The Greater Springfield Harriers won all three team prizes at the 22^nd annual Springfield Fourth of July road race. Fierce thunderstorms which swept through the area just before the race may have scared off some runners, but not the fearless Harriers. True to their tradition, the Harrier event went off on schedule, and despite the rain, was perhaps the best organized holiday race yet. 

Sandu Rebenciuc of Fast Feet fame took control of the race from the opening gun, raced through the first mile in the mid 4:30’s, and was never seriously challenged, successfully defending his crown from last year in 15:41. All the more impressive as Sandu ran a track meet in Maine the day before in an attempt to qualify for the Olympic trails in the steeplechase. Although he missed in Maine due to the heat and humidity, he qualified a week later.  Second place was a race, with Carlos Rivera eventually breaking away with 16 year old Neal Graves on East Columbus on the return stretch back through the center of town. Within striking range were Harriers Dave Hanechak and Paul Fratini racing shoulder to shoulder. But at the finish line it was teammate Carlos Rivera (16:31) holding off a surging Dave Hanechak (16:42). The youngster Neal Graves faded to fourth (16:46) while Paul Fratini claimed fifth (16:54). Harriers Tom Bousquet (7^th in 17:04) and Don Towse (8^th in 17:12) helped clinch the team title while each earned a seeded invitation to next year’s race.

Kristine Ross won the women’s race in a pr 18:47, leading the Harrier women to their 22^nd consecutive team title and earning herself a Springfield Union-News sports page photo in Monday’s newspaper. A visitor for the Garden State (New Jersey) Jenny Koprowski took second in 19:24 closely followed by Harrier Heather Wenninger (19:32). Dawn Roberts (5^th in 19:48), Katie Knowles (6^th in 20:21) and San San Wu (8^th in 20:58) completed the team scoring to help maintain the winning streak.

Celio Hernandez led the Harrier master’s team to victory with a solid 17:23 effort,with John Bigos (17:53), Bob Willis (18:19), Bill Romito (20:04) and Tom Dwyer (20:18) all aiding the cause.

The awards ceremony included a wide variety of merchandise prizes, refreshments were plentiful, and the new t-shirt design was enthusiastically received. With success both in the administration of the race and in the running of the race, all club members should be pleased.

