Despite a Nor’Easter which began mid-day yesterday and lastest through the night, the race was held as usual…and the Greater Springfield Harriers still have never cancelled a Snowstorm Classic.  That’s why we call them the Snowstorm Classics!
            Steve O’Neil knows, as the 51 year old Harrier became the first senior and the oldest runner to ever win a Snowstorm Classic.   Using his familiarity with the park roads he regularly trains on, and skills developed from years of running, Steve negotiated the Winter Wonderland that was Forest Park in 42:24.  Certainly not the fastest time he has ever recorded among his 17½  victories (the first of which occurred seventeen years ago, on January 12, 1985) but perhaps the most satisfying.
            Long time SMACer Rich Clark closed over the last four kilometers of the 10K course to garner a well earned 2^nd in 42:54 while Jean-Paul Gowdy made his initial Snowstorm Classic venture a slippery success with a 3^rd place 43:28.  David Estabrook skated a 46:04 for first junior.
            The women’s race was between the #2 and #10 all time winners, ie., Harriers Dawn Roberts and Mary Misiaszek.  Dawn took advantage of a rare Saturday day off to sled her way to an early lead, then withstood a ferocious late race downhill charge by Mary to record her 29^th victory in 48:19, with Mary a slip and a slide back in 48:29.  Dawn is now within one win of all time leader Mary Ryczek.

 1  42:24  Steve      O'Neil       51M  GSH
 2  42:54  Rich       Clark        48M  SMAC
 3  43:28  Jean-Paul  Gowdy        25M  ---
 4  44:35  Art        Roberts      58M  GSH
 5  46:04  David      Estabrook    17M  GSH
 6  46:50  Seth       Roberts      51M  WMAC
 7  47:14  Brian      Goddu        53M  GSH
 8  47:50  Tom        DeLuca       47M  GSH
 9  48:19  Dawn       Roberts      31F  GSH
10  48:29  Mary       Misiaszek    36F  GSH
11  48:43  Carlos     Rivera       28M  GSH
12  49:19  David      Livingstone  50M  GSH
13  49:34  Chris      Conz         26M  ---
14  51:03  Nathan     Krach        17M  ---
15  51:15  Matt       Law          28M  ---
16  51:23  Neal       Lamberton    54M  GSH
17  53:07  Joe        Fois         27M  GSH
18  53:13  Bill       Thibault     45M  EORC
19  53:23  Bob        Massaro      59M  EORC
20  53:48  Tom        Conlin       62M  ---
21  58:17  Don        Grant        60M  SMAC
22  58:45  Mike       LaPlante     42M  ---
23  62:35  Doug       Blanchard    77M  GSH
24  62:36  Hugh       Moriarty     61M  GSH
25  63:58  Tony       Lucia        66M  EORC
26  66:21  Bill       Milkiewicz   48M  GSH
27  81:59  Bruce      Kurtz        66M  SMAC