Jankowski's race began as a rather pedestrian affair with 400m splits of 63.2 - 2:04.4 at 800m - and 3:03.6 at 1200m. He finished his final 300m in 41.7. "Those 1500m races set the pair up nicely for their 5,000m races next week," said Elite Athlete Coordinator Pete Rea. Jankowski has now run bests in the last year at 1500m, mile, 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m.
In other ZAP news congratulations to Assistant Coach (and former resident athlete Ryan Warrenburg) on his acceptance into the MBA program at Appalachian State University
ZAP Fitness is proud to announce it has acquired a state of the art anti gravity treadmill (Alter G) for its elite athlete program and team. Originally designed as part of an effort to help NASA’s astronauts maintain fitness during space flight, the Alter G treadmill has the unique capability of allowing athletes to run in a semi weightless state of less than half of full body weight all the way up to a full body weight “normal treadmill” mode.
Alter G treadmills have now become a staple product for elite athlete training centers, professional teams and universities around the country allowing athletes to recover from virtually all impact based injuries without having to take significant time away from running. “In 20 years of coaching I have not seen a product which allows athletes to supplement training and recover from injury as effectively as the Alter G,” said Elite Athlete Coach Pete Rea. This past winter ZAP had the opportunity for a trial run with an Alter G. Resident athlete Allison Grace had two operations on both her kidneys and compartment syndrome. In recovering from these issues she used the Alter G throughout the winter and recovered to have the best outdoor track season of her life running 32:54 for 10,000m and finishing 8th at the US Track & Field Championships. “After seeing what Alli was able to do off the Alter G I was sold on the effectiveness of the product.”
ZAP is currently accepting donations for the Alter G in the hopes to have the treadmill paid off by the 2012 Olympic Trials. If you are interested in contributing to our purchase of the product donations can be made on the ZAP Fitness web site (www.zapfitness.com) or send a check to PO Box 192 Blowing Rock, NC 28605 and note Alter G. All donations are tax deductible.
On a hot and humid evening (Th. 6/24) rookie ZAP resident athlete David Jankowski and veteran Allison Grace both had impressive runs in the 10,000m at the USATF Track & Field Championships (Drake University - Des Moines, IA). Jankowski opened the night for ZAP by finishing fifth in a tactical race (29:18). The race capped off a domestic season which has seen the Oklahoma State graduate run PRs in the mile, 3,000m, 5,000m and 10,000m. In the women's 10,000m Grace finished 8th in a time of 33:12. Both Jankowski and Grace now head to Europe to compete in a 3 meet tour throughout Belgium.
Rookie ZAP resident athlete Alissa McKaig continued her successful first year on Friday June 11th by finishing 3rd and running a new 5,000m personal best at the Portland Track Festival in Portland , OR. Closing with a 5:04 final mile McKaig ran 15:55.36 to knock 6 seconds off her PR from MT SAC (16:01) set earlier this season.
4th year resident ZAP Fitness athlete Alli Grace continued her impressive 2010 track season on Saturday 5/1 at the Cardinal Invitational on the campus of Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA). In the women's 10,000m run Grace finished 6th in a time of 32:54.9, an 18 second personal best from her previous best of 33:12. Grace covered her first 5k in 16:29 and her closing 5k in 16:25. She has now run a personal 5,000m track best in each of the last 4 years. First year ZAP athlete Alissa McKaig also contested the event running 34:15. In the men's 10k event rookie ZAP man David Jankowski ran a respectable 28:34, a mere 7 seconds slower than his 2009 fall best of 28:27.
For all those who plan to be in Boston this weekend to run or spectate, please come by the Reebok booth at the Marathon expo at the Hynes Convention Center between 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. on Sunday 4/18 and say hello. A special appearance will be made by the newest ZAP "team member" Elyse Rea - age 1. More than two dozen ZAP campers, friends, donors and family will be toeing the line at this year's race. Good luck to all.
On Saturday 4/10 resident ZAP athletes Thomas Morgan and David Jankowski took part in the 4th annual Blue Shoes Mile on the campus of Furman University. Morgan finished 5th in the race with a time of 4:03 and Jankowski was close behind running 4:04 for a 9 second personal best in the mile. The race was won by Derek Scott in a time of 4:02.
ZAP resident athlete Jessica Minty recently incurred an injury to her foot and unfortunately had to pull out of this year's race. For Minty, 25, the race was to be her debut. Minty has already qualified for he 2012 Olympic Trials in the Marathon based on her 1/2 marathon best at Houston in January. We wish Jess a speedy recovery.
