ROSS TAKES THE GRAND PRIX The top spots in the USATF-New Jersey New Balance Grand Prix were decided at the season finale last Sunday at the association hosted 15K championship at Mercer County Park. Diane Ross of Flanders withstood a challenge by Jenifer Martin of Clifton and retained her first place spot by five points. Ross, still recovering from a seasonal illness, placed fourth in the championship while Martin took second to Shore Athletic Club's Christine Clifton of Long Branch who finished in an impressive 52:04. Martin finished in 58:54, with Karen Charles of Belmar third in 1:00:56. Ross was just four seconds back in 1:01:00. Despite the fourth place finish, Ross ended her season with 5,772 points to Martin's 5,767. Misa Tamura of Ridgewood placed third in the grand prix with 5,733 points. |
On the men's side, the contest was last year's grand prix winner, Ben Reynolds of Chatham's to lose, and lose he did to Gene Mitchell of Franklin Lakes. Reynolds was in the United Kingdom the weekend of the Great Swamp Devil 15K, which he had to run and win in order to be in contention.
Then at the 15K championship last Sunday, Reynolds finished in fifth place behind Scott DeFilippis of Normandy Beach running for the Mizuno Runners High elite racing team. DeFilippis finished in 48:24, with Craig Segal, also of the Runner's High team in second at 48:37. John Garton of Voorhees lead in his Breakneck Track Club in 48:54 for third. Joseph Pellegrino of Morganville placed fourth in 49:10 with Reynolds scoring as the first masters man in 49:30.
The fourth place finish would have pushed Reynolds out of the picture even if he had been able to win the Great Swamp Devil race. His points without the Swamp Devil are 5,281. A win there would have given him 5,781, just three points behind Mitchell who takes the top spot with 5,784 points. With Reynolds out, Dan Feder of Princeton holds onto second with 5,704 points and Chris Burke of Morristown moved into third with his eleventh place finish at the 15K for a final score of 5,690
None of the grand prix age division contests came down to the wire with such drama, probably to the relief of the runners who are looking for a break after a long season.
Morris area runners are well represented in the final scores. Always one of the top runners, John Sabatino of Morris Plains placed second in his M40 division.
In the M50 division, all three of the top spots belonged to Morris County men, with Will DeRoberts of Boonton in first with Bill Trengove of Wharton second and Charlie Slaughter of Parsippany third.
In the M55 Bill Bosmann of Sparta took over the lead in the grand prix from Bruce Langenkamp of Wharton at the Ashenfelter 8K on Thanksgiving, bumping Langenkamp to second.
On the women's side, Karyn Layton of Rockaway placed first in the W35 age division, while Susan Bessin of Madison did the same in the W40 division. Mary Christian of Flanders was second in the W40, as was Pam Fales of Boonton in the W45 division.
Jane Parks of Morristown, now at the top of her age division, had no trouble winning first in the W50 division with Lorraine McPhillips of Basking Ridge finishing second .
Shirley Pettijohn of Chatham placed second in the W70 division as did Patricia Tummey of Randolph in the W75 division.
Some of these same runners have placed in their age division in the two specialized Mini One and Mini Two grand prix. Look for the spotlight to go on those contests in next week's column.
Letters are going out this week to the winners of all the grand prix with invitations to the USATF-New Jersey Awards Banquet being held on January 20th, 2008.
Originally published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey on Sunday, December 16, 2007
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2007
