By Rob Potter
CALLICOON — July 31, 2001 – Tom Manza and Pati Rosen really enjoyed running in the 5K River Race Saturday morning in Callicoon.
Manza, a Rock Hill resident, and Rosen, who lives in Kauneonga Lake, were competing in the race for the first time and they ran the course extremely well.
So well in fact that they captured the men’s and women’s titles. Manza beat everyone back to the finish line, running the course in a time of 17:08. Rosen was the first woman to finish, recording a time of 20:59.
“It’s a big thrill,” Manza said of winning the third annual 5K River Race. “It’s an unbelieveable course. It’s flat and being able to see the (Delaware) river is just great. The course is so scenic, it takes your mind off the work (of competing).”
Manza, who is the president of the recently formed Sullivan Striders running club, set a course record with his time. The previous record was set by Steve Holmbraker in the inaugural 5K River Race in 1999. Holmbraker ran the course in 17:24 that day.
“He told me about halfway through the race to go for the record,” Manza said of a conversation he and Holmbraker had during the race. “That showed a lot of sportsmanship on his part.”
Manza also praised second-place finisher Andy McKean, who is the vice-president of Sullivan Striders.
“He really worked hard and ran a great race,” Manza said of McKean.
Like Manza, Rosen took notice of the course and its surroundings.
“It is so beautiful along the river,” said Rosen, who belongs to both the Sullivan Striders and Orange County Runners clubs. “It was a good run.”
Rosen also noted that the event’s 8 a.m. starting time was “perfect.”
“It gives you the rest of the day to get things done,” she said.
Both Rosen and Manza said they plan on defending their titles in the 2002 5K River Race.
“It’s a good race for a good cause,” Rosen noted.
That good cause is the Delaware Youth Center in Callicoon. The 5K River Race is one of the center’s biggest fundraisers of the year.
(Of course the youth center welcomes any and all donations no matter what month it is.)
“We’re hoping to raise $1,000,” Delaware Youth Center President Tess McBeath said yesterday, noting that the proceeds from Saturday’s race had not been fully calculated.
McBeath noted that several center members, including race chairperson Jacky Robisch and Alice Newell, worked hard to make the race a success. And they plan to make next year’s event bigger and better.
“We’re hoping for 100 runners next year,” McBeath said.
The 2001 edition of the 5K River Race featured 74 participants. Although most people ran the course, there were a few walkers in the event.
Age Group Winners
Female 19 and Under – Kayla Muth 24:00; Male 19 and Under – Kevin McCarthy 18:30; Female 20-29 – Kris Dengler 21:58; Male 20-29 – Darren Hendrickson 24:18; Female 30-39 – Virginia Layton 21:31; Male 30-39 – Andy McKean 18:29; Female 40-49 – Kathy Davis 22:41; Male 40-49 – Steve Holmbraker 19:41; Female 50-59 – Marilyn Fairman 27:42; Male 50-59 – Craig Schumacher 21:20; Female 60-69 – Victoria Greffrath 41:37; Male 60-69 – John Waterman 22:06.
The other finishers were:
Kyle Layton 19:33
Tony Muth 19:47
Bill Schneider 19:48
Pastor Ramos 19:59
Matthew Campbell 20:13
Curtis Browne 20:27
Edwin Robisch 20:38
Don Fassberger 20:42
Nicholas Muth 20:57
Robert Fairman 21:33
Joseph Pilny 21:42
Matt Gain 21:46
Michael Francaviglia 22:21
Benjamin McKean 22:29
Craig Fine 22:33
Keith Yeates 22:42
Gene Adolph 22:42
Anthony Lucarelli 23:04
David Abram 23:15
Neil Snedeker 23:59
Roger Desy 24:32
John Pilny 24:41
Willis Easley 24:48
Ryan Gain 25:08
Jason Soares 25:53
Kenny Bobetsky 25:54
Kimberly Gueren 26:04
Timothy Jenner 26:32
Gary Cochrane 26:32
Michael McKean 26:48
Judy Pilny 28:15
Sironis Khahaifa 28:49
Daniel Erlwein 29:22
Garrett Owen 30:24
Albert McGraw 30:26
Kevin Worth 31:32
Donna Worth 31:43
Tom Gain 32:13
Keith Robisch 32:56
Richard Bliss 32:56
Victoria Wargo 34:14
Victoria McGraw 40:20
Susan Hyranko 40:27
Jacquelyn Fine 41:38
Nancy McGraw 43:32
Debbie Labounty 44:50
Jazmine Ahmad 45:58
Kelly Hendrickson 48:44
Katie Worth 51:10
Diane Bobetsky 51:17
Mary Cullen 51:18
Ginny Guglielmone 51:18
Judith Fine 56:13
Natalie Kinney 56:13.