MORRIS COUNTY STRIDERS TAKE TOP HONORS IN CLUB GRAND PRIX

Midway through the competitive season, the Morris County Striders knew that they had a shot at taking away the title of top club in the USATF Liberty Waterfront club and team grand prix from arch rivals Raritan Valley Road Runners. RVRR had been besting all other clubs since the inception of the series and the Striders were not content to let it happen again in 2005.

The series features a grand prix for each age division which is also hotly contested. The points that each team accumulates are added into the overall club total to determine the highest scoring club. the Striders topped out at 577 points to RVRR’s 546.

While the Striders had only one women’s team place first, the W70 division, and no firsts on the men’s side, what they may have lacked in speed they more than made up in sheer numbers. The club was often able to put two and sometimes three, even four age division teams in a race. In the Women’s W60 division their A team took second and their B team was third.

The Strider M40 team also took second and third with their M50 team taking second. The points from those top scoring teams, plus the also-rans who finished below third still added points to the overall club total.

In 2004 the Sneaker Factory, whose members hail mostly from the Morris area was second, but this year with the Striders toppling the Raritan Valley team down, the Sneaker Factory was also displaced to third.

You wouldn’t know that from looking at the age division team standings, especially on the women’s side. Sneaker Factory placed their open women, W40, and W50 teams first. Their open men’s team placed second. Still, their speed was not enough to overcome the depth of the Morris Striders and the Raritan Valley club.

 

LOCAL RUNNERS DO WELL IN THE NEW BALANCE GRAND PRIX

Three area runners placed in the top five overall in the New Balance Grand Prix and won their age divisions as well. Doris Fego of Clifton was the top woman overall but Julie Corbin of Mendham placed second and won her W40 age division. Karyn Layton of Rockaway was third overall and first in the under 35 age division.

On the men’s side, Carlos Martins of Kearny was a repeat winner of the overall title. Gregory Mullins of Wharton placed fifth overall and first in the under 35 age division.

When I last wrote about the contest in the M50 division, it was uncertain if Charlie Slaughter of Parsippany would best Bill Bosmann of Sparta. After the USATF ten mile race Slaughter had 21 more points than Bosmann. Tom Fitzgerald of Long Valley was third, making for a Morris County sweep in that division.

Bruce Langenkamp of Wharton looked to be in a close race with his usual rivals in the M55 division, but a recurring injury carried over from the spring season saw Langenkamp limping in for third, quite literally. While he entered and finished the Great Swamp Devil 15K in November, his painful 9 mile journey netted a mere 128 points.

George Studzinski of Kinnelon repeated his win in the M70 division. Other top placers include Mark Lorello of Budd Lake, who finished third in the M40 division. John Sabatino of Morris Plains placed third in the M35 division and Kevin Higgins of Randolph was another third, in the M45 division.

In addition to Layton and Corbin, on the women’s side, perennial winner, Jane Parks of Morristown won her W50 division. Maria Bruno of Boonton placed second in the W35 division with Diane Ross of Flanders taking third.

Eva Fisher of Rockaway was second in the W45 division and Jennifer Wheeldon of Denville was third.

Betty Shonts of Morris Township placed second in the W55 division and Chris Ange of Rockaway was third.

Morris area senior women were well represented in Diane Stone of Bernardsville who placed second in the W70 division with Shirley Pettijohn of Chatham in third. First time grand prix competitor, Patricia Tummey of Randolph won the W75 division.

The clubs and individual winners will be presented with their awards at the USATF-NJ Awards Banquet on January 21st in Edison. Complete results are available at www.usatfnj.org.

 

Originally published in the DAILY RECORD of Morris County New Jersey, on January 8, 2006.

 

Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2006