By Rob Potter
ROCK HILL — June 24, 2005 – Under what many participants noted were ideal weather conditions, the 13th Annual Rhulen Rock Hill Run and Ramble 5K was held last Saturday.
With cool temperatures and a slight breeze, more than 500 men, women and children ran or walked in the event. The race followed the familiar course, as it started near The Dodge Inn on Lake Louise Marie Road, wound around the lake itself and concluded at the finish line on North Emerald Drive.
At the awards ceremony following the event, which was presented by Frontier Insurance Group, Inc. in memory of Walter A. Rhulen, race chairperson Suzy Rhulen-Loughlin, the daughter of Walter A. Rhulen, announced that after expenses, over $25,000 had been raised by the participants. All of those proceeds will be donated to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America, which raises money to fight blood-related cancers.
Paul Mwangi of New Paltz won the race in a time of 15 minutes, 8 seconds, which worked out to an excellent average mile time of 4:52.
Second-place finisher Andy Latincsics of Newton, NJ crossed the finish line 46 seconds after Mwangi for a time of 15:54.
Raymond Ravell of Campbell Hall took third place in a time of 17:21.
In the women’s division, Lilian Kroner of Monroe crossed the finish line first. Her winning time was 18:46.
“It was a nice course,” said Kroner, who is a two-time cancer survivor. “We had beautiful weather today. There was water at every mile and people were cheering us on. It was a perfect race.”
Kroner and several other runners in the field had participated in The Orange Classic 10K in Middletown just six days earlier. She posted a time of 40:08 and placed sixth among the women who finished the Orange Classic.
She noted that the weather conditions at the Rhulen Rock Hill Run and Ramble 5K were a vast improvement over the Orange Classic, where the temperature hovered in the 90s and the humidity was just about as high.
When asked if she planned to compete in the 2006 Rhulen Rock Hill Run and Ramble 5K, Kroner had a simple answer.
“Absolutely,” she said with a smile.
The second woman to finish the event was Conni Grace of Poughquag, who posted a time of 19:13. Barbara Sessa of Slate Hill earned third place honors with a time of 19:25.
At the post-race awards ceremony, Rhulen-Loughlin had help handing out medals and trophies from Chris Burke and Myriam Loor, both of whom are currently battling cancer.
A separate raffle to help Loor raised more than $5,000.
Burke, a 19-year-old from Goshen who has non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and Loor, who also has lymphoma and resides here in Sullivan County, each addressed the crowd of runners and walkers to thank them for raising money for such a worthy cause.
“With faith, medical treatments and support from family and friends, it can be done,” said Loor in regards to defeating the dreaded disease.
Several teams of runners competed in the event. The team that posted the best overall finish was the Weight Watchers of Sullivan County team, which had 63 members. Second place honors went to the Walter Rhulen Team, which consisted of 17 Rhulen family members from all over the country, and third place went to the 16 members of the E.A. Morse and Company, Inc. squad.
This is the fifth year that members of several Weight Watchers groups from around the county have formed a team and competed in the event.
Tammy Porter of Neversink noted that the 63 Weight Watchers team members have lost a total of 1,115 pounds.
“We had some runners and walkers out there today,” Porter said. “This was a good opportunity to get some exercise and enjoy the nice weather.”
The Weight Watchers team included five members of the Hill family – Jackie Hill, Theresa Hill-Stagl, Theresa Marie Stagl, Brenda Lee Hollenbeck and Luann Ritz.
The post-race activities included live music and refreshments. In addition, the Catskill Regional Medical Center (CRMC) Mobile Health Unit was on hand throughout the day. Staff members performed blood pressure checks and diabetes tests and provided runners and spectators with other important health information.
The age group results are as follows:
10 and Under Female: 1. Alissa Nowak, Middletown, 23:42; 2. Caitlin Leen, Harriman, 27:41; 3. Zoe Rhulen, Evergreen, 31:10.
10 and Under Male: 1. Connor Briggs, Rock Hill, 24:58; 2. Andres Pabon, Middletown, 26:17; 3. Jack Drapkin, Rock Hill, 27:39.
11-15 Female: 1. Carolyn Gates, Washingtonville, 20:44; 2. Nicole Rozario, Middletown, 20:50; 3. Emily Moore, Walden, 21:03.
