July 18 2018. Each year the USATF Masters LDR Committee
awards prizes to the winners of its Masters Grand Prix series, consisting of the
National Championship Masters Road and Cross Country Races. There are prizes
for both Individuals and Club Teams. There are 9 events in the Grand Prix this
year and 5 are in the books-Club Cross Country Lexington KY, Cross Country Nationals Tallahassee FL, 8K Virginia Beach VA, 10K Dedham MA,
and Half Marathon Ann Arbor MI. The remaining
events are the 5K Atlanta GA, the 1 Mile Flint MI, the 5 km Masters Cross Country Buffalo NY, and the 15K Tulsa OK.
Points from the best 5 Championships are summed to get the GP point total; individuals
must score in at least 3 events to qualify for a prize. Points in each
Championship range from a high of 100 down, in 5-point increments, to 5 points;
a perfect score is 500 points. The same
scoring rules apply to the Individual Grand Prix but the point assignment per
race is slightly different.
Complete Results and a link to Rules are posted at:
http://www.usatf.org/Resources-for---/Masters/LDR/Individual-Grand-Prix-aspx.aspx
http://www.usatf.org/MGPresults.aspx
INDIVIDUAL
The 2017 Individual Grand Prix winners in the
5-year age divisions were: Women’s 40-44 Wakenda Tyler W45 Cassandra Henkel
W50 Marisa Sutera Strange W55 Lorraine Jasper W60 Jill Miller-Robinett W65 Sabra Harvey W70 Dianne
Anderson W75
Madeline Bost; Men 40-44 David Angell M45 John
Gardiner M50
Kent Lemme M55 Nat Larson M60 Kyle Hubbart M65 Tom
Bernhard M70
Paul Carlin M75 Charlie
Patterson M80
Jim Askew.
W40 A GVH athlete has won this category
the last 3 years, Melissa Senall in
2015 and Wakenda Tyler the last 2
years. Senall has aged up and Tyler is off to a slow start. Their teammate, Heather Webster has the lead at 190
points from 2 events (designated after this by 190 [2]) where she took 1st
and 3rd. Four athletes are tied for 2nd with 100 points
from winning one of the 5 events thus far, but none have entered another event
yet. Melissa Gacek has entered the
15K but will she fit in a 3rd event? The trick for this age group
has been to reach the 3-event minimum. The only other runners with 2 events in
so far are Vanessa Lordi and Iwona Boruch, with 65 and 50 points
respectively. Webster is favored to
take this division. On the other hand, Lordi has already signed up for the 15K
which gives her a third qualifying event. Another runner with 65 points from
Club XC is Alice Kassens who is
already entered in the 5K and 15K. That makes her a potential podium threat in
this division.
W45 Cassandra
Henkiel won this
division last year but has just 90 [1]. Jennifer
Bayliss is leading with 200 points from her wins at Cross Country Nationals
and the 10K. Sonja Friend-Uhl who
won in 2016 is in 2nd place with 190 [2]. Her main focus is on the
track so it is never certain how many events she will enter. She will at least
get in the minimum of 3 as her entry in the 5K in Atlanta attests. Melissa Senall, currently in 3rd
place with 175 [2], took the 2015 W40 Grand Prix win and is perhaps the
favorite for this division. As an active member of GVH it is likely she will
compete in a few more events this year. And she does not have to win
Championships to win the Grand Prix in this division. If Senall continues to
finish in the top 5 she could well amass enough points to win.
 |
| Heather Webster, Melissa Senall, and Murphee Hayes on the beach at Virginia beach with their 8K Team Plaque [FB post by GVH] |
W50 Marisa
Sutera Strange has
won this event the last two years and would seem to be in the driver’s seat
again, with 400 points from her wins in the 2 Cross Country events, the 8K and
10K. If she wins one more event she will have a perfect 500 points and be
unbeatable. However, she will likely finish the year in the 55-59 division; her
entry in the 5K puts her in that group. This would be her third consecutive
year to win with a perfect score. No one else has two consecutive years yet. Michelle Simonaitis is giving her a run
for the money though with 290 [3]. She is enjoying a great year after taking a
break from the circuit of National Championships. Once Strange moves up to
55-59, Simonaitis slides into 1st place in 50-54. Although not yet
entered it seems likely she will enter the 15K in Tulsa. Carol Bischoff would be in 2nd with 235 [4]. As a GVH
stalward, Bschoff is likely to eb in 1 or 2 more races. Nancy Thomas is in 4th with 170 [2] and has entered the
5K in Atlanta so will get the 3 races she needs. Laurie Wharton may also factor into the podium race. She has 60
points from the 10K, is entered in the 15K, and would be expected to compete in
the 5K for her Atlanta Track Club.
