Camels and Bisons and dogs, oh my Roundtree, Valentine win Crowley
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Fred Roundtree wins the Crowley Race on Sunday in Rutland. VYTO STARINSKAS / RUTLAND HERALD |
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By Tom Haley Herald Staff - Published: June 11, 2007
Sunday's Crowley Brothers Memorial 10K Road Race was a menagerie of sorts. The 31st edition of this Proctor-to-Rutland race was a day for a Camel, a Bison and a dog.
Williston's 29-year-old Frederick Roundtree, who did his cross-country running for the Bucknell University Bison, had a dog throw him off stride on the second loop off Route 3. The dog charged from a yard in front of Roundtree, but that could not stop him from easily winning the race as he clocked 33:05 (a 5:20 mile pace) to finish 30 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Kent Lemme, a 41-year-old from Williamstown, Mass.
Colchester's Meg Valentine, who competed in cross country for the Connecticut College Camels, was the women's winner in a time of 42:37,z with St. Johnsbury's Rachel Knott second in 43:06. A local runner took third place in the women's race as Rutland High graduate Caeleigh Beerworth, a hockey player at Cornell, registered 43:32.
Roundree was not only startled by the Black Lab, but he went past the turn off Route 3 that leads up to Dewey Field. He had added a few extra steps before someone pointed out he had missed the turn. The turn had been clearly marked with an orange arrow on the road, but someone had parked a car over it.
It didn't matter as Roundtree was running all alone. He put significant distance between himself and the other runners before he was even to the first turn off Route 3 just outside the village. He just kept lengthening the lead and soon he was so far in front, there were many places where the second runner was not in sight.
It was a great day for Roundtree because it was about much more than the victory. It was verification that he had put an injury behind him.
"I'm coming off an injury (Achilles tendonitis) and this is the first time I have raced in a long time," Roundtree said. "I felt great."
Following Roundtree and Lemme was Michael Broillette of South Hadley, Mass. Then came Rutland's Rob Lukaskiewicz, whose fourth-place time of 34:47, earned him the award for being the first finisher from Rutland County. Lukaskiewicz was also the top Vermont finisher in the Vermont City Marathon last month.
Essex Junction's Nathan Fields was fifth and Derek Watulak, a former runner for Rutland High and Bentley College, was sixth. Watulak is a past winner of the Crowley.
"I've still got some Vermont City Marathon in my legs," Lukaskiewicz said.
Valentine is a veteran of the Crowley, but she still feels she made a strategic error in the beginning.
"I went out too strong, but then I backed off," she said.
She said her past experience on the course was a benefit.
"I knew there were hills," Valentine said.
Lincoln Fenn, 75, was the oldest runner in the field and finished the race in 1:21.29.
Fenn figures has run in about 20 of the 31 Crowley races.
"It's a great event," Fenn said. "I don't know about it becoming a big New England race. I think it has more of a future as a local event."
James Preite of North Adams, Mass., won the 5K race, which was the second half of the 10K course. His time was 20:25, well ahead of second-place finisher Craig Wood of Proctor who came in at 23:31.
Rutland's Maura Gleason (27:47) was the top female 5K finisher, with Rutland's Cindy Murray second in 28:03.
The top 10 male finishers in the 10K race: Fredrick Roundtree, 22:05; 2. Kent Lemm, 33:35; 3. Michael Brouillette, 34:03; 4. Robert Lukaskiewicz, 34:37; 5. Nathan Fields, 35:23; 6. Derek Watulak, 36:33; 7. Jeremy Allen, 39:21; 8. Eric Salsaen, 40:32; 9. Stuart Barlow, 40:47; 10. Paul Guilmett, 41:00.
The top 10 female finishers in the 10K race: 1. Meg Valentine, 42:37; 2. Rachel Knott, 43:06; 3. Caeleigh Beerworth, 43:32; 4. Erin Bellomo, 45:28; 5. Cara Solimano, 46:46; 6. Anne Hill, 47:55; 7. Judith Louras, 51:35; 8. Katha Pehm, 52:50; 9. Amy Roberts, 52:51; 10. Christine Tattersall, 53:00.
The top 10 males finishers in the 5K race: 1. James Preite, 20:25; 2. Craig Wood, 23:31; 3. Chris Danforth, 23:35; 4. Jake Kirk-Elkin, 25:19; 5. Nick Starinskas, 25:44; 6. Joe Dicton, 27:48; 7. Isaac Wright, 27:50; 8. Jim Wright, 28:06; 9. Seth Drop, 31:38; 10. Andrew Allen, 32:34.
The top 10 female finishers in the 5K race: 1. Maura Gleason, 27:47; 2. Cindy Murray, 28:03; 3. Maggie Klein, 28:48; 4. Erin Kirk-Elkin, 29:50; 5. Katherine Hession, 30:22; 6. Tara Vanwyck, 33:26; 7. Pamela Monaghan, 34:55; 8. Lillian Pritchard, 35:20; 9. Alyssa Sabotka, 36:20; 10. Michelle Magee, 38:08.
Notes: Lukaskiewicz will tackle the Mount Washington Hill Climb, a run 7.6 miles straight up Mount Washington, on Saturday. … Hession, 61, was the winner of the female 55-and-over age group in the 5K. Rutland's George Smith took top honors for males in that division of the 5K with his time of 32:47… Jake Kirk-Elkin, a state wrestling champion for Rutland High and a second-place finisher in the New Englands, will be wrestling for Norwich University as a freshman next season.
Contact Tom Haley at tom.haley@rutlandherald.com
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