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Jun 29 2003

Increased Participation Leads to More Record-Setting Performances at Pittsylvania Mile Run

Posted by: John Harwick in Results, Achievements, Members

FINISH LINE

Runners from ten high schools ran in either the 14-15 or 16-19 races: Baldwin, Central Catholic, Gateway, Indiana, Mt. Lebanon, Penn Hills, Penn-Trafford, Valley, West Allegheny, and Westmont-Hilltop. West Allegheny runners–coached by marathoner Jim Hamilton–led the way with six runners. Jim served as the honorary chair for the 2002 Pittsylvania XC Challenge, and each year he conducts a pre-race clinic for the Saucony XC Series.

Injury stopped West Penn’s George Carroll–winner of the 55-59 race from 2000-2002–from trying for a fourpeat.

Eight sets of siblings ran: Matt and Heather Detwiler; Barry and Bob Harwick; Mike and Katie Harwick; Ben and Chris Harwick; Jake and Jenn Moore; Matt, Kimberly, and Melissa Payton; Stephen and Shannon Scabora; and Marissa and Rachel Umbel. And two other siblings–Mary Carolyn and Mark Harwick–worked as volunteers.

West Penn’s George Dieffenbach–for the second year in a row–won the consistency award. George ran 5:28.8 in 2001, 5:28.2 in 2002, and 5:26.2 this year.

Dario Donatelli, men’s XC and track coach at Carnegie Mellon University, started the races, and Mark Schwartz, long-time USATF official, served as the referee.

Dick Firsching–1945 PIAA 220y gold medalist for Mt. Lebanon High–served as custodian of awards.

Three runners have competed in each of the four meets (2000-2003): West Penn’s Elmer Gasper and Lee Zelkowicz, and Dan Holland of the Pittsburgh Pharaoh Hounds.

Nineteen runners ran in both 2002 and 2003. Thirteen of them ran faster the second time around. West Penn’s Elmer Gasper (35.3 seconds), teammate Ben Harwick (19.7 seconds), Phillip Pillin (16.4 seconds) of the Jock Shop/OH, Craig Ball (14.5 seconds) of Penn Hills High, and West Penn’s Franklin Chen (12.2 seconds) improved the most.

Runners ranged in age from 6-year-old Katie Harwick of West Penn to 81-year-old Stuart Kaufman of Mt. Lebanon.

Two runners broke records by less than a second. Baldwin High’s Tim Phillips ran 4:58 to break the 14-15 4:58.3 mark set by John Nemeth of Wings of Moon in 2002. West Penn’s Jim Beck ran 5:39.5 to break the 35-39 5:40 mark set by Dan Sheehan of Pittsburgh in 2000.

Honorary chair Jerry Richey took third in the 50-54 race.

West Penn’s Larry Van Dyke, teammate Joe Seiler, and Phillip Pillin of the Jock Shop repeated their 1-2-3 40-44 finish from last year.

Two West Penners bettered the U.S. Masters All-American Standards. Larry Van Dyke’s 4:44 beat the 40-44 4:50 standard, and Barry Harwick’s 4:51.3 beat the 45-49 5:00 standard.

Thirty-three of the 63 finishers (52%) represented West Penn, but–as usual–the men outnumbered the women, 22-11. Last year the host club’s men outnumbered the women, 21-5. Moving from 18% to 33% represents considerable progress for West Penn’s women.

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