 |
| Doreen McCoubrie [black knit cap] and Michelle Simonaitis [on McCoubrie's left] in the first few hundred meters at the 8K Masters Championshipp in Virginia Beach [Photo by Pam Fales] |
W55 Lorraine
Jasper took this
category last year after two consecutive wins by Colleen Magnussen. Mary Swan
leads this year with 345 [4]. Magnussen is in 2nd with 320 [5],
followed by Karyl Sargent with 300[4].
Swan’s teammate, Doreen McCoubrie,
in 4th with 295 [3] has the highest points per contest so could finish
on the podium if she competes in 2 more events. She is entered at Tulsa in the
15K. Trish Butler is in 5th
with 185 [2] but her team is focused on the World TF Championships this year,
so her participation has been limited. As noted above, the likely winner in
this division has no points in it yet. But as soon as Marisa Sutera Strange completes a race, she will be moved into the
55-59 division along with the 400 points she amassed in the 50-54 division in
the first part of the circuit. She is a strong favorite to take the title with
500 points.
 |
| Marisa Sutera Strange approaching the Masters 10K Finish Line at the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA as she picks up another 100 points in the Grand Prix competition [Photo by Mike Scott] |
W60 Defending champion, Jill Miller-Robinett has only been able
to compete in 2 events so far this year, totaling 195 points. She can score at
a high level if she is entered, so she may yet move up the standings. But it is
very crowded at the top with 20 points separating the four leaders. Joanna Harper has 335 [4], followed by Cynthia Williams 330 [4], Patricia Ford 320 [4], and Sharon Moore 315 [4]. Like
Miller-Robinett, Patrice Combs is
back a bit, tied for 8th with Catherine
Utzschneider with 200 [2]. But unlike Miller-Robinett and Utzschneider,
Combs is already entered in the 5K which would give her the 3 race minimum. But
she would need to enter at least one more race to have a shot at the podium and
might need 2 more.
 |
| Patrice Combs at the 10K Masters Championship in Dedham MA [Photo by Michael Scott] |
W65 Sabra
Harvey, the defending
champion, is focused on defending her World TF Championships in Malaga, so is
in 4th with 200 [2]. She could total 400 points if she would win both
the 5km Masters XC in Buffalo and the 15K in Tulsa, the only two events left
after Malaga. But 400 will probably not be enough points to win this division.
The top two this year are Red Lizard teammates, Suzanne Ray at 385 [4] and Jeanette
Groesz at 375 [4]. Both ran at Tulsa last year and are expected to do so
again. If so, they should both finish with over 450 points. Cindy Ingalls is in 3rd at
235 [3] and will likely enter 1 or 2 more contests this year for her GVH team.
 |
| Suzanne Ray cruising to the Division Win and 100 Grand Prix points at the 2018 Masters Half Marathon Championships [Photo by RunPhotos.com] |
W70 Dianne
Anderson is the
defending champion here and she is currently tied for first. But like Suzanne Gibson and Jan Holmquist, she has 100 [1]. Anderson is the only one of those
three in recent years who has been getting enough events in to take the Championship,
but that will depend, in part, on how active her team is this late summer and
fall.
W75 Madeline
Bost has won this
title for four years in a row. So far, each year she has been the only athlete
to contest the 3 events necessary to win. She leads at this point with 200 [2].
