Photograph by Kathy De La Torre

Runners work for position as they make their way down Big Basin Way on the trip to Santa Cruz Avenue in Los Gatos in the annual Great Race.

Great Race has great finish

Jackson leads sprint down Santa Cruz Avenue

By Dick Sparrer

They were running for more than 20 minutes.

But when the leaders in the 2000 Great Race hit Santa Cruz Avenue in downtown Los Gatos, it was an all-out sprint to the finish line.

Less than a minute separated the top 11 finishers in the annual race from Saratoga to Los Gatos, and it was Mike Jackson of Alameda leading the pack.

Jackson won Sunday's run on Feb. 20 when he hit the finish chute at 20:11. Kevin Pierpoint of Sunnyvale was a close second in 20:17.

Jackson topped the field of 2,418 finishers in the 23rd annual Great Race, sponsored by the Los Gatos Rotary Club. Runners started the race on Big Basin Way in Saratoga, and made the four-mile run down Highway 9 to the finish line on Santa Cruz Avenue.

Barb Acosta of San Jose was an easy winner in the women's division. Acosta was first in 23:04 with Gina Kehr of Santa Clara a distant second at 23:40. But it was Jackson who set the pace overall, winning the event in just over 20 minutes. Pierpoint was second with David Chavez of San Jose third in 20:26.

Also finishing within a minute of the leaders were Jose Palalia of San Jose, fourth in 20:33; Juma Sultan of Santa Clara, fifth in 20:36; Kenrick Sealy of San Jose, sixth in 20:40; Jason Spong of Los Altos, seventh in 20:42; Jeff Shavey of Cupertino, eighth in 20:48; Terence Boynton of Cupertino, ninth in 20:53; Joe Sanders of San Jose, 10th in 21:01; and Wayne Hopp III of San Jose), 11th in 21:05.

C.M. Hunt was the first Saratoga finisher, ending up 12th overall in 21:15.

Acosta won the women's title that had eluded her a year earlier. Acosta had won two straight Great Race titles before finishing third last year. She ran 22:16 in 1999, but had to settle for third. This year she stopped the clock at 23:04 for the win.

Kehr was second at 23:40 with Louise Kobin of Los Gatos third in 24:07, Honor Fetherson of Los Gatos fourth in 24:29 and Jackie McCleary of Los Gatos fifth in 24:41.

Los Gatos runners Susan Brewer (ninth in 25:24) and Lisa Lord (10th in 25:29) also cracked the top 10, and Saratoga's Lezlie Martin (11th in 25:38), Sheri Mulroe (12th in 25:46) and Elizabeth Nast (14th in 26:03) were in the top 20.

Along with winning the women's overall title, Acosta was first in the women's 40-49 age group with Fetherson second, Samuelson third, Sue Francis of Cupertino fourth in 26:58 and Debbie Follmar of Saratoga fifth in 27:21.

Alicia Follmar of Saratoga finished in 28:15 to win the girls' 13-and-under division title, and Danielle Zelinski of San Jose ran 27:16 to take the girls' 14-18 crown.

Others winning women's titles were Michelle Deasy of San Franciso, first in the 19-29 class in 24:44; Kehr in the 30-39 division; Gail Campbell of Los Gatos in the 50-59 group in 28:08; Trudi Hofmann of Milpitas in the 60-69 age group in 30:47; and Joy Johnson of San Jose in the 70-79 division in 36:47.

Jackson was the winner in the men's 19-29 age group with Pierpoint second and Chavez third.

Sealy won the men's 30-39 age division crown, Boynton the 40-49 title and Hopp the 14-18 top spot.

Others winning titles in divisions for males were Kyle Millerick of Los Gatos, 13-and-under; Bob Anderson of Los Altos, 50-59; Butch Erbst of Los Gatos, 60-69, with James Cochrane of Saratoga second; Richard Laine of San Carlos, 70-79, with Darrell Dukes of Saratoga second; and Andre Bogart of Saratoga, 80-95, with Bill Cilker of Los Gatos second.

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