Today we are over the moon (plus a few laps) and back! Because we finally have the privilege of announcing a group of women athletes who we're honored to call our Elite Team. Or, Haute Volée, French for "high flyer" (you know it's not Oiselle without some parlez-vous, n'est-ce pas?). These women are a combo of elites who have already been running for us, to experienced veterans of the sport, to a crop of just-graduated collegians who are eager to tell a new chapter as pro runners.
It's only been a year since we sat in the stands of Hayward Field watching Kate and Collier compete at the 2012 Olympic Trials, and then brought Kara on in the Fall. During that time, we felt a momentum building within our office and throughout the country with all of our team members, and we knew we wanted to keep that going. So earlier this year, we scoured the nation’s best races and meets to find women who showed talent and chutzpah. Women who wanted to race with fire, and support the tenets of a new Manifesto. Women who took notice of Oiselle: our apparel and our support of female athletes.
Without further ado, their accomplishments speak for themselves! We hope you'll help us welcome them, follow them on blogs/Twitter, and join us in being superfans...not just of Haute Volée, but of all the strong, hard-working, heroic T&F women who put their hearts and dreams on the line. Enjoy!
Kristin Metcalf, Oiselle Team Manager, @oiselle_team
Sally Bergesen, Oiselle Founder + CEO, @oiselle_sally
LAUREN PENNEY
Syracruse ’13 XC All-American in 2011. Lauren set school records this year in four distances: 3k indoors at the Husky Classic in a time of 9:06:32, 5k outdoors at the Stanford Invite in a time of 15:56.8, 1500m outdoors at the Virginia Challenge in a time of 4:13:87 and the Mile indoors with a time of 4:37:41. She capped off her outdoor season with an 8th place finish at NCAAs in the 5k at Eugene. It was a year ago at Olympic Trials that us birds knew Lauren was someone to look out for! Read more on her athlete profile.
AMANDA MERGAERT
Utah ’13. All-American in XC, indoor and outdoor track and field, MPSF Mile champion in 2012, Stanford Invitational 1500m champion in 2013, 3rd in 1500m at NCAA DI Track and Field Championship, and 7th at USA Championship in Des Moines. We witnessed first hand at USAs what a gutsy, courageous racer Amanda is, along with her outgoing and confident personality. You are going to want to watch her fly! Read more on her athlete profile.
LAUREN WALLACE
UCDavis ’13. 3x All Academic All-American, Big West Conference Champion in the 800m and the 4x400 in 2013, 8th place at NCAA Championship in 2013 with a Lifetime Best of 2:02:9. She closed her career as an Aggie at the US Championship in Des Moines. It was at this time that she decided to start the next chapter of her running with Oiselle! She even speaks French – perfect match, don’t you think? Read more on her athlete profile.
CAITLIN COMFORT
University of Wisconsin-Madison: ’13. 2011 Big Ten Runner-up in XC. As a senior this year she was the Big Ten Champion at 10k outdoors and Big Ten Champion at 5k indoors, 4x Academic All Big Ten, 4x Academic All-American, and 12th place at NCAA Outdoors in the 10k. This next year Caitlin will helping coach at her alma mater, going to school and training up a storm! Read more on her athlete profile.
BRITNEY HENRY
Training in San Diego, CA. An Olympic hammer thrower in progress – no doubt! She has been flying with the Flock since we announced her as an addition to our Haute Voleé shortly after her 5th place at the US Championship! She also finished 5th at the Indoor Championship this year. In 2010 she was ranked 2nd in the Hammer in the US and ranked 14th in the world. 2010 was the year she looks back on as her step up to Olympic level competition. Hilarious, inspiring, beautiful inside and out. Read more on her athlete profile.
AMANDA WINSLOW
Florida State ‘13. 3x All-American in XC, 4x All-American in Track, 5x ACC Champion outdoors and indoors from 2011-2013, NCAA DI runner-up in the Mile indoors, NCAA DI Regional Cross Country Champion in 2011, 4x NCAA indoor championship qualifier, and Florida State Indoor record holder in the mile. Not only that she was the ACC Student Athlete of the year! See what a gifted writer and fun-loving spirit she is through her blog. Read more on her athlete profile.
