2010 Crapolfest 5K Run/Walk

By Rick Platt

To quote Yogi Berra, “It was déjà vu all over again” last Saturday for W&M visiting history professor Gregor Kranjc at the second annual Crapolfest 2010 5K Run/Walk, starting and finishing at Albert-Daly Field, the College of William and Mary soccer stadium. Last year in a field of 195 runners Kranjc placed second to an out-of-town runner (Danny O’Callaghan of Houston, TX) in a time of 17:13. This year Kranjc, now 36, also in a field of 195 runners, placed second to an out-of-town runner (Todd Kessler of Newport News) in a near identical time of 17:11.

The race benefited the Andrew E. Crapol Soccer Scholarship, and was organized by the W&M Tribe Club, with assistance by the W&M men’s soccer team. Andy Crapol (1978-2009) was a Williamsburg native who played soccer for Lafayette High School, then at William and Mary under Coach Al Albert (the race director for the Crapolfest run). The 5K was a Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix event this year. Andy’s mother, Jeanne Zeidler, was on the Williamsburg City Council, and is the former mayor of Williamsburg. His father, Edward Crapol, is a professor emeritus in history at W&M.

Andy was diagnosed with esophageal cancer early in 2009, and died tragically within months. His widow, Allison Simmons Crapol, was at all the weekend events (which included a mini-golf tournament at Pirate’s Cove/Adventure Golf), including handing out the race awards. The weekend activities concluded with the W&M soccer game Saturday evening against CAA rival Virginia Commonwealth University, with the Tribe prevailing 1-0 on a second-half goal by Alan Koger.

Race winner Kessler, 27, the Smithfield High head cross-country coach, ran a time of 16:53 to better the previous course record of 17:04 by O’Callaghan. Kessler drafted off of Kranjc, more familiar with the course; which started with a loop of the W&M Dillard Complex dormitories, then a clockwise loop of the James City County Williamsburg recreational bike path along Longhill and Ironbound Roads; then pulled away for an 18-second win. Craig Carey, 30, of Arlington improved from 19:46 in 2009 to 17:40 this year to place third overall.

For the women, assistant Smithfield High cross-country coach Karen Terry, 21, of Hampton, smashed the previous course record of 20:53 by almost two minutes, winning in 19:01, with 2010 CRR Grand Prix leader (and 5-time champion) Jennifer Quarles, 38, second in 19:42, and W&M freshman Kelly O’Toole, 18, also under 20 minutes with a 19:54. O’Toole graduated last June from Osbourn Park High in Manassas, where she had bests of 19:32 (5K cross country), 5:37 (1,600 meters) and 2:28 (800 meters).

For the second year, Brooklyn’s Graham Albert, 29, the son of race director Al Albert, and who works for Frontpoint Partners, a hedge fund in New York City, dribbled a soccer ball the entire way, finishing in 26:24. Other former W&M varsity soccer players winning age-group plaques were Nathan Belcher (2^nd, men 20-24, 24:24), Alex Brown (1^st, 25-29, 19:04), Jeff Dominguez (1^st, 30-34, 20:08), Garrett Chittum (2^nd, 30-34, 23:38) and Rob Bryden (1^st, 35-39, 20:10). Also running were Joe and Karen DiNuzzo of Woodbridge, parents of Mike DiNuzzo, the W&M team captain and the first recipient of the Crapol Scholarship; and Shane Emmett, one of Andy’s closest and oldest friends. Joe was 3^rd for men 55-59 in 25:35, Karen was third for women 50-54 in 28:38, and Emmett was third for men 30-34 in 23:46.

The Crapolfest 5K became a CRR Grand Prix event this year, and the competition reflected that upgrade. Besides the two course records, 22 of the race’s five-year age-group records were broken, with only eight remaining from 2009.