Dearborn Earns Spot on U.S. Mountain Running Team

Central Connecticut sophomore Krisztina Dearborn has earned a spot on the United States Junior Mountain Running Team.  Dearborn and her junior teammates will join members of the U.S. men's and women's senior teams for the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships in Tirana, Albania on September 11.

The World Championships alternate between exclusively uphill and uphill-downhill courses.  This year the event will be held on an uphill-downhill course.  The junior women's race will be one lap around the 4.5 km course.  Dearborn gained some experience running on the uphill-downhill course at the 2011 USA Mountain Running Championships at the Cranmore Hill Climb in North Conway, New Hampshire.  She finished with the best time among junior women at that event, posting a 20:31 time over a 3.8 km course.

"I'm really excited about this year's junior team" said Paul Kirsch, Team Manager of the Juniors.  "The course in Tirana is a fast one and the combination of strength and speed that our juniors have this year gives them a good shot at being on the podium."

During her freshman year at CCSU Dearborn posted personal bests of 18:39 in the 5,000m and 38:44.22 in the 10,000m.  She also posted a 68th place finish at the Northeast Conference Cross Country Championships.

Dearborn joins CCSU cross country and track Coach Eric Blake who is a former member of the US Mountain Running Team.

The 2011 Central Connecticut cross country season will begin on September 2, when the Blue Devils host the CCSU Invitational.

US Mountain Running Team Release