Two Fulbright Scholars in Half-Marathon Fields

"I'm doing my graduate thesis on comparative Norwegian and American contributions to peace deals in the Middle East," said the top seed in Sunday's Aramco Houston Half Marathon women's field, Anne Bersagel.

We know that Bersagel, a Wake Forest University graduate, certainly won't be outsmarted to the finish line.

Bersagel is the defending U.S. women's half marathon national champion after her winning - and personal best - performance at the 2006 Hospital Hill Half Marathon in Kansas City where she won with a 1:14:36 showing.

As a Fulbright Scholar, she and men's half marathon competitor Joel Anderson, 24, are two of 25 that are studying in Norway (specifically, the University of Oslo) where Bersagel says that it is a "little bit cold and dark there."

She said though that she hasn't had to make too many adjustments in training in Oslo, Norway since the winter has been rather mild. She remarked that it is colder in her hometown of Greeley, Colorado right now than in Oslo.

Bersagel's No. 2 seed will be Gunnison, Colorado native Elva Dryer, who is making her debut at the half-marathon distance. Close behind Bersagel and Dryer are the next two seeds, Zoila Gomez and Jenny Crain. The duo finished 4th and 2nd, respectively, at last year's USA national half marathon champuionship.