RILEY, LOWE JOIN HANSONS-BROOKS DISTANCE PROJECT
By David Monti
(c) 2012 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission.

EUGENE, Ore. (22-Jun) -- NCAA distance standouts Jake Riley (Stanford) and Colby Lowe (Oklahoma State) have joined the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, an in-residence training group based in Rochester Hills, Mich.  Riley and Lowe just completed their NCAA eligibility, and Riley will wear the Hansons-Brooks colors here tonight in the 10,000m at the USA Olympic Trials at Hayward Field.

"We are extremely excited that both Jake and Colby, who both have been excellent college runners in two of the best programs in the country, see the team chemistry here in Michigan as main reasons for choosing Hansons-Brooks," said program co-founder and coach Kevin Hanson through a statement.

Riley, 23, finished fifth in the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2011 in the 10,000m, and has career best times of 28:12.88 for 10,000m and 13:32.82 for 5000m.  Lowe, 22, was the bronze medalist at the 2009 Pan Am Junior Championships at 5000m, won the 2009 Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival, and helped lead his Oklahoma State team to NCAA Cross Country Championships team titles in 2009 and 2010.

Both men said the team environment which Kevin Hanson, and his brother Keith, had fostered was a big reason they decided to sign with Hansons-Brooks.  "When I was looking for a place to run, I really wanted a place with a strong group mentality," Riley said through a statement.  Lowe agreed.  "I selected Hansons-Brooks  for the strong team chemistry," he said.

Hansons-Brooks athletes focus on distances of 5000m and above, and have a special emphasis on marathons.  Their team has placed athletes on both of the last two USA Olympic squads: Brian Sell in the 2008 marathon and Desiree Davila in the 2012 marathon.

ENDS