Menchville Chill 5K Results

       The Menchville Chill lived up to its name as 89 finishers braved frigid conditions to traverse the Menchville High School campus over 3.11 miles.

Andrew Osborne captured the overall title with a quick time of 15:50, while Jennifer Anderson of Williamsburg paced the women in 18:47.

 9th Annual MENCHVILLE WINTER CHILL 5K

Menchville High School,    Newport News, VA                         January 18, 2020 

               benefitting the Menchville High School Chorus

                  A PENINSULA TRACK CLUB GRAND PRIX EVENT

TOP OVERALL MEN

1    ANDREW OSBORNE       26 YORKTOWN VA   15:50 
 2     JIM HIGHSMITH      37 NEWPORT NEWS VA 17:28     
 3      DILLON BRITT               23 PENDLETON NC  17:36     
 
TOP OVERALL WOMEN

    1      JENNIFER ANDERSON  39 WILLIAMSBURG VA      18:47   
    2      MEGAN SCHULZE         37 GLEN ALLEN VA           19:03   
    3     EMILY HONEYCUTT      28 NEWPORT NEWS VA    19:37     

A number of age-group records were also established at Menchville -- 

Men 25-29, the 1st Male Overall, Andrew Osborne, 26 of Yorktown VA set an age group record with a time of 15:50, besting the mark of 16:39 set by David Brakman in 2014.

Women 35-39, the 1st Female Overall Jennifer Anderson set an age group record with a time of 18:47, besting the mark of 18:54 set last year by Female winner Sika Henry.

Women 25-29, 3rd Female Overall, Emily Honeycutt, 28 of Newport News improved on the age group record of 20:10 she set last year by running a time of 19:37.

Men 10-14, Joshua Guthinger, 11 of Yorktown VA improved on the age group record of 22:14 he set in 2019 by running a time of 21:15 this year.

Men 70-74, Dale Abrahamson, 70 of Yorktown VA set a new age group record with a time of 22:24, eclipsing the mark of 24:46, set by Larry Arata in 2015.

Men 80-84, Charles Terrell, 81 of Newport News improved on the age group record he set in 2019 of 35:16 by running a time of 34:53.

Women 9-and-Under, Kaitlyn Scicchitano set a new age group record of 39:34 smashing the previous record of 47:51, set by Isabel Gilbert in 2016.

Women 65-69, Helen Worthington, 65 of Bena VA set a new age group record of 26:44 beating the previous record of 28:52, set by Patricia Travis in 2019.

Women 80 - 84, Pauline Ely, 81 of Hampton VA set a new age group record with a time of 48:42 besting the previous record of 52:33, set by Thelma Lambley in 2014.

Axsom's Army Collects 125 Medals at State AAU to Finish 2019 Season

The Axsom Martial Arts dojo finished its 2019 campaign at the AAU Virginia Fall Invitational Karate Tournament. They had 38 total competitors in the four divisions of Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced. The categories of competition were Kobudo (Weapons Forms), Kata (Empty Hand Forms), and Kumite (Point Fighting), and Team Rotational Kumite (Three Man Teams that rotate through each fighter for at least 15 seconds). Axsom's Army had 38 competitors garnering an impressive 125 total medals: 48 GOLDs, 39 SILVERs, 38 BRONZEs + 5 Gold Team Rotational Kumite Cups & The Dojo Spirit Award for being the most spirited dojo! Coach Axsom was assisted by Austin Galeski (Assistant Coach/Dojo Team Captain) and Nicholas Keane (Assistant Coach), and many volunteers who helped work the scorekeeping, timers, and rules.

Advanced Division:

• Jessica Sigsbee: (18-34) Jessica is 17 but wanted to fight in a more competitive division so she moved up. She brought home Silver in Kobudo and Kata, and Gold in Kumite + Gold in Team Rotational Kumite.
• Will Whitaker: (18-34) Will brought home silvers in all three categories + Gold in Team Rotational Kumite with Jessica & Austin Galeski on the Team "Bull-Moose Bruisers).
• Ryan Sigsbee: (13-14) brought home Bronze in Kata, and Golds in Kobudo and Kumite + he captained the team of "Moose Strike Force" for a Gold Cup win in TRK.
• Preston Wilkinson: (15-16) brought home 3 Bronzes in each category and joined Ryan, Braeden Monroe for a Gold Cup in TRK.
• Austin Galeski: (18-34) led our TRK team to a Gold Cup, but did not compete in the regular divisions. 

Intermediate Division:

• Finley Sirieys: (18-34) won Silver in kata, and Golds in Kobudo and Kumite, and was joined by Jon Duarte and Blaise Silverman for TRK and brought home a Silver.
• Marcellus Wiggins (18-34) won silver in Kobudo and Bronze in Kumite.
• Anna Deller (15-16) had an amazing tournament winning the most medals. She won GOLD in all 3 of her divisions and competed in exhibitions in the 18-34 division winning Gold in Kobudo and Kata and Silver in Kumite. She also Captained the "Power Puff Girls" with teammates Miranda Chellis-Martinez and Maimouna Outtara winning a Silver.
• Jordan Costello: (11-12) won Silver in Kumite and Gold in Kumite + he was a member of the "Triple Threat" TRK that won GOLD.
• Amiyr Gordon (9-10) won Bronze in Kobudo and was the Team Captain for the TRK team "Triple Threat" that won GOLD.
• Geoorgian Metang (11-12) won Bronze medals in Kobudo and Kata, and GOLD in Kumite, and led his trk team "The Boom" to a Silver finish.
• LJ "Diesel" Latham (9-10) gained valuable experience in each category, and helped his TRK team with Amiyr and Jordan secure a GOLD medal finish in TRK kumite.

Novice Division: 

• Jon Duarte (18-34) won silvers in Kata and Kumite, and Gold in Kobudo + a Silver finish in TRK with Fin and Blaise on the H-SC Tiger team.
• Joe Fuscia (11-12) won Silver in Kata and GOLD in Kobudo and Kumite + Silver finish with Georgia and Hunter on "the Boom"
• Hunter Feicht (11-12) won Silvers in Kobudo and Kumite, and GOLD in Kata and was the 3rd man on the "Boom" team for a silver.
• Jalyn Wilks (9-10) won Bronze in Kumite and 2nd Silver Finish in TRK kumite with the "Dream Team!"
• Conner Strickland: (9-10) won bronze in Kumite and GOLDs in Kobudo and Kata + a silver finish with the "Dream Team."
• Amari Cox: (9-10) won silvers in all categories + he was the 3rd member of trk "The Dream Team" for a silver,
• Chris Gordon: (5-6) won silver in Kata, and GOLDs in Kobudo and Kumite + he was a member of the "X-MEN" that won GOLD in trk.

Beginner Division: 

• Maimouna Outtara: (15-16) won Bronze in Kumite and GOLDs in Kobudo and Kata + a Silver finish in trk on the Team of "Power Puff Girls."
• Alex Tomaino: (15-16) won Silvers in all 3 categories + was a member of the "Young Bulls" trk that came in with a bronze.
• Jonah Smead (13-14) won Silver in Kumite and GOLDs in Kobudo and Kata + a bronze in trk on " the young bulls."
• Brett Fallen (13-14) won Silvers in Kobudo and Kata, and GOLD in Kumite + a bronze in trk on the "Young Bulls."
• Braeden Monroe (13-14) won Bronze in Kobudo and Kumite + a Gold in trk on  a team with Ryan and Preston as the "Moose Strike Force."
• Miranda Chellis-Martinez (13-14) won GOLDs in all 3 categories + a Bronze with "the Power Puff Girls."
• Daniela Chellis-Martinez (11-12) won Silvers in Kobudo and Kata, and GOLD in Kumite + Silver finish in trk on the team of "Speed, Power & Glory."
• Dakota Parnell: (11-12) won Silvers in Kobudo and kata, and Bronze in Kumite + Silver in trk on the team of "Speed, Power, & Glory."
• Zia Posey: (11-12) won silver in Kumite and Gold in Kobudo and Kata + a Silver finish on TRK team of "Speed, Power & Glory."
• Jon Kohaut: (9-10) two bronzes in Kobudo and Kumite, and Silver in Kata + Bronze on trk "Moose Avengers."
• Bryce Boyles: (9-10) bronze in kumite + bronze in trk "Moose Avengers" team.
• Moustapha Outtara: (7-8) Silver in Kobudo + bronze in trk "Moose Avengers" team.
• Jace Boyles: (7-8) Bronzes in Kobudo and Kata + GOLD in TRK "X-Men" team.
• Lucas Ramey (7-8) Gold in Kobudo + GOLD in trk "X-MEN" team,
• Shianne Freeman: (5-6) Bronze in Kumite, Silver in Kata, and Gold in Kobudo + Silver finish in TRK "Bone Crushers" team.
• Jacob Jarrin: (5-6) Silver in Kobudo and Kumite + Silver finish in TRK "Bone Crushers" team.
• Sophia Smith: (5-6) Bronze in Kumite + Silver in TRK "Bone Crushers" team.
• Colten Feicht (5-6) Bronze in Kata + Bronze in TRK "Punch Factory" team.
• Isaiah McClain: (5-6) Bronze in Kobudo and Kata + Bronze in TRK "Punch Factory" team.
• Ben Anderson" (5-6) Bronze in TRK "The Punch Factory."

Mu Breaks Girls' National 500-Meter HS Record at VA Showcase

(Note: Granted, this has nothing to do with Virginia Peninsula Sports, except that I live there. Yet, sitting here, covering the VA Showcase track meet in Lynchburg, VA, I had the opportunity to interview Athing Mu, who may become the greatest American middle-distance runner in history. Yet, so did two others from our outlets of MileSplit and FloTrack, and they submitted theirs before I did. I hate to throw this one out, so meet Miss Mu!)

While most athletes who break a national record will jump and cheer and hug everyone in sight, the face and actions of Athing Mu were a source of wonderment for the trained eye – at least for the first ten seconds after her race on Friday evening.

There was the show of exhaustion, of course, followed by a slow walk to the infield, at which point she was greeted by people jumping and cheering and hugging her. It was only there that she began to realize the gravity of what she had accomplished over a 70-second period.

And how could she have known? Mu wasn’t looking at the running clock next to the finish line as she headed down the straightaway of her 500-meter race. When she did glance up, from the spot where was bent over with hands on her knees, the only thing she saw was 1:10.

“Oh well,” thought the high school senior, who competes for the Trenton Track Club in New Jersey. “I almost got it.”

Fortunately, others knew. As it turned out, the tall, lanky Mu had nipped Chanelle Price’s standard of 1:10.30 by .07 to set a new national high school record in the Virginia Showcase’s premier event of Day 1.

Not that records are new to her; in fact, last year at the Armory in New York City, she broke both the world junior record and the American record of Alysia Montano in the 600-meters with her time of 1:23.57. The time was just .13 seconds short of Olga Kotlyarova’s world record.

And as her coach, Al Jennings, sees it, everything that his star runner does now is in preparation for bigger and better things at the world level.

“She spent last summer running in Europe,” said Jennings, acknowledging that the trip took a lot out of her. “They wanted her to run, but it was tough.”

In this case, Mu ran four meets in four days. Of the European athletes, she said, “They’re really fast, it’s another level, like a notch above the pros. You have high school, college, professional, but some of them have been competing for so long.”

Mu’s itinerary looks like that of a foreign service officer – Costa Rica, Argentina, Peru, and Belarus are just some of the places she has competed in the past two years. As she looks ahead to a collegiate career at Texas A&M, her and Jennings, who has been her coach since the age of 6, believe that rest between competitions will be as crucial as her races.

Getting back to her after-Europe activity last fall, Jennings said, “she took the whole month of September off. Last year, she didn’t have that luxury. And then from October to about late December, we just worked on strength – not a lot of exercise, but sit-ups, crunches, leg lifts –core work.”

She did compete in one 800-meter race, a 2:10 effort just before Thanksgiving. Although the work was beneficial, the time was nine seconds off her 2:01 best.

On Friday night, the rest paid off. Aaliyah Pyatt of Massaponax pushed the early pace, but was overtaken by Mu after 200 meters.

“I expected it from Kayla (Davis)” said Mu, when asked about following an early frontrunner. The duel between the two favorites never materialized as Mu grabbed the lead and pulled away for a two-second victory. Davis was second in 1:12.28, with Michaela Rose third in 1:12.64.

She was thankful for the early help. “I prefer to have someone to chase.”

There will be plenty of opportunities for her to chase runners in the near future. Next weekend, Mu will be featured in a pro race at the Armory, and then run in a couple more meets before the U.S. National Championships in mid-February, where she will run the 800 or 400. The shorter-range plan is to train for the 800 meters through college and then possibly drop to the 400 later in her career.

This year, she will compete “enough to get ready” for the Olympic Trials, which begin on June 19, just 11 days after her 18^th birthday. For Mu, who has best times of 51.98 in the 400 meters and five minutes flat for the full mile, the next 12 years of her life could see the young woman of Sudanese origin becoming the greatest American middle-distance runner ever.

CNU Announces 2020 Hall of Fame Class

From the Christopher Newport University Sports Information Office:

The Christopher Newport Department of Athletics announced the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 today with seven inductees, matching the largest class since the inaugural Class of 1989.  

 

This year's class includes two of the longest-tenured employees in Christopher Newport Athletics history in administrator Judy Stenzhorn and men's soccer coach Steve Shaw. The class also includes national champions Gretchen Jewell (Cheerleading) and Richard Roethel (Men's Track & Field) alongside All-Americans Marlene Lichty (Field Hockey) and Sean Moriarty (Men's Soccer). Rounding out the 2020 induction class, Ashton Marshall (Women's Lacrosse) is the all-time record holder for career goals and points.

Following today's announcement, the seven former Captains will be officially inducted at halftime of the CNU vs. Mary Washington men's basketball game on February 1, 2020. The game will begin at 4:00 pm at the Freeman Center.

Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix Races – January through June 2020

The Colonial Road Runners have released their working race schedule for the first half of 2020. For more information on any race, please contact Rick Platt, Colonial Road Runners, at (757-345-1431 cell), email: rickplatt1@juno.com., or visit the CRR website at www.colonialroadrunners.org.

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Toano – Toano Icy 8K Run/Walk (8K is CRR Grand Prix event) and Frosty 5K Run/Walk, Toano Middle School.

Saturday, February 15, 2020 – Williamsburg – 41^st annual Colonial Half Marathon (half marathon is CRR Grand Prix and Hampton Roads Super Grand Prix event), 5K, Colonial Williamsburg Art Museum Lawn.

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Williamsburg – Jamestown High School Swamp Run 5K Run/Walk, Jamestown High School.

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Williamsburg – Virginia Fire Chiefs 5K, Duke of Gloucester Street, Colonial Williamsburg.

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Yorktown – Victory at Yorktown 10K Run/Walk (10K is CRR Grand Prix and Hampton Roads Super Grand Prix event), 5K run/walk, Yorktown Waterfront. Part of the second annual Historic Triangle Triple Crown series (Yorktown, Williamsburg, Jamestown).

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Williamsburg – Run the D.O.G. Street Challenge 5K (Hampton Roads Super Grand Prix), Merchants Square. Part of the second annual Historic Triangle Triple Crown series (Yorktown, Williamsburg, Jamestown).

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Williamsburg – 26^th annual Queens Lake Run 5K Run/Walk, New Quarter Park.

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Williamsburg – Virginia Regional Ballet 5K Run/Walk.

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Williamsburg – Miles of Kindness (series of eight road miles on historic Duke of Gloucester Street), Bruton Parish Church.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Williamsburg – 5K Run for Mental Strength, Eastern State Hospital.

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Williamsburg – Kingswood Klam 5K Run/Walk, Kingswood Pool.

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Williamsburg – WISC Gymnastics Flipping 5K, Billsburg Brewery, James City County Marina.

CRR Affiliated Races (but not CRR Grand Prix)

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Williamsburg – March Maniac 11 Hour Endurance Run, Warhill Nature Trail.

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Williamsburg – Singletrack Maniac 50K (31.0 mile trail race), Cray Cray 10K (bike path and trail race), Lois Hornsby Middle School (single-track mountain bike trails of adjacent Freedom Park).

Contact for race info on these ultramarathon races: Ellen Alexander: ultraellen@gmail.com