Tim Kennard 10-Miler in Salisbury brings runners from all over Mid-Atlantic

The 15th annual Tim Kennard 10-Mile River Run & 5K Run/Walk was held March 25 in Salisbury, Md., with 455 runners and walkers of all ability levels turning out for the popular event that attracted athletes from here at the beach to Philadelphia to Baltimore to Annapolis. 

“I have been racing in this race for many years, and it always seems to get a nice competitive field,” said elite runner Enos Benbow, a graduate of Salisbury University. Benbow has been driving an 18-wheeler back and forth across the country in his new profession, so he is not in the racing shape he is known for, but he still managed to finish ninth overall in a time of 1:03:39 to average a 6:22 clip.

Andrew Weaver of Baltimore racked up another win, defending his title with a blazing negative split of 25:34, hitting the tape at 53:41. Dustin Meeker, also of Baltimore, ran stride for stride with Weaver through a 28:06 opening five-mile split and also blazed the second half in 25:51. Andrew Cantor finished third in a time of 57:12 to complete a Baltimore sweep.

Megan DiGregorio of White Marsh, Md., completed the course in 1:03:52, only slowing 16 seconds in the second half to win the overall women’s title, while Jessica Lane of New Market, Md., was second in 1:06:01. Maria Miller of Tyaskin, Md., rounded out the top three in a time of 1:11:35.

Local Martin Rodriguez dropped down to the 5K race and finished third in 18:05, while Austin Cave of Delmar High School won the race cruising in a time of 16:11. Sherry Stick of Sykesville, Md., won the female 5K title in a time of 18:47.

One tough age group that found three locals taking the top three spots was the 50-54 females, with Meryl Ludwig first in 1:16:01, Jackie Quigley second in 1:20:02, and Marybeth Evans third in 1:23:05.

A side note was that Evans nearly missed the start of the event when she came out of Maggs Gym and the registration area only to have the parking lot filled up with cars getting her disoriented and forgetting where she had parked. Thankful for the high technology in Toyota vehicles and with help from Enos Benbow, she was able to use her iPhone and pinpoint her location to get back to get her racing gear and make it to the start of the race. Next year she will plan to leave a trail of jellybeans to assist her back to her car.

Local track & field

Beacon and Mariner were set to open up the track & field action in a post-deadline meet Thursday, March 29, at Cape Henlopen High School. Seaford will join the meet, making it a tri affair with points going to the top four places and the top two relay teams.

The Beacon girls rattled off a 72 dual-meet win streak before Mariner stopped the train last year with a two-point victory led by sprinter and hurdler Natalie Hunter, who is now at Sussex Tech. This season, Beacon is young and rebuilding with only five returning scorers, while Mariner returns several key scorers from last year.

“Coach Kenny [Riedel] has done a great job over the past few years making his girls a well-rounded, competitive track team, and our girls are looking forward to the challenge gainst Mariner,” said coach Gilbert Maull.

All middle school meets start with the 55-meter hurdles on the track at 4 p.m., and all field events start at 3:30 p.m. Both teams have high numbers, with close to 90 athletes competing this season. Go to www.websites4sports.com for the Beacon and Mariner track & field schedules.

First-year Sussex Central track & field head coach Derek Shockro hosted Cape Henlopen, Indian River and Lake Forest March 27 in Georgetown, and his Golden Knights team got off to a good start on the boys’ side with a 76-70 win over Cape and a 99-47 win over Lake Forest. The Golden Knights girls lost both meets on the day to Cape Henlopen and Lake Forest.

Oy Vey 5K 

The sixth annual Oy Vey 5K Run and Walk will take off at 9 a.m., Sunday, April 8. Proceeds of the Oy Vey 5K benefit the educational programs at Seaside Jewish Community on Holland Glade Road, Rehoboth Beach. This past fall, the students were able to attend an educational day at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. The race will have plenty of that infamous kugel to nosh and other treats to tempt the palate. If there is something the Jewish community knows how to do, it’s cook and feed the masses. In addition, April 8 is Mitzvah Day (Good Deeds Day). Participants are asked to bring packages of new socks or undergarments for children ages 2-12. Any new or unworn clothing will be accepted. Visit seashorestriders.com for race information.

Snippets

Winthrop freshman Ben Bamforth ran to a third-place finish in his heat of the 1,500-meter race last week in Charlotte with a time of 4:31. Happy Birthday to my better half, Monique, on Friday, March 30, as we start the day at one of our favorite local restaurants, The Backyard in Milton, and then head south to the Outer Banks in North Carolina hoping to see the sun! Happy Spring Break!