Mercedes Castillo-D'Amico breaks Virginia state 5K record for women 55-59
Greg Dawson and Karen Terry named 2012 CRR Grand Prix champions.
by Rick Platt
Adam Otstot, 30, of Williamsburg, a physical education teacher at Rawls Byrd Elementary School, won the Sentara Sleighbell 5K Run for the third time in its four years Saturday morning in Williamsburg. Otstot, a William and Mary grad, was timed in 15:51 this year. He set the course record of 15:27 in 2009, and won again last year in 15:58.
Second and third overall for the men were 2012 Walsingham Academy grad Adam Link, 18, of Williamsburg (16:56), a 2012 Colonial Road Runners scholarship recipient, and Roger Hopper, 21, of Williamsburg, a W&M senior (16:58), the overall winner of the Christmas Town 8K at Busch Gardens two weeks ago.
For the women, Nicole Carson, 39, of Williamsburg won in 19:46, followed closely by Leia Lautzenheiser, a W&M junior, 20, of Midlothian (20:00) and Elizabeth Starbuck, 19, of Williamsburg (20:08).
In the Masters men's category (ages 40-and-over), Stephen Chantry, 57, of Williamsburg (17:25) outkicked Daniel Shaye, 43, of Williamsburg (17:26) at the finish line for the Master title, with Greg Dawson, 47, of Williamsburg (17:32) a few seconds back. The trio were 4-5-6 overall in the race. For the 2012 Colonial Road Runner Grand Prix, Dawson edged Shaye for the men's overall title. Although neither ran the race, Karen Terry (the Sleighbell women's course record holder at 18:22 in 2011) and Jennifer Quarles went 1-2 in the CRR Grand Prix for overall women.
In the Masters women's category, Mercedes Castillo-D'Amico, 55, of Newport News broke the Virginia state record for women 55-59 by 37 seconds, her time of 20:12 far superior to the previous record of 20:49 by Susie Klutz of North Carolina at age 59 on March 16, 1996. Second and third for the Masters women were Annie Gilbride, 45, of Providence Forge (20:48) and Catherine Hanson, 42, of Williamsburg (21:18).
Full age group award winner results will be available Sunday for this race, which had a record turnout of 892 finishers. Only the Christmas Town 8K two weeks ago ever had more finishers in a Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix race than this year's Sentara Sleighbell 5K Run, with Janice Kailos, the race director, organizing the race as part of the WJCC School Health Initiative Program (SHIP).