By Jamie Kempton
Sheila Casey captured the women’s division to lead the Rockland Road Runners’ participation in the annual Masters Challenge 5K held July 23 at Rockland Lake State Park.
The competition pits Rockland versus Westchester Track Club and Taconic Road Runners Club in a friendly contest for club bragging rights in the Lower Hudson Valley. Runners had to deal with oppressively humid 85-degree temperatures but did manage to get the race in before thunderstorms and a downpour swept through the area.
Patrick McCarthy of Westchester won the race for the fifth time, clocking 18:16 for the flat 3.1-mile loop encircling the lake. McCarthy, a former Iona College standout, had claimed top honors four straight years from 2008 to 2011. His closest pursuers this time were Taconic teammates Greg Diamond and Steve Calidonna, who came across together in 18:39.
Casey ran a patient race, running a conservative first mile and catching early leader Julie McElroy of Westchester before the two-mile mark. Sheila went on to win by about 100 yards and placed eighth overall in 19:46. Julie wound up 10th overall in 20:08.
For the second straight year, Taconic swept the three male age categories. Their most impressive victory came in the M50 division, tallying 43 points to far outdistance runner-up RRR, with 118, and Westchester, with 138. In the M40 division, Taconic scored 79 followed by RRR with 150, and the same finish order prevailed in the M60, with Taconic scoring 64 points to RRR’s 153.
RRR got on the board with a pair of women’s age-group triumphs. In the W40, Rockland outdistanced Taconic for the title, 186 to 239, and RRR took the W60 title for the fourth year in a row. Westchester was able to claim victory in the most competitive category of the race, scoring 121 in the W50 division to stave off Taconic (146) and RRR (165).
RRR won the participation title with 35 entrants, followed by Taconic with 24 and Westchester with 11. The host RRR provided delicious deli sandwiches and beverages, and participants contributed salad, snacks and desserts for the post-race party.
RRR would like to thank all the volunteers who came out to help make the race a success and of course thanks to all participants from the three clubs for vying in a spirit of friendly competition and maintaining the camaraderie we have enjoyed over many years.
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Masters Challenge 5K
@Rockland Lake State Park
July 23, 2014
Team scores
M40 (8 to score): 1) Taconic RRC, 79; 2) Rockland RR, 150; Westchester TC, incomplete (7 finishers)
W40 (5 to score): 1. Rockland RR, 186; 2. Taconic RRC, 239; Westchester TC incomplete (4 finishers)
M50 (5 to score): 1. Taconic RRC, 43; 2. Rockland RR, 118; 3. Westchester TC, 138.
W50 (3 to score): 1. Westchester TC, 121; 2. Taconic RRC, 146; 3. Rockland RR, 165.
M60 (3 to score): 1. Taconic RRC, 64; 2. Rockland RR, 153; Westchester TC, incomplete.
W60 (3 to score): 1. Rockland RR, 125 (only team with as many as two finishers; win by default).
Individual results
1. Patrick McCarthy, (WTC) 51, 18:16; 2. Greg Diamond, (TRRC) 57, 18:39; 3. Steve Calidonna (TRRC) 59, 18:39; 4. Wojciech “VT” Cieszkowski, (RRR) 45, 18:57; 5. Jay Duggan (WTC) 54, 19:05; 6. Mike Owens (WTC) 42, 19:21; 7. Logan Scott (RRR) 52, 19:43; 8. Sheila Casey (RRR) 45 (1F), 19:46; 9. Michael Racanello (TRRC) 46, 19:52; 10. Julie McElroy (WTC) 47 (2F), 20:08.
11. Bill Foley (TRRC) 54, 20:11; 12. Gregg Schroko (TRRC) 46, 20:22; 13. Tim Robinson (TRRC) 51, 20:32; 14. Nicholas Speranza (TRRC) 52, 20:34; 15. Greg Cohen (TRRC) 46, 20:43; 16. Jim Cai (TRRC) 45, 20:44; 17. Bill Foley (TRRC) 60, 20:53; 18. Charlotte Rizzo (WTC) 50+ (3F), 21:00; 19. Joseph Porcaro (TRRC) 65, 21:05; 20. Kevin Capasso (RRR) 46, 21:10.
21. Jamie Kempton (RRR) 55, 21:12; 22. Evan Bender (WTC) 49, 21:18; 23. Glenn Coleman (RRR) 48, 21:22; 24. Bruce Yang (RRR) 45, 21:34; 25. Alister Renwick (RRR) 57, 21:42; 26. Mike Beckerle (RRR) 52, 21:56; 27. Russell Flax (RRR) 44, 22:26; 28. Bob Hermesch (TRRC) 64, 22:39; 29. Karen Zdanis (RRR) 43 (4F), 22:57; 30. Michael Anzalone (TRRC) 50, 23:13.
31. Danny Mitlof (RRR) 49, 23:22; 32. Narcis Aron (RRR) 65, 23:28; 33. Eric Gelard (WTC) 53, 23:34; 34. Simon Mason (RRR) 48, 23:35; 35. Jessica Miller (TRRC) 45 (5F), 23:39; 36. Tom Maile (TRRC) 72, 23:41; 37. Wayne Rubin (WTC) 63, 23:52; 38. Tony Galfano (TRRC) 60+, 24:01; 39. Patrick Parietti (RRR) 54, 24:18; 40. Roy Altman (RRR) 57, 24:18.
41. Brian Clavell (RRR) 51, 24:22; 42. Mike Seidenfrau (RRR) 40, 24:43; 43. Sean Kilkenny (RRR) 47, 24:49; 44. Fran Pisano (TRRC) 57 (6F), 25:19; 45. Laura McElduff (RRR) 44 (7F), 25:21; 46. Olga Carriel (RRR) 54 (8F), 25:35; 47. Nancy Young (TRRC) 58 (9F), 25:48; 48. Steve Beckerle (RRR) 58, 25:53; 49. Skip Hovdestad (TRRC) 64, 25:59; 50. Ed Brown (RRR) 52, 26:15.
51. Maureen Carson (WTC) 53 (10F), 26:23; 52. Judy Rubin (WTC) 55 (11F), 26:28; 53. Jim Martin (TRRC) 66, 26:41; 54. Bill Carpenter (RRR) 55, 28:09; 55. Elizabeth Palmer (TRRC) 50 (12F), 28:11; 56. Carol Hansen (TRRC) 68 (13F), 28:18; 57. Benny Kim (RRR) 71, 28:31; 58. Mary Pat Wolff (RRR) 57 (14F), 28:48; 59. Deb Wessely (TRRC) 54 (15F), 28:57; 60. Enilda Indyk (RRR) 69 (16F), 29:01.
61. Kathleen Daly (RRR) 53 (17F), 29:43; 62. Michael Rubinfeld (WTC) 67, 29:52; 63. Elsa Villalobos (RRR) 51 (18F), 29:58; 64. Dave Goldwasser (RRR) 63, 30:11; 65. Amy Schwartz (RRR) 61 (19F), 30:18; 66. Jeff Greenberg (RRR) 55, 31:05; 67. Eric Schatz (RRR) 52, 33:09, 68. Joanne Flax (RRR) 57 (20F), 34:10; 69. Paul Wimbert (RRR) 50, 35:56; 70. Sandra Viens (TRRC) 51 (21F), 37.28.
Thank you to Ayako for photos!