The Road to Boston Opens Saturday!

Mark Buciak is coach and director of one of the classiest Boston Marathon (and other spring marathons) training program around. Mark knows a little bit about the ins and outs as well as ups and downs of the B.A.A. 26.2-miler held each Patriots Day in Beantown. He's done the race 30 times in a row. No one else in Illinois can say that. Here is the information you need to get involved with The Road to Boston Training Program.
December 5th, SATURDAY: BOSTON 2010: KICK OFF RUN
Location: Formula Fitness Center, 1030 N. Clark Street
Lockers, showers, steam, sauna, whirlpool available.
7:30AM: Check-in
8:00AM: Coach's Corner & Welcome
8:15AM: RUN.....30 to 90 minutes
9:30-10:30AM: Q & A.......and sign up for RTB in the cafe
10:30-12noon: Optional yoga class. No charge
Parking: $2 for 2 hours or $3.75 for 3 hours With validation at the front desk.

NEW THIS YEAR: FREE TICKET FOR OUR PRIVATE MOTOR COACH for all current Full Road members of RTB.
Also new this year.......Wed. or Sat. only options

Also new this year......Package deal for the program and running camp...will save you $$$$.

For costs and other information, go to:
www.theroadtoboston.info

Schaumburg Half a Turkey Delight

The under-the-radar Schaumburg Half Marathon was staged on Saturday, two days after the rush of turkey trots across the region. Patrick Dorgan, 28, of Glen Ellyn, won a close race against runner-up Brent Alexander, 29, of Wilmette, 1:12:06 to 1:12:28. Third place went to Steve Breese, 32, of Schaumburg, in 1:19:32. On the women's side, Jean Marinangeli, 25, of Arlington Heights, on a fast track this year with her Fast Track Racing Club buddies, won in 1:25:14. Jennifer Carder, 34, of Elk Grove Village, was second in 1:31:15, and Hailey Krzystoh, 17, of Willowbrook, was third in 1:33:50. Nice job by all!

That's Verzbicas As In Victory!

The only question on Saturday at the Foot Locker Midwest Regional in Kenosha, WI, was whether Lukas Verzbicas' tender left achilles would be OK. It was. The sophomore from Sandburg High School in Orland Park won the 5,000-meter race at UW-Parkside in 15:34. Martin Grady of Fenwick (Oak Park), who is a resident of Burr Ridge, placed sixth in 15:47. By finishing in the top 10, Verzbicas and Grady qualified for the Foot Locker Nationals on Dec. 12 in San Diego. Verzbicas skipped the Nike Midwest Regional the week before in Terre Haute, IN, to rest his achilles. The two girls from Illinois were Kayla Beattie of Woodstock, who finished 18th in 18:52, and Samantha Fry of Downers Grove, who was 19th in 18:53. Here are the top 10 boys and girls from Saturday in Kenosha:

BOYS
1) Lukas Verzbicas ORLAND HILLS, IL 15:34
2) Walter Schafer CENTENNIAL, CO 15:41
3) Tyler Byrne GEORGETOWN, IN 15:46
4) Nathan Karr ANN ARBOR, MI 15:46
5) Scott Fauble GOLDEN, CO 15:47
6) Martin Grady BURR RIDGE, IL 15:47
7) Colby Alexander STRONGSVILLE, OH 15:49
8) Ryan Poland WESTMINSTER, CO 15:50
9) Danny Nicolls PARKER, CO 15:55
10) Chris Walden CARMEL, IN 15:55

GIRLS
1) Megan Goethals ROCHESTER, MI 17:24
2) Emily Sisson CHESTERFIELD, MO 17:42
3) Katie Flood DES MOINES, IA 17:48
4) Ashlie Decker DES MOINES, IA 17:51
5) Kelsey Lakowske BOULDER, CO 17:52
6) Diane Robison CHESTERFIELD, MO 18:09
7) Sara Kroll WESTLAND, MI 18:15
8) Avery Clifton TOPEKA, KS 18:16
9) Marya Haegler CASCADE, WI 18:17
10) Shannon Osika WATERFORD, MI 18:37

North Central Wins Big, Coach Carius Honored

After North Central (Naperville) took the NCAA Division III men's cross-country championship on Saturday, more honors headed NCC's way when Al Carius was named men's coach of the year. Here is the news release from the U.S. Track @ Field and Cross County Coaches Association. Congrats to Al and his outstanding runners.

