News & Notes 2008
Final '08 GP Results!
All the points races are over! Here is the list of final GP division champions crowned:
Women 30-34: Nancy Foxen Clinches her 2nd Season Championship!
Women 35-39: Tammi Drawbaugh Clinches her 1st GP Championship!
Women 50-54: Nancy Shell Clinches her 5th Grand Prix Championship!
Women 55-59: Elaine Bates Clinches her 1st Season Championship!
Men Under 15: David Miller Clinches his 1st GP Championship!
Men 15-29: Noel Spencer Clinches his 1st Grand Prix Championship!
Men 35-39: Joe Timmsen Clinches his 1st Season Championship!
Men 40-44: Eric Wortman Clinches his 4th GP Championship!
Men 45-49: Ernesto Venzor Clinches his 4th Grand Prix Championship!
Men 50-54: Tony Carl Clinches his 3rd Season Championship!
Men 60-64: Lavene Payne Clinches his 1st Grand Prix Championship!
Yeah to the rookie winners and those who've won for the ump-teenth time!
If you have time, look at the scoreboards. There are amazing stories captured within, with margin of victories of 98, 52 and 12 points. (If we were any closer to 11/4/08, somebody would be asking for a re-count.
If you are a repeat winner, contact me, and we'll see if we can get your plate attached to your plaque for the awards ceremony. Otherwise, bring your plaque to the Turkey Trot and we'll have plates attached to plaques and have them ready for you on New Year's Day.
Great season to one and all!
With 88% of the precincts (races) in, we declare more Winners!
With the 4H results, we have more GP Championship Winners! They are:
Women 45-49: Peggy Bailey Clinches her 2nd Season GP Championship!
Women 60-64: Madonna Novak Clinches her 5th GP Championship!
Women 65-69: JoAnn Jensen Clinches her 6th Championship!
Men 30-34: Charles Moore Clinches his 1st Grand Prix Championship!
Men 55-59: Jim Tiedemann Clinches his 1st Championship!
Men 70-74: Larry Koehrsen Clinches his 6th GP Championship!
There are still 12 age division championships that have not been decided! We have never had this many divisions decided at the final race of the points season. Come to race #9 sponsored by the Muscatine High School Cross Country team or come to watch. There should be some great head-to-head match-ups, the culmination of a season of competitive racing!
SPECIAL NOTE TO MULTI-TIME WINNERS: Please help us by bringing your plaques to the last race in order that we can get plates attached before the awards banquet at the Turkey Trot.
Three More Women Clinch with WCD Results
Not meaning to slight the actual race results, let me provide everyone with those who have clinched with Wild Cat Den in our rearview mirror:
Women under 15: Brett Guerra mathematically Clinches for her first GP Championship!
Women 40-45: Lisa Hughes Clinches her 6th GP Championship!
Women 80-84: Dorothy Bailey Clinches for her 5th Grand Prix Age Division Championship, our first ever for the 80-84 Division, Male or Female!
Through 6 Races, Gretchen Spies 1st to Clinch
There remain only three races left in the season! Here is how the age division championships are shaking out:
Women under 15: On the strength of 2 overall wins at Grandview and at the Stampede, Brett Guerra leads the division and is the only one to date to have her three race minimum for the Grand Prix!
Women 15-29: Running 6 straight GP races, winning West Liberty and scoring no fewer than 931 points at any race, Gretchen Spies CLINCHES her 1st Grand Prix Championship! Kaylynn Stecher, in 2nd has amassed over 4000 points with her five race efforts.
Women 30-34: Previous Grand Prix Winner, Nancy Foxen, is on top of the division on the strength of three straight early-season victories. GP Newcomer, Gina Othmer, is close behind in 2nd.
Women 35-39: At least 5 runners have run three races in the division! Tammi Drawbaugh leads by almost 200 points with her 6 race efforts, while Linda Steele is in 2nd on the strength of 5 efforts. Watch out for Sara Swanson in 4th...
Women 40-44: 5-Time GP Champ, Lisa Hughes, has a commanding lead!
Women 45-49: Three former GP champs are in the top 4! Peggy Bailey leads on the strength of 5 race efforts, with Teri Lyon and her four race efforts close behind in 2nd.
Women 50-54: Regional legend, Muriel Naumann, has a slight lead over 4-time GP Champ, Nancy Shell, with the three fall races left!
Women 55-59: Suzanne Hammer has a slight lead over Elaine Bates! Each woman has run 2 races so far.
Women 60-64: 4-Time GP Champ, Madonna Novak, finds herself in 1st Place after 6 races!
Women 65-69: 5-Time GP Champ, JoAnn Jensen, is in 1st place with 4 race efforts, while Ann Shaffer and Margaret Stych are in 2nd and 3rd with three race efforts each!
Women 70-74 and 75-79: Marilynn McKillip and Jeanelle Twillman lead these 2 divisions but have only 1 race effort each and run the risk of not making the 3 race minimum.
Women 80-84: 4-Time GP Champ, Dorothy Bailey, is in 1st place with her three race efforts! Way to go, Dorothy!
Men Under 15: David Miller, the only runner to meet the 3-race requirement, is also leading the division for the 1st time this year!
Men 15-29: On the strength of five races, Noel Spencer has a razor-thin lead over previous GP Champs, Paul Searcy and Jason Kenyon!
Men 30-34: All of the Top 5 here have raced at least three times! Charles Moore sits atop the division's leaderboard, with Randy Swailes not far behind.
Men 35-39: Three-time GP Champ, Eric Walsh, is ready to go to the "upgrade" part of the season! Lee Hammerand has come back to race once since moving to central Iowa. Will his schedule allow him to come back two more times?
Men 40-44: Murray Mente has the lead and has won 2 of the 3 head-to-head races against Eric Wortman. A new GP Champ coming?
Men 45-49: Three-time GP Champ, Ernesto Venzor, is in 1st, but Pete Wyatt is keeping close in 2nd.
Men 50-54: Defending GP Champ, Mario Garcia, has the lead over past GP Champ, Tony Carl, with three races left!
Men 55-59: Jim Tiedeman has 1st place for now and appears to have his sights set on a 1st GP Championship!
Men 60-64: Lavene Payne has a slim lead over 5-Time GP Champ, Juan Collazo!
Men 65-69: Former GP Winner, Jim Tebockhorst actually has a slight lead over Clyde Evans, but both runners need the three-race minimum to be eligible for their age division's championship.
Men 70-74: 5-Time Champ, Larry Koehrsen, has the lead and his three races in, so he can now say to the field, "catch me if you can!"
4/30/08
Foxen and Hammerand Lead Winners at '08 Hustle
On a cool April morning, Nancy Foxen and Hammerand lead a strong field with overall wins at the 2009 Bishop Hayes Catholic School, Hayes Hustle. Nancy's winning time was 20:30 while Lee's was 17:29. In addition to cool (okay, cold) conditions and Fulliam Street Hill, they also had wind, which makes the winning times just that much more amazing.
Besides being the overall female winner, Ms. Foxen joined seven other runners in establishing new age division course records. (The course had only a slight change in the finish, so for all intents and purposes, is the same course and thus established and new course records are able to merged.) Nancy established a new record for Women 30-34 by having 1:59 off the previous record. Brett Guerra set a new Women's record for 14 and under by taking 1:57 off that division's previous best. Jennifer Kinney set a new standard for the 20-24 division by :05.
Next, improving on her age division record by :23 from 2006, is Muriel Naumann. Ms. Naumann, although from Iowa City, makes the journey to Muscatine at least twice a year to run our races. She is also quite likely the most accomplished local runner still running in these parts, having several race efforts posted on the Iowa All-Time Best Race Times site hosted (or previously hosted) by Fitness Sports in Des Moines. She is our area's version of Joan Benoit Samuelson!
Also establishing new age division course records for the women were JoAnn Jensen. Ms. Jensen dropped the 65-69 division record by 7:29! Finally, for the women was Dorothy Bailey who established a new division course record by becoming the first finisher in the 80-84 division, man or woman, in the nine year history of the race!
Of the course records that now stand, 7 were established in 2007 and another 2008. That is amazing! With each passing year the number of course records established should decrease. Not so in Muscatine, not now!
