Rite of Autumn Back for 39th Year: Rockland Alumni Cross Country Run
By Jamie Kempton
You can set your watch by this: At high noon on Thanksgiving Saturday, runners will gather on the plains of Bear Mountain to re-enact an annual ritual that’s practically stitched into the DNA of local cross country harriers. The 39th renewal of the Bill Markiewicz Memorial Rockland County Alumni Cross Country Run, held Saturday, November 26, had all the earmarks of its predecessors: Competitive races, male and female alumni of multiple generations vying on essentially the same 3-mile layout they used in high school, spectators scurrying from point to point to cheer on the participants, the mid-race monster hill that distinguishes this course from all others.
Oh, and a welcome bonus, to boot: balmy 55-degree temperatures. Some 120 contestants relished the radiant sunshine and uncommonly mild late-November warmth to put their best foot forward in the race, which is co-sponsored by the Rockland Road Runners.
Meet directors Tom Doherty, whose brainstorm launched this event in 1983, and Ralph Coleman, the do-everything organizer, beamed with pride as they and their minions shepherded the harriers along their prescribed route: across the playfield, from the Carousel to the Inn; around Hessian Lake; up the super-steep hill parallel to the famed Bear Mountain ski-jump slope; down the tortuous path behind the ice skating rink; past the Inn for a partial loop-around of the lake; along the skating-rink ridge line; around the basketball courts and culminating with a dash across the great lawn to the finish line near the Inn.
Mastering the course best for the second year in a row was Corey Calajoe, Pearl River class of 2004, who matched his winning time from last year, 16:45. Calajoe was locked in a three-way duel with eventual runner-up Daniel Raboin, St. John’s (Shrewsbury, Mass.) class of 2010, and third-placer Robert Royston, Nyack class of 2022, before edging ahead for a three-second margin of victory.
Suzanne La Burt, Monroe-Woodbury class of 1981, continues to defy the conventional strictures of age on racing performance. She captured her third title and finished 19th overall in 20:52, to go along with her eight second-place finishes and four third-place showings since 2000. Teammate Nicole Conway, Monroe-Woodbury class of 2019, finished about 100 yards back in 21:16.
Pearl River claimed its fourth men’s team title, tallying 76 points to hold off Orange County powers Warwick, 86, and Monroe-Woodbury, 96. Scoring for the Pirates alumni were Calajoe, Matt Lenihan ’03, Matt Borawski ’04, Rob McGinley ’80, and Brendan Fennell ’03, a three-time Rockland scholastic champion, two-time New York State titleholder, and Rockland runner of the decade for 2000-2009.
The Crusaders of Monroe-Woodbury easily pocketed the women’s team championship – their 17th, extending their own record – with an impressive 26-point score, including a 1-2-3 sweep by La Burt, Conway, and Jessica Cueva-Scarpelli, class of 2016. The Suffern Mounties finished second with 103. Monroe-Woodbury also secured its 12th consecutive combined men’s/women’s participation title and 19th overall, both records, with 27 participants. Suffern finished runner-up with 14.
The race is named for Bill Markiewicz, Albertus Magnus class of 1967, the popular former Clarkstown North coach (1978-89) who succumbed to cancer in 1991. This year’s winner of the Bill Markiewicz Award – presented each year to a longtime, prominent contributor to Rockland cross country – was Jeff Dempsey, Suffern class of 1995, the veteran Suffern cross country/track coach. Although Dempsey was not available to accept the award, the presentation was nonetheless made, as it is every year, by Janet Markiewicz, Bill’s widow. Several Markiewicz family members were on hand to honor the occasion, including sons of Janet and Bill – Dan Markiewicz, Goshen class of 1996, and Matt Markiewicz, Goshen class of 1993. Both performed admirably in placing 35th and 57th respectively in 22:35 and 25:28.
All told, 88 men and 32 women toed the starting line, representing 32 alma maters from seven states – New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Indiana, Michigan and Georgia – and international participants hailing from Great Britain (Bill Carpenter) and Grenada (Alister Renwick). Once again, the oldest participants were a pair of 1960 graduates, Warren Berbit of Suffern and Bayside High School, Queens, and Tom Maile of the Taconic Road Runners Club and Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) High School.
Past Rockland County scholastic champions who competed in this year’s Alumni Run included Lisette Hautau, Tappan Zee class of 1978, who won the first two County meets for girls in 1976 and ’77; Fennell, who won from 2000 to 2002; Barry Conway, Pearl River class of 1981, the 1980 champ; Mike Colangelo, Albertus Magnus class of 1975, the 1974 County and New York State Class B victor and leader of the Falcons’ NYS and Eastern States champion Long Red Line; and Mike Rogan, Clarkstown North class of 1986, the 1985 County titlist who continues to impress in the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury suffered in 2013.