Kathleen Scotti and Mary Nagle each have 100 [1]. Bost has
sometimes contested the 5K in the past when it was in Syracuse but she may not
choose to make the trip to Atlanta. It is likely she can get the 3rd
event in the form of the 5 km XC Championship in Buffalo; she has typically
contested that event, whether in New Jersey, Indiana or Florida.
 |
| Madeline Bost heads for the finish line at the Cross Country National Championship, taking the title and 100 points toward the 2018 Masters Grand Prix Contest [Photo by Mike Scott] |
M40 David
Angell is the
defending champion and has a commanding lead with 480 [5]. Garden State
teammates, Sam Teigen and Aaron Cooper, are 2nd and 3rd
with 355 [4] and 200 [3]. Neither can catch Angell unless they run the table,
winning the last 4 events. So far, neither has beaten Angell in several tries
this year. Greg Mitchell is in 4th
at 180 [2]. Mitchell, the Grand Prix winner in 2014 and 2015, has the talent;
he came in ahead of Angell in the Half Marathon in early June, and just behind
him at Club Cross Country. But Mitchell turns 45 in September. will not have
enough points to catch Angell in 40-44 without running more races. As soon as
he contests a Championship, Mitchell will be moved up to the 45-49 division
along with the points he has accumulated in the 40-44 division. As soon as
Angell finishes 2nd or 1st in a Championship, he will
have iced the 40-44 win for a 2nd year. He is entered in the 5K at
Atlanta.
 |
| David Angell [black kit] leads the Field out at the start of the 10K Masters Championship which he won, adding 100 points to his Masters Grand Prix Total [Photo by Michaels Scott] |
M45 John
Gardiner won the M40
Grand Prix in 2016 and this division in 2017 but he is off to a slow start with
only the 95 points from his 2nd place finish at Club Cross Country.
In the meantime, Jonathan Frieder, who
finished 2nd to Gardiner last year, is off to a great start, leading
the field with 445 [5]. Trailing him are Brent
Fields, with 350 [5] and Philippe
Rolly with 290 [3]. Rolly is a potential threat because he has beaten
Frieder in the three contests he has entered. If he enters two of the remaining
4 contests, it is likely he will outpoint Frieder. Right now, it looks unlikely
Gardiner will contest the additional 4 events he needs to pass Frieder, and/or
Rolly but if he contests both the 5K in Atlanta and the 1 Mile in Flint, that
would elevate his podium chances considerably. It seems likely he will run the
15K in Tulsa. As noted above, Mitchell is in this group at the end of the year if
he runs in either of the last two events. If he enters three events and
finishes ahead of Frieder in any that they both contest, Mitchell could move
ahead of Frieder. The added wild card in M45 is Kevin Castille. Based on current form, he wins any Masters
Championship he enters. But he only enters a few, preferring to balance his
Championship efforts with prestigious non-Championship events like the Gate
River Run and the AJC Peachtree 10K. Castille is entered in the 5 km Masters
Cross Country Championship already and in the past has often contested the 5K
when it was in Syracuse. He ran the 15K last year. If he runs, it makes it more
difficult for Gardiner, Mitchell, and Rolly to get the points to catch Frieder.
This division will certainly be fun to watch!
 |
| Jonathan Frieder heads to the Masters 10K Championship Finish in Dedham Mass[Photo by Mike Scott] |
M50 Kent
Lemme is the
defending champ and he is currently in first with 390 [4]. His teammate, Mark Hixson, is in 2nd with
330 [4], followed by GVH teammates, Dale
Flanders at 290 [5] and Mike Nier 255
[4]. If Lemme runs the second part of the season as he did the first, he should
finish well ahead of those three. Ordinarily Christian Cushing-Murray, who won the 45-49 division in 2015, would
be a threat but he has been recovering from last year’s injury time lost and
finished behind Lemme at both Cross Country events. The only two runners who
have beaten Lemme this year are Carl
Combs and Peter Hammer. Combs
typically can only break free for 2 or 3 events a year and the only event
Hammer typically contests is the Club Cross Country Championship. Lemme seems
likely to repeat.
 |
| Kent Lemme heading for the finish at the 10K Masters Championships [Photo by Mike Scott] |
M55 Nat
Larson took this
division by a landslide in 2017 and is way ahead this year with 400 [4]. If he
wins the division at his next race, that would give him a perfect 500 points for
the 2nd year in a row, and an unassailable lead. If he succeeds, he
would be the first male runner to earn 500 points in the Grand Prix in two
consecutive years. Tom Bernhard in M65 can match him by also doing it this
year. Gary Leaman is 2nd
with 230 [3] and Dennis Kinney at 200
[4] and John Van Kerkhove 200 [3]
are tied for 3rd. Alan Evans
95 [2] and Eric Stuber 100 [2] will
both age up this summer and could factor into the podium battle if they decide
to enter another championship or two.