4/19/08
Grand Prix '08: Scoreboard Updates First, Race Story Next
In years past, there was often a delay in getting race results turned into Grand Prix points. This is not the case this year. Nancy Shell and John Ihle are now running the spreadsheets for the Female and Male Grand Prix Runners and have already turned out GP Points! I'll have those standings that you can see yet tonight. The story of the Hayes Hustle will follow. Also, thanks be to Chad Bishop for the camera work on race day which includes a new still-shot for the front page of our website. Hopefully Teri Lyon won't mind if I use her phrase, but we really are a stronger running community with the efforts of our Running Friends like Nancy, John and Chad!
2/4/08
There is no Off-Season for on the Muscatine Running Scene!
The single most amazing running phenomenon in recent Muscatine running is Running Friends! Go to http://runningfriends.blogspot.com. Many of the Friends are presently gearing up for the St. Louis 1/2 and Marathon in April. There are groups going out most weekends. The group is not exclusively for those who are already Friends. Teri Lyon has come upon a very simple running philosophy: all runners are friends! If Teri were a Care Bear, she'd be Friendly Bear! You can join the group anytime they are out. Go with them for the whole run or just part, whatever you want, and the group is accommodating of folks whatever their pace. No secret handshake, but maybe you'll get a figurative or literal pat-on-the-back and you'll be sure to make 20-30 new Friends!
Jason Wester is fast out of the blocks again this year! The Westers and the Pacas are the co-chairs for the Bishop Hayes School, Hayes Hustle, on Saturday 12th. It will again be the first race of the season. The rest of the race calendar has not been finalized.
Regarding the 6th Annual Grand Prix, many thanks to Nancy Shell and John Ihle for agreeing to maintain points for the races and for the season-long scoreboards!
10/21/07
Hughes and Searcy Win MHSCC, Final GP Champs Crowned
10/6/07 was race day for the Muscatine High School sponsored 5K Cross Country at the Muscatine Nature Center. MHSCC, which has become established as the 9th and final points race of the Grand Prix Season, was exciting both for the race on the grass course, but also for the season-long championships decided as a result.
Lisa Hughes was the overall women's winner with a time of 23:32. This was her 1st win of the season and her 23rd race victory in the Grand Prix era, the women's record. (The men's record for most GP victories belongs to Lee Hammerand with 13, 4 of which came in '07.) Mackenzie Holladay finished in 2nd in 24:47 and Peggy Bailey finished 3rd in 25:40.
On the men's side, Paul Searcy scorched the course with a winning time of 19:31. Young Mr. Searcy has since gone on to qualify both individually and as part of the up-and-coming Wilton Beavers High School Cross Country team for the Boys State Cross Country Championships. In 2nd and 3rd was the "Eric and Eric Show," Eric Walsh in 19:46 and Eric Wortman in 20:18.
With the MHSCC results, the final GP winners were declared. For the women, Donna Lemkau clinched her 1st championship while JoAnn Jensen clinched her 5th. JoAnn and Lisa Hughes are the only two women to claim GP Championships in each of the 1st 5 years. For the men, Jason Kenyon, Sabino Rangel and Maria Garcia each clinched their 2nd championships, while Eric Wortman captured his 3rd. Finally, Juan Collazo and Larry Koehrsen joined Lee Hammerand as the only men having won 5 straight Grand Prix Championships.
The last race on the Muscatine Running Calendar is the Prediction 5K Turkey Trot at the Municipal Golf Course on November 17th, with the Grand Prix Championships Ceremony to follow.
The Muscatine Grand Prix, 2003-2007
During the Race Directors' Meeting in early 2003, I proposed the idea for the Muscatine Grand Prix to the directors and to Dell Wagner. Rather than wait a year, I introduced the Grand Prix that same year and then spent the rest of that first season explaining it and drawing attention to it both to the general public and more importantly, to the racers who participated.
It wasn't really until the 2nd and 3rd seasons that it became clear that not only were there a core group of runners who ran the races for the points, but new runners and racers were drawn to the GP as well. When we began to see season champions from Iowa City and Mt. Pleasant, we knew that the series had the kind of pull that we wanted.
Along the way, the GP has changed, including having a three-race minimum and breaking down the Under-30 division to two divisions. Teri Lyon gets credit for championing the cause of the younger runners and it really has improved the Grand Prix tremendously. GP racing fits in well between track and cross country seasons and allows present and future prep champs from small and big schools alike to compete against each other in manageable sized races.
While some things have changed, others have not. We have maintained that points accumulated are based on race performance. We have also maintained that the only award given is for 1st place in each age division. Understanding that very few will be declared GP Champions, we have maintained point totals for every runner in every race. Few are crowned champions, but every GP participant can set personal records as they progress from one age division to the next.
Regarding the actual layout of the website, I am indebted to Scott Comstock and Chad Bishop for the technical expertise and artistic flair. The Muscatine Running Club website has won no awards, but it is as functionally solid as any you would want. I know it works because you tell me and because so many people have visited. Although I pulled the visit counter 1 and 1/2 years ago just after we hit 10K hits, I would imagine we have since past 20K. No small feat, but all due to the popularity of a simple idea.
There is still a need for promoting the local Muscatine races. In 2007, Muscatine Power & Water chose to end their long-running 5K. In it's place the Muscatine 4H 5K stepped in, which itself had wondered whether it could continue. Whereas one race chose to end and one came close to doing likewise, no fewer than 4 of the 9 races on the Grand Prix Circuit established attendance records this year. Race directors have acknowledged that there is such a thing as a Grand Prix Bump, that there are more entrants because of the series. There have also been other established races that have expressed interest in being part of the Muscatine Grand Prix.
Once when speaking with Rich Klimes, the Director of Muscatine Parks and Recreation, he expressed both enthusiasm and concern for local race promotion efforts. He could see that the coordination of races in Muscatine was valuable, but that much of the promotion efforts were being undertaken by a small group of people. What would happen if or when someone heavily involved was no longer willing or able to do so?
I foresee that my personal commitments will change in the next few months and that the amount of time I have to devote to maintaining the Muscatine Grand Prix will be less. This has happened to a certain extent already over the past several years. Although I have raced less because of injuries, I have not been able to attend as many races I have in the past just to obtain results.
Maybe I shouldn't have titled this session with the dates 2003-2007, inclusive. I did not want it to seem as if this is the last year of the Muscatine Grand Prix. But it is quite likely the last year that I will be as involved with it at the level that I have for the first five. If you have interest in being part of a well-established local race promotion effort, please send me a note. It really is a blast! -Kent Ferris
Foxen & Hammerand Win 4H
9/30/07 started as a mildly chilly morning below the levee in Musser Park, but it heated up fast as the gun went off and the field for the 4H5K climbed up the hill and onto the riverside trail to downtown Muscatine. As they returned, Lee Hammerand led the field and won his 4th race of the GP year and his 5th Grand Prix Championship. On the women's side, all Nancy Foxen did was win her 6th race of the year achieving the perfect GP season score of 6000. Following Lee for the men were Eric Walsh, who upgraded his season score, and Wilton's Phenom, Paul Searcy. Searcy was responsible for pulling the field through the first mile in 5:12. Following the flashy-fast Ms. Foxen for the women were Mackenzie Holladay who posted her 2nd upgrade of the season and Peggy Bailey who secured her 1st GP Championship, with an upgrade of her own.
Joining Lee and Peggy with GP Championship Clinches with 4H Results were Courtney Van DeMaat (2nd), Ernesto Venzor (3rd), Stacey Eberhard (3rd) and Kandice Tjebkes (4th).
Joining Eric, Nancy, Mackenzie and Peggy in upgrading their season point totals were: Rodney Kirk, Jr., Ron Hartman, Brian Doerres, Pete Wyatt, Steve Holladay, Tom Vandygriff, Tony Carl, John Ihle, Tammi Drawbaugh, Daphne Donald, Nancy Shell, JoLynn Krueger and Madonna Novak. For the neophyte reader, an upgrade means that at least 7 races have been run, and since only the top 6 scores for a runner are counted, a race score is dropped. Upgrading is a remarkable, late-season accomplishment!
There is one points race left in the season, next week's Muscatine High School Cross Country 5K. 8 Division Championships remain undecided! Please enjoy this last race offering as you compete for a championship, work toward establishing a new season personal record and/or merely enjoy the blessings of good health and fitness!
Editor's note: minus times, which I'll add in the next day, I think I just set a personal record of getting all results including News & Notes posted in 5 1/2 hours from the start of the race. I won't wind myself by patting myself on the back. Please bear with me next week though. I will be out-of-state for three days and thus the final results may be a week delayed in being posted.