REBECCA DONAGHUE
Training in State College, PA. Rebecca's accomplishments alone could take up an entire blog post! She is one amazing woman. Some highlights include: USATF Championship competitor every year since 2007 in 1500m, 5k or 10k, in 2012 finished 13th at the Olympic Trials in the 10k, Her 10k time in 2011 qualified her for the Olympic Trials Marathon in Houston. She debuted with a 2:35:57 for 17th place there ... and we could go on and on! She has been an art teacher since 1998 and for the last 9 years the head XC/Asst. Track Coach at State College High School. Just imagine what a great role model she is for her students and athletes! Read more on her athlete profile.
MEGAN ROLLAND
Training in Blue Lake, CA. Megan competed this winter at the Dempsey Indoor meet in Seattle. Having a chance to watch her race and talk with her in person, gave us a better idea of the great spring that was in store for her. She PRed in three distances in outdoors: 800m, 1500m and steeple. With the 3k steeple as her main event, she had a phenomenal race at the Portland Track Fest in June with a PR of 10:12:94. She has plans to race two half marathons during the fall and winter which she hopes to better her PR of 1:18:14. Read more on her athlete profile.
MELISSA GACEK
Training in White Bear Lake, MN. Taking a look at the lineup of races Melissa has had in front of her this year, it’s no wonder she was named USATF Minnesota Track athlete of the year in 2012! Some highlights: She set a course record at the Manitou Days 5k in 16:28 followed a US Half Champ’s 49th place finish, and most recently a 4th place finish at the USATF Minnesota 5k Championship in a time of 17:48. She not only holds a marathon PR of 2:44:10 and Half PR 1:18:53, she is a mom, website designer and Oiselle jewelry designer on top of that! Read more on her athlete profile.
DEANNA ARDREY
Training in Boulder, CO. We should probably pass all Chicago Marathon questions over to Deanna -- she’s a pro! She finished 6th in 2011 with a time of 2:43:12, and then finished 13th last October in a time of 2:43:30. She went on to finish 17th at the World’s Best 10k, 20th at USATF 25k Champs, and then 31st at US Half Champs with a time of 1:17:04. She is not only one fast runner but also one great fitness model! Read more on her athlete profile.
ALLISON MAXSON
Training in Sacramento, CA. Allison spent the last several years in Physical Therapy school at Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA. In October Allison finished 3rd at Rock and Roll San Jose Half with a PR of 1:17:38. She has just recently moved. As she settled into Sacramento, she took 1st at the Women’s Fitness Festival 5k. Getting her bearings and finding the Sacramento running community to be great training grounds, Allison is poised to find more success along the way. Read more on her athlete profile.
STACY CAIL
Training in Seattle, WA. After moving home to Washington from California, Stacy spent this last year focused on her training and racing with her coach, Matt Ellis (Kristin's fab brother!) in Tacoma, WA. She PRed in the 5k, 10k, 13.1 and the marathon. This June she set a personal best in the half with a 1:19:35 at Rock-n-Roll San Diego. With great performances all year, she goes into the next one with confidence and excitement of what’s to come. Read more on her athlete profile.
ALLISON DELANCEY
Training in Gilbert, AZ. Last June, Allison was the sole Oiselle representative at US Half Champ’s in Duluth finishing 33rd with a PR time of 1:17:37. She followed that performance with a 1st place finish at the Long Beach Half in Oct., and then a 1st place finish at the 3TV Phoenix Half. This spring Allison raced the Eugene Half as a training effort finishing in 6th place and ready to head to Duluth, but decided not to race after battling with an injury and deciding to focus on her next year of racing. Read more on her athlete profile.
ALLISON KRAUSEN
Training in Edward, CO. The last three years have been great for Allison: coming off of a marathon PR of 2:46:28, she finished 3rd at the Phoenix Rock and Roll Half with a time of 1:18:43 for another personal best. This winter she finished 5th at the Rock and Roll Half, leading into her US Half Marathon Champs training phase. She writes poignantly on her blog about her Eugene Half marathon race where she broke her foot which ended her pursuit of a strong USA Half finish. It is evident that the fire inside her is stoked, and she is ready for what 2013-2014 will bring. Read more on her athlete profile.
SARAH ROBINSON
Training in Seattle, WA. Oh my! All the things we could say about this amazing Jill-of-all-trades could be a potential bestseller! Model and marketing director for Oiselle, newly named marathon monster, comedian, and our in-house “dark horse” in the road racing world. She comes off the spring with a 1st place finish at the Whidbey Island Half Marathon with a time of 1:19:47, and 6th place finish at the Vermont City Marathon in 2:54:05: her second marathon ever. You are going to want to follow her racing this year! Read more on her athlete profile.
