Tom
Michaud and Mary Gubala Join Hall of Fame
to
Begin 25th Anniversary Snowstorm Classic Season
While
two dozen Harriers were on the west coast (Portland, Oregon) for the
USATF National Club Cross Country Championships, the rest of the club
began the 25th consecutive season of Snowstorm Classic
races.
These popular winter road races alternate between two certified
courses, a 5K and a 10K around and through picturesque Forest Park.
Held every Saturday from December through February, the races
have never been cancelled despite the sometimes wintry New England
weather.
Matching
their fellow Harriers in Portland, the Snowstorm Classic crowd ran the
10K course to open the season.
After the snowflakes had settled, Harriers Tom Michaud and Mary
Gubala emerged as first time winners thus adding their names to the
Snowstorm Classic Hall of Fame which lists all prior winners.
Tom
cruised around the park in 37:59 to eventually outleg teammates Brian
Walsh (38:41) and Mike Gauvin (39:08).
Andrew Lutz also cracked the forty minute barrier with a fourth
place 39:56.
Central Mass Strider Frank Rucki just missed with a fifth place
40:07 but plenty fast enough to capture both the master (over 40) and
senior (over 50) titles.
Tim Dannay was the first junior (under 20) with a solid 41:10 6th
place effort while Harrier Jonathan Tetherly was the first veteran
(over 60) in 47:11.
Mary
earned her first women’s Snowstorm Classic crown by edging GSH
teammate Jennifer Rivers 46:27 to 46:39.
Elaine Skawski placed 3rd in 47:13.
Mary Ryczek duplicated fellow CMSer Frank Rucki’s heroics by
winning both the master and senior titles with a 47:39 clocking.
In the process the Longmeadow speedster erased the course
record for 58 year old women of 49:49 which had been held by GSHer
Doris Aronson since December 1, 1990.
And
picking up where he left off last season, that venerable SMACer Bruce
Kurtz crossed the line in 1:22:00, as usual carrying two of the wooden
course signs,
for his 92nd consecutive Snowstorm Classic finish.
Thus begins our 25th season!
Several
hours later, around the muddy infield of the Portland Meadows race
track, four Harrier teams competed against USATF running clubs from
throughout the United States.
Two of our teams medaled.
The veteran men (Art Roberts, Bill Lord and Charlie Towse)
finished 2nd and took home silver medals while the senior
men (Larry Litscher, Vicente Rojas, Tim Brown, Steve O’Neil, Bill
Romito, Kevin Leach, Rich Clark and Ramon Alicea earned bronze medals
for 3rd.
Our women’s open team place 21st and our master
men’s team 18th.
Although we didn’t field a complete team, several open men
ran well…..complete results are posted at the race web site via
USATF.org.
And for those who plan ahead, the 2005 version of the USATF
National Club Cross Country Championships will be held in Rochester,
New York on Saturday, November 19th.
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