Year #5 has been as inspiring as any we've had! Thank you all for your continued interest and support of the Muscatine Running Races, the Muscatine Running Club and The Grand Prix!-Kent
Over Hill and Dale, Hammerand & Foxen Tame the Wild Cat
September 8th, was a beautiful almost-fall day for the 100+ crowd that ventured to Wild Cat Den State Park for the 5K race, race #7 in the Grand Prix Series. When all was said and done, Nancy Foxen won her 5th race of the year in a time of 21:32, with a margin of victory of 2:45. Lisa Hughes and Kim Jennings were 2nd and 3rd for the women. On the Men's side, Lee Hammerand put the hammer down, won in a time of 19:12, with a margin of victory of 1:02 and captured his third victory of the '07 GP season. Chris Foxen and Eric Wortman finished in 2nd and 3rd, both running 20:14.
Now for a confession: I (Kent Ferris) was not in attendance. Until I receive submissions as to how the race played out, where the lead changed hands or where one's lead was lengthened, it is left to the imagination of those not fortunate to make it out to the most beautiful and challenging event on the Muscatine Grand Prix. So instead, I'll turn my commentary to what I know happened after having tabulated race points.
Hughes, Shell, Tometich, Foxen, Krueger & Searcy are the 1st Group to Win '07 GP Championships
Now that seven races have been completed, we have reached the point in the season where certain age division championships can be declared. How is this possible? With only two races left, if a runner has over a 2000 point or if the person in 2nd place could not mathematically catch the person in 1st place, even with outright race wins for upgrades, then we can safely declare someone a winner. Let's work our way through the list of runners who've clinched at this point:
Lisa Hughes leads the way of early GP winners with her 5th straight Championship! Nancy Shell does likewise with her 4th consecutive Grand Prix Championship! Mr. Mike Tometich, the only male to clinch at this point, secures his 2nd GP championship (previous win was in '04)! Winning once is substantial feat, but to repeat or to win 4 or 5 Championships is testament to talent and tenacity. Thank you all for staying with our races and establishing your own running legacy!
And now to introduce to you or first wave of first-time, Grand Prix Champions: Nancy Foxen, JoLynn Krueger and Paul Searcy! Congratulations!
Upgrades occur with the 7th Race, Show There is a Solid, Dedicated Core who Race Often & Well
In addition to overall race winners and season champions, the Muscatine Grand Prix is about promoting participation in multiple races. One way racers are encouraged to race more often is by allowing them to take their 6 best race efforts to comprise their season point total. If one chooses to race 7, 8 or 9 times, earlier race efforts resulting in fewer points can be dropped from one's season point total. "Upgrades" have had a direct impact in deciding individual championships during the five years of the Grand Prix.
But, even more compelling than GP Championships, "upgrading" enables racers to pursue personal goals and records. Oftentimes, it boils down to competing against oneself. Ask Pete Wyatt or Daphne Donald how it feels to establish or obliterate one's personal season record. Both established GP PR's (peronsal records)! Others upgrading with their Wild Cat Den effort included JoLynn Krueger, Madonna Novak, John Ihle, Eric Walsh, Sabino Rangel, Ray Lukkaninen and Ron Hartman.
Normally, the Scoreboards are updated, then I add to News & Notes. This time, I did it in reverse. I hope to have the Scoreboards to you all by end-of-day on 9/16/07 to give the details many ask for. Take Care!-Kent
Stampede Turns 30, Foxen, Hammerand, Hughes & Pelsang Win
On August 18, 2007, The Watermelon Stampede, now known as Watermelon Stampede Against Juvenile Diabetes, celebrated it's 30th Anniversary. There have been several noteworthy changes over the years, including those to the course and shortening to the 5K. However, no change has been as big as the relationship established with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and locally, with Events Developer and primary fundraiser, Kim Seligman. Each of the past three years, Stampede Against Juvenile Diabetes has raised at or above $20K for research. There are now many side events to the 5K.
The Stampede remains the Marquee race on the Muscatine Grand Prix calendar. No race is bigger and winning this one means more because of the depth of the field and the possibility of being included in an elite group of race winners. Men's Masters Winner, James Pelsang won his first Stampede Championship in a time of 18:18 and with a margin of victory of :23. Women's Open Winner, Nancy Foxen, won her 2nd Championship in a time of 19:06, with an :11 margin of victory. Lisa Hughes, Women's Masters Winner, won her 3rd Championship in a time of 22:02, with a :07 margin of victory. Finally, appearing to defy Father Time at one more race, Lee Hammerand, won his 4th Championship (previous wins in '99, '00 and '01) with a :19 margin of victory.
Next up: Wild Cat Den Run on 9/8/07, race #7 of the Grand Prix. The Fall has much in store and many GP Championships to decide! Walk, jog, run, race! There is no finish line!
10th Annual Muscatine County Fair Run Won by Foxen & Sommer
Nancy Foxen, in a time of 20:08, and Kevin Sommer, with a time of 17:10, were the overall men's and women's winner of the 10th Annual Muscatine County Fair Run, on July 15. Emily Fagan, Lisa Hughes and Mackenzie Holladay were the next three finishers for the women. Rich Fuller, Sommer's Running Wild teammate finished in 2nd, while Lee Hammerand and Chris Robertson finished 3rd and 4th on the men's side.
The next Grand Prix race is the Watermelon Stampede on August 18th.
Muscatine County 4H Comes Through in Clutch and Fills GP Schedule Void
If you read News & Notes, peruse the Men's and Women's scoreboards, or have been part of post-race conversations in the past 6-8 weeks, you know that Muscatine Power & Water has decided not to continue with their 5K. MP&W, and Terry Curry in particular, is owed a huge running debt of gratitude for the years they hosted the race and for all the races they have filmed and racers interviewed. The unfortunate reality for us runners is that sometimes the host organizations merely choose to go a different direction and a race just disappears.
In the five years that we have had the Grand Prix, we have tried very hard to have 9 race offerings so that folks intent on scoring in 6 races would have some scheduling options. (Anybody remember year #1's Muscatine Mile?) Muscatine County 4-H and in particular Becki Peterson, the 4-H County Youth Coordinator, have come through in the clutch by allowing us to piggy-back their annual Fun Run. The 4-H 5K, will be September 29, thus becoming race #8. Full race info is available via the entry blank link on the calendar on the front page. This really has been an amazing year, what with the GP contingency swelling the fields at St. Malachy and Grandview. Please consider racing the 4-H 5K. Supporting established races is much easier to do than to encourage folks to create entirely new ones. (My plan B was to have put in place a shoe-string budget race where the last two miles would have been on the MHS track, with racers coming into the track from the school property perimeter, running the 1st lap in lane 8, the 2nd lap in lane 7, and on and on until the last 400 meters was in lane one. I was going to get clever and call it Into the Helix. I'm quite sure that Dell and Lee Hammerand's thoughts about this race proposal was "this man has got to get adequate ventilation when using model airplane glue !")
Tomorrow is Bix. I'm rooting for Meb and for y'all! Remember to turn your chips in. See you out on the roads!
Record Size Field Shows Support to Grandview
On the morning of the 4th of July, folks came to the town of Grandview for their annual Freedom 5K Run/Walk. Despite having been hit hard by the June 1st Tornado, a storm that also damaged Fruitland, Muscatine and parts of Jackson County, Grandview residents showed incredible civic pride by rolling out the red carpet for race participants and fellow townspeople as the traditional morning race, breakfast, parade and festivities occurred as scheduled. The morning started out in fine fashion with great weather and a sizeable number of race preregistrants, a number equaling 58, but became an amazing day and one people will talk about for years to come as the number of race-day registrants swelled to 99, for a record total field of 157 entrants. The messages were clearly understood. The folks of Grandview wanted everyone to know that they are taking steps to recover from the disaster, while racers and spectators alike came to tell the residents that they support them in that recovery process.
In the record size field, the Women's winner was Kelsey Beeding in a time of 20:07, followed by Lisa Hughes and Brett Buerra. The Men were led by ISU-Bound, Brett Williams in a time of 17:02, followed by John Gerling and Eric Walsh.
Hammerand & Foxen Score 1000 with St. Malachy Wins
Lee Hammerand and Nancy Foxen were the overall men's and women's winners at the 2007 St. Malachy Steeple Chase. As such, each score 1000 Grand Prix Points. Hammerand's time is quite likely a personal course record as well. The top 5 for the Men were Hammerand in 26:57, Eric Walsh in 28:27, Louis Pelsang in 29:11, James Pelsang in 29:16 and Mike Thomas in 29:36.