MARCI GAGE
She’s an Oregon native and proud of it! Living and working in Bend, OR, Marci just finished a phenomenal year. She finished first place at the Pear Blossom 10-miler, 19th place at the Bloomsday 12k, set a PR in the 10k at Portland Track Fest and then set another PR at the US Half Marathon Championships in Duluth with a time of 1:14:49 for 19th place. Read more on her athlete profile.
JEN BIGHAM
Jen is one of Oiselle’s founding elite members. She has been training in Rochester, NY with her husband Jeff and daughter Currie. Just 8 months after bringing Currie into this world she PRed in the marathon with a time of 2:51. She continued that year PRing in every distance she raced, including 1:18:04 for the half. She is a testament to new moms every where who want to race fast after having children! She is planning her spring race performances as she is currently pregnant with her second child! Inspirational mom, marathon fastie, and, as we call her, “Blue-Ribbon Bigham!" Read more on her athlete profile.
KARA FOSTER
Penn State ’12. Kara started her professional running career last fall with Oiselle by her side. She was the Big Ten Champion at 10k in 2011 and 2012. This spring she set her 5k PR at the Penn Relays with a 1st place finish of 15:54:66. Her post race video will show you one of the many reasons that we love this gal! She is funny, sincere, and quite possibly something out of a Disney movie; pure of heart, filled with life and laughter. She finished the year at USAs in the 10k and is looking ahead to another great year of racing! Read more on her athlete profile.
COLLIER LAWRENCE
Over a year ago, Collier joined Oiselle before her Olympic Trials debut in the steeple with 10:00:35. She has spent the last year coaching, training and working in Reno, NV. Her season’s best going into USAs was a 4th place finish at the Mt. Sac Invite in a time of 10:08. Watching her compete at USAs in Des Moines was a testament of true heart, grit and kick ass cool woman status! Her blog displays the well rounded and down to earth professional athlete that she is. Read more on her athlete profile.
KATE GRACE
After this year, anyone who knows Kate Grace knows Oiselle! What an amazing year! Starting with a 3k PR during indoors, 1st place finish at the Grand Blue Mile, 4:08:24 the same week at the Drake Relays, 4th place at the USA Champs in the 800 with 2:00:10, and then -- to top that -- she gracefully flew to two PRs in her European debut: 1:59:47 in Paris and 4:07:40 in Lignano, Italy. She is hilarious, intelligent, and some know her as the traveling #sexyankle. Read more on her athlete profile.
LAUREN FLESHMAN
Project Little Wing: Bend, OR. Needs no introduction. 2x US Champion, all-time highest placed American in the 5k at the World Championship (7th, 2011), 14:58 5k PR. Inspirational, hilarious and poignant blogger. Runner's World columnist and blogger. And new mama. Read more on her athlete profile.
BETSY FLOOD
Project Little Wing: Bend, OR. Iowa '12. 4x HS state champion in Iowa, 5x Big 10 Runner Up in the 1500m, 5k and 10k and 3x Second Team All-American. Betsy was training in Boulder this past year and is now looking to set some PRs from 800-10k. Sister of Oiselle intern and UW athlete Katie Flood. Betsy is also the one who showed us that Des Moines is rad! Read more on her athlete profile.
MEL LAWRENCE
Project Little Wing: Bend, OR. University of Washington '13. NCAA runner up in the 3000 steeplechase in 2009 with PRs of 9:40 and 15:50 for 5k. After igniting the transformation of the UW women's distance program, she is now ready to take the next step as a professional athlete. Mel is the sister of Oiselle Haute Volée steepler Collier. Both sisters spent the fall/winter in Reno, NV slinging pizzas @Eclipse_Pizza and putting in some serious miles together! Read more on her athlete profile.
CHRISTINE BABCOCK
Project Little Wing: Bend, OR. University of Washington '13. She ran 4:33 for 1600m in high school to set the American record which still stands. NCAA All-American in XC and Track. This year she set PRs in the mile and 3k indooors and set a 5k PR of 15:44 placing 11th at the US Championships to finish her college career. She is also famous for her amazing baked goods and babysitting skill set! Read more on her athlete profile.
