Kenyans, Brock lead field at Sheehan Classic

RED BANK - Twenty-year-old Kenyan Philip Koech won the 2007 George Sheehan Classic 5-mile run on June 16 with a time of 23:14.

Koech, currently based in West Chester, Pa., was followed closely by second-place finisher Dagne Alemu, 27, an Ethiopian 5,000-meter Olympian, who finished 12 seconds back in 23:26. Kenyans Isaac Arusei, 23:43, Benson Cheruiyot. 23:54 and Solomon Too, 24:41, rounded out the top five spots in what proved to be a very fast field.

Nearly windless conditions, with warm but not hot temperatures, made for good-racing-weather morning.

Finishing sixth overall, first American, was Robert Cannon, 24, from Toms River, who earned the prize for top male finisher from New Jersey. He was followed in the N.J. division by Robert Cavanaugh, West Long Branch, 29, (seventh, 25:18), and Thadeus Meyers, 22, Middletown, (ninth, 25:35). Cannon, former cross county and track standout at Toms River South and Haverford College, won the Spring Lake Five in May.

Toms River's Noel Brock, a 29-year-old who teaches third-graders in Brick, was the first female finisher with a time of 28:51, resulting in an American woman champion of the Classic for the second year in a row. Brock, assistant track coach at Toms River HS North, had won in Spring Lake just three weeks back. Following Brock at the Sheehan Classic were Megan (Maggie) Guiney, 26, Middletown, (second woman, 29:31), last year's Classic champion Jennifer Malavolta, 36, Reeders, Pa., (third, 29:50), Madelyn Noe-Schlentz, 46, Freehold, (fourth, 30:06); and Jennifer Martin, 35, Clifton, (fifth, 30:17). Brock, Guiney and Noe-Schlentz were also awarded Top 3 N.J. Female honors.

The SBLI No Nonsense Runner Award, recognizing individual and non-profit organizations who go above and beyond, was presented to Andrew Kaiser and the Ryan Andrew Kaiser Memorial Foundation at the post-race award ceremony. The RAKMF, which hosts the annual Ryan's Run 5K, assists local families with critically ill children, and strives to improve the future outlook for kids with congenital heart disease.

Nearly 2,500 athletes participated in the Sheehan Classic, a two-day event held June 15-16 that included a series of kids' races, a two-mile health walk and the premier event, the five-mile run.

"We moved the race in 2004 from its previous August date, hoping that we would have cooler weather," said race director Philip Hinck. "The weather was perfect this year, a mild breeze at the race start with hazy skies burning off during the race, provided ideal running conditions. We had a very successful race, thanks to our sponsors and to the hard work of countless volunteers."

The George Sheehan Classic began in 1981 as the Asbury Park 10K Classic and quickly became one of the major road running events on the national calendar. The race moved to Red Bank in 1994 and was renamed to honor the memory of Dr. George Sheehan, the prominent author, philosopher and area physician. "The Doc" has been called the "father of the running boom" in the United States. The Classic was named one of the Top 100 Road Races by Runner's World magazine, and the Best Memorial Race in New Jersey by the New York Times.

The George Sheehan Classic is the second event of the SBLI Jersey Shore Golden Grand Prix, a series of races that offers prize money to overall winners and age group category winners. The five 2007 events are: Spring Lake 5, George Sheehan Classic, Belmar 5, Asbury Park 5K & Pier Village 5K. Further information can be found on the series Web site, www.SBLIgrandprix.com.

Other leading local finishers of the George Sheehan Classic were:

Red Bank - Wilson Leira 27:16 (27 minutes and 16 seconds), Megan Guiney 29:31 (award for age-group leader), Tina Morrison 32:40 (award), John Sheehan 32:51, Joel Lizotte 33:37, Eric Jacobsen 34:05, Sara Amitrani 34:14 (award), Elizabeth Parker 34:17 (award), David Richards 34:45, Tim Blankley 34:51, Dalia Viggiano 35:03, Joe Horan 35:07, Geoffrey Nishiura 35:12, Luke Shinners 35:16, Rich Sciria 36:21, Robert Sosa 36:23, Raymond Viggiano 36:25, Lou Rettino 36:36, Kevin Dooley 36:38.

Little Silver - Dylan Barlett 30:30, Bob Sullivan 30:49, John Forrester 31:04 (award), John Forrester 31:07 (award), Matthew Metlitz 32:04, Turby Wright 33:10, Liam Ayres 33:52, Al Bennett 34:34, Bayley Davis 34:40, Dawn Wilcox 35:07 (award), Laura Deykerhoff 35:11 (award), Chris Bollinger 35:45, Michelle Capozzi 35:52 (award).

Others - Matt Dahl 28:28, West Keansburg (award); Evan Reed 30:47, Atl. Highlands; Henry Mercer 31:12, Locust (award); Catherine Satzke 31:22 (award) and Jennifer Huesman 41:36, Fair Haven; Nicholas Luele 31:39, Port Monmouth; Joe Calvin 32:21, Matthew McCarthy 33:08 and Kiernan DeLaurier 33:22, Atl. Highlands; Navio Faryar 34:46, Fair Haven; Thomas Schaefer 34:51, Keansburg; Tom Rodilosso 35:05, Fair Haven; Kenneth Florio 35:27, Mon. Beach; Timothy Carey 35:37, Fair Haven; Henry Rosset 35:53 and Patrick Hill 36:11, Rumson; Anthony Brown 36:22, Atl. Highlands; Wade Davis 36:24 and Stephen Ham 36:30, Fair Haven; Brendan Flanagan 36:44, Port Monmouth.

Other Monmouth County leaders - Robert Cavanaugh 25:18, West Long Branch (award); Nick Dichiara 27:23, Lincroft; Luciano Oliveira 27:36, Long Branch; Jeff Propert 28:14, Wall; Jayram Sataluri 28:46 (award), King Leonidas Cody 28:49 and Czar Emerel, Holmdel; Timothy Ragan 29:20, Manasquan; Geoffrey Fahey 29:43, Oceanport; Madelyn Noe-Schlentz 30:08, Freehold (award); Mike O'Dowd 30:35 (award) and Brian O'Dowd 30:51 (award), Colts Neck; Michael Roscitt 30:56, Lincroft; John Reagan Jr. 30:57, Eatontown; Brendan Swan 31:05, Freehold; Richard Brugger Jr. 31:16, Neptune City (award); Karen Charles 31:33, Belmar (award); James Segal 31:35, Holmdel (award); Scott Winrow 31:42 (award) and David Murphy 32:02, Brick; Diane Petruzelli 32:02, Lincroft; David Wellner 32:04, Oceanport; Christopher Wilcox 32:22, Brielle; Edward Alburtus 32:22, Neptune; Scott Linnell 32:24, Colts Neck; Dianne DeOliveira 32:44, Brick; Terra Sarnacki 32:54, Long Branch (award); Jim Redeker 33:12, Lake Como; Doug Twyman 33:18, Wall; Simon Nynews 33:20, Shrewsbury; John D'Agostino 33:21, Oceanport; Kylie Heulitt 33:38, Belmar; Bob Szymanski 33:47, Wall (award); Ann O'Dowd 33:51, Colts Neck (award); Jonathan Seidel 33:51, Belmar; Kim Hoga 33:57, Colts Neck (award); Dan Hogan 33:58, West Long Branch; Kathy Kropke 33:59, Avon (award); James Munday 34:00, Holmdel; Steve Ludeking 34:01, Spring Lake; Bob Flannery 34:20, Manasquan.

Complete race results can be found on the Web at www.sheehanclassic.org.