Foxen's win on the Women's side, in a time of 31:08, is her second outright win in three races. Rounding out the top 5 for the Women were Lisa Hughes in 34:18, Muriel Naumann in 34:34, Mackenzie Holladay in 36:27 and Courtney Van DeMaat in 36:53. Note: the Steeple Chase course is 4.55 Miles.
Please see the Men's and Women's scoreboards for all age division standings. For those of you finding yourself in 1st place in your age division for the first time, know that you can submit photos for the scoreboard. Otherwise, I will try my best to get your photograph at an upcoming race.
Next on the Grand Prix Schedule: 4th of July 5K in Grandview. If at all possible, please add this race to your holiday plans. Grandview has rolled out the red carpet for us every year with this race, and our support would mean much as the town recovers from the 6/1/07 Tornado.
June 2, 2007
In-Between-Race Update
Clearly the big story in Muscatine is yesterday's tornado. Here is hoping and praying that everyone's clean-up and rebuilding is quick. There will be plenty of opportunities to lend a hand or make a donation for local recovery efforts. Equally important will be to keep in contact with those we know that have been directly affected as the impact is often felt months after the event.
On a completely different topic, I have been aware of an informal running group within Muscatine that has been meeting for weekly runs for over half of a year. I believe the creators of the group are Teri Lyon and her close friend, Peggy Bailey and might have come from wanting to add company to long marathon training runs. I recently asked Teri if I could share information about the group and she said that would be fine. The group is presently meeting Saturday mornings, now at 8:00am, starting at the Muscatine Y, and they run for approximately one hour. More information on this group? Please contact Teri at lyonden@machlink.com. Here is one of the many weekly photos taken of the group. And as you might deduce, they also pick a color theme for each get-together. Running Friends is yet another reason Muscatine is a great to place to live and run!
May, 2007
Fleet of Foot, Foxen and Fick are Fast and First
The 2007 HNI 5K Race was dominated by the F's. Nancy Foxen and Josh Fick were the overall women's and men's winners in this year's event, as they had done at last summer's Watermelon Stampede. Apologies to Nancy for the imprecise transfer of times for results, but it appears here time was approximately 19:45. I know this because I watched her finish immediately ahead of a male runner with whom I am more familiar. Nancy's time did not appear on the official results I was given, but it was clear she was the winner. Lisa Hughes and Kandice Tjebkes were 2nd and third for the women. Young Mr. Fick's time was 17:02. In 2nd and 3rd for the men were Lee Hammerand and David Cook. Next up is the June GP Race: St. Malachy Steeple Chase.
The scoreboards have now been updated. Hopefully at the next race I can get pictures of folks who are leading their divisions for the first time. Additionally, here in the next few days, I will make another News and Notes entry about an incredible group of runners who get together weekly for longer runs and camaraderie. Stay tuned...
April, 2007
Alexis Anderson Crushes Hustle Course Record, Daphne Donald not Out-Done
With stealth-like precision, and plenty of speed to burn, Alexis Anderson appeared in Muscatine on a cool April morning and came away with a convincing win at the 2007 offering of the Hayes Hustle. Anderson, using the Muscatine kick-off race as a tune-up for the Drake Relays, established the new course record for women, with a blistering 18:44. So strong was her effort that she led all runners, both male and female, for over half the race and up and over the hardest part of Fulliam Street Hill. Only Men's winner, Eric Walsh, Eric Wortman and Jason Kenyon finished ahead of Anderson.
In addition to Alexis Anderson establishing the course record, and in turn a new Women's 25-29 division course record, Linday Brunson, Paul Searcy, Jason Kenyon, Kandice Tjebkes, Eric Wortman, Tim Armstrong, Michael Tometich, Ann Shaffer and Dorothy Bailey also established new age division course records. Pre-race predictions were that with the absence of approximately twelve, well-established local runners traveling East for the Boston Marathon, the '07 Hustle field might be weaker than in recent years. The results clearly show this was no weak showing.
Finally, so much is often made about those finishing first overall or in their respective age divisions, that some equally amazing personal accomplishments elsewhere within the field are often overlooked. Quite possibly the most amazing story of the day was Daphne Donald's incredible one-year improvement in finishing times. Daphne ran a 25:25 5K race this year, compared to 33:38 in '06, a drop of eight minutes and thirteen seconds!
All attention now turns to the HNI Run, scheduled for May 5th. Welcome to Year #5 of the Muscatine Grand Prix! It looks like it could be the best yet!
News and Notes 2006
The MHSCC Race Report
Ms. Hughes Wins 6th Race of Year, Mr. Fick Wins 4th
Lisa Hughes won this year's Muscatine High School Cross Country Race/Benefit for the Boys' Cross Country team, winning the 6th race of the Grand Prix season. 6 wins equals 6000 points, the highest possible total a Grand Prix participant can score in a season. This is the 2nd time in Grand Prix History this feat has been accomplished. The other time? 2003. The inaugural year of the Muscatine Grand Prix. The person achieving the first perfect season? Also, Lisa Hughes. (In '03, Ms. Hughes won 8 of 9 GP races.)
Josh Fick was the first male entrant across the line for the men, thus receiving 1000 points. This marks young Mr. Fick's 4th outright win of the season, and a possible scenario might have had him also completing the perfect season had it not been for the commitment of prep track and cross country.
Buried in the headline is the fact that Eric Walsh actually walked away with the overall award for men, as Josh Fick was pulled from receiving official awards by virtue of still being in-season with cross country. This race was Walsh & Wortman, Chapter II, with Eric Walsh edging Eric Wortman, a switch from the previous race. Despite coming in 3rd, Eric Wortman's points were enough to clinch his 2nd consecutive Grand Prix age division championship. Joining Wortman with championships were Madonna Novak (her 4th), Sue Koehrsen (her 3rd), and Jason Kenyon and Sarah Pfeiffer each with their first GP Championships.
With the completion of the final points race for the season, special note to the following "iron horses" for running 8 or 9 races this season: Lisa Hughes (9), Paula Gillespie (9), Ernesto Venzor (9), Steve Vosecky (9), Larry Koehrsen (9), Rick Last (8), Fernando Patino (8), Tony Carl (8), John Ihle (8) and Sue Koehrsen (8). Additional and special Kudos to John Ihle for also establishing a personal record for points in a season in this his third GP Season.
Next up is the Turkey Trot on November 18th, a three mile predict-your-time race on the well-manicured Muscatine Municipal Golf Course.
The MP&W Race Report
Wortman & Walsh to the Wire, Hughes with 5th Victory of '06
The 15th Annual Muscatine Power & Water 5K Power Run/Walk was held on Saturday, September 30th. Wonderful fall weather was matched by the men's finish with Coralville's Eric Wortman edging Muscatine resident, Eric Walsh in a time of 17:54. Wortman's margin of victory, a scant :02, made for one of the closest, dramatic finishes in Grand Prix circuit history.
On the women's side, Lisa Hughes was the winner in a time of 21:32. This was Hughes' 5th outright race victory of the season and leaves her a mere 6 points away from the perfect Grand Prix race season total of 6000, a feat which only she has ever accomplished.
In addition to the overall winners, there were many Grand Prix age division winners declared following the Power & Water Run. Tess Weaver (15-29) and Holly Cochran (30-34), each won their first championship, while Sabino Rangel and Mario Garcia did likewise for the men. Stacey Eberhard (35-39) and Tony Carl (50-54) each won their second consecutive GP age division championship. Nancy Shell (50-54) and Eric Walsh (30-34) each won their third consecutive championships. And JoAnn Jensen (60-64), Juan Collazo (60-64), Larry Koehrsen (65-69) and Reggie Meyer Jr., (75-79) each clinched their fourth consecutive age division Grand Prix championships. Finally, there was an omission after the Wild Cat Den Run. John Schoonover (55-59) clinched his first championship.
