By Rob Potter
SMALLWOOD — July 3, 2007 — For the third straight year, the same runner was the first to break the tape at the finish line of the Smallwood-Mongaup Valley Fire Department 2007 5K run.
Brandon Devine of Bethel won the race in a time of 16 minutes, 29 seconds.
Last year, 16-year-old Devine, who is a member of the Monticello High School cross country and track teams, won the race in 16:50. In 2005, his winning time was 17:21.
Devine, who will begin his senior year at Monticello HS in September, really likes this race course.
“It’s a nice course that is close to home,” he said. “I enjoy running here.”
And winning the event three consecutive times is nice, too.
“It feels good,” Devine said of his third straight victory.
The overall winner in the women’s division was Maegan Krifchin. She ran the course in 18:31, which placed her third overall.
The 19-year-old Krifchin also won the 2005 SMVFD 5K race. She is from Bellmore, Long Island, but resides in Woodbourne during the summer.
“I like the course because it has some little hills, rolling hills to challenge you,” said Krifchin, who is a member of the women’s track and field team at Syracuse University and will begin her sophomore year at Syracuse in a few weeks.
Matt Burns, who serves as co-race director with Tammy Ierardi, said that in addition to the sponsors, the fire department members and local residents helped to make the event successful.
Among those Burns noted were D.J. Wes, who provided the music for the SMVFD’s open house which was held after the 5K race concluded, Diane Lubniewski, who helped design the artwork for the official race T-shirts, Robert Green Chevrolet-Oldsmobile, Inc., which provided the Jeep Liberty “pace car” for the race, and the Red Bull® girls Mandy and Michelle, who brought a pickup truck filled with Red Bull® and handed out cans of the energy drink to the runners.
This year’s SMVFD 5K Run was held in memory of Robert “Big Bob” Bonnaci, a longtime member of the SMVFD who passed away a few weeks prior to the 2005 5K race, and in support of Brittany Beckmann, a Smallwood resident and Monticello High School student who was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year.
A portion of the race proceeds will be donated to the Beckmann family to assist with medical costs.
“We’re very proud to be able to help this young lady, Brittany Beckmann,” Burns said. “This is something which touches our hearts.”
Race sponsors included Mr. Willy’s; Gusar’s Pharmacy; Bank of America; Catskill Hudson Bank; The First National Bank of Jeffersonville; The Bake House; The McGraw-Hill Companies; Burnwell Propane; Fellenzer III Engineering; SMVFD Collins Park; Crystal Run Healthcare; R&B Grille; C.A. Phillips Construction Corp.; Cooper Paint Distributors, Inc.; Bethel Animal Clinic; MacAdam Associates; Fox’s Service Station; Thompson Sanitation; Alman Monti Taxi Corp.; Smallwood Realty; Bill Whalen Auto Sales; P&P Lawn Service; Hughson Hogs; Yaun Co.; Cooper, Niemann & Co.; Progressive Auto Body; P.N. Fire & Burglar Alarm Co., Inc.; Seven X Motors, Inc.; Giant Mobile Home Service and Mountain Physical Therapy.
Age group winners are as follows: Overall Male: 1. Brendan Devine, Bethel, 16:29
Overall Female: 1. Maegan Krifchin, Woodbourne, 18:31
Overall Male Walker: 1. Bob Barrett, Smallwood, 36:40
Overall Female Walker: 1. Detra Coney, Monticello, 42:39
12 and Under Female: 1. Elizabeth Schlichting, Valparaiso, Ind., 24:56; 2. Heaven Porter, Swan Lake, 27:17; 3. Leah Bernstein, New Paltz, 29:53
12 and Under Male: 1. Devin Wallgren, Smallwood, 28:04; 2. James Barden, Ridgefield, NJ, 31:48; 3. Zachary Pole, Newington, 34:57
13-19 Female: 1. Nicole Rozario, Middletown, 20:46; 2. Jessica Wagner, Cochecton Center, 21:28; 3. Kasi Pilny, Jeffersonville, 26:52
13-19 Male: 1. Brendan Ference, Smallwood, 20:18; 2. Michael Murchison, Smallwood, 20:18; 3. Jeremy Kinney, Hurleyville, 20:48
