Emily Brown Swamps USA Cross Field

Team USA Minnesota's Emily Brown won her first USA title with a dominating 32-second win at the USA Cross Country Championships in Deerwood, Maryland on Saturday.

Brown (pictured), a University of Minnesota alum who's biggest victory had been her 2006 Big Ten steeplechase title in 2006, ran a solo race for half of the rolling, muddy 8000m course.

Brown clocked 26:58. Julie Culley of Virginia was second in 27:30.

Detroit Lakes High School alum and Wisconsin Badger Hanna Grinaker finished 11th in the race; Brown's Team USA Minnesota teammate Meghan Armstrong finished 12th; and Hopkins High School alum Emily Schwitzer, representing Duke University, finished 21st.

"We started out conservatively and at the first 2K I knew there was a pack behind me," Brown recounted in a Team USA Minnesota media release. "After that point I was out in front for the rest of the race. I knew I was the top returner from 2008 so there was some pressure to win the race. But I've been the underdog before and surprised people so I was aware that this year it might be someone else."

Brown ran with teammate Katie McGregor through 4000m, until McGregor -- who wasn't feeling well, according to Team USA Minnesota president Pat Goodwin -- dropped out of the race. After that, it was clear sailing for Brown.

"I'm really pleased with the win," she said. "Running an 8K race out front by myself was a big accomplishment for me. It will build my mental toughness. It's not easy to run alone. You have to stay in the game and conserve your energy."

"I never achieved this [a national championship] in college so it is a cool thing," she added. "I will always be able to call myself a national champion and no one can take that away."

The victory earned Brown a spot on her second straight USA World Cross Country Championships squad, however, she will refuse the opportunity to race in Amman, Jordan due to graduate school conflicts.

Brown's next race will be the USA 15k Championships to be held March 14 in Jacksonville, Florida.

"My coach and I have a schedule set up for one more road race and then I will focus on the track with the goal of making the U.S. team for the IAAF World Outdoor Championships which will be held in Berlin in August," Brown said. "Right now we're undecided on the event I will do. It will be anywhere from the steeple up through the 10,000 meters. We'll see which one will be my strongest event."

In Men's Competition ... Team USA Minnesota's Antonio Vega finished a hard-earned 15th in the 12K USA Cross men's open race, having fallen on the muddy course mid-race. Teammate Matt Gabrielson dropped out of the race at 6K with a recurring side stitch problem. Stillwater High School alum Luke Watson finished 27th in the race.

Photo by Victor Sailer/Photo Run.