Club Northwest Athletes 2006 Performances

PAUL ABDALLA  Paul was3^rd overal and first master in the Smelt Run 10K, running 34:46 on a very breezy day.  Last year Paul won the race in about 1 minute faster.  Paul raced on the track and ran 10:02 as the fastest master in the 2 mile series, edging out teammate John O’Hearn.  In 2006 Paul had many highlights, perhaps the best being first master at the Vancouver Marathon, running 2:39 and finishing 6^th overall.

JODEE ADAMS-MOORE  Jodee hasn’t raced yet this year.  In 2005, Jodee was a member of the CNW team that placed 6^th at the National Cross Country championships, placing 87^th overall.  She was CNW’s 3^rd finisher and 5^th overall at the PNTF cross country championships in November.

MARK ALEXANDER  Mark has been very active this year.  Mark set a PR for 3K at the UW Preview, finishing 23^rd in 9:54.  Competing against college runners he was happy not to finish last.  He also ran two PRs at the Spring Break Open, running 4:35 for 1500m, good for 6^th, and 2:20 for 800m.  Last year Mark set a masters PR for the mile in running 4:59 at a CNW all-comers.  He also raced cross country, and was the 15^th masters and 11^th in the 40-44 age group at the PNTF cross country championships.

MICHAEL ALLISON  Michael has been quiet the past year.  In 2005, Michael placed 2^nd in his age group at the PNTF cross country championships.  He also raced both 800m and 1500m on the track, recording bests of 2:22 and 4:41.

CHRISTINA ASHBY  Christina was the first masters woman and finished 7^th at the Chuckanut 50K, which was a new distance for her.  In 2005 Christina helped our women’s masters team to their third straight National Cross Country maters title in the 40-49 division.

AHRLIN BAUMAN  Ahrlin has been a CNW stalwart for the past several years and is the veteran on our Cross country team.  Ahrlin has only raced once this year, winning at 5K in Clackamas under poor conditions in 15:10, a victory margin of 2:28 seconds.  Last year Ahrlin helped lead the CNW cross country team to a 16^th place finish at the National Cross Country championships in Rochester, NY.  In early November, Ahrlin finished 11^th at the PNTF Cross Country championships, held in Lower Woodland Park in Seattle.

SALLY BERGESEN  Sally recently took 2^nd place at Mercer Island in a spirited duel with Susan Empey.  The two women ran together for 9 miles.  Sally finished the hilly course 15 seconds behind, running 82:31, which tied her PR.  Earlier she teamed with friend and former CNW secretary Liz Stahl to win the women’s team championship in the Love Em or Leave Em 5K.  She began the year with a strong win in the Club Northwest Resolution run 5K.

SARNA BECKER  Sarna has been very busy in 2006, racing both indoors and outdoors.  She ran 5:04 at an indoor meet in February, and a 9:54 3K, also in February.  She won the 1500m at the UW Preview by 9 seconds, and followed that up with a “workout” 3K at the same meet in which she placed 4^th in 10:04.  She won the 5K at the Shotwell Invite at UPS, winning by 42 second margin in 17:37 on a very windy day.  In early March, Sarna traveled to Atlanta and raced in the Chattahoochee 10K, finishing 4^th in 36:00.  In 2005, Sarna was the first CNW finisher and 28^th overall, leading her CNW team to a 6^th place finish (just behind her former team, the Nike Farm Team) at the National Cross Country championships.  She won the PNTF cross country championship early in November, leading her CNW team to the team title.

MARK BILLETT  Mark was third in the Mercer Island 8K, running 28:39 over the hilly course.  Mark won his age group by 4:21.  Mark’s 2005 highlight was winning the bronze medal at the USATF Cross Country championships in the 50-54 age group.

SCOTT BOOTHBY  Scott is one of the top hammer throwers in the nation.   He hasn’t thrown yet this year, but last year he had another terrific year, finishing 4^th at the 2005 USATF National Track & Field Championships.  Scott was also ranked 4^th in the US last year by Track and Field News and had a best throw of 243-5.

RACHEL BREWER  Rachel took to the track for the first time this year, taking 2^nd place in the 1500m at the Spring Break Open in late March.  Rachel ran a strong 4:48 on a windy day.  In 2005, Rachel was the 5^th scorer (76^th overall) on Club Northwest’s 6^th place team at the National Cross Country Championships in Rochester, NY.