  1  15:41  Sandu     Rebenciuc     30M
  2  16:31  Carlos    Rivera        25M  GSH
  3  16:42  Dave      Hanechak      34M  GSH
  4  16:46  Neal      Graves        16M
  5  16:54  Paul      Fratini       34M  GSH
  6  17:03  Alex      Keene         18M  SMAC
  7  17:04  Tom       Bousquet      17M  GSH
  8  17:12  Don       Towse         36M  GSH
  9  17:15  Stephen   O'Neil        47M  CMS
 10  17:20  Andrew    Gordon        37M
 11  17:23  Celio     Hernandez     46M  GSH
 12  17:28  Joe       Fois          24M  GSH
 13  17:37  Glenn     Stowell       43M  SMAC
 14  17:50  Frank     Rucki Jr.     49M  CMS
 15  17:53  John      Bigos         45M  GSH
 16  17:55  Scott     Mooney        29M
 17  18:05  Richard   Clark         45M  SMAC
 18  18:09  Anders    Jonsson       26M
 19  18:10  T.J.      Galis         33M
 20  18:16  Dan       Larouche      31M  SMAC
 21  18:17  Jim       Sullivan      34M  GSH
 22  18:19  Bob       Willis        48M  GSH
 23  18:26  John      Cote          36M  GSH
 24  18:44  Dan       Labrecque     43M
 25  18:47  Kristine  Ross          35F  GSH
 26  18:47  Barry     Bass          35M  MCRRC
 27  18:54  Peter     Hannibal      20M  TE
 28  19:09  Robert    Darby         40M
 29  19:09  Ed        Vanzandt      28M
 30  19:12  Scott     Henderson     33M
 31  19:18  Joe       Klejna        37M
 32  19:24  Jenny     Koprowski     32F
 33  19:31  Bryan     Seeley        20M  TE
 34  19:32  Heather   Wenninger     15F  GSH
 35  19:39  Sidney    Letendre      44F  CMS
 36  19:47  Len       Bilodeau      26M
 37  19:48  Dawn      Roberts       27F  GSH
 38  19:52  Joseph    Piepul        52M
 39  20:02  Thomas    O'Connor      44M
 40  20:04  Bill      Romito        45M  GSH
 41  20:11  Mike      Flebotte      29M  QTC
 42  20:11  Bruce     Randall       38M
 43  20:13  Tom       Houle         44M
 44  20:14  Charlie   Casartello    42M  GF
 45  20:18  Tom       Dwyer         41M  GSH
 46  20:21  Katie     Knowles       17F  GSH
 47  20:28  Tom       Whelan        41M  GSH
 48  20:29  Philip    Castello      16M
 49  20:32  Annie     Ryan          42F  CMS
 50  20:34  John      Pashko        47M  GSH
 51  20:39  Fred      Krupa         43M  EORC
 52  20:40  Mark      DeGrandpre    30M
 53  20:49  Bryan     Gleason       24M
 54  20:53  William   Scott         35M
 55  20:58  Michael   Sieveking     15M
 56  20:58  San San   Wu            22F  GSH
 57  21:03  Mary      Ryczek        53F  CMS
 58  21:04  Dennis    Childs        45M
 59  21:06  Michael   Scialo        32M  EORC
 60  21:08  Randy     Place         40M  GSH
 61  21:11  Israel    Schepps       41M
 62  21:13  Charles   Contant       45M  GSH
 63  21:17  Chico     Reyes         17M
 64  21:25  Richard   Knurek        51M
 65  21:32  Jason     Kriebel       24M
 66  21:32  Jill      Tracey        30F
 67  21:33  Pete      DiMichele     26M
 68  21:35  Gary      Barsalou      45M
 69  21:39  David     Street        34M
 70  21:45  Sarah     Rury          21F
 71  21:52  Everett   Reis          56M
 72  21:54  Brian     Roy           15M
 73  21:55  Michael   Dziek         37M
 74  22:02  Skip      Matthews      34M  GSH
 75  22:09  Euclide   Desrochers    37M  GSH
 76  22:11  Kathleen  Dusel         45F  GSH
 77  22:11  Sharon    Mikaelian     33F  GSH
 78  22:15  Robert    Kolb          37M
 79  22:24  Tom       Cleland       55M
 80  22:25  Steve     Atkinson      16M
 81  22:26  Betty     Quinn         48F
 82  22:29  Michael   Kirkman       14M  TE
 83  22:35  Eric      Berry         22M  TE
 84  22:43  Ron       Nowak         33M
 85  22:43  Claire    Brown         26F  TE
 86  22:45  Jessica   Difoe         16F
 87  22:47  Liz       McGrath       43F  EORC
 88  22:49  Kevin     Hanrahan      40M
 89  22:51  Charles   Kielbania Jr. 44M
 90  22:52  Bob       McGoldrick    45M
 91  23:17  Jack      Ross          41M  GSH
 92  23:18  Amanda    Foisy         15F
 93  23:24  Laurel    Shortell      33F
 94  23:26  Pat       Foley         35M
 95  23:30  Marvin    Howard        62M  GSH
 96  23:34  Marjorie  Kos           54F  MRAA
 97  23:34  Chris     Reavey        48M
 98  23:38  Kim       Loiselle      37F
 99  23:40  Mark      Winslow       41M
100  23:41  Mary      Krupa         41F  EORC
101  23:43  Ellen     Bellicchi     49F  GSH
102  23:44  William   Murphy Jr.    40M  FR
103  23:45  Bill      Thibault      42M
104  23:49  Kaitlyn   McElroy       14F  SMAC
105  23:51  Dennis    Halsey        48M  GSH
106  23:55  Matthew   Klapper       16M
107  23:56  Maureen   Ryan          41F
108  23:58  Daniel    Roy           55M
109  24:07  Rosemarie Romito        38F
110  24:09  Ed        Dwyer         33M  GSH
111  24:11  Allen     Ochrymowicz   43M
112  24:14  David     Kos           55M  NYF
113  24:26  Cindy     Roy           39F
114  24:27  Diane     Taslitt       42F
115  24:38  Dick      Osgood        61M  GSH
116  24:41  Jim       McGrath       44M  EORC
117  24:45  Jay       LeBlanc       40M
118  24:46  Richard   Curran        49M
119  24:48  Susan     Brum          39F
120  24:51  Owen      Moriarty      36M
121  24:55  Thomas    Rowland       55M  GSH
122  24:56  Alex      Skwirz        10M
123  24:56  Ed        Skwirz        39M
124  24:59  Larry     Davis         46M
125  25:03  Carol     Rossi         41F  GSH
126  25:04  Karen     Knowles       45F  GSH
127  25:07  Kathleen  Furlani       50F  SMAC
128  25:12  Sean      Contant       10M  GSH
129  25:31  David     Stat Jr.      15M  TE
130  25:34  Joseph    Vaughan       42M
131  25:36  Carole    Maurer        41F
132  25:39  Chad      Foisy         19M
133  25:39  Peggy     Comsman       44F
134  25:40  Matthew   Kielbania     16M
135  25:42  Larry     McAndrew      40M
136  25:42  Lee       St. John      51M
137  25:49  Jeffrey   Stream        41M
138  25:51  Matt      Henry         30M
139  25:53  Phil      Lubas         47M
140  25:54  Fran      Cameron       37F
141  26:08  Robin     Hellinger     38F
142  26:12  Jonathan  Kasunick      28M
143  26:23  Linda     Baymon        39F
144  26:35  Bruce     Kurtz         63M  SMAC
145  26:42  Eugene    Lussier       52M
146  26:51  Alfred    Sorenson      56M
147  26:59  Sean      McGrath       11M  EORC
148  27:16  Aristides Casilla       33M
149  27:20  Barry     Solomon       42M
150  27:30  Kate      Carlson       33F
151  27:31  Peter     Vangsness     47M  GSH
152  27:35  Raymond   Wenninger     50M  SMAC
153  27:36  Catherine Deady         39F
154  27:36  Joe       Deady         12M
155  27:39  Kelly     Sullivan      33F  GSH
156  27:56  Karen     Stone         35F
157  27:57  Adam      Maday         24M
158  27:58  Kristine  Maday         24F
159  28:01  Todd      Dube          8M
160  28:13  Brenden   Hammerle      28M
161  28:15  Rebecca   Brown         24F  GSH
162  28:15  Dee       Brown         25M  GSH
163  28:17  Celine    Goudrea       40F
164  28:24  Elizabeth Clark         15F  SMAC
165  28:25  Johnathan Vaughan       12M
166  28:28  Crystal   Dube          13F
167  28:58  Necolle   Peterson      29F
168  29:05  Joyce     Rossi         43F
169  29:09  Tony      Lucia         61M
170  29:15  David     Hammer        24M
171  29:16  Beth      Ward          33F
172  29:24  Ed        Roman         45M
173  29:35  Joe       Mercolino     44M
174  30:35  George    Noonan        59M
175  30:49  Jan       Komaiszko     43M  GSH
176  30:54  Melissa   Dadoly        14F
177  31:23  Dick      Borden        63M  GSH
178  32:22  Anne      Fisher        39F
179  37:50  Margaret  Casilla       34F

