Tussey Teaser #3 -  4th Annual Beidleheimer Sidewinder 10K
May 6, 2007 - Whipple Dam State Park and Rothrock State Forest
by Mike Casper

Meira Minard - Overal Adjusted Time Winner.
Andy Cunningham - First To Finish.

Bob Boozer finishes with Deanna Brown, 2nd Place Adjusted Time.
Bob Crowe - 3rd Place Adjusted Time.

Ultramarathoner Joe Shuta has been this way many times before.
Christine Rice shoes the Bellelfonte Road Raiders how to finish with flare.

A cool spring breeze blew through Whipple Dam as runners boarded the buses heading for the start of the 4th annual Beidleheimer Sidewinder 10K. Age- and gender-graded scoring levels the playing field for participants. All women runners get a 6 minute credit. All runners over 39 get 20 seconds off their actual time for each year over 39, and runners over 49 get an additional 40 seconds off for each year over 49. A different time adjustment formula will be introduced next year that accounts for youth as well. This race is run on Leg 4 (in the reverse direction) of the Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK 50 Mile Relay and Ultramarathon course.
 
Meira Minard, 33, of State College, motored comfortably over hill and dale in 40:27 to finish 4th in actual time and first in the graded results, calmly whacking 45 seconds off her own course record from last year. Deanna Brown, 44, of Hollidaysburg, covered the distance in 44:04, which took second in the graded scoring. Bob Crowe, 59, of Boalsburg, who has been kicking up his heels on the roads lately anyway, tossed off 5 miles before the race and still turned in a 46:33, which converted to 36:33 and earned him third place hardware. Esther Prins, 34, of State College, tooled through the rambling roads in 42:46, which garnered fourth place honors and shaved 20 seconds off her own 2006 time. And Glenn Wright, the stalwart 73-years-young Rothrock enthusiast from Cassville, cruised the ups and downs in 56:21, which converted to 37:01 and a fifth place finish. Glenn unceremoniously chopped 1:32 off his 2006 time.

“I had so much fun last year that I knew I had to come back for another round this year,” said Minard. “The setting is amazing (much more inspiring to me than pounding the pavement of campus), the bus ride takes me back --- ­‘way’ back at this point  --- ­to traveling to high school meets (although we never traveled quite that far off-road, which only adds to the air of nervous excitement of course) and the elevation drop makes for some pretty fast times.” Minard said she was a little concerned about a foot pain she’d had for the past couple weeks, “so I tried to go out conservatively---­delicately---­and just play it by ear (or, in this case, foot). Deanna was in the lead for the first mile or so and Esther and I were right behind her. After I passed Deanna I just tried to maintain contact with the group of guys out in front of me. Miles four and five I got to run alongside Mark Fedkin and that helped to have someone to take on those hills with. The last stretch is tough mentally, as you have to go by where you want to be and then make that U-turn, but at least it’s nice and flat and even a little downhill before the finish. I was psyched about my time and wouldn’t have guessed during the race that it was going to be faster than last year, so that was a nice surprise. I really enjoy these events and can’t wait for the big event in September!”
  
The day’s youngest runner, Nikita Fedkin, 13, of State College, a member of Team 13 and Over, turned in a 50:05 raw time for 26th place. Elder teammate Todor Khristov, 14, of State College, posted a 52:41 finish. Last year, Nikita really struggled with this course (his first 10K), so this time he wanted revenge. This year, he said he felt strong and really enjoyed the race. He ran by himself, starting easy the first half and then kept passing people in the second half, which helped him mentally. He said hills in the end and the last mile were tough, but he knew the course already, so he was expecting some hard work in the end. His only minor frustration was that he missed breaking 50 minutes by only a few seconds and blamed it on untied shoelaces in the middle of the race.
 
And some folks just get better with age. Bob Boozer shaved 15 seconds off his 2006 time. Marty Mazur slivered 6 seconds from his effort last year. Joe Shuta carved more than 2 minutes from last year’s effort. Paul Mount snipped 26 seconds off his 2006 time. Katya Bazilevskaya whittled over a minute from her posting last year. Christine Rice knocked 6:34 from this, her first 10K last year. Michael Philippe shook almost 3 minutes from his 2006 time.
 
Teams of five also competed using graded times. First place went to The Bellefonte Road Raiders, comprised of Kim Gasper, Bob Rice, Christine Rice, Denise Weaver, and Duane Serpentine, finishing in 4:01:07. Second place went to Team 13 and Over, comprised of Mark Fedkin, 37, Nikita Fedkin, Rusko Ruskov, 44, Todor Khristov, and Katya Bazilevskaya, 36, all of State College, who were close behind them in 4:07:52.
 
Many thanks to the Sidewinder’s sponsors, Tom Cali of RE/MAX Centre Realty, and The Bicycle Shop, in State College, and to Appalachian Outdoors and Gift Adventures for donated door prizes.
 
Two more Tussey Teasers, both free, are on the horizon. June 9 is the Treaster Kettle “Test-Your-Mettle” 10.6 Miler, an out-and-back run on the challenging Leg 10 of the Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK course. June 30 is the Bear Meadows “Made in the Shade” 7.0 or 10.6 Miler, you choose the distance. Both feature water stations and door prizes. Each runner who completes all five Teasers will be eligible for a grand door prize to be awarded June 30.
 