20-29 Female: 1. Nicole Jones, White Lake, 26:19; 2. Jessica Weehawkin, NJ, 39:41; 3. Christine Panos, Smallwood, 41:49
20-29 Male: 1. Bill Berger, Jeffersonville, 26:19; 2. Ivan Loor, Thompsonville, 20:58; 3. Matthew Murchinson, Ridgefield, 23:57
30-39 Female: 1. Tammy Pilny, Jeffersonville, 28:33; 2. Nancy Figueroa, Grahamsville, 28:54; 3. Sarah Rosen, Maplewood, 31:11
30-39 Male: 1. Tom Stratton, Liberty, 19:50; 2. Juan Gomez, Enfield, 22:52; 3. Jeff Carman, Mongaup Valley, 23:03
40-49 Female: 1. Myriam Loor, Thompsonville, 24:40; 2. Jane Schlichting, Valparaiso, Ind., 26:20; 3. Elizabeth Boardman, Smallwood, 26:24
40-49 Male: 1. George Shakelton, Hancock, 19:30; 2. Marco Pabon, Middletown, 19:50; 3. Scott Coddington, Wurtsboro, 21:16
50-59 Female: 1. Judy Lohmeyer, Albany, 26:57; 2. Susan Lynn Brown, Jeffersonville, 29:40; 3. Ruth Lantry, Whitney Point, 35:57
50-59 Male: 1. Tom Manza, Monticello, 18:55; 2. Ken Lohmeyer, Forestburgh, 20:58; 3. Alex Smith, Middletown, 23:46
60-69 Female: 1. Victoria Greffrath, Damascus, Pa., 36:36; 2. Ellen Moore, Valley Stream, 45:34; 3. Joan Gregory, Monticello, 48:49
60-69 Male: 1. Tom Moore, Valley Stream, 25:42; 2. John Pilny, Jeffersonville, 28:32; 3. Jesse Rosen, New York City, 30:06
70 and Over Female: 1. Mary Heinle, White Sulphur Springs, 36:26; 2. Jean Goldman, Chatham, 51:18
70 and Over Male: 1. Erich Guenther, Shohola, Pa., 28:46; 2. Bert Zorn, Smallwood, 47:52
Sullivan County residents who were among the 137 finishers but did not place among the top three in their respective age group categories included:
17. Bill Cormack, Kauneonga Lake, 22:01
28. Aaron Levine, Monticello, 25:20
29. Rene Loor, Thompsonville, 25:26
32. Anthony Aylestia, Smallwood, 26:09
37. Bruce Jacobson, White Lake, 26:48
38. Alex Levine, Monticello, 26:51
43. Gerry Giblin, Smallwood, 27:47
46. Tyler Wuerthner, Monticello, 28:19
47. Zachary Taylor, Mongaup Valley, 28:21
48. Stephan Bartalini, Rock Hill, 28:31
53. Joanna Goldfarb, Harris, 29:14
54. Katie Green, White Lake, 29:19
55. Heather VonHegal, Smallwood, 29:27
56. John Lennon, Jeffersonville, 29:29
57. Abby Billias, Kauneonga Lake, 29:36
59. Michael Panos, Smallwood, 29:53
61. Ron Barile, Narrowsburg, 29:55
67. Sironis Khahaifa, Kauneonga Lake, 31:13
68. Justin Wallgreen, Smallwood, 31:28
69. Jamie Giblin, Smallwood, 31:32
72. James Giblin, Smallwood, 31:58
75. Collin Stanton, Smallwood, 34:34
78. Robert Green, Mongaup Valley, 35:29
81. Linda VanKeuren, Thompsonville, 36:06
82. Martin Handler, Jeffersonville, 36:13
83. Nancy Warth, Wurtsboro, 36:17
90. Tanner Wuerthner, Monticello, 38:00
91. Hailey VanKeuren, Thompsonville, 38:11
92. John Panos, Smallwood, 39:34
95. Everett Saul, Cochecton, 41:51
96. Tiffany Mack, Rock Hill, 42:31
98. Allen Rosen, Smallwood, 42:47
99. Orshii Boldiis, Hankins, 42:47
100. Steve Jordan, Ferndale, 42:50
101. Rebecca Wood, Kauneonga Lake, 43:25
102. Emily Morey, Smallwood, 43:29
103. Caitlin Bonnaci, Swan Lake, 43:29
104. Beth Klotz, Cochecton, 43:37
105. Burton Ledina, Monticello, 45:08
106. Colleen Cunningham, Swan Lake, 45:25
109. Chris Cavello, Forestburgh, 45:36
111. Dr. Jamie Noefli, Mongaup Valley, 47:25
112. Helen North, Mongaup Valley, 47:34
113. Sylvia Peters, Callicoon, 47:42
114. Christine Winski, Youngsville, 47:43
115. Loretta Gonzalez, Ferndale, 47:43
117. Helen Sywalski, Forestburgh, 48:28
118. Christine Cavello, Forestburgh, 48:48
120. Debra Falk, Narrowsburg, 50:54
121. Eileen Falk, Narrowsburg, 50:55
126. Neil Gilberg, Hurleyville, 51:40
127. Patrick Harrison, Narrowsburg, 51:41
129. Edward Coney Jr., Monticello, 52:55
130. Tiffany Roosevelt, Mongaup Valley, 56:07
131. Michelle Mootz, Cochecton, 56:07
132. Amie Brzytwa, Roscoe, 56:08
133. Thomas Mootz, Cochecton, 56:08
134. Bo Von Hegel, Smallwood, 56:32
135. Myshel Taylor, Mongaup Valley, 57:23
136. Judy Pilny, Jeffersonville, 57:39