The next and final points race of the season is next Saturday, October 7th, the Muscatine High School Boys Cross Country sponsored 5K race at the Discovery Center. Race time is 9:00am. (For those of you from out of town, the Discovery Center is on Cedar Street between the Bypass and Houser. If you ran MP&W, part of the course was in the Discovery Center complex.) SPECIAL NOTE TO REPEAT GRAND PRIX WINNERS: IF YOU WOULD BE SO KIND AS TO BRING YOUR PLAQUES TO THE RACE ON 10/7/06, I WILL TAKE THEM AND HAVE THE PLATES FOR YOUR ADDITIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP ATTACHED AND HAVE THEM READY FOR THE AWARDS CEREMONY FOLLOWING THE TURKEY TROT IN NOVEMBER. Be aware that there remain some close races in several divisions both for the men and the women. MHSCC should be a great cross country race, the last chance to get points for those divisions not yet decided or for your own personal points goal, while supporting the high school boys cross country team which is the next generation of outstanding Muscatine runners!
There will be additional age division leader pictures posted yet this weekend. There will be several other housekeeping tasks accomplished such as posting the times from Wild Cat Den, giving race information for a non-GP race coming up in Iowa City, etc... The motto of this weekend is "Give the people what they want!" Hopefully the fast turn-around on race points will be informative, particularly in light of the next GP race being 7 days a way! Phew! ( I can rest in December, right?) Thank you again for coming to Muscatine and racing and for all your feedback on the Muscatine Grand Prix!
-Kent
The Wild Cat Den Report
Hughes & Hammerand Win at WCD
The 2006 version of the Wild Cat Den Run saw Lisa Hughes and Lee Hammerand crowned as overall Women's and Men's winners. This year's course was slightly modified, eliminating part of the large hill on the previous course, and was also shorter than 5K. Lisa's winning time of 22:06 was a mere five seconds faster than the second woman, 14 year old, Wilton resident, Mackinzie Holladay. Lee's winning time of 17:23 was :42 seconds faster than, Iowa City resident and defending 40-44 GP Champ, Eric Wortman.
The race was not all about those at the front of the pack. The weather was cool and clear and the course was about as amazing of a trail run as you can find in these parts. Running on a bed of pine needles through rows of tall trees with the morning sun streaking through was bliss. The only real challenge was navigating the series of wooden steps at the end of a downhill trail section. (I will definitely approach that portion of the course with more caution next year.) WCD continues to be an amazing change of scenery, so unique to the GP circuit.
Besides the winners and the course, other news following WCD results are that both Paula Gillespie and Dorothy Bailey have clinched their age division championships! Congrats! These are repeat wins for both women. Additionally, Lisa Hughes also upgraded her point total for the year, and was joined by Lee, Steve Vosecky, John Ihle and Larry Koehrsen on the men's side for having run all seven races and eliminating a previous low race score.
As of the writing of this, we are six days away from MP&W 5K, followed a week later by the final points race of the year, the Muscatine High School Cross Country Race. My work will be cut out for me getting results incorporated into the standings between these two races so that everyone knows what remains to determined for season championships.
Also, note that I've posted three new photos of men's leaders. I am short two pictures for the women's leaders. I'll take submissions, but will also have my camera with me at MP&W and MHSCC so that all winners have photos posted.
Finally, maybe some of these next comments will be repeated at the awards ceremony following the Turkey Trot. I am aware that during the past year, two GP runners have lost their wives of many years, that runners have dealt with injuries that have limited their race participation and of a couple of GP runners who've not raced have done so because they were pregnant and gave birth to their children. Life is what happens between the races, or something like that. That I know of all of these updates should not come as a surprise, having just about completed year #4 of keeping race results. It means that when I go to races I spend much more time talking before and after the actual race, and that the folks I am racing against and with, the people I cheer for at the races and via this website, are now also my friends. Not bad for a guy whose been a Muscatine resident for five years.
See you at the last two races!
-Kent Ferris
The Stampede Report
Fick & Foxen Finish First with Fast Feet
Josh Fick and Nancy Foxen won the Men's and Women's Open Championship at the 29th Annual, Watermelon Stampede on August 19th. Fick ran a 16:32 while Foxen outdistanced her competitors with a time of 20:01.
The Master's 5K Championships were won by David Robertson and Muriel Naumann, with times of 19:23 and 21:51. With Naumann's victory, she adds to her record of 7 Stampede Championships over the 29 years of the race.
For the second year, the Stampede was a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. There were 361 adult entries for the 5K race and approximately 200 youth entered in the Kids' Stampede the night before.
More 2006 Stampede Photos by Chad Bishop.
Hughes and Hammerand Clinch 4th GP Championships
Additionally, as a result of the Stampede, Lisa Hughes and Lee Hammerand each mathematically clinched their 4th consecutive Grand Prix age division championships. The remainder of the age division championships will be decided during the last three races of the season, beginning with the Wild Cat Den race this Saturday, September 9th.
September 4, 2006
The full Stampede report is a day or two away, but the Men's scoreboard reflects Watermelon Stampede results. The women's scoreboard will be updated tomorrow. (Gotta make sure everybody knows what is going on before this Saturday's Wild Cat Den race...)
The County Fair Report
Barton & Navarro: Fair Winners with "Hot" Efforts
Emily Barton and Josh Navarro won the women's and men's overall championships at the this year's Muscatine County Fair Run. Barton far outdistanced the next closest competitor and Navarro also had comfortable distance between him and 2nd place. Their times of 23:05 and 18:28 respectively do not accurately reflect the speed or their performance. Race day conditions were comparable to Bix on a bad morning sans the hills. Here are the division winners:
We are one week away from the Watermelon Stampede. Congratulations to all GP participants to this point in the season! Once we get Stampede in the rear view mirror and head to the fall, we should get back to cooler race days.
I've talked to a lot of y'all either at the races, by phone or via email. Thank you for the feedback and suggestions. I'm glad to hear that our website, the scoreboards and News and Notes continue to be of interest! I hope that everyone knows that this all can be used for a bit of feedback on your personal pursuits whatever your goal or fitness level, and inspiration for everybody who reads of your efforts! What is truly gratifying is to see both the numbers of dedicated GP runners stay with it from one year to the next, along with new folks who "find the GP scene" and flourish. And the great thing about all of our efforts to maintain the Muscatine Grand Prix is that it all is entirely a 100% reflection of the individual race efforts that goes beyond the view of the casual race observer. Although the Muscatine Running Club doesn't have card-carrying membership, the participants of our races are a very tight bunch. And remember, you are welcome to join us at any time. Just come to the races!
7/9/06
Hughes & Fick Run with Freedom at Grandview
Josh Fick and Lisa Hughes posted impressive victories on the 4th of July at the Freedom Run 5K in Grandview. Young Mr. Fick ran a blistering 16:22 while Lisa ran an impressive 22:03. Joining Josh in finishing under 18:00 were Lee Hammerand (17:16) and Curtis Bowden (17:36). Stacey Eberhard (23:42) and Bailie Bonnichsen (24:20) were 2nd and 3rd for the women. There were 49 men and 41 women in the long-standing Independence Day race. The next race on the Grand Prix circuit is the Muscatine County Fair Run, next Sunday, July 16th.
The men's and women's scoreboards have point totals through Grandview. There are several very close divisional races, two on the men's side that have less than 11 points separating 1st and 2nd place after 4 races! We are so pleased that race turn-outs remain strong. It enables the individual race sponsors the encouragement and support to offer races year after year. And we are finding that not only are the veterans of Muscatine Grand Prix Racing Series tapping into the "racing season" approach, but that many new race participants are entering more races and following their progress via the Scoreboards. We continue to get good feedback and a steady number of people wanting to know how they can become involved. Participating in the Muscatine Grand Prix is easy, just race in our local races! We know that there are many races in the area and the Midwest and encourage y'all to go check some of them out. But remember, that nowhere in these parts will you find a more solid series of road races in a place with the small-town feel and big-town attention to detail for you, our most valued running/walking/racing neighbors and friends!
6/30/06
Bowden and Hughes Win at '06 St. Malachy's Steeple Chase
Curtis Bowden and Lisa Hughes won the 2006 version of the St. Malachy's Steeple Chase. Bowden's winning time was 27:43, while Hughes' time was 34:56. Finishing in 2nd and 3rd for the men were Lee Hammerand and Eric Wortman. Teri Lyon and Stacey Eberhard did so for the women.
The next GP race is the Grandview Freedom Run on the 4th of July. Race time is 7:30am. Trying to figure out where to go to get the most "bang" for your 4th of July running buck? Consider Grandview. Of course it is the only race that day where you can score Muscatine Grand Prix points, but I also find the lack of traffic in the Grandview Metroplex to be quite refreshing. (Grandview is about 8 x 8 city blocks with the race starting and ending in the park, smack dab in the heart of the town.)
