Home |
2003
In the spring of this year, as word started to spread about the website, I got an e-mail from Andrew Rikert (Guilderland '97) who was starting a Section II alumni race similar to the Alumni Run in Guilderland, NY in September. He did alot of work and put together a nice debut run, getting over 60 finishers at the inaugural event. Lo and behold, who shows up two months later at the Bear but Andrew himself, dragging three of his former teammates in tow. In a coming-out party for what we hope will be a competitive team in future years, Guilderland's small but strong contingent put up a solid showing, with three top-30 finishes among them, including race winner James Sweeney. A hearty welcome to the Long Red Line.
While James became only the third runner from a "non-regular" school to win the men's title, the men's team title was contested among a group of familiar faces. Despite a strong non-Rockland presence in the top 10--non-area schools took 5 of the first 9 spots--the top teams packed in their athletes in the next twenty, and the race for team honors was on. For the third straight year the boys in purple and gold won out, boosted by a strong showing from Anthony Calingo, coming off a 2:40 effort just two weeks earlier in Richmond as part of the USMA marathon team. Despite what seemed to be favorable conditions, the men's race was one of the slowest on record, with only four runners breaking 16 minutes; the winning time was second-slowest in race history.
On the women's side, Julianne Littman returned to the Alumni Race after a one-year hiatus and reclaimed the throne she abdicated a year earlier. Her 18:27 was the slowest of her three victories to this point, but it helps support her claim as one of the greatest women in race history. The Newsome sisters made the team race a family affair, claiming three of the top 13 spots in leading the Clarkstown South women to their third win in the second-closest women's race ever. Kim Newsome tied an Alumni record with her tenth top-10 finish, equaling the women's standard set by Laura Pederson-Higgins.
You can view the full results of the 2003 race here.
Men's Top 30
Women's Top 10
Total Number of Runners: 264
Team Participation: 1. Suffern 31, 2. Monroe Woodbury 29, 3. Pearl River 28, 4. Clarkstown North 25, 5. North Rockland 19, 6. (tie) Albertus Magnus, Clarkstown South, and Nanuet 17, 9. (tie) Goshen and Tappan Zee 7, 11. Guilderland 4, 12. (tie) Spring Valley and Washingtonville 3, 14. (tie) Nyack, Newburgh Free Academy, Mepham, Beacon, Somers, Highland, and Bayside 2.
Men's Team Scoring
Women's Team Scoring
|