Feb. 9, 2004

Shalane Flanagan won the USA Cross Country Championships on Sunday in Indianapolis, Ind. with a time of 12:26. Flanagan, who is redshirting the UNC track and field indoor and outdoor seasons this year, qualified for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. They will be held March 20-21 in Brussels, Belgium.

Flanagan defeated the runner-up, Carrie Tollefson by two seconds. Flanagan is redshirting the collegiate track season in order to focus on the USA Olympic Trials, which are taking place July 9-18, 2004.

She is coming off a cross country season in which she won her second consecutive National Championship and won the Honda Award for the second straight year.