11-15 Male: 1. Steve Leach, Walden, 17:55; 2. Kevin Wippel, Pine Bush, 19:36; 3. Max Gunther, Eldred, 19:57.
16-19 Female: 1. Cathleen Ford, Cornwall on Hudson, 19:51; 2. April Ackermann, Cochecton, 20:12; 3. Sofia Frank, New York City, 21:06.
16-19 Male: 1. Corey Price, Monticello, 19:41; 2. Alexander Levine, Monticello, 19:43; 3. William Groves, Parksville, 19:58.
20-29 Female: 1. Ashley LaMonica, Piti, Guam, 23:58; 2. Concetta Denisi, Gardiner, 24:57; 3. Jenna Diaco, Monticello, 25:14.
20-29 Male: 1. Steven Keller, Youngsville, 17:35; 2. Benjamin Schussler, Hurleyville, 17:47; 3. Michael Bassett, Rock Hill, 19:10.
30-39 Female: 1. Tara Pipia, Middletown, 21:37; 2. Edna Harrison, New Paltz, 21:50; 3. Daria Petraglia, Goshen, 21:59.
30-39 Male: 1. Mike Kresge, Rock Hill, 17:57; 2. Peter Verdesi, Beacon, 18:42; 3. Erik Sellstrom, Liberty, 19:00.
40-49 Female: 1. Valerie Kilcoin, Middletown, 21:35; 2. Annette Burke, Goshen, 22:11; 3. Lynn Kuhl, Middletown, 22:18.
40-49 Male: 1. Marty Doherty, West Milford, Pa., 17:53; 2. Tom Manza, Monticello, 17:59; 3. Marco Pabon, Middletown, 19:01.
50-59 Female: 1. Karin McCaffery, Napanoch, 26:05; 2. Benita Auge, New Windsor, 26:08; 3. Gladys Nieves, Rock Hill, 26:25.
50-59 Male: 1. Kenneth Lohmeyer, Sackett Lake, 20:16; 2. Bill Plough, Hamburg, 20:34; 3. David DaCosta, Central Valley, 20:35.
60-69 Female: 1. Rita Hoffman, Monticello, 31:19; 2. Victoria Greffrath, Damascus, Pa., 37:19; 3. Judy Rhulen, Monticello, 37:59.
60-69 Male: 1. Lorne MacDonald, Sussex, NJ, 21:42; 2. Kent Laudeman, West Point, 21:54; 3. Bill Rosenberg, Wallkill, 22:39.
70 and Over Female: 1. Rita Domber, Fairfield, Ct., 39:06; 2. May Nishman, Woodridge, 41:11; 3. Carol Snitofsky, North Bergan, NJ, 43:15.
70 and Over Male: 1. E.J. Szulwach, Chester, 25:53; 2. Herb Waterman, Middletown, 26:39; 3. Louis Ioppolo, Warwick, 33:36.
Sullivan County runners who finished among the top 100 finishers, but not in the top three in their respective age group, are as follows:
17. Brandon Sauer, Liberty, 19:24; 23. Gary Ross, Rock Hill, 19:44; 29. Brendan Ference, Smallwood, 20:02; 32. Douglas Wood, Callicoon, 20:19; 33. Jonathan Huppke, Neversink, 20:23; 34. John Bowens, Wurtsboro, 20:25; 35. Matthew Arielly, Liberty, 20:26; 37. Edwin Robisch, Jeffersonville, 20:34; 41. Matt Blanchard, Hurleyville, 20:41; 45. Jonathan Farrow, Rock Hill, 20:47; 46. Jacob Schwartz, White Sulphur Springs, 20:49; 50. Scott Coddington, Wurtsboro, 20:57; 55. Joseph Loughlin, Rock Hill, 21:21; 58. Bob Tedaldi, Rock Hill, 21:27; 72. Samuel Heinle, White Sulphur Springs, 21:54; 74. Chris Butcher, Rock Hill, 21:59; 76. Alex Boyd, Liberty, 22:04; 78. Jeff Boyd, Liberty, 22:10; 82. Emma Cohen, Wurtsboro, 22:22; 85. Roberto Ruiz, Rock Hill, 22:27; 87. Eric Schwartz, White Sulphur Springs, 22:29; 97. Jared La Monica, Grahamsville, 22:49; 99. Kevin Schwartz, White Sulphur Springs, 22:57.