I've added pictures to the scoreboards, but for folks new to the top of the leaderboard you can either submit photos to be via email, or maintain your lead and wait for me to catch you at one of the next races.
Keep up the great running and stay safe during this long, holiday weekend!
-Kent
6/21/06
Racers Keep the Pace with Two Races, News and Notes "Catching Up"
To date there have been two Grand Prix races. The Hayes Hustle started the season off with a "bang" and HNI (which seemed cooler than the Hustle!) followed but just two weeks ago. The race efforts have been great, with several new faces atop the leaderboards. My humblest apologies for the delay in getting News and Notes before now.
We are hitting the busy part of the GP race season. I'll have results and points out before the next race, will work to "beef up" News and Notes, as well as the "running" commentary for each of the divisions. Finally, if you find yourself in the lead of your age division, haven't been there before and want to email your photo, I'll put it on the scoreboard. Those who have been photographed before can either submit a new one, or wait to I come back around here in the next couple of races for new shots. (I suppose the goal would be to update any photos where leaders are seen sporting "W in '04" or "Kerrey for President" shirts. I don't recall any of those, but you get the point. Speaking of running, Mr. Culver and Mr. Nussle can "run in Muscatine", but if they want to score big in the GP, they've got to run a full six races, not just show up for the photo op!)
See y'all at Malachi this Saturday!
-Kent Ferris
1/1/06
Resolved to Run: 2 Dozen Venture Out for New Year's Day Run
The Muscatine Running Club sponsored it's umpteenth, informal New Year's Day Run today. Two dozen participants and additional friends and family gathered at Larry and Sue Koehrsen's home to run for up to an hour. The informal nature of the run included not only the choice of which direction to go, but also the distance. Many runners and walkers opted to go "upstream" and follow the new section of bikepath towards Weed Park. Upon returning to the Koehrsen's home, folks enjoyed catching up with others and having good refreshments. Additionally, the following folks to my challenge of noting their 2006 Running Resolutions:
"Keep running as many races as possible! And...HAVE FUN! -Teri Lyon
"Run faster and farther, have more fun-meet new people." -Dave
"Run in more races and do the Bix." -Julie Hammann
"Keep on running-Have Fun-Be Grateful to be healthy. Take one day at a time." -Paula Gillespie
"To keep running and have a good time."
"To kick of a great injury-free 2006 season by participating in the Hayes Hustle on April 1, 2006, AND challenge others to do the same! -Lisa Longtin
"Run a 4 hour marathon." -Marty Hills
"Run an October Marathon and log 1200 to 1500 Miles this year." -Dell Wagner
"Co-chair a successful Hayes Hustle and give my best effort in the Grand Prix." -Kent Ferris
Stay tuned. The race directors' meeting should occur soon. Then we'll post the '06 racing schedule! -Kent
News and Notes 2005
10/09/05
Season-ending Race and Remaining GP Division Championships
The Muscatine High School Cross Country Race, race #9 in the Muscatine Grand Prix Series, took place on Saturday, October 9th, at the new Muscatine Discovery Center. The morning was cool, but not too cool, by the time the starting gun was fired at 9:00am. The women's overall winner was Jill Hughes while the Men's winner was John Fletcher. Ms. Hughes had a margin of victory of :38, with Lisa Hughes, her mother, finishing 2nd. Mr. Fletcher's margin of victory was subtantially less with only :03 separating him from 2nd place finisher, Stephen Luth.
In addition to the race results, the remainder of the age division championships were decided. Claiming their first Grand Prix Championships: Jordan Sothmann-Men's Under 15; Tony Carl-Men's 50-54; Courtney VanDeMaat-Women's Under 15; and Stacey Eberhard-Women's 35-39. Claiming their 2nd division GP championships: Charles Potter-Men 55-59 and Sue Koehrsen-Women 65-69. Finally, claiming her third consecutive GP Age Division Championship was JoAnn Jensen-Women 60-64. For more details on each of these and all the age division championships, see the Men's and Women's Scoreboards.
Next up: Saturday November 19th is the Muscatine Parks and Rec Turkey Trot! Age division winners will received awards at the Turkey Trot. The Turkey Trot is always a lot of fun and the end-of-the-year awards ceremony is a great way to wrap it all up! Between now and then, there will hopefully be yet another entry into News and Notes, summarizing the racing year. Thanks to everyone that organizes races, volunteers, participates and cheers on those who make each year of the Muscatine Grand Prix bigger and better! -kent
9/24/05
MP&W: Swanberg, Hammerand and many "Clinches"
Janelle Swanberg returned to Muscatine on September 17th, and won the 14th Annual Muscatine Power and Water Race. Janelle made it a "pair," having also won the master's division of the Stampede in August. On the men's side, Lee Hammerand won his 4th race of the year, and in so doing, clinched his 3rd consecutive Grand Prix Championship as well as setting a new PR for points in a season, 5983. Actually, no male has ever scored that many points for a season during the three years of the GP era.
MP&W was a great race for many reasons. The all-path course seemed "mild" after the hills of Wild Cat Den from the week before, and the fog prior to the beginning of the race added to the beauty of the morning. Additionally, Power and Water provides a great environment for entrants of all talent. Within the MP&W family, Dave Hurlbut was the 1st place male finisher, with his 16th overall finish. Finally, it was a great race because of the race coverage provided by the MP&W, which included two cameras and post-race interviews. A+!
Note regarding points assigned at MP&W: Although the race made the distinction between runners and walkers, I didn't. I put both groups together when assigning points. My reason for doing so, was because for some of our GP participants, they walk, not jog or run. I don't care whether people walk, jog or run to the finish, however they want to get there. Particularly for the older divisions, jogging or walking is not only the preferred method of travel, it is also what is competitive in their age divisions.
Lee Hammerand's "clinch" was mentioned earlier, but for those of you who don't scour the Men's and Women's Scoreboards like I do, here are those who have clinched their GP age division championship already:
Having clinched their 3rd Grand Prix Championship for the Men: Jerry Lange, Reggie Meyer Jr., Larry Koehrsen, Juan Collazo, Bill Ryan and Lee Hammerand. For the Women: Kandice Tjebkes, Lisa Hughes and Madonna Novak.
Having clinched their 2nd Grand Prix Championship for the Men: Eric Walsh. For the Women: Nancy Shell and Dorothy Bailey.
Having clinched their very 1st Grand Prix Championship for the Men: Ryan Nicholson and Eric Wortman. For the Women: Stephanie Kopf and Paula Gillespie.
Muscatine High School Cross Country Race, GP Race #9 Preview
Despite 16 age division championships having already been determined, there are many good reasons to run in the MHSCC race to end the GP points season. First, and I can speak personally because I am in this group, this is the last opportunity to add points to your season total even if you are out of the running for an age division championship. Your point total can speak volumes of the personal success you have accomplished, whether you are a new GP participant, or a veteran who is trying to "stay at it and stay healthy."
Secondly, the MHSCC is a great race because Lee Hammerand, along with much help from his volunteers and those from the Muscatine Running Club, will have this organized so that there will be no confusion, no logistical snafus. I am aware that the course that will be used will probably be the same one recently used for a big high school meet, and all the kinks will be worked out by our race day. Another nice element of this race is that the proceeds go to the high school cross country team.
Finally, and this relates to the GP division championships not yet decided, there will be 7 great races going on within the larger race. Again, for those of you who don't read every subpage of this website, here are the exciting end-of-the season match-ups to watch ( and cheer for!) at MHSCC:
Men, under-15: Absolutely, no denying, the closest division this year. Keegan Mente has a 7 point lead over Jordan Sothmann, approximately 1/10th of 1% difference after 8 races! And the really amazing thing is that Shane VanDeMaat has not been mathematically eliminated from contention, he could still win this division even though he is presently in 3rd place!
Men, 50-54: Tony Carl and Fernando Patino have 7 and 6 GP races this season, and this division is still too close to call, so it will be decided at MHSCC!
Men, 55-59: Charles Potter and Farrel Wiley are also close enough to each other, that it will take race #9 to determine the winner!
Women, under-15: Courtney VanDeMaat and Angela Karkosh will go head-to-head one more time to determine this division! (I am so glad I listened to those who suggested breaking up the under-30 division!)
Women, 35-39: Stacey Eberhard and Andrea Failor have each run 5 GP races and are within 350 points of each other, so here again, this division will be decided at race #9!
