CLUB GRAND PRIX ENDS WITH FINALE TEN MILER

Written by Madeline Bost
Originally Published by the DAILY RECORD of Morris County, New Jersey
On Sunday, December 18, 2011
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2011

 

Mother Nature handed New Jersey runners a perfect day for the last USATF championship of the season last Sunday. The clear, sunny day was credited with an unheard of sixty or more race day signups for the ten miler in Mercer County Park. A low no show resulted in a record number of finishers. Five more runners would have made it an even three hundred in contrast to the 220 finishers in 2010.

Most runners had gone into the race with their positions in the New Balance Grand Prix already secured but some team contests were still undecided and the final overall club score was on the line. In the end the Raritan Valley Road Runners defended their title of top club in the scoring but it was a lot closer than in any other year.

The club was hurt by the loss of some of their top open men to the Garden State Track Club that won the Open division with Sneaker Factory coming in second. Raritan Valley was third, helped by some of their fast M40 members.

The surprise second place club was the rapidly growing Clifton Road Runners. The club is able to put teams on the line in just about every division and those scores paid off. Raritan Valley hit 442 with Clifton managing to break four hundred plus two. The Sneaker Factory was third, well back with 277 points and the Morris County Striders fourth with 257.

Raritan Valley’s Open women took the top title with Sneaker Factory second. The Sneaker Factory’s M40 team came close to defeating the Raritan Valley team, missing by just three points.

Other local teams did not fare well in the series. The Morris County Striders took third in the W50 division and the Rose City Runners were fourth as well as fourth in the W40 division.

The Strider men were fourth in the M60 division. The Strider W60 and W70 had a lock for first in both of their divisions, which helped the club to score as well as it did.

NEW BALANCE GRAND PRIX WINNERS ARE POSTED [here]

All the grand prix final scores are now posted with local men predominating in the top ten overall men scoring. Michael Dixon of Fanwood won the series with fellow teammate Michael Anis of Edison second.

Fourth place was taken by Rich Burke of Morristown with Gary Rosenberg also of Morristown fifth. The two placed first and second in the M40 division, separated by just three points. John Sabatino of Morris Plains was eighth and Antonio Massa of Budd Lake was ninth, for second and third in the M45 division. Beau Atwater of Bernardsville was tenth for second in the M50 division.

Local women did not score as high as their counterparts with only one, Joanna Stevens of Basking Ridge making it into the top ten overall. That also put her in second place in the W40 division.

Will DeRoberts of Boonton won the M50 division with Charlie Slaughter of Parsippany second. In the M60 division Franz Mitterer of Morristown was first with Roger Price of Randolph second and Bruch Langenkamp of Wharton third, for a sweep for local men in that division.

Local women did well in the age divisions with Karyn Layton of Rockaway placing third in the W40 division while Dede Paul of Madison placed second in the W50 division. Perennial winner Jane Parks of Morristown won the W55 division with Lorraine McPhillips of Basking Ridge second. Cande Olsen of Chatham was third in the W60 division.

Shirley Pettijohn of Chatham and Melva Murray of Bedminster placed second and third in the W75 division. Diane Stone of Bernardsville won the W80 division with Patricia Tummey of Randolph second.

Placing in the top three in ones age division is not good just for bragging rights. First place will receive a check for two hundred dollars, second for one hundred twenty five and third for one hundred dollars thanks to the sponsorship of New Balance of North Jersey.

Awards and checks will be presented at the USATF Awards Banquet on January 21st at the Pines Manor in Edison.