Past Alumni Run winners who participated included Calajoe, La Burt and Kyle Collins, Suffern class of 2012, the 2014 champ who finished sixth this year in 18:18. Kyle accepted the Markiewicz Award for Dempsey on behalf of Suffern, and was part of a trio of Collins family members to participate, including his mom and dad, Helene (Roher) Collins, Pearl River class of 1980, and Michael Collins, Mepham class of 1978. Other families with three participants included the Pintos, Dianne, Clarkstown North 1987, Cassandra, Suffern 2015, and Lucas, Suffern 2018; and the Beckerles, Michael, Nanuet 1979, Stephen, Albertus 1974, and Larry, Albertus 1973. Larry Beckerle is the only person to have participated in all 39 editions of the race.
Saturday, November 26, 2022
Bear Mountain State Park, Bear Mountain, N.Y.
Course: 3.0 miles
Meet records: 14:08, John Trautmann (Monroe-Woodbury ’86), 1994
17:04, Debbie Grant (Ramapo ’83), 1995
Men’s team scores: 1. Pearl River (PR), 76; 2. Warwick (War), 86; 3. Monroe-Woodbury (MW), 96; 4. North Rockland (NR), 122; 5. Clarkstown North (CN), 146; 6. Suffern (Suff), 230; 7. Albertus Magnus (AM), 268; other teams incomplete.
Women’s team scores: 1. Monroe-Woodbury, 26; 2. Suffern, 103; other teams incomplete.
Team participation (combined men/women): 1. Monroe-Woodbury, 27; 2. Suffern, 14; 3. Pearl River, 12; 4. Clarkstown North, 11; 5. Tie, Albertus Magnus, Clarkstown South (CS), Tappan Zee, 6; 8. Tie, North Rockland & Warwick, 5; 10. Tie, Chaminade, Goshen, Millbrook, Nanuet, Nyack, 2; 15. Tie, Arlington, Bayside, Bloomfield (Mich.), Commonwealth (Boston, Mass.), Dacula (Georgia), F.D. Roosevelt, Grenada Boys’ Secondary School (Grenada), Hendrick Hudson (Hen Hud), Lakeland-Panas, Longsands (St. Neots, UK), Mepham, Northern Valley-Old Tappan, N.J., Northport, Rhinebeck, Southridge (Indiana), St. John’s (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Valley Central, Watertown (Conn.), 1.
Women’s top 10
1.Suzanne La Burt (MW ’81), 20:52; 2. Nicole Conway (MW ’19), 21:16; 3. Jessica Cueva-Scarpelli (MW ’16), 21:24; 4. Madison Chalfin (CS ’22), 21:50; 5. Erin Couture (Northport), 22:24; 6. Alaina Neubauer (MW ’16), 22:32; 7. Kim (Newsome) Chalfin (CS ’88), 22:37; 8. Masha Portiansky (Commonwealth School, Boston, Mass.), 22:37; 9. Mackey Donovan (TZ ’22), 22:53; 10. Grace Reynolds (TZ ’22), 22:54.
Overall Results
- Corey Calajoe (PR ’04), 16:45; 2. Daniel Raboin (St. John’s, Shrewsbury, Mass. ’10), 16:48; 3. Robert Royston (Nyack ’22), 17:00; 4. Ben Nilsestuen (War ’01), 18:03; 5. Bryan Onody (NR ’20), 18:06; 6. Kyle Collins (Suff ’12), 18:18; 7. Thomas Cobb (NR ’17), 18:23; 8. Matt Lenihan (PR ’03), 18:26; 9. Mike Lawrence (War ’01), 18:36; 10. Kajetan Leitner (MW ’19), 18:38; 11. Adam Klein (CS ’14), 18:41; 12. Christopher Licata (MW ’21), 18:42; 13. Peter Maroko (Nyack ’21), 18:53; 14. Matt Borawski (PR ’04), 19:11; 15. Anthony Campione (War ’05), 19:18; 16. Kieran Dudek (CS ’22), 20:13; 17. Ethan Lin (CS ’22), 20:33; 18. Patrick Driscoll (CN ’98), 20:49; 19. Suzanne La Burt (MW ’81), 20:52; 20. Daniel Baldessarre (MW ’22), 21:05; 21. Jason Friedman (CN ’93), 21:15; 22. Nicole Conway (MW ’19), 21:16; 23. Rob McGinley (PR ’80), 21:20; 24. Jessica Cueva-Scarpelli (MW ’16), 21:24; 25. Brian Baker (Valley Central ’80), 21:30; 26. Jamie Kempton (AM ’76), 21:37; 27. Sean Hayes (War ’06), 21:43; 28. Thomas McCarney (CN ’93), 21:43; 29. Michael Beckerle (Nanuet ’79), 21:50; 30. Madison Chalfin (CS ’22), 21:50; 31. Brian Benoit (MW ’22), 22:00; 32. Scott Curtis (MW ’01), 22:04; 33. Erin Couture (Northport ’02), 22:24; 34. Alaina Neubauer (MW ’16), 22:32; 35. Daniel Markiewicz (Goshen ’96), 22:35; 36. Adam Borg (CN ’97), 22:35; 37. Andrew Kolesar (NR ’20), 22:36; 38. Kim (Newsome) Chalfin (CS ’88), 22:37; 39. Masha Portiansky (Commonwealth School, Boston, Mass. ’97), 22:37; 40. Mackey Donovan (TZ ’22), 22:53; 41. Grace Reynolds (TZ ’22), 22:54; 42. Brendan Fennell (PR ’03), 23:14; 43. Amanda DiPaolo Wright (Lakeland-Panas ’05), 23:18; 44. Daniel Jones (Chaminade ’14), 23:21; 45. Henry Smith (War ’01), 23:30; 46. Nicholas Aleles (TZ ’11), 23:34; 47. Barry Conway (PR ’81), 23:38; 48. Tom List (PR ’80), 23:46; 49. Tyler Bassett (Suff ’16), 23:53; 50. Mike Heraghty (NR ’90), 24:04.
