MEADP Grant Winners Announced

The Minnesota Elite Athlete Development Program awarded its 2007 stipends at Saturday's MDRA Annual Party. Offered grants for "reaching their fullest potential" were:

Team USA Minnesota's Kristen Nicolini (pictured)- $1,500
Run N Fun's Erin Ward - $500
GEAR's Pete Gilman - $1,000
Team USA Minnesota's Brad Lowery - $500
Team USA Minnesota's Ryan Kleimenhagen - $500

The grants awarded to the state's promising distance runners by MEADP -- a partnership of Grandma's Marathon, the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathons, MDRA, and Austin-Jarrow Sports -- are unique and generous. The USA Track & Field Foundation, by comparison, granted just five $3000 stipends nation-wide to track and field athletes this year.

Thanks to Grandma's PR Director Bob Gustafson for MEADP details.

Photo courtesy of Team USA Minnesota.