Carius, Schwamberger Earn Division III Cross Country National Coach of the Year Titles
Courtesy: Tom Lewis, USTFCCCA
November 24, 2009NEW ORLEANS – Al Carius from North Central College and Dan Schwamberger from UW-Eau Claire were named Division III National Cross Country Coaches of the Year Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Carius, was named men’s coach of the year as his North Central College Cardinals took the NCAA Division III national title on Saturday, their first since 1999. With all seven competing runners earning All-America status, the Cardinals decimated the field, finishing with just 50 points, and the fourth-lowest winning total in the meet's history.

In addition, Carius, in his 44th year at North Central, guided the Cardinals to eight invitational wins this season, attaining a perfect score of 15 in three races this fall which included a sweep for their 36th- consecutive College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin crown this season. The Cardinals also won the NCAA Midwest Region title by a commanding 84-point spread and topped Division I Illinois by 16 points at the Illinois Intercollegiate Championships.

Women’s National Coach of the Year Dan Schwamberger, in his third year at the helm at UW-Eau Claire, led the Bluegolds to their second national title in program history and their first in NCAA’s Division III on Saturday. The Bluegolds edged out St. Lawrence, 171-180, for their first national crown since claiming the NAIA Championship in 1984.

This season Schwamberger’s Blugolds also won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title for the third year in a row and the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional for the second-straight year.

St. Lawrence’s Wendy Pavlus and Lynchburg’s Ricky Flynn were honored as the USTFCCCA Division III Cross Country National Athletes of the Year on Saturday following the conclusion of the national championship races.

In addition, 70 student-athletes earned USTFCCCA All-America honors following Saturday’s races.

View a complete list of Division III All-Americans here: http://www.ustfccca.org/assets/awards/div3/allamericans/d3_allamXC_2009.pdf

Lincolnwood Opens Week of Turkey Trots

The annual Lincolnwood Turkey Trot, always well-managed and full of fast runners, was run on Sunday with 690 5K finishers and 509 10K finishers. The 5K men's field was led by Emisael Favela, 32, of Cicero, consistently one of the area's top runners, in 15:34. Felipe Lopez, 33, of Chicago, was next in 17:05, and third went to Mark Dolgin, 27, of Chicago, in 17:45. The women's top three went like this: Columba Montes, 30, of Chicago, in 17:47; Kayoko Hamamura, 48, of Chicago, in 19:53; and Michelle Thom, 40, of Chicago, in 20:30.In the 10K, Oscar Ramos, 35, of Chicago was first across the line in 34:32. Second went to Alberto Perez, 27, of Chicago, in 35:29, and third went to Bo Muzikowski, 18, of Chicago, in 36:22. The women were led by Michelle Rich, 35, of Chicago, who ran a 40:39. Runner-up lady was Karen Grabowski, 34, of Chicago, one of the toughest competitors I've ever met, who ran a 41:18. Third went to Erica Sitkoff, 30, of Chicago, who ran a 41:45.

Pilgrim Pacer 5K Draws 454 Finishers

The Pilgrim Pacer 5K in LaGrange, IL, had almost perfect conditions on Sunday (Nov. 22) as a large field came out to begin building their appetites for Thanksgiving, when it will be considerably colder. Sarah Grzybek, 29, of Tinley Park, won the women's competition in 18:28.7, while Archie Bareikis, 23, of Oak Forest, took overall honors with a nice uncontested 15:49.4. Second and thrd women were Meghan Kennihan, 28, of LaGrange, in 18:33.9 (close!), and Charlotte Walsh, 16, of LaGrange Park, in 20:04.5 On the men's side, John Flores, 13, of Countryside, was a distant second in 17:24, and Ronald Lavaire, 23, of Shelbyville (not sure which state),took third in 17:27.6. With 454 finishers, I'd say the race was a success.

York (Kroy) Wins Nike Midwest

The York (Kroy for post-IHSA races) boys put their losses to Neuqua Valley and Loyola at the state meet behind them on Sunday, beating both of their rivals at the Nike Nationals Midwest Regional in Terre Haute, IN. Andrew Smith and Jack Driggs went 5-6 to lead the Dukes. York (Kroy or Elmhurst depending on the year) is the only team to qualify for the nationals in Portland, OR, all six years the Nike event has been held. Please check out Dyestat for all the info. They do a great job of reporting.
http://www.dyestat.com//?pg=us-2009-XC-NXN-Midwest-Region