Division Winners
 
14& Under (Male)
1  Mike Kirkman       22.29  TE
14& Under (Female)
1  Katlyn McElroy     23.49  SMAC
15-18 (Male)
1  Neal Graves        16:46  ---
2  Alex Keene         17:03  SMAC
15-18 (Female)
1  Heather Wenninger  19:32  GSH
2  Katie Knowles      20:21  GSH
19-29 (Male)
1  Carlos Rivera      16:31  GSH
2  Joe Fois           17:28  GSH
3  Scott Mooney       17:55  ---
19-29 (Female)
1  Dawn Roberts       19:48  GSH
2  San San Wu         20:58  GSH
3  Sarah Rury         21:45  ---
30-39 (Male)
1  Sandu Rebenciuc    15:41  ---
2  Dave Hanechak      16:42  GSH
3  Paul Fratini       16:54  GSH
30-39 (Female)
1  Kristine Ross      18:47  GSH
2  Jenny Koprowski    19:24  ---
3  Jill Tracey        21:32  ---
40-49 (Male)
1  Stephen O'Neil     17:15  CMS
2  Celio Hernandez    17:23  GSH
3  Glenn Stowell      17:37  SMAC
40-49 (Female)
1  Sidney Letendre    19:39  CMS
2  Annie Ryan         20:32  ---
3  Kathleen Dusel     22:11  ---
50-59 (Male) 
1  Joe Piepul         19:52  ---
2  Richard Knurek     21:25  ---
50-59 (Female) 
1  Mary Ryczek        21:03  CMS
2  Marjorie Kos       23.34  MAA
60& Over (Male)
1  Marvin Howard      23.30  GSH
60& Over (Female)
   none

Teams
                                     
Open
1  Greater Springfield Harriers       1:24:23     
2  Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club   1:34:50
3  Central Mass Striders              1:36:19
4  Team Excel                         1:46:12
5  Empire One Running Club            1:52:54

Women
1  Greater Springfield Harriers       1:39:26

Masters
1  Greater Springfield Harriers       1:33:57
2  Central Mass Striders              1:36:19
3  Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club   1:53:59