- William Ellis (NR ’18), 24:16; 52. Aman Sherry (MW ’22), 24:43; 53. Laura Murray (Suff ’02), 24:46; 54. Dylan Caruso (MW ’17), 24:53; 55. Mike Colangelo (AM ’75), 25:06; 56. Kyle Egan (MW ’16), 25:11; 57. Matt Markiewicz (Goshen ’93), 25:28; 58. Brian Conlon (MW ’17), 25:42; 59. Kim Gong (AM ’82), 25:45; 60. Joe Saxton (Northern Valley-Old Tappan, N.J. ’82), 25:55; 61. Chris Goodwin (MW ’89), 26:09; 62. Chris Post (Rhinebeck ’91), 26:15; 63. Celeste Montalvo (MW ’98), 26:24; 64. Darrel Pinto (Suff ’21), 26:37; 65. Keith Reilly (PR ’90), 26:39; 66. Bruce Meyer (TZ ’76), 26:47; 67. Louis Gabriel (CN ’94), 26:47; 68. Kathy List (PR ’91), 27:00; 69. John Murphy (MW ’85), 27:07; 70. Ross Stephens (Arlington ’94), 27:11; 71. Leslie Ballantyne (Suff ’92), 27:13; 72. Jeff Mehr (Suff ’96), 27:31; 73. Stephen Beckerle (AM ’74), 27:35; 74. Jim Dugandzic (PR ’81), 27:59; 75. William Carpenter (Longsands, St. Neots, UK ’77), 28:18; 76. Jessica Pidgeon (MW ’19), 28:21; 77. Julia Hoyt (MW ’18), 28:22; 78. Sarah Kern (MW ’19), 28:22; 79. Dan Caprara (CS ’91), 28:32; 80. Alister Renwick (Grenada Boys’ Secondary School ’75), 29:35; 81. Jason Lipman (CN ’91), 29:36; 82. Kelsey Esselman (MW ’13), 29:56; 83. Matt Mauriello (Watertown, Conn. ’95), 30:30; 84. Mike Moran (AM ’83), 30:31; 85. Tom Maile (Bloomfield Hills, Mich. ’60), 30:32; 86. Angela Legg (Dacula, Georgia ’00), 30:35; 87. Jennifer Bernard (F.D. Roosevelt ’06), 30:36; 88. Mike Rogan (CN ’86), 30:58; 89. Rachel Barese (Suff ’00), 31:47; 90. Nick Parente (CN ’87), 31:54; 91. Mike Coakley (CN ’87), 31:54; 92. Rob McNamara (Nanuet ’86), 32:05; 93. Mary Dugandzic (Suff ’15), 32:31; 94. Chuck Sommerlad (MW ’85), 32:52; 95. Harry Owens (Chaminade ’76), 33:24; 96. Bob Eckerle (TZ ’78), 33:28; 97. Steven Estremera (Millbrook ’02), 33:51; 98. Bob Hermesch (Hendrick Hudson ’68), 34:06; 99. Lisette Hautau (TZ ’78), 34:14; 100. Brian W. Conlon (MW ’85), 34:38.
- John Herr (MW ’83), 34:39; 102. Gerald Conlon (MW ’84), 34:49; 103. Elisabeth Tischler (MW ’89), 34:51; 104. Rich Shirley (MW ’85), 34:52; 105. Jason Landau (CN ’05), 36:12; 106. Zack Berbit (Suff ’96), 36:13; 107. Larry Beckerle (AM ’73), 36:44; 108. Ray Sussmann (PR ’81), 36:51; 109. Steven Estremera (Millbrook ’08), 37:47; 110. Robin (Schaber) Rogan (Southridge, Huntingburg, Indiana ’98), 38:27; 111. Katie Galvin (Suff ’02), 40:09; 112. Dianne Pinto (CN ’87), 40:09; 113. Cassandra Pinto (Suff ’15), 40:09; 114. Lucas Pinto (Suff ’18), 40:10; 115. Dustin Collins (Suff ’16), 43:59; 116. Michael Collins (Mepham ’78), 44:00; 117. Kim England (MW ’85), 44:52; 118. Helene Collins (PR ’80), 47:29; 119. Dan Hogan (Suff ’99), 48:59; 120. Warren Berbit (Suff ’60), 50:38.