IAN BROWN  In has run in two chilly races in Yakima, finishing 6^th, and first masters in a 4 miler and 4^th, and winning his age group (but 2^nd master to former CNW runner Rick Becker).  In 2005, Ian was CNW’s 4^th finisher at the National Masters Cross country championships in Rochester, NY, finishing two ticks behind teammate Loren Hill.

MELINDA CAMPBELL  Melinda ran her first race in 2006, winning the Tulip Festival 5 mile run in 30:38.  This is the second fastest time ever on this course, which is about 80% on gravel/dirt and the fastest time in the past 5 years.  In 2005, Melinda helped CNW to a 6^th place finish at the National Cross Country championships, as she placed 96^th in only her 2^nd race of the year.

STEVE DEKOKER  Steve has set 3 PRs this spring, twice bettering his 5K time and setting his 10K PR under trying conditions.  Steve first set a PR at a February meet, running 14:46, then bettered it two weeks later, dropping it down to 14:39.  Steve placed 5^th at the Willamette Invite, despite getting GI distress that forced him to walk at times, running 31:52.  Steve shared the lead with teammate Will Dobbie for most of the race.

RYAN DIRKS  Ryan is another great hammer thrower in the long tradition of CNW throwers.  He hasn’t thrown yet this year, but last year he met the USATF B standard with a best throw of 214-4 inches, which was 27^th at the end of the year US hammer list.  He also scored 9 points for CNW at the National Club T & F Championships in New York, helping CNW men’s team to a 7^th place finish.

WILL DOBBIE  Will has set two PRs this year, setting his 5K PR of 15:01 at a UW indoor meet and winning the Willamette 10K against steady winds in 31:36 for his 10K PR.  Will took 6^th at the St. Paddy’s Day Dash, as he was nipped at the line by teammate Kyle Smits.  Last fall, Will was CNW’s top cross country runner, finishing as their #1 scorer at both the USATF National championships and the USATF Northwest Regional.  Will finished 4^th at Regionals and 85^th at Nationals.

CURTIS EASTON  Curtis won the 800m at the Willamette Invitational, outkicking the field and holding off a strong finisher to run 1:53.32, run under pretty good conditions, compared to much of the meet.  Curtis thought he was suffering from exception pre-race jitters prior to the race, which turned out to be food poisoning.  Earlier Curtis ran 1:53.40 at the Last Chance Meet in early March, to place a strong 4^th.  In 2005, Curtis set a PR at the National Club Track & Field championships, placing 7^th in 1:53.18, in helping CNW to a 7^th place team finish.

SUSAN EMPEY  Susan successfully defended her title at the Mercer Island Half marathon, winning in a narrow margin over fellow CNW teammate Sally Bergesen.  The two women ran together for 9 miles before Susan gradually pulled away to win in 82:15,an excellent time on that hilly course.  This is her 2nd fastest half marathon.  Earlier in February, Susan took 6^th at the Vancouver First Half, running 82:36 on a breezy and wet day. 

COLIN FISHWICK  Despite a late start in training, Colin has had a very successful year.  He began his year with a solid indoor 5K (15:23), only 3 weeks after starting back in training.  He won both the Ft. Steilacoom 15 and 20 mile runs, running 1:20 and 1:49, the latter being the 2^nd fastest time in Washington state history.  Colin also finished 9^th at the St. Paddy’s Day Dash, 5 seconds behind Eric Tollefson.

ANGELA FRENCH  Angela won the Nookachamps half marathon in January, a terrific effort.  Her time was 86:27, and she won her age group by, uh, 9 ½ minutes.  In 2005, Angela was on the CNW winning team at the National Masters Cross Country championships.

JOSE GARCIA  Jose easily won a 4 mile race in his hometown of Yakima in early February, winning by 70 seconds.  Jose began the year with a win in the Club Northwest Resolution Run 5K. 

TJ GARLATZ  TJ has had to overcome some nagging injuries so far in 2006.  He did run a very fine early season exploratory 5K at the Joe Peyton Invite at UPS, finishing in 5^th place in 15:25.  In 2005, TJ was CNW’s number four finisher at the National Cross Country Championships.  He also finished as CNW’s #2 finisher at the USATF Northwest Regional Cross Country championships.

