|
|
FLRC Newsletter - Dec 2003 |
| FLRC Masters and Vet Women Win XC National Title | |
Every single second counts!
Where do you gain or lose two seconds when the mud and grass is so greasy slick that you feel like you're racing on ice skates?
Where do you gain or lose 28 seconds when icy wind soaks your flesh with sprays of rain as you power up a really big hill -- twice?
There was no margin for error for nine local women -- all over the age of 40 -- representing the Finger Lakes Runners Club (FLRC), and seeking national masters cross country team titles on Nov. 2, in Rochester.
Gillian Sharp, Suzanne Myette, Audrey Balander, Lorrie Tily and Shirley Woodford competed in the 2003 USA Track & Field National Masters 8K Cross Country Championships at Black Creek Park, and ran away No. 1 in the nation for the third-straight year.
The FLRC masters (ages 40-49) edged the Syracuse Chargers masters squad by two seconds, with a cumulative timed score of 1:42.59 versus 1:43.01. (Masters scoring is done by combined times of the top three team runners, not placement.)
Zsofia Franck, Suzanne Aigen, Mary Wenck and Diane Sherrer won the veteran's (ages 50-59) national masters team title for the first time, by finishing 28 seconds ahead of the defending champions Genesee Valley Harriers. The final cumulative score was 1:58.54 versus 1:59.22.
 Vet XC National Champs (L to R): Zsofia Franck, Mary Wenck, Sue Aigen and Diane Sherrer |
The national championship, one of many such masters events of varying distances on the roads, track and turf in the U.S., was hosted for the third-straight year by Peter Glavin and the Genesee Valley Harriers (GVH). Individuals compete for overall and age-group titles; teams vied for a share of a $2,600 prize purse.
Scott Bagley, 40, of Rochester (26:11.62), and Kathryn Martin, 52, of Northport (31:06.1) won the individual USATF championship titles.
To win the national championship, each team member had to perform to her highest potential, and that's exactly what happened. Among FLRC masters, Sharp placed third overall in the women's race -- and second F40-44, with a time of 31:38. Myette won the F45 individual title in 34:11, and Balander was third F45 in 36:07. Close behind were Tily (36:42), and Woodford (36:49), who placed fourth F45.
"We lucked out this year winning by so little," said Sharp, who is also the reigning F40-44 national masters indoor mile champion. "Suzanne and I were both significantly slower than last year, but as it turned out, just fast enough. I remember seeing Suzanne after we both finished, and she was shaking her head as though, 'No way we had done it again.' Even so, as Audrey was coming around the pond, we both were cheering her on and urging her with shouts of 'Come on, Audrey! Every second counts!' And boy, did they ever this year."
"It was a very happy moment," added Balander."I wanted to be useful for our team. I had to keep my pace under control, but keep running fast and not let down. My team is amazing. I love watching them, and seeing them waiting for me at the finish. They were so excited!"
Wearing basic racing flats with no spikes, Woodford crawled up the slick hill on hands and knees, falling at least twice.
"It was so muddy, my feet slid all over the place," said Woodford of Burdett. "I kept saying to myself, 'I can't get up this thing!' After cresting the hill, I was trying to take off and make up as much time as possible. I was hoping the others were having a good race since I was having so much trouble on the hill. But I didn't mind getting muddy; that was kind of fun."
No one knew for certain who won until just minutes before the awards were announced at the post-race ceremony.
"I was hoping they would say it was us who won," Woodford said. "It was a great honor to win because we all worked hard for it. The cameraderie of our team helped each of us, because no one would have wanted to be any slower.. When we heard the announcer say it came down to two seconds, we all said, 'Oh, boy!' It was a nailbiter!"
"The Chargers gave us our strongest competition yet. We had researched our competition before the event, and knew it was not going to be an easy win," said Tily, FLRC president and team captain. "Most of us did not feel as fit and strong as past years. But I love competing with the women on my team, because each one has her own strengths and weaknesses. When we combine them, we are an awesome force to be reckoned with."
As for the FLRC veterans, they never saw us coming! A local vet team hasn't competed at a national championship in almost two decades.
When the mud had settled, Franck finished as runner-up among women ages 50-54, in 37:09, and I was third F50 in 39:04. Aigen rounded out our top three, finishing in 42:18, and Wenck, who also won the F55 national individual title, in 42:26.
"I was totally unfamiliar with cross country racing, but I thought how much different can it be?" said Wenck of Corning. "I was also aware of the team responsibility, that I had to train and taper to be at my best on Nov. 2 for the good of the team. Still, I was worried that I couldn't hold up my part, but I knew I'd die trying.
"I never quit because I knew we were there for a reason, and everyone does their utmost to win," Wenck said. "Never give up because until you cross the finish line, you're never sure that your run won't count, or that something might have happened to one of the others. I really admire my team, and the speed they were able to maintain. What a surprise and honor to win the national team championship."
There was one other surprise awaiting Wenck: the national individual title for women ages 55 to 59. At national masters competitions, all competitors are required to wear a sign on their backs, bearing their respective ages.
"I was very pleased to have received it (title)," said Wenck, a marathon specialist. "But I never realized that someone could walk away with an individual title. I was surprised when a GVH runner (also age 55) asked me to uncover my age number. I thought, 'Why worry about me? I'm just an old runner, unfamiliar with the course and unprepared for the rainy conditions.' But she was serious, and started strong and was faster than I was."
The GVH women's vet team was very prepared, and each runner had marked each of us at the starting line. During the race, the GVH women used evasive tactics to prevent us from passing or gaining ground. That only worked for a brief time.
"I said to myself, 'Stick to her, and don't let her get away because you never know what will develop in an 8K," said Wenck. "Twice I tried to pass her, and couldn't. But it was early, and every time I came up on her, she worked to stay ahead. I said, 'OK, you work girl, andI'll wait.'"
Finally, Wenck passed the GVH runner and never looked back. It was time to pick off other runners, one by one.
"I wasn't surprised the race results were so close," Wenck said. "The GVH team had the hometown advantage, and none of our team had spikes. That put us at a disadvantage. But it was an excellent learning experience, and an honor to be a part of the FLRC vet team."
"It was a cold and windy race for me," said Franck, who is among the best veterans on the Upstate New York Cross Country Series. "The grass was slippery, and the hill was muddy. I started out with a slow pace, and my first mile was just under 7:20. I realized my leg (hamstring) was not bothering me at all, and I was not anxious anymore. I started to enjoy the run, and overtook some men around me, and tried to keep the pace.
 Masters XC National Champs (L to R): Shirley Woodford, Gillian Sharp, Lorrie Tily, Suzanne Myette, Audrey Balander |
"I didn't think our team had a chance to win, so I didn't pull out all that was in me until I got to the last bit where I was about 400 yards from the finish," she said. "(Someone) yelled 'Catch her, catch her!' and at that moment I suddenly realized that the man in front of me was in fact a woman. I ran as fast as I could for the rest of the course. That helped me get many valuable seconds off my final time, and I only realized the significance of that when we learned that our team won by only 28 seconds. Most of all, I loved how happy we were after the race, and it was especially nice to win with the masters women."
"It was a whole new experience for me, and very exciting," added Aigen, who hasn't run cross country since her college days. "I wasn't looking at the clock, I was focusing on running as hard as I could. I'm a strong hill runner, and I charged up that hill and pushed a few people out of my way. I found the course stimulating, because you have to focus on the terrain which is a moving target. To me, it was so much more rewarding to be part of the team where every effort counted. Winning this was particularly special, and I felt really happy."
Me too. I received a congratulatory phone message from Tom Hartshorne, son of the late Jim Hartshorne who created the Finger Lakes Runners Club.
Tom's voice is identical to his father's voice, and it felt like Jim was sending us his best wishes, too. Jim never had issues with gender equality in sports. He was a pioneer advocate for masters running, and simply required a standard of excellence for everyone.
I think our women's teams passed the test. Jim, this one's for you.
[Ed. note: This article is a merging of two articles, portions of each appeared in the Ithaca Journal and the Elmira Star Gazette.]
| Prev Article | Front Page | Next Article |