 |
| Nat Larson taking the Division win and 100 Grand prix points in the 2018 Masters 10K Championship |
M60 Kyle
Hubbart won this division last year but has been battling back from an injury and has
not competed. Even if he would come back for the last 4 events, it is unlikely
he can make the podium this year; the division is stronger than ever. Ken Youngers who won the 55-59 Grand prix
is back on the top of his form and has 365 [4] for 1st place. Reno Stirrat and Youngers’ teammate, Mike Anderson, are tied for 2nd
with 325 [5]. There are two bigger threats though, both from west of the
Mississippi. Rick Becker is
currently in 4th with 290 [3]; Becker beat Youngers at both Cross-Country
events this season. In the past, Becker’s duties as Cross Country Coach have
limited his participation in fall events but that will not be true this year as
he is only coaching Track, not Cross Country. He has already entered the 5K in
Atlanta and will likely contest the 15K. But he still might not win. The only
runner in this division to beat Becker this year is Roger Sayre who is in 5th with 280 [3]. Sayre is entered
in the 15K; if he runs another event and stays on top of his form, Sayre is a
slim favorite for the division title. Lots of fireworks yet to come in this
division!
 |
| Ken Youngers (#300-right center) off to a good start at the Cross Country Nationals in Tallahassee Florida [Photo by Michael Scott |
M65 Tom
Bernhard took this
title last year with a perfect 500 points and despite being in 8th
place right now, has laid the groundwork for a repeat performance. Bernhard
prefers roads to cross country, skipping the two cross country events that
kicked off the season. But he has won the two road events he entered. If he can
enter and win the 5K, 1 Mile, and 15K, as he did last year, he will get his 500
points and his 2nd consecutive perfect score win, just like Nat
Larson in M55. In the meantime, Kirk
Larson, who finished 3rd last year, has the lead with 350 [4],
just ahead of his Atlanta teammate, Jerry
Learned, with 345 [5], and Eduardo
Matsuo at 295 [4]. Learned is not a threat in the division because he will
age up to M70 when he races next. Two bigger threats to Larson, in addition to
Bernhard, are Doug Bell in 4th
with 280 [3] and Chuck Smead, with
275 [3]. Both are likely to run at least two more events and have recently been
finishing ahead of Larson.
 |
| Tom Bernhard heads for another win and 100 points in the 2018 Grand Prix competition at the USATF Masters 10K Championship in Dedham Mass. Photo by Michael Scott] |
M70 Paul
Carlin, your author,
won this division last year, but was rehabbing (again) a recalcitrant hamstring
earlier in the year and am just regaining my form; I am in 6th with
260 [5]. My string of 4 straight podium finishes in the Grand Prix will almost
surely come to an end as there are at least three and probably more athletes likely
to amass more points. Dave Glass is
currently in first place with 470 [5], followed by Tony Gingello 335 [4] and Gene
French at 300 [4]. But there are two other runners who have a good shot at
coming in ahead of Glass. Gene Dykes
is currently in 5th place with 295 [3]. That would be 300 [3] except
he was in the 65-69 category for the 8K and lost to Tom Bernhard; he would have
won the 70-74 division handily. If Dykes stays healthy and enters two more
events, he will win them and vault to 495; if he wins a third he gets the
perfect 500. On current form, no one in the division can beat him. Another
runner Glass must worry about is Lloyd
Hansen currently in 9th with 175 [2]. Hansen, the 2014 and 2015
winner of the 65-69 Grand Prix, is coming back from injury and finished a
strong 2nd to Dykes in the Half Marathon and well ahead of Glass; he
just aged up in May. Hansen is already entered in the 5K, 1 Mile, and 15K. If
he can run in each of those and finish 2nd to Dykes or better, that
would give him 460 points. He would need to enter the 5K Cross Country as well
and pick up another 95 points which would replace the 80 he earned from 65-69
and vault him to 475, just ahead of Glass. That assumes that Dykes runs in
every event that Hansen does and beats him; that may not happen. It also
assumes Glass stays at 470; if Glass can eke out two second place finishes, he
moves up to 480. Terry McCluskey,
Hansen’s teammate, also ages up this summer and will bring his 150 [2] with
him. McCluskey finished close to Hansen in the Half Marathon and comfortably
ahead of Glass. He is too far behind to catch Glass even if he would win every
event remaining, which seems unlikely. But he may make it hard for Glass to
improve his current score. I mentioned that Jerry Learned 345 [4] will age up to this division after his next
race. If the scenarios considered above come to pass, he will be battling with
Gingello, French, Jim May 265 [4], Przemek Nowicki 230 [4] and me for 5th,
however, not for the podium.