Don’t forget you are being “teased” to get you exposed to these gorgeous roads and hooked on participating in the Tussey mOUnTaiNBACK on September 22. The race date is early this year, so all ultramarathoners and relay teams will need to register by September 8. All teams registering by August 1 will get their team name printed on their race shirts!
 

Age and Gender Graded Results:

Adjusted  Finish      Raw        Adjusted
 Place    Order       Time         Time    First Name   Last Name        Age    Sex  Town               State
--------  ------     -------      -------  ----------   ---------        ---    ---  ----               -----
    1         4      0:40:27      0:34:27  Meira        Menard           33      F   State College        PA
    2         9      0:44:04      0:36:24  Deanna       Brown            44      F   Hollidaysburg        PA
    3        15      0:46:33      0:36:33  Bob          Crowe            59      M   State College        PA
    4         7      0:42:46      0:36:46  Esther       Prins            34      F   State College        PA
    5        37      0:56:21      0:37:01  Glenn        Wright           73      M   Cassville            PA
    6         8      0:43:27      0:37:27  Cheryl       Capone           35      F   State College        PA
    7         1      0:37:31      0:37:31  Andy         Cunningham       28      M   State College        PA
    8         2      0:37:48      0:37:48  Duane        Serpentine       37      M   Bellefonte           PA
    9        16      0:46:32      0:38:32  Joe          Shuta            56      M   Duncansville         PA
   10        10      0:44:04      0:38:44  Robert       Boozer           52      M   Centre Hall          PA
   11         3      0:39:43      0:39:43  Brent        Noerr            28      M   Lewistown            PA
   12         6      0:41:08      0:39:48  Allan        Gross            43      M   Eldersburg           MD
   13        14      0:46:16      0:40:16  Lindsay      Baker            28      F   State College        PA
   14        21      0:48:31      0:40:31  Pamela       Scott            45      F   Lemont               PA
   15         5      0:40:43      0:40:43  Mark         Fedkin           37      M   State College        PA
   16        23      0:49:09      0:41:09  Kim          Gasper           45      F   Bellefonte           PA
   17        19      0:48:21      0:42:21  Sunday       Wright           17      F   Rebersburg           PA
   18        18      0:47:39      0:43:39  Martin       Mazur            50      M   State College        PA
   19        17      0:47:09      0:44:09  Erik         Brown            48      M   Hollidaysburg        PA
   20        13      0:45:56      0:44:36  Michael      Impresa          43      M   Howell               NJ
   21        11      0:45:18      0:45:18  Joe          Stoltz           27      M   Selinsgrove          PA
   22        28      0:51:26      0:45:26  Christine    Rice             34      F   Bellefonte           PA
   23        12      0:45:30      0:45:30  Michael      Philippe         37      M   State College        PA
   24        25      0:49:16      0:46:16  Greg         Woodman          48      M   State College        PA
   25        31      0:52:19      0:46:19  Sarah        Farrant          34      F   Boalsburg            PA
   26        33      0:52:52      0:46:52  Kimberly     Holm             22      F   State College        PA
   27        27      0:50:53      0:47:33  Dave         DeGroote         49      M   State College        PA
   28        39      0:56:41      0:47:41  Mary         Conner-Righter   48      F   State College        PA
   29        20      0:48:25      0:48:25  Eric         Mortenson        35      M   State College        PA
   30        22      0:48:34      0:48:34  Jonathan     Thurley          35      M   Pine Grove Mills     PA
   31        30      0:51:37      0:48:37  David        Paccioli         48      M   State College        PA
   32        24      0:49:10      0:49:10  Paul         Mount            38      M   Port Matilda         PA
   33        43      1:11:11      0:49:11  Arnold       Gasche           77      M   State College        PA
   34        35      0:55:56      0:49:56  Katya        Bazilevskaya     36      F   State College        PA
   35        26      0:50:05      0:50:05  Nikita       Fedkin           13      M   State College        PA
   36        29      0:51:34      0:51:34  Clay         Chiles           22      M   State College        PA
   37        38      0:58:39      0:52:39  Kim          Daniels          27      F   State College        PA
   38        32      0:52:41      0:52:41  Todor        Khristov         17      M   State College        PA
   39        34      0:52:57      0:52:57  Tom          Mrotek           22      M   State College        PA
   40        36      0:56:07      0:54:27  Rusko        Ruskov           44      M   State College        PA
   41        40      1:02:41      0:56:41  Bob          Rice             53      M   Bellefonte           PA
   42        41      1:04:19      0:57:39  Cindy        Bathurst         41      F   State College        PA
   43        42      1:07:03      1:00:03  Denise       Weaver           42      F   Pleasant Gap         PA

  Team Results:

         1. Bellefonte Road Raiders (Gasper, Rice, Rice, Weaver, Serpentine) 4:01:07
         2. 13 and Older (Fedkin, Fedkin, Ruskov, Khristov, Bazilevskaya) 4:07:52

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