Snowstorm Classic #9 - 5K
January 26, 2002

Heather Gardiner Makes Snowstorm Classic History
Towse Topples Blanchard Record

     For the first time in the 22 year history of the Snowstorm Classics, a woman was the first runner across the finish line. And Heather Gardiner of East Hartford won convincingly, tying the women's 5K course record of 17:36 which was set 20 years ago by Carol O'Connor and matched by Sue Haryasz in 1988. The time is also a new age record for twenty three year old women, shattering the 19:10 set by Suzanne Custer only a month ago. 
     At the starting gun CMS's senior ace Steve O'Neil bolted up the hill into the lead but by the one kilometer mark by the baseball stadium Gardiner and the Harrier's Steve Byrne had passed the early leader and opened up daylight on the rest of the field. The two runners matched strides through Forest Park until just past the half way point when Gardiner upped the ante. Charging around the roads bordering the Park, she steadily increased her lead until crossing the finish line in her history making run. The Hartford Track Club speedster is pointing towards this year's Boston Marathon, hoping to improve on her 3:01 pr. A recent graduate of Central Connecticut State, she holds the 3K, 5K and 10K school records.  
     Steve Byrne took for 2nd in 17:57 while Steve O'Neil won both the masters and seniors divisions in 18:13. 
     Not to be overlooked was Melissa Perkins-Banas 2nd place finish among the women, an outstanding 18:34 clocking which moves the Addidas Woodbridge Runner Club representative into 6th place on the all-time women's list. GSHer Mary Misiaszek was 3rd in her own pr effort of 21:13. Annie Atkins was the first master in 22:49 while Sue Grant of SMAC took senior honors in a quick 24:48.
     After several weeks of near misses, Harrier Charlie Towse finally toppled the 21:25 record for 64 year old men held by none other then the "Champ" Doug Blanchard these past eleven years. Sprinting in with Ms. Misiaszek, Charlie clipped 12 seconds off the standard with his 21:13 clocking. It marks the first time in fourteen years anyone has broken one of Doug's records on the 5K course.

Results
 1  17:36  Heather    Gardiner       23F  HTC
 2  17:57  Steve      Byrne          34M  GSH
 3  18:13  Steve      O'Neil         50M  CMS
 4  18:26  Frank      Rucci          52M  CMS
 5  18:28  Sam        Iturrino       28M  ---
 6  18:29  John       Bigos          48M  GSH
 7  18:34  Melissa    Perkins-Banas  31F  AWRC
 8  18:38  Tim        Brown          49M  ---
 9  19:04  Jim        Lyons          36M  ---
10  19:37  Tris       Carta          49M  SCS
11  19:41  Phil       Bricker        48M  SMAC
12  20:02  Brent      Coon           36M  GSH
13  20:15  Art        Roberts        57M  GSH
14  20:27  Michael    Adams          39M  ---
15  20:27  Jim        Plaza          49M  SMAC
16  20:28  Mike       LaPlante       41M  ---
17  20:50  Joe        Fois           26M  GSH
18  21:00  Jonathan   Tetherly       57M  GSH
19  21:04  David      Livingstone    49M  GSH
20  21:13  Mary       Misiaszek      35F  GSH
21  21:13  Charlie    Towse          64M  GSH
22  21:21  Chris      Conz           25M  ---
23  21:44  Craig      Lewis          26M  ---
24  21:52  Mark       Manganaro      38M  ---
25  21:56  Rick       Wiernasz       49M  EORC
26  21:59  Kevin      Young          49M  GSH
27  21:59  Dave       Aronson        46M  SMAC
28  22:03  Stephenie  Sullivan       25F  ---
29  22:05  Sean       Henry          15M  ---
30  22:12  William    O'Neill        44M  GSH
31  22:13  Roland     Gelinas        35M  ---
32  22:19  Dave       Martula        56M  SMAC
33  22:30  Sara       Pragluski      22F  GSH
34  22:36  Justin     Kasunick       26M  ---
35  22:41  John       Pashko         50M  GSH
36  22:42  Debbie     Girouard       38F  EORC
37  22:46  Don        Grant          59M  SMAC
38  22:48  Ruben      Rios           33M  GSH
39  22:49  Annie      Atkins         42F  ---
40  22:55  Al         Cabot          46M  GSH
41  22:56  Clive      Woakes         54M  GSH
42  22:57  Matt       Dufresne       35M  GSH
43  23:28  Bryon      Dailey         47M  GSH
44  23:29  Erv        Landry         62M  GSH
45  23:40  Stephen    Penna          46M  EORC
46  23:41  Chris      Park           30M  ---
47  23:55  Doug       Bielefeld      42M  GSH
48  24:09  Bill       Thibault       44M  EORC
49  24:15  Mike       Butler         29M  ---
50  24:18  Don        Grindle        46M  GSH
51  24:34  Mary       Gubala         36F  GSH
52  24:40  Pete       Stasz          54M  GSH
53  24:41  Andrea     Dufresne       32F  GSH
54  24:45  Cindy      Roy            42F  EORC
55  24:48  Sue        Grant          57F  SMAC
56  24:54  Jim        Byrne          62M  ---
57  25:06  Amy        Bottke         33F  ---
58  25:09  Ellen      Bellicchi      51F  GSH
59  25:15  Pat        Kennedy        61M  GSH
60  25:23  Kelly      Sullivan       35F  GSH
61  25:29  Jeff       Burgess        55M  ---
62  25:34  Greg       Placzek        25M  ---
63  25:52  Mary Lou   White          46F  ---
64  26:26  Dick       Osgood         64M  GSH
65  26:26  Rob        Robinson       48M  ---
66  26:34  David      St. George     13M  ---
67  26:34  Tom        Alessi         35M  ---
68  26:54  Cheryl     Pooler         37F  EORC
69  27:11  Kim        Stempert       37F  GSH
70  27:33  Eric       Maruca         15M  ---
71  27:46  Bill       Milkiewicz     47M  GSH
72  27:51  Ken        Barba          49M  ---
73  28:31  Ed         Dwyer          36M  GSH
74  28:52  Jim        Willemain      50M  GSH
75  29:11  Peter      Vangsness      50M  GSH
76  29:50  Leslie     Boutin         38F  ---
77  29:51  Frank      McClure        32M  ---
78  30:02  Michelle   Lee            31F  ---
79  30:12  Mark       Frederick      34M  ---
80  30:38  Roland     Combe          27M  ---
81  30:39  Tina       White          22F  ---
82  30:43  Shalisa    Keyes          28F  ---
83  30:43  Cara       McMahon        22F  ---
84  31:19  Rachel     Roberts        29F  ---
85  34:09  Dan        Phelan         13M  ---
86  34:12  Tom        Phelan         43M  ---
87  37:35  Bruce      Kurtz          65M  SMAC
88  44:40  Paulette   Brown          49F  ---