GWTC Team Success at Matanzas
Tim Unger, February 2, 2010
Both the GWTC men’s and women’s racing teams were successful and highly recognized at the Matanzas 5k held in St. Augustine on January 23, 2010. The event started at a leisurely 9 AM on a sunny 60 degree morning. We ran out along A1A and past the Marcos National Monument, otherwise known as “the fort” and then past the famous Bridge of Lions. Then we made our way along Menendez Avenue which boarders the Matanzas River and offers a spectacular view for those willing to slow down enough to enjoy the vista. Just past the first mile mark we passed the St Augustine National Cemetery and then headed back along the Maria Sanchez Lake. We passed many old structure museums and Flagler College and then finished in a quaint older residential neighborhood. The Ancient City Road Runners provided a quality post race party and awards ceremony.
The Women’s team was five strong as a pair of North West Florida Track Club ladies joined the GWTC team in an attempt to make this first team event of 2010 a seriously competitive effort. With a final tally of 137 points, the GWTC women were the second place team in the women’s competition. The ladies team was led by Susie Frazier’s 24:47. Close behind was Melissa Zapata in 26:39 and Sylvia Smith in 26:47. Just a wee bit back was the only GWTC women’s team member who was also an individual award winner. At 7 years old, Lilly Unger was the youngest award winner in this event of almost 1700 participants. Lilly was awarded a glass cup for her 31:15 4th place finish in the 3-10 Girls Age Group, which included 24 total competitors. Lisa and I were excited to see her run an outstanding total racing effort with negative splits in a far away place. Watching Lilly zigzagging her quick little feet through the heavy traffic during the last half mile really made us proud! Jeanne O’Kon finished the event in 46:36 making GWTC one of the few teams with five finishers.
The GWTC Men’s team was outmanned from the starting canon by several teams with some of Florida’s fastest young guns trying to win the prize money offered for the overall winners. Our men’s team was truly a Master’s team competing in an open category that we had no hope of winning. We still finished with 44 total points in the cross country style scored event for a respectable 4th place out of the 12 teams entered. Our “mature” runners were all successful in winning age group awards, each in age groups of over 75 participants. Jim Frazier led our men’s effort with a stellar 16:26 for 13th place overall. Jim won the 45-49 Age Group by over 30 seconds and was also declared the 1st place age graded male overall using the Jacksonville Grand Prix age grading formula. Next, Joel Piotrowski came through for the team in 18:12 for 44th despite running a tough 30k the week before. Joel claimed the fifth place cup in the 40-44 Age Group. I ran an 18:23 to claim the 2nd place cup in the 50-54 Age Group.
All of our runners had a really great time running the first team competition GWTC has entered in 2010. We ended the morning with a trip to the world famous “Fountain of Youth” where Jim tried to re-fill his flask with some of the magic stuff that we suspect he has already been using! The Women’s team was more impressed with the final stop we made before leaving town: both the Prime AND the Premium outlet malls.
We hope to run here again in 2011 with GWTC teams ….Until then please consider joining the GWTC team social in Jacksonville on March 13, 2010 for the Gate River Run 15k National Championship Event.