Bersagel Leaving Team USA Minnesota; Will Continue Graduate Study in Oslo

Annie Bersagel, who joined Team USA Minnesota in January 2006 after graduating from Wake Forest, has decided to leave the training group in order to remain in Norway to complete a master's degree in "Peace and Conflict Studies" at the University of Oslo.

Bersagel has been in Norway since September 2006 on a Fulbright Scholarship. She had originally intended to return to Minneapolis this month, after completing her first year of post-graduate work, in order to finish her master's degree at the University of Minnesota.

While with Team USA Minnesota, Bersagel finished 10th in the 2006 USA Cross Country Championships 8k, was a member of the 2006 Yokohama Ekiden team, won the USA Women's Half Marathon Championship with a debut time of 1:14:36, and represented the U.S. in Hungary at the IAAF World Road Running 20k Championships.

"Although life is pulling me in a different direction, I would like to thank everyone with Team USA Minnesota for their support," Bersagel said in a Team USA media release. "There is a reason the group has been so successful and that is the integrity, dedication and true grit of the people involved. Tusen takk (thank you very much)."

McGregor, Lehmkuhle, and Kleimenhagen in action ... Katie McGregor and Jason Lehmkuhle will compete at the USA 25k Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday. McGregor and Lehmkuhle will be making their first appearance at the 25k championships. McGregor recently obtained her Olympic qualifying mark in the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. Lehmkuhle is coming off a hard finish at the Boston Marathon. He finished fifth at the USA Half Marathon Championships in a personal best time of 1:02:51 in January, however. Kleimenhagen will compete in the men's mile at the Allegheny College "Gator Invitational" on Thursday.