AUA June 11, 2002:  USA 100Km Team set for IAU World Cup The USA 100Km Team is set to compete in the 2002 IAU 100Km World Cup, to be held in Torhout, Belgium on June 21st, 2002.  This year's event is to be contested on a Friday night, beginning at 8:02 PM.  The team consists of a mix of veteran ultrarunners and talented newcomers.  Three of the team members have the distinction of also being members of the USA National Mountain Running Team. The team has its sights set firmly on capturing team medals.  With the first three runners times counting to the team total, the USA 100km team has a history of finishing strong, often coming from behind in the second half to capture the precious medals.   USA Women Daniele Cherniak, 41, Cohoes, New York . Cherniak is the senior member of the women's team, with eight appearances on the team.  A road specialist at ultradistances, she has been at or near the top of the ranks for over a decade.  Last year, she led the American women at the World 100km in Cleder, France with a time of 8:18. Jennifer Devine-Pfeiffer, 30, Sacramento, California.  Devine-Pfeiffer is one of the fastest of the relative newcomers in American road ultrarunning. Her recent performances are indicative of great potential at the 100 kilometer distance.  Winner of this years American River 50 Miler, she also posted the year's fastest 50km time at the Jed Smith Classic event.  Both events are in her home town of Sacramento.  Last year, she ran 8:25 in her first World Cup event. Ann Heaslett, 38, Madison, Wisconsin.  Heaslett is another rising star on  the American Ultrarunning scene.  Her near meteoric rise is evidenced by a string of strong, versatile performances from 50km to 100 miles.  The highlight so far has been her Rocky Raccoon 100 mile Trail race time of 15:56, an all-time best for American trail running.  Heaslett also has two consecutive silver medals at the USA 50Km Trail and 50Km Road National Championships.   Nikki Kimball, 31, Elizabethtown, New York.  Nikki Kimball is one of the squad's cross-over athletes.  A member of the USA Mountain Running Team, she also excels at snowshoe racing.  Her speed on the roads has brought her rapidly to the top of the American ultrarunning scene.  Her debut at last year's World Cup produced a time of 8:32. Tania Pacev, 41, Littleton, Colorado.  Tania Pacev is another versatile performer, who always seems to deliver a top level performance, regardless of the distance or terrain.  The leading American female at the past two Marathon Des Sables in Morrocco, Pacev finished 4th at last year's USA 50 mile Trail Championship, which was regarded as one of the greatest ultra trail competitions ever held in the United States.  This will be her first World Cup appearance.    Anne Riddle, 35, Asheville, North Carolina.  Anne Riddle in a span of one year has claimed three USA National Championship titles.  After a debut 100Km at last Year's USA Championship event in 8:13, she went on to win the National Trail 50Km Championship on a cold, wind-swept, Indiana course in December.  Her recent 50km National Road Championship in Pittsburgh saw her run nearly perfect even splits enroute to a narrow victory over teammate Heaslett.   This will be Riddle's second consecutive World Cup appearance. USA Men Dave Dunham, 38, Bradford, Massachusetts.  Dunham is another of the multi-talented runners on this year's team.  A veteran of the USA Mountain Running Team, he burst onto the ultrarunning scene with a stunning 6:46 at the 2000 Chancellor Challenge 100km in Boston, defeating a very good international field. He followed that up with a quick 2:57 50Km run in Chicago last spring and then took the silver medal at both the 2001 USA 50 Mile Trail Championship and the 2002 USA 50km Road Championship.   Scott Eppelman, 35, Coppell, Texas.  A first time member of the USA team, Eppelman is no stranger to the American ultrarunning scene.  Excelling at a variety of distances and terrains, he is perhaps best known for his recent 100 mile trail performances.  The winner of the Arkansas Traveler 100 last October, he followed that up with an impressive 14:44 victory at the Rocky Raccoon 100 mile trail run in February.  He was also bronze medalist at the 2000 USA 24-Hour Run Championship.   James Garcia, 43, Westford, Massachusetts. Garcia is the senior member of the men's team and is our defending National 100Km Champion.  This will be his 8th appearance on the team.  While making the top of the road ultra performances list every year, Garcia is equally adept at running the trails.  He outran one of the best trail 50Km specialists in Charles Hubbard last December to win the National 50Km Trail Championship.  He also has multiple wins at the 100 mile trail distance. His 100Km best is 6:55. Mark Godale, 32, Streetsboro, Ohio. Another veteran of the 100Km team, Godale is the American record holder for the 24 hour road run, set at the Olander Park USA 24 Hour Championship in 1999 (162+ miles).  He is a former silver and bronze medalist at the National 100Km Championships and most recently took third at our National 50Km Road Championship in Pittsburgh.  His personal best is 7:08, set at the 1999 World 100km in France. Howard Nippert, 36, Pembroke, Virginia. This will be Nippert's fourth consecutive 100km World competition.  The 2000 National 100Km Champion placed 13th in Cleder, France last year and is priming for another world class run.  Nippert races ultradistances infrequently in the US, instead focusing his efforts on the World Cup competition.  He won the 2001 version of the Bull Run Run 50 Mile Trail Run and is undefeated on US soil at ultradistances. Dan Verrington, 39, Bradford, Massachusetts. Verrington is undoubtedly the least well known member of the U.S. team, perhaps because he has run only one ultramarathon.  That event was this year's USA National 50Km Road Championship in Pittsburgh (3:09).  He won against a very good field under oppressively windy conditions.  But he certainly isn't lacking for international experience.  Like Dunham, he is a veteran of the USA National Mountain Running Team, which requires a unique combination of speed and strength, something that will serve the team well in Belgium. The USA Ultra Team is highly regarded around the world and enjoys tremendous support from it's home ultrarunning community.  This kind of grass-roots support is unique in sport and is why this team is so special. Without major sponsors, the team relies for its travel to the World Cup on contributions from various sources, including the USU (Ultrarunners Supporting Ultrarunners) Fund, which was created by team veteran Chrissy Ferguson.   If anyone wishes to make a contribution to this year's team and would like a USA Trail or Ultra T-Shirt as a token thank you, contact National Team Program Director Kevin Setnes at  888-838-2802 or email him at: ksetnes@aol.com  A minimum $15.00 contribution is requested for a T-Shirt.