Women, 60-64: JoAnn Jensen, two-time GP winner has a sizeable lead over Margaret Stych, but not enough to mathematically clinch it after MP&W. Both have raced often and well, and thus this division will be decided with results from MHSCC.
Women, 65-69: Last year's GP winner, Sue Koehrsen and Donna Larue are 1 and 2, but even Ann Evans in 3rd could still win this division1
So, plan to race at the Muscatine High School Cross Country Race. And after you have finished, hang out and cheer on these folks in these very competitive divisions!
9/11/05
Reifert, Wortman and Bailey Win Big @ Wild Cat Den
Rachel Reifert and Eric Wortman were the women's and men's oveall winners at the Wild Cat Den at yesterday's Grand Prix stop. Both notched the first wins of the season, and from statements both provided after the race, possibly their first overall wins in the racing careers. Following Rachel to the finish for the women were Christina Kreinbrine and Teri Lyon, while Mario Garcia and Bill Ryan completed the top 3 for the men and achieved an amazing 1-2-3 finish for Men over 40.
Weather conditions were warm and humid for a fine September Saturday morning. Course conditions were dry and "good" but also include the challenging hills and trails that make the Wild Cat Den race so unique. You noticed three names on the headline and the third belongs to Dorothy Bailey. Dorothy, along with Rachel and Eric, achieved the amazing feat of scoring more points at WCD than at any other of her races so far this season! You can be impressed with Dorothy because she is the oldest GP competitor, but give her props for her Wild Cat Den effort, independent of her age!
There were those who Clinched their division with their WCD efforts. Those include Ryan Nicholson for the men and Kandice Tjebkes (who didn't run but still clinched mathematically) and Nancy Shell. There were also those who "upgraded" their point total with their WCD efforts, like Murry and Keegan Mente. There were also many others who did well and had a good time to boot, and thus the number of success stories multiplies quickly!
Good job y'all with your efforts. Hold onto your hats, because race #8, the Muscatine Power and Water Run is only 6 days away!
9/9/05
Incredible Stampede, Season into Homestretch
The 28th Annual Watermelon Stampede took place on August 20, 2005 in Muscatine, and what a race it was! With over 400 participants, and a different course, winners had fast times and everyone had a good time. Open Winners and also first time Stampede winners were Todd Hauge (17:03) and Elizabeth Brown (21:21), while Masters' Winners were Janelle Swanberg (20:54) won her 4th Stampede (also a winner in '85, '87 and '88) and Bill Ryan (18:31) won Stampede #5 (also won in '01-'04)
The obvious big winner of the day was the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation as over $16, 000 was raised to benefit the charity. No Stampede has been successful in the past without much support from volunteers, as Dell Wagner will attest to. This year was no different and much of the added spark, the willingness for corporations to contribute, for more volunteers to help and for more people to participate in the event can be attributed to the efforts of Kim Seligman. The Stampede was not a memorial race for Kim's late son, Matthew Seligman, who had Juvenile Diabetes, but the day and the effort shown by all including the likes of Matt's teammates and coaches from the Muscatine High School Football team, who all participated, was a fitting tribute to Matt and to those who lives with Juvenile Diabetes. I understand that Stampede and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation may continue their working relationship in years to come. Everyone involved stands to benefit from that.
With points assigned following the Stampede, the 2005 Muscatine Grand Prix, has three age division winners! The following three men have mathematically clinched their respective age division championships: Eric Walsh (2nd consecutive GP Championship), Lee Hammerand (3rd consecutive GP Championship), Eric Wortman (1st GP Championship). The closest divisions for the Men remains the under 15 division, while the Women's 65-69 Division has three women within 6 points of each other and last year's division champion within striking distance in 4th place! Peruse the Scoreboards. There really are some amazing GP contests this year!
Tomorrow is the Wild Cat Den Run. Come join in the trail fun! Then, next Saturday is the MP&W Run. Two points races in 7 days! Lots of fun. I will try my best to turn Wild Cat Den Run results and post points prior to MP&W. Also, thank you for the feedback. If you believe that an error or omission has been made regarding points, email me. I'll do my best to quickly take care of things.
Thanks everyone for racing in Muscatine! -Kent
8/13/05
Dolan & Hughes Cruise at Fair
On July 17th, Kevin Dolan and Lisa Hughes won their respective races at the Muscatine County Fair Run in West Liberty. Dolan, a Muscatine Cross Country runner, ran a blistering 17:43, bettering 2nd place finisher Seth Schultz, by :16. Lisa Hughes' 22:21 was :13 faster than 2nd place finisher, Megan Myers. Both winners received $100, with Dolan's earnings going to the Muscatine Cross Country team via coach and 3rd place Men's finisher, Lee Hammerand (18:15).
Also at the race, the very competitive Men's under 15 age division became even tighter as Jordan Sothmann cut 20 points into Keegan Mente's lead for the season. Both racers have competed in all 5 races this year, with Jordan having a 3 to 2 advantage in head-to-head races against Keegan, but Keegan still maintaining a slight overall points lead, 3686 to 3658. Simply amazing!
Although there is no official designation made for "Grand Prix Rookies of the Year, after 5 races, my votes would go to Stacy Eberhard (35-39) and Tony Carl (50-54). Stacy and Tony have each raced 4 times so far. Stacy has almost a 2000 point lead over her next closest competitor, while Tony has close competition from Fernando Patino. It's great to see two new racers get the "GP Points Fever," and set the bar high for their respective age divisions!
Congratulations to Janelle Swanberg for her recent Bix effort! She raised a lot of money for her work charity and ran very strong in the process. Janelle has a Muscatine racing connection for having one the Watermelon Stampede in '85, '86 and '87 (the '85 win was at the 10K distance). The red carpet will be rolled out, if/when Janelle decides to come back and race in the Pearl Button Capitol of the World!
Finally, we are only a week away from the 2005 Watermelon Stampede. Look on the front page of the website for entry blanks and the newspaper article on Matt Seligman. Matt's Mom, Kim Seligman, has done an incredible job championing the cause locally for raising awareness and donations for Juvenile Diabetes. Please join us (participate, spectate, volunteer) this coming Friday evening for the kids Stampede at the High School Track and Saturday morning at First Baptist Church for this very special version of the Stampede!
Lastly, with the Stampede, we will be 2/3rds of the way through the '05 GP Season! It has gone fast, for sure. Remember that once you get 6 races in, any race effort after that where you score more points than an earlier race, bumps the lowest race points from your total, aka Upgrading! Ah, then the competition for year-end awards really heats up!
Also of note, the website has now had over 8K hits in 2 1/2 years! It's quite possible we'll make it to 10K by the end of the season. Thanks to everyone for visiting and revisiting, letting others know of it, and to folks like Chad Bishop, Terry Curry and Charles Potter who give the GP and the Running Club exposure via local television and radio!
Good luck, train wisely and see you at the Races!
7/11/05
Hammerand and Tjebkes have Grandview of New GP Race
Lee Hammerand and Kandice Tjebkes won the Grandview Freedom 5K early in the morning of July 4th adding to their respective age division leads and showing their competitors winning form in the process. The Freedom Run has been an Independence mainstay for many years, but was added to the Muscatine Grand Prix Series only in 2005. The "out-back" course from the small, but very friendly hamlet of Grandview, Iowa, provided everyone the opportunity to see the leaders come back in fine fashion and fast speed. Lee's margin of victory was :57 while Kandice was 1:16.
Also continuing at the Freedom Run was the compelling drama of this year's most competitive age division on the men's side, the Men's under 15 division. After being edged by 1st Place leader, Keegan Mente in the first three races, Jordan Sothmann edged Keegan and chipped away slightly at the lead. Heading into the 5th race of the season, Keegan has 2913 points to Jordan's 2865, an average of only 12 points per race! What is most amazing to me is that I had to be convinced that there would be interest enough in the off-season to create this particular age division. These two young runners have proven that there is interest in the GP and it can be a very competitive division indeed!
The Mente name is providing an added boost to the Muscatine Grand Prix scene this year not only by way of Keegan's 1st place standing, but also due in part to his father, Murry Mente. The senior member of Team Mente, is presently in 2nd place in the Men's 35-39 division, and giving closer company to Lee Hammerand in division standings than at any point in the 3 years of our series. We've had running relatives in the past, what with Team Canady from Iowa City, and the ongoing Lee (Hammerand) and Lisa (Hughes) Show (brother and sister), but the Mentes are proving every bit as good as these other family tandems.