KURT HARTMAIER  The news on Kurt is that he is back and running again, after battling injuries for the past two years.  Kurt has raced twice since hitting the comeback trail.  At the Spring Break Open Kurt placed 3^rd in the 1500 in 4:13 and 7th in the 800 in 2:08.  At the Ralph Vernacchia Kurt ran an outstanding time of 32:23 for 5^th place in the 10K.  This was a PR for Kurt, who only began training in earnest in February.

LOREN HILL  Loren spent the early part of 2006 traveling.  In 2005, he was CNW’s #3 scorer at the National Cross Country championships.  He placed 7^th at the PNTF Cross Country championships in the fall, helping the CNW team to its victory.

ROBINSON HOWELL  Robinson won his age group at the Mercer Island Half marathon, finishing in 21^st place overall, and was only 2^nd master to teammate John O’Hearn.  Robinson narrowly lost the Mercer Island Cup to the runner finishing just ahead of him.  This Cup is awarded to the top Island finisher at this race.  Robinson has won the Mercer Island Cup 9 times, including a stretch of 7 in a row.

LINDA HUCYK  Linda began the year in top shape, but has had a couple of setbacks.  Still she has run and won two races, winning both the Run For Luck and Ft. Steilacoom 10Ks in January and March.  In 2005, Linda was CNW’s number three finisher and 68^th overall at the National Cross Country championships, helping her team to a fine 6^th place finish, one spot behind the Nike Farm Team.  She was 2^nd in the PNTF 10K championship, held at Issaquah Salmon Days.

MEGAN JOHNSON  Megan has had a quiet spring.  She finished in the top 10 at the St. Paddy’s Day Dash, but wore her brother’s number, so she does not appear in the results.  In 2005, Megan was CNW’s number two finisher at the National Cross Country championships, finishing 50^th overall.  At the PNTF XC Championship, she

REGINA JOYCE  Regina took 5^th place and was the first masters finisher at the St. Paddy’s Day Dash, keeping her streak of finishing in the prize money every year since Leprachauns arrived on the scene.  There were many highlights for Regina in 2005, including taking 2^nd place (and 2^nd in her age group) in helping her team win their third consecutive title at the National Masters Cross country championships in Rochester, NY.  Regina won an incredible 3 events at the World Masters Games in Edmonton, AB, winning the 800m (2:26), 1500m (4:55) and 5000m.

SAUL KINDERIS  Our former President is still active, finishing as 20^th master at the PNTF Cross Country champinships last fall.  He is also an avid biker, and is a leader in the Cascade Bicycle Club.

SARAH KRAYBILL  Sarah joined CNW last fall and has been having a blast.  She raced the 800m twice indoors, and once outdoors.  She debuted indoors at 2:15, then ran 2:14 at the UW Last Chance meet, to place 7^th.  She won the UW Preview meet in March, running 2:15 but winning by 1.28 seconds.  She looks to improve as she gets into more competitive races.

KELLY KRUELL  In April, Kelly finished 4^th in her age group, running 19:27, at the Carlsbad 5K, a scant two seconds out of 3^rd.. In March Kelly had a great race at the National Cross Country championships at Van Courtland Park in the Bronx, as she finished 4^th in her age group.  In 2005, Kelly won the bronze medal in the 45-49 age group in helping her CNW team win its third consecutive championships at the National Cross Country championships in Rochester, NY. 

SARAH LEONARD  Sarah had a fine indoor season as she focused mainly on the mile.  She recorded a seasonal best of 5:03 at the UW Classic in February.  Sarah has moved to the Olympic Peninsula, making it harder for her to get over here to train and race.  Sarah has raced at a consistently high level for the past several years, and last year she had excellent times at everything from 400 to 5000m and in years past has been a scoring member of our National cross country team.

DAVID MARTIN  Dave is coming back from a broken toe, sustained during last falls cross country season.  He is training for a fall marathon, aiming for the Olympic Trials standard of 2:22, having run 2:23 at Cal International in his debut in Dec of 2004.  He did a fitness test at St. Paddy’s, finishing a remarkable 11^th place, remarkable because he just began training in February.  Prior to breaking his toe last fall, Dave defended his title at the Footzone 5K against stout competition, finishing in 14:52.

