LOCAL WOMEN AND TEAMS DO WELL AT 5K CHAMPIONSHIP

Written by Madeline Bost

Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey

On Sunday, September 11, 2011

Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2011

Jimmy D 5K opened the USATF New Jersey championship fall season on Sunday, September 4^th in New Brunswick.  Jennifer Malvolta, 40, of Reeders PA finished in 18:21, defeating all women in the field of over eight hundred runners for the title of fastest masters woman in the championship for that division.

Two local women from Morristown were the top age graded masters women.  Nora Cary, 56, hit 86.92% with her 20:49 finishing time and Jane Parks, 58, was scored at 84.03% for her time of 22:08.

The Sneaker Factory was the most successful of the local women’s teams competing.  The club’s W50 team placed second in their division and third in the W40 division.  The Morris County Striders took fourth in the W50, second in W60 and had the sole team competing in the W70 division.  The Rose City Runners placed sixth in both the W40 and W50 division.

NEW BALANCE GRAND PRIX

Currently on the men’s side of the year long New Balance Grand Prix series, the top ten is dominated by masters runners and many are from the Morris area.  John Hogan, M45 division, of Washington Township is leading the series with all nine possible races on his score card.  Franz Mitterer, M60 division, of Morristown is in third, also with all nine races.

Antonio Massa, M45 division, of Budd Lake, is in fourth.  Mark Washbourne, M50 division, of Mendham is fifth.  Beau Atwater, also of the M50 division is in sixth place and Michael Hespos, M45 division of Wharton is in eighth.

Michael Dixon of Fanwood, last year’s winner is hanging in 13^th place while missing two Category Two races to complete his score.  Dixon won the series in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

On the women’s side the local women are not dominating like the Morris area men, and only one Morris woman is in the top ten.  Diane Ross, W40 division, of Flanders, is in eighth place.  Ross won the series on the women’s side in 2007.  Open runner Tara Zimliki of Branchburg is currently the top woman overall. 

TEAM GRAND PRIX IS POSTED

The team grand prix is now posted including last week’s masters women’s 5K scores.  The clubs are running for second with Raritan Valley well in the lead.  The Sneaker Factory has a one point lead over the Clifton Road Runners for second place.  The North Jersey Masters are in fourth place with the Morris County Striders in fifth and the Rose City Runners in sixth.

The Liberty Waterfront Half Marathon in two weeks will give all the clubs an opportunity to rake in points as it is the championship for all divisions.

LOCALS EARN MEDALS AT NATIONAL MASTERS 15K

Two New Jersey masters teams ran in the Fleet Feet Run into Buffalo 15K, the national masters championship on Labor Day and came home with medals for their efforts.

Roger Price, 62, of Randolph placed third in his division with his time of 1:01:36, leading in his Raritan Valley Road Runners M60 team to second place.  Carl Weaver, 62, of Morris Plains was second man on the team with a time of 1:07:59, just one second ahead of third man on the team, Doug Brown of East Brunswick.  Brown, 66, placed third in the M65 division.  Rounding out the team was Michael Carr, 64, of Somerset.

The Clifton Road Runners M70 team was a shoe in to win their division with Hilary Peterlin, 70, of Oak Ridge first in the division in 1:11.04 and James Leitz, 72, of Bayonne second in 1:12:43.  Also on the winning team were Matt Lalumia and Al Swan of Clifton and Joe Saley of Teaneck.

Next up for masters nationally is the Syracuse Festival of Races 5K on October 2^nd.