Next up is the Muscatine County Fair Run this Sunday. I have posted information about the race on the front page of the website. I hope it is helpful. For those of you wondering where exactly to go, it is in West Liberty at the Fairgrounds, which is on the Southwest corner of town. The start and finish is on the Northwest side of the race track. There is usually a pretty good turnout for this West Liberty Youth Sports fundraiser, so good fun and good points are sure to be had. Also note: this is the only GP race of the year where there is prize money for 1st place overall for the men and the women, $100 each!
6/4/05
Malachy '03 Winners Return & Win Again
Lisa Hughes and Lee Hammerand, 2003 St. Malachy Steeplechase winners, returned this year and won the Women's and Men's division again. Lisa won with a winning time of 34:18, while Lee clocked a 28:16 for the 4.65 mile, trapezoid-shaped (or is it a rhombus?) rural Muscatine County course. Finishing in 2nd and 3rd for the women were '04 winner, Kandice Tjebkes, and 45-49 division leader, Paula Gillespie.
Finishing in 2nd, 3rd and 4th for the men were two-time, 45-49 GP Champ, Bill Ryan, new GP Strong Man, Murry Mente, and local top runner and CBRC '05 Race Circuit Leader, Rusty Brown, in a tight finish with times of 29:22, 29:25 and 29:30. Also in the men's race, Keegan Mente and Jordan Sothmann, 1st and 2nd place in the under-15 GP division to this point in the seaon, finished :08 apart and proved that the creation of this age division is creating interest and very healthy competition.
The weather looked as though it were going to play a factor, but only drizzle fell during the race. Luckily for all those who participated and were there for awards and door prizes (No doors given as prizes, but Tom Hanifan did win 40 lbs. of dog food. Maybe at an upcoming race, Tom can win himself a dog...) there is a nice church right there just waiting for such festivities so as to avoid the raindrops. A great time, albeit a slightly damp one, was had by all!
Additional photos of more of the division leaders were taken before and after the Steeplechase. (I'll post 'em in a couple of days.) With the photos, will come "running narratives" for each of the division.
Make plans to race in Grandview on the morning of the 4th of July at the next GP race and make sure to note the 7:30am start!
5/16/05
Hughes and Hammerand Haul @ HNI
The 20th Annual HNI (formerly HON) 5K took place on May 7th, 2005, at the Pearl City Station in downtown Muscatine. The overall women's winner was Lisa Hughes, posting her first win of the Grand Prix Season in a time of 21:19. The overall men's winner was Lee Hammerand, also getting his first win in a time of 17:38.
HNI graciously invites the general public to their corporate sponsored race, so it only makes sense to return the favor by noting that 1st place HON female and male members were Kandice Tjebkes (21:47, 2nd overall) and Mario Garcia (19:27, 8th overall). Additionally, the HON/ALLSTEEL Team, "Exhaustion," comprised of Lee Randall (22:13), Matt Brown (22:53) and Brandon Garrett (23:14), won the members team championship. Good job HNI! (Note: I have points to assign to Kyle, Tyler and Ricky Crawford, but the race information I was given does not indicate which of the runners is in the under 15 division and which is over 15. Let me know and I will add them...)
Regarding the Grand Prix after two races, the story on the Women's side is the fact there are several age divisions that have three and four runners who have run both races, making the divisions more competitive than in year's past. For the men, the big news is that the splitting of the young divisions into under 15, and 15-29, respectively, finds there interesting drama already. In the under 15 division, Keegan Mente, Jordan Sothmann and Kevin Hughes have each run the first two races and are setting up for a great race all year long. In the 15-29, Ryan Nicholson and Brian Sauser go 1, 2 and are making it to the finish line faster in the process.
Next up, the 10th Annual St. Malachy's Steeplechase on Saturday, June 4th, at 8:00am. Following the Steeplechase, we'll have the "1/3rd of the season update." There are several new faces to the Grand Prix to mention. Stay tuned! See you on the roads and at the races!
Post Script: At the next couple of races, I might approach you to get a picture of you if you are leading your age division. The great thing in year #3 is that we have some new leaders (and thus a need for more photos taken). Also, if you are tired of seeing the same photo of yourself, stop me to take another picture or email me one you would rather have posted.
Post Post Script: Congrats to Rusty Brown for being the early leader in the Cornbelt Running Club Circuit Race Standings!
4/16/05
Long and Abma Hustle to Wins
The 6th Annual Hayes Hustle, run on Saturday, April 2nd, saw one defending champion win, and crown a new champion. Josh Long returned to Muscatine and successfully defended his '04 Hayes Hustle title with a competitive duel with long-time, Muscatine front-runner, Lee Hammerand. Hammerand pushed the pace early only to have Long pass him closer to the end of the race. The two finished in times of 17:34 and 17:46 respectively.
On the women's side, Janae Abma of Iowa City won the women's race and became the first woman ever to beat Lisa Hughes in a Hustle Race. Abma's time of 21:38, shaved almost 4 minutes of the previous age division course record for women. Hughes finished in 2nd place overall and first in her own age division finished in a time of 22:10.
Along with overall winners, there were several age division course records set. With each passing year, age division course records get pushed to faster and faster times, make the accomplishment noteworthy, particularly at a race that is now 6 years old. Besides Abma's age division course record, Kandice Tjebkes established a new 30-34 course record with an impressive 22:51 effort (4th overall) and Rachel Reifert improved her own age division course record set in '04 by shaving an incredible 1:07 off her time.
This year, for the first time, due in large to enormous popularity of 60+ age running, for both men and women, the Hustle establishes new age division course records 65-69, 70-74 and 75-79. Women establishing new age division course records were as follows: 65-69, Jo Ann Askam, 45:51 and 70-74, Jo Gonse, 41:46.
Age division course records were established on the men's side. Eric Wortman established a new Men's 40-44 record by running an 18:45, while Bob Nelson improved the 50-54 record by running a 19:34. As with the women, so too were new standards set in the 65-69, 70-74 and 75-79 with Larry Koehrsen, Fran Riley and Chet Wildemuth each establishing their age division's new course record.
Overall champions and age division records are certainly the stuff of local cable television interviews and webpage headlines, but the sub-story of the 6th Annual Hayes Hustle was the large numbers of participants, with 147 women and 104 men finishing the race. Maybe some of the reasons for the big numbers are that the race has huge support for friends and family involved in Bishop Hayes Elementary School and that it has a solid history and enjoys it's place as the first outdoor race each Spring in Muscatine. Also adding to race interest this year was the large number of Cornbelt Running Club members who participated, due in part to the Hustle being added to their own Grand Prix. Thus for many reasons, the Hayes Hustle, the 2005 version was a smashing, sunny success.
One final note: This was the last Hustle for Lisa Longtin and Jenny Meyer as co-chairs. A huge THANK YOU goes out to these two women both from the race committee and from the larger Muscatine running community. I personally look forward to having you both on the race committee again next year and also hope you will enjoy actually being able to run the Hayes Hustle for many years to come! -Kent Ferris
1/23/05
Preseason 2005
I have not written much yet about the upcoming GP Season, Season #3, but here is some news:
1. The Hayes Hustle, the official first race of the Muscatine Grand Prix 2005, will be held on April 2nd! I am aware that plans are going well for the race, which will introduce a two-person relay race. As one might imagine, relay participation excludes one from GP points, but we have a lot of points races during the year if you wanted to try this new race option.
2. I am aware of efforts to "smooth out" the race offerings over the year. In years past, there has been a sizeable gap in time between the Hustle and the next race in the season. I think there might be conversations with race directors to see if there is any flexibility in when they have their races so that the races will be spread more evenly out over the year.
3. We received input in the offseason to alter the youngest age division for competitors. During the first two GP seasons, all competitors under 30 years of age were in the same division. Although the Grand Prix will still not have that age group in 5 year blocks, we are pleased to announce that we are splitting it into two different divisions: "under 15" and "15-29," for both the men and the women. We want to promote young runners having the opportunity to compete over the season, while still acknowledging the part-time road racing patterns of prepsters and collegiate athletes. Also, when we see that the numbers of "20 something" runners swell, we would then consider breaking that decade into two separate age divisions, as we do for the others. At least for 2005, we will not have 12-year old runners having to compete with 24-year olds.
That is all the news for now. Stay healthy. Run. Cross-train. Lift weights to maintain tone and muscular balance. And, be mindful of the icy patches during this Winter which doesn't want to seem to end! -Kent