Wiley, Marinangeli Illinois' Fastest at Boston

Robert Wiley, 35, of Gurnee, was fastst Illinois man with a 2:26:06, and Jean Marinangeli, 27, of Arlington Heights, was our top woman with a 2:54:24, on Monday at the 115th Boston Marathon. Running in what have been described to me as perfect conditions, Wiley placed 49th overall in a race in which the top two finishers eclipsed the existing world-best time. Marinangeli was 55th in a power-packed women's field. Our next four men were: Mac McCulley, 26, of Lindenhurst, 142nd overall in 2:34:34; Matthew Thor, 24, of Arlington Heights, 162nd overall in 2:36:50; Richard Heffron, 27, of Chicago, 210th overall in 2:39:42; and Kyle Monroe, 27, of downstate Carbondale, 223rd overall in 2:40:23. Our next four women were: Angelina Anliker, 30, of Chicago, 93rd in 2:58:35; Samantha Kirkham-Iteld, 35, of Hinsdale, 137th in 3:03:26; Jill Czarnik, 22, of Chicago, 149th in 3:04:33; and Heather Weis, 25, of Chicago, 166th in 3:05:51. Three other notable finishes were turned in by Doris Schertz, 72, of Lombard, who defended her title in the W70-74 group with a 4:28:23; Dave Walters, 55, of Lisle, who flew to third in the M55-59 group with a 2:52:12; Ann Schaefers-Coles of Cary, who was fifth in F45-49; Pedro Galva , who was seventh in M65-69 and Nancy Rollins, 64, of Evanston, who came in eighth in W60-64 with a 3:40:35. In the wheelchair division, Adam Bleakney, 35, of Champaign, was sixth in 1:26:03; Aaron Pike, 24,of Champaign, was eighth in 1:29:52; and Ryan Chalmers, 22, of Champaign, was ninth in 1:31:48. Finally, congratulations to Mark Buciak, 50, of Chicago, who completed his 32nd consecutive Boston Marathon in 3:58. Way to go, Illinois runners and rollers!