LAUREN MATTHEWS  Lauren began her season with a fine 5K to place 6^th at the UW Invitational in January, finishing in 17:26.  She is preparing to race at Grandmas marathon in June.  She had a great year in 2005, as she won two PNTF championships at 8K and the half marathon (at Super Jock n Jill).  She set a half marathon PR at Super Jock n Jill, running 79:15 on a challenging course.  She earlier came in 4^th place at the Scotia Bank Half Marathon, running 81:13, also a PR at the time.  She placed 4^th at the PNTF cross country championships and was CNW’s #4 runner on their 6^th place team at the National Cross Country championships.

JIM McGILL  Like many masters runners, Jim likes to pick his spots to race.  He raced in the Winter Grand Prix 2 mile series, finishing 6^th in his age group.  In 2005, Jim was the PNTF cross country champion in the 55-59 age group.  He also placed 3^rd at the PNTF 10K championship at Issaquah Salmon Days 10K. 

KARL MELLER  Karl has been quiet this year.  Last year he improved with every race during the cross country season.  Karl was the 12^th CNW finisher at the PNTF cross country championships, finishing 21^st overall.  He also raced very well at the Western Washington Invitational, despite only having a couple weeks of training under his belt.

SHELLEY NEAL  Shelley won the Mercer Island 8K, finishing the hilly course in 32:06.  She was the first master at the Love Em or Leave Em 5K in February.  In 2005, Shelley finished 5^th in her age group at the National Cross Country Championships, in helping her team to its third consecutive Masters Team title.

JOHN O’HEARN  John had a great race at the Mercer Island half marathon, finishing as the first master and 10^th overall in 76:08, which is a PR.  Earlier this year John raced the mile twice, running 4:47 in early January and a masters PR of 4:43.36 in late January.  He also ran 10:05 on the track in the 2 mile series.  For the 2^nd year in a row John was CNW’s top finisher and 21^st in his age group at the National Cross Country championships last fall.

HANS OTTEN  Hans has been sidelined following hernia surgery in March.  This plagued him during the later half of 2005.  In 2005, Hans helped CNW to a 16^th place finish at the National Cross country Championships in Rochester.  Hans was third int he PNTF 10K championship, held at Issaquah Salmon Days.  In the summer Hans recorded a PR in the half marathon, running 68:56 at Scotia Bank Half in Vancouver. 

KYLE SMITS  Kyle finished 5^th , the last money spot, at the St. Paddy’s Day Dash, edging out teammate Will Dobbie at the line.  During the indoor season Kyle raced both the 3K and 5K, recording 14:46 time in the later.  In 2005, Kyle finished in 11^th place at the PNTF cross country championships, but could not travel to New York to race at Nationals.

KAREN STEEN  Karen is taking a break from running to care for her ill sister.  In January she got out to just run and she placed third in the mile at the UW Open #2, running 5:16.  In the fall, Karen won her 2^nd National masters cross country championship in the 40-44 age group, helping her team to a third straight National title.  She also set a world masters record of 7:05 in the 2000m steeplechase at the US National Masters championships in Hawaii.  This was accomplished despite very windy conditions and headwinds at the water jump.  Earlier in the year she won her 7^th consecutive Capital City Marathon.

MARK STEEN  Mark finished 9^th at the Mercer Island 8K in March.  He was 2^nd in the 45-49 age group.  In 2005, Mark finished as 12^th masters and 4^th in his age group at the PNTF Cross Country championships.

QUOC TRAN  Quoc joined CNW last fall after not having trained hard in several years.  Quoc is a man on a mission.  He races very hard and during the fall cross country season he improved greatly with every race.  He placed 25^th at the PNTF cross country championships, and was CNW’s #13^th finisher.

TONY YOUNG  Tony went back east to Ithaca, NY where he raced the Hartshorne Mile against some of the top masters runners in the US.  He went out well in the first 800 (2:05-6) but had difficulty on the tight turns, and had to settle for a 4:20 win.  This is te first time in 10 races as a master than Tony has not broken 4:10.  Tony had many highlights in 2005, including a masters PR in the mile at the UW Last Chance Meet, running 4:05.51.

We try and keep up as best we can.  For any omissions, corrections or any new news (engagements?, weddings?, relocations?, births?, or running for politcal office?), please contact Tom Cotner or Chuck Bartlett.  tcotner@phreego.com, chuck@runchuckit.com