 |
| Dave Glass finishes strong at the 2018 Masters 10K Championship in Dedham MA [Photo by Michael Scott] |
M75 Charlie
Patterson won the
division last year but will be hard pressed to repeat even though he is
currently in 2nd with 270 [3]. That is because Robert Hendrick aged up this year and sits in first with 395 [4].
He has won all but one of the events this season. If he wins one more he has
495 points, and no one can catch him. The only worry for Hendricks is Doug Goodhue who beat Hendrick in the
10K event. Goodhue is coming out of injury rehab in 5th place with
195 [2]. If he can get healthy and stay
healthy, he is a threat to run the table. If Goodhue can win the 5K, 1Mile, and
15K, he gains 300 points and is at 495, but he would own the tie-breaker over
Hendrick who has not beaten him this
year. Ed Bligh and Andrew Sherwood are in 3rd
and 4th now with 250 [3] and 235 [3]. David Cohen who just aged up to this division brings 145 [3] and is
entered in the 1 Mile and 15K. If he scores well in those, he can put some
pressure on Patterson.
 |
| Robert Hendrick [Orange singlet] cruising to victory, and 100 Grand Prix points, at the 2018 Cross Country Nationals in Tallahassee Florida [Photo by Michael Scott] |
M80 Jim
Askew won this
category handily last year, a fitting way to go out. Askew passed away this
spring, lauded as a great champion and a wonderful guy and teammate, by his
many Atlanta Track Club friends. It is not clear if anyone will step up to fill
in. Jon Desenberg who won the
division in 2016, is not currently competing. No one else this year has more
than one event completed. Tom Markley
and Bill Riley have the lead at 100
[1] with Alan Rider and Harry Carter 95[1] tied for 3rd.
M85 Al
Ray has the Cross
Country Nationals title to his credit. If he can complete two more
championships, he is likely to win this division.
CLUB
Last year the Team winners in the ten-year
divisions were Women’s 40+ Genesee Valley
Harriers [GVH] W50+ Athena Track Club W60+ Atlanta Track Club; Men’s 40+ Cal Coast Track Club M50+ Greater Springfield Harriers M60+ Boulder Road Runners, and M70+ Atlanta Track Club;
W40+ GVH has been the most consistent performer in
the Grand Prix contests; they have finished in the top two each year, with 4
wins since 2012. And they are off to another good start with 240 [3]; they are
the only team to have won two events already, taking the 8K and 10K team
championships. The Impala Racing team is at 190 [2] on a 2nd at Club
XC and a win at the Cross Country Nationals but they would have to contest some
of the road races to press GVH. The
Atlanta Track Club won at Club XC but have not contested any other events; perhaps their key runners are concentrating on the track this year with the WMA
World TF Championships in Malaga this September.
W50+ Athena has the most amazing streak; they have
won every W50+ Club Grand Prix so far since its inception in 2012. And 2018
looks to be no different; they have 390 [4] while GVH is in second with 370 [5].
Athena has won every event they have entered except one. The lone team to beat
them is the Janes Elite of Southern California, who defeated them at Club XC. But
the Janes team did not contest any of the other four events thus far; they
would have to run the table on the last 4 of the circuit to prevent Athena from
winning their 7th consecutive title.
