Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Dammit winners return

Sealy tops list of returning race-winners

By Dick Sparrer

It's tough, it's rugged and it's demanding.

So what brings runners back each year for the Los Gatos Dammit Run?

For most, it's the challenge of racing through five miles of very rugged terrain.

For others, it's the challenge of repeating as champions.

Many have done it before, and they'll be back to try again when the 24th annual Dammit Run returns to Los Gatos on Aug. 16.

Kenrick Sealy tops the list of returners in the brutal Dammit event. Sealy is a two-time defending champion and is expected to return to run for an unprecedented third straight win.

Sealy is just one returning champion, though. More than a dozen past champs in different age groups will be back to run again on the dusty, rocky road up to Lexington Dam. And at least seven of them are two-time defending champions.

Norm Gould has raced to back-to-back victories in the men's 45-49 age group, and Walter Radloff has posted consecutive wins in the men's 50-54 class.

Judi Shade has romped to titles in the women's 50-54 division in each of the last two years, and Diane Bromstead owns back-to-back titles in the women's 55-59 class.

Russ Martin has two straight wins in the boys' 13-and-under division, Carlos Saldivar has won two titles in a row in the men's 55-59 division, and Dick Yaeger has run to two consecutive wins in the men's 65-69 group.

There will be others in the field hoping to reclaim age-group victories they have won the year before.

Debbie Follmar finished first in the women's 40-44 division last year, behind Christine Kennedy and Dee Gray. But Follmar is a veteran of the Dammit competition and won the division title in 1995.

Angie Girven, Jaclyn Caselli and Ross Malinowski were each '95 champions who finished second in their divisions last year.

Girven was second to Margie Sedillo in the women's 65-69 division, Caselli was second to Diane Ogilvie in the women's 70-and-over class, and Malinowski was second to Mike Kioan in the men's heavyweight group.

Sealy runs away

Sealy had to sprint to the finish line to win the 1995 overall title, covering the five miles in the record time of 27:39.60, with Russell Hill less than 10 seconds back in second place in 27:49.10.

But Sealy ran away with the title on the new course last year. He covered the distance in 28:04.90 with Gilbert Munoz a rather distant second at 29:18.94, over a minute and 14 seconds behind.

Patrick Fear, James Cardoza, Rob Nast, Dave McDonough, Sean Millar, Nick Piellusch, Bill Rice and Victor Cortes rounded out the list of the top 10 finishers overall.

Kennedy was the women's overall winner in 32:25.35, with Susie Blake second in 32:51.22.

Julie Rohloff, Elizabeth Nast, Rosemarie Lagunas, Deborah Bleisch, Sharlet Gilbert, Shade, Nathalie McManomon and Heather Tuerson finished out the Top 10.

The new course is actually the old course. Runners returned to the old loop course last year that was the Dammit Run many years ago.

As races go, this is a tough one. And race organizers caution Dammit entrants about the extreme conditions they may face on the trail with a warning printed right on the race flier:

"This course is rough, rocky, dusty, with very steep uphill terrain and narrow trails. Don't underestimate its difficulty--this is not a race for the faint of heart or the timid."

The race will start tamely enough on the track at Los Gatos High School, and it will finish in the same location. But in between, runners had best be prepared for the rocky, dusty trip into the foothills to Lexington.

Runners will race down the trail next to Los Gatos High School's lower field, past the Old Mill and across Main Street to make the climb up to Lexington Reservoir. Runners will cross the face of the dam, head back down the hill to College Avenue and race back to the finish line on the Los Gatos track.

Dammit registration

Race-day registration will begin at 6:30 a.m., and the starting gun will blast at 8:30 a.m. Runners can preregister at Athletic Performance, 55 W. Main St., or at the Runners Factory, 51 University Ave., through Aug. 15.

Awards will be given to the top 10 male and female finishers in the following divisions: open, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44 and 45-49. The top five male and female finishers in the 13-and-under, high school (ages 14-17), 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-and-over and heavyweight divisions will receive awards.

All finishers will receive ribbons, and the West Valley Track Club will provide computerized results.

The preregistration entry fee is $8 ($20 with a T-shirt), and the fee is $15 on race day ($30 with a T-shirt). T-shirts alone are priced at $15 and will be sold at the track on race day or in advance at Runners Factory and Athletic Performance. Proceeds from the Dammit go to benefit the Los Gatos High School Track Repair Fund.

For information, call 354-7365 or 395-4311.

The defending Dammit champions by age group:

Men's Open--Kenrick Sealy; Women's Open--Susie Blake; Boys' 13-and-under--Russ Martin; Girls' 13-and-under--Angela Gummow; High school boys--Nick Piellusch; High school girls--Rachael Wiseman; Men's 30-34--Rob Nast; Women's 30-34--Julie Rohloff; Men's 35-39--Gilbert Munoz; Women's 35-39--Nathalie McManomon; Men's 40-44--Dirk Rohloff; Women's 40-44--Christine Kