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ENLARGE
Pete Lubbers, from Oregon House, recorded an impressive double, winning the River City Marathon in Sacramento on April 19 by almost 10 minutes in 2 hours, 59 minutes, 50 seconds, his first time under the magical three-hour barrier.
Pete followed that breakthrough performance by winning the Nevada City Spring Run 10K only six days later, on April 25, breaking the rarely broken 40 minute barrier, finishing in 39:58, winning the 30-39 age group (AG).
The Spring Run organizers provided an economic stimulus aspect to the race by refunding five dollars to participants instead of providing T-shirts. Eighty-six racers finished the 5K, another 41 the 10K and 12 walkers rounded out the total of 139.
Sara Freitas won the women’s 10K race by four minutes, on a perfect day for racing, taking third overall in 43:32, first 50-59 AG.
Thomas McAtee, following his Daffodil 5K win the prior week, took first in the Spring Run 5K in 18:32, followed very closely by Nevada Union teammate Dominic Castro-Wehr in 18:34. Thomas won the 15-18 AG and leads that GP with 20 points, while Dominic, who is only a freshman, won the 11-14 AG.
Cody Carlton, yet another outstanding NU runner, took third overall, second 15-18 AG, in 19:03 (second in that GP with 14 points).
Larry Defeyter broke the string of teenage standouts, taking fourth overall and first in the 30-39 AG, which he leads with 20 points, in 19:15, followed closely by Joe Krtil, from Sacramento, in 19:18 (first 19-29 AG).
Johal Shawndar finished sixth in 20:19 (third 15-18), with Zach Stoll seventh in 20:33 (second 11-14 AG, leading that GP with 17 points).
George Raynsford, proving that his 50-59 AG win at Daffodil was no fluke, blazed to another AG victory, finishing in 20:37, not far behind Zach. George is tied for first in that Grand Prix (GP) with 20 points with Yuba City’s Mike Buzbee, who won that AG in the 10K for the second race this year, taking fourth overall in 45:02.
I took second in the 50-59 AG in the 5K in 21:22, my fastest time in the last four years, and George, who ran a 50-mile race two weeks before, still smoked me!
Five of the next six finishers in the 5K were in the loaded 40-49 AG, with Auburn’s Jim Kepfer finishing ninth in 20:42, Mike Schneider 10th in 20:48, John Fairchild 11th in 21:12 (third in the GP with 12 points), Sacramento’s Andy Harris 13th in 21:52 and Rob Taylor 14th in 22:10.
Andy, my very good friend who I first met at this race 12 years ago, amazingly, is the only runner who has competed in either the 5K or 10K in all 23 years the Spring Run has been held.
Judy Alberts showed she’s back in top form, winning the women’s 5K at Daffodil last week and winning again in the Spring Run 5K in 22:12, now all alone in first in that GP with 20 points.
The women’s 40-49 AG was stacked in this race, claiming four of the top five finishers. Nadja Young-Warner clocked 24:08, followed by Diana Wilburn in 24:21 (second GP with 12 points) and Kathleen Stranton, in only her second year of running, fifth female in 24:49.
Rachel Brink won the 11-14 AG and was fourth female in 24:27. She is second by one point in that GP with 13.
Other AG winners in the 5K were Lars Weston (first and undefeated in the 10 and under GP with 20 points, 22:55); Gene Gilligan (first and undefeated in the 60-69 GP with 20 points, 23:45) and Ron Gross (tied for first an undefeated in the 70 and over GP with 20 points, 25:32); Kaia Smith (first in the 10 and under GP with 14 points, 36:10); Misty Frenzel (second 19-29 GP with 17 points, 25:08); Amy Aswell (30-39, 28:43); Anne King (first and undefeated in the 50-59 GP with 20 points, 26:41); Judith Lancaster (60-69, 29:34) and JoAnne Shope (70 and over, 55:47).
V. Neelakantan, after winning the Daffodil Run 10K for the second time the prior week, finished second and won the 40-49 AG in 41:36 and is still tied for first in that GP with 20 points with Jim Kepfer.
Jim Pelton, who is tied for first in his GP competition with 20 points, took fourth and won the 19-29 AG in 45:55. Camelan Smith, from Davis, finished second in the 30-39 AG in 46:48 (sixth overall).
Amber Kinaston was the second women’s race finisher in 47:32, holding first place while remaining undefeated in the 19-29 GP with 20 points (seventh overall).
Jill Vahidi was the third woman finisher in 48:58 (eighth), winning the 40-49 AG, followed by Tamara Zuromskis, fourth woman, who won the 30-39 AG in 51:05 (11th overall), who moved into first place in that GP with 15 points.
Therese Iknoian was fifth woman, taking second in the 50-59 AG in 51:31 (13th overall, second in that GP with 17 points).
Kris Meadows, ninth overall and second in the 19-29 AG in 49:59, is third in that GP with 12 points.
Larry Mason, who was second in the 50-59 GP two years ago, but absent from the racing scene last year, made an impressive return, taking second in the 50-59 AG in 50:30 (10th).
Drue Mathies won the 60-69 AG in 51:07 (12th), moving into second in that GP with 17 points.
Other AG winners in the 10K were Darryl Beardall (70 and over, 56:17, tied for first in that GP with 20 points); Jeanine McNeill (60-69, one hour, 16:34, first in that GP with 15 points) and Lynne Hurrell (70 and over, one hour, 1:48, first in that GP with 20 points, and undefeated in her AG in the four years of the Gold Country Grand Prix).
Full race results and complete up to date Grand Prix standings, courtesy of the hard work of statistician Gary Loucks, can be found on the Sierra TrailBlazers’ site: http://www.nccn.net/~strc/.
Steve Bond is a competitive runner who lives in Nevada City and regularly writes columns and feature stories about running for The Union. He may be reached via e-mail at stillrunning55@sbcglobal.net.
Pete followed that breakthrough performance by winning the Nevada City Spring Run 10K only six days later, on April 25, breaking the rarely broken 40 minute barrier, finishing in 39:58, winning the 30-39 age group (AG).
The Spring Run organizers provided an economic stimulus aspect to the race by refunding five dollars to participants instead of providing T-shirts. Eighty-six racers finished the 5K, another 41 the 10K and 12 walkers rounded out the total of 139.
Sara Freitas won the women’s 10K race by four minutes, on a perfect day for racing, taking third overall in 43:32, first 50-59 AG.
Thomas McAtee, following his Daffodil 5K win the prior week, took first in the Spring Run 5K in 18:32, followed very closely by Nevada Union teammate Dominic Castro-Wehr in 18:34. Thomas won the 15-18 AG and leads that GP with 20 points, while Dominic, who is only a freshman, won the 11-14 AG.
Cody Carlton, yet another outstanding NU runner, took third overall, second 15-18 AG, in 19:03 (second in that GP with 14 points).
Larry Defeyter broke the string of teenage standouts, taking fourth overall and first in the 30-39 AG, which he leads with 20 points, in 19:15, followed closely by Joe Krtil, from Sacramento, in 19:18 (first 19-29 AG).
Johal Shawndar finished sixth in 20:19 (third 15-18), with Zach Stoll seventh in 20:33 (second 11-14 AG, leading that GP with 17 points).
George Raynsford, proving that his 50-59 AG win at Daffodil was no fluke, blazed to another AG victory, finishing in 20:37, not far behind Zach. George is tied for first in that Grand Prix (GP) with 20 points with Yuba City’s Mike Buzbee, who won that AG in the 10K for the second race this year, taking fourth overall in 45:02.
I took second in the 50-59 AG in the 5K in 21:22, my fastest time in the last four years, and George, who ran a 50-mile race two weeks before, still smoked me!
Five of the next six finishers in the 5K were in the loaded 40-49 AG, with Auburn’s Jim Kepfer finishing ninth in 20:42, Mike Schneider 10th in 20:48, John Fairchild 11th in 21:12 (third in the GP with 12 points), Sacramento’s Andy Harris 13th in 21:52 and Rob Taylor 14th in 22:10.
Andy, my very good friend who I first met at this race 12 years ago, amazingly, is the only runner who has competed in either the 5K or 10K in all 23 years the Spring Run has been held.
Judy Alberts showed she’s back in top form, winning the women’s 5K at Daffodil last week and winning again in the Spring Run 5K in 22:12, now all alone in first in that GP with 20 points.
The women’s 40-49 AG was stacked in this race, claiming four of the top five finishers. Nadja Young-Warner clocked 24:08, followed by Diana Wilburn in 24:21 (second GP with 12 points) and Kathleen Stranton, in only her second year of running, fifth female in 24:49.
Rachel Brink won the 11-14 AG and was fourth female in 24:27. She is second by one point in that GP with 13.
Other AG winners in the 5K were Lars Weston (first and undefeated in the 10 and under GP with 20 points, 22:55); Gene Gilligan (first and undefeated in the 60-69 GP with 20 points, 23:45) and Ron Gross (tied for first an undefeated in the 70 and over GP with 20 points, 25:32); Kaia Smith (first in the 10 and under GP with 14 points, 36:10); Misty Frenzel (second 19-29 GP with 17 points, 25:08); Amy Aswell (30-39, 28:43); Anne King (first and undefeated in the 50-59 GP with 20 points, 26:41); Judith Lancaster (60-69, 29:34) and JoAnne Shope (70 and over, 55:47).
V. Neelakantan, after winning the Daffodil Run 10K for the second time the prior week, finished second and won the 40-49 AG in 41:36 and is still tied for first in that GP with 20 points with Jim Kepfer.
Jim Pelton, who is tied for first in his GP competition with 20 points, took fourth and won the 19-29 AG in 45:55. Camelan Smith, from Davis, finished second in the 30-39 AG in 46:48 (sixth overall).
Amber Kinaston was the second women’s race finisher in 47:32, holding first place while remaining undefeated in the 19-29 GP with 20 points (seventh overall).
Jill Vahidi was the third woman finisher in 48:58 (eighth), winning the 40-49 AG, followed by Tamara Zuromskis, fourth woman, who won the 30-39 AG in 51:05 (11th overall), who moved into first place in that GP with 15 points.
Therese Iknoian was fifth woman, taking second in the 50-59 AG in 51:31 (13th overall, second in that GP with 17 points).
Kris Meadows, ninth overall and second in the 19-29 AG in 49:59, is third in that GP with 12 points.
Larry Mason, who was second in the 50-59 GP two years ago, but absent from the racing scene last year, made an impressive return, taking second in the 50-59 AG in 50:30 (10th).
Drue Mathies won the 60-69 AG in 51:07 (12th), moving into second in that GP with 17 points.
Other AG winners in the 10K were Darryl Beardall (70 and over, 56:17, tied for first in that GP with 20 points); Jeanine McNeill (60-69, one hour, 16:34, first in that GP with 15 points) and Lynne Hurrell (70 and over, one hour, 1:48, first in that GP with 20 points, and undefeated in her AG in the four years of the Gold Country Grand Prix).
Full race results and complete up to date Grand Prix standings, courtesy of the hard work of statistician Gary Loucks, can be found on the Sierra TrailBlazers’ site: http://www.nccn.net/~strc/.
Steve Bond is a competitive runner who lives in Nevada City and regularly writes columns and feature stories about running for The Union. He may be reached via e-mail at stillrunning55@sbcglobal.net.