W60+ Atlanta
will have a tough time repeating as champions; Team Red Lizard started
competing more regularly on the circuit over the second half of 2016 but could
only amass enough points for 2nd place. This year they have
committed to the Grand Prix, presumably with the goal of winning it. Like
Atlanta and GVH, the Red Lizard runners have competed in 4 of the 5 events,
winning three and finishing 2nd to Atlanta at the 10K when their top
runner had an off day. That puts them in first with 390 [4]. If the Red Lizards
can win one more event that would almost put it out of reach for the others.
But Atlanta, currently with 350 [4], could still pull it out if they won three
of the last four and defeated the Lizards a couple of more times. The Red
Lizards currently hold the tie-breaker edge having defeated Atlanta in 2 of the
three events they both contested. Atlanta has the depth; when they also have
one or more of their top athletes running, they are a real threat to the Red
Lizard team. GVH and the Impala Racing team also have a chance. GVH has 310 [4],
but they would need to raise their game over the last four events. The Impala
Racing team has finished in the top two in the Women’s 60+ division the last
three years, but this spring they only contested the 8K as one of their key
contributors was struggling with an injury. Even they could still come back and
take the GP title if they are healthy, and contest at least three of the
remaining events. But Team Red Lizard is the team to beat.
W70+ The Colonial Road Runners entered a team in the 8K and the Atlanta Track Club expects to enter a Women's 70+ team for the 5K. So far there is no indication that the interest in team competition in this division extends beyond a single Championship to the Grand Prix circuit.
M40+ The Atlanta Track Club took the first three
titles but were displaced by Cal Coast in first the last two years, finishing 2nd
and 3rd. This year it is the new kids on the block as far as
contesting the Grand Prix goes, the Garden State Track Club New Balance, who
are setting the pace with 385 points in 5 races, just 5 points ahead of Atlanta.
That seems close, but Garden State has come in ahead of Atlanta in the most
recent 4 of the 5 events. Atlanta has their work cut out for them.
M50+ The Greater Springfield Harriers are well
positioned to repeat as champions. They have contested 4 events and won them
all handily. GVH is only 5 points back but they have accumulated those 395
points over 5 events already. If GSH wins one more event that will give them
500 points, a perfect score, and would clinch the 2018 title as GVH’s maximum
possible would be 490. The Cal Coast Track Club won the division in 2016 and
finished 2nd last year. Cal Coast finished 2nd to GSH at
Club XC and XC Nationals but they did not contest any of the three road races
this spring. That is partially due to injuries but also to all the races being
East of the Mississippi; perhaps some of them are also concentrating more on
the track as well.
M60+ This Grand Prix division
is the tightest. Atlanta leads with 390 [4] but the Shore AC has 390 [5] and
the Boulder Road Runners, more importantly, have 360 [4]. Boulder is the only
team contesting the Grand Prix to have beaten Atlanta this year, and they are
the defending champs. Shore will give the competition its best shot but the other two teams appear to have a little more firepower. A lot will depend on how healthy team members are over the next few contests.There should be some fireworks over the second part of
the season!
M70+ Atlanta also has the lead in this category
with 400 [5]. But GVH, with 380 [4], has the highest average score per contest.
Unless GVH falls apart, they are likely to top out somewhere between 460 and
500. Atlanta is gaining another strong runner for the second half, as Jerry Learned
ages up. With Jerry teaming up with Dave Glass, that improves Atlanta’s potential
to hold off GVH. Another threat comes from Ann Arbor. Lloyd Hansen has already
aged up and helped Ann Arbor win the Half Marathon Team Championship in GVH’s
absence in June. Terry McCluskey, who finished right behind Hansen at the Half
Marathon, will join Ann Arbor for the 1 Mile Championship and beyond. If Paul Carlin
(that’s me) stays healthy and/or Doug Goodhue comes back all the way, they would
be favorites to take several wins this fall. If so, their 260 points on 3
events could rise rapidly toward 500. Like M60+, this one could go down to the
wire!
That’s where we are now. It will be
fun to watch these races for 2018 Grand Prix eminence unfold. Next Championship
races in the circuit are the 5K Masters Championship in Atlanta on August 18th
and the 1 Mile Masters Championship in Flint Michigan on August 24th.
Don’t miss those two races; they will go a long way toward sorting out some of
the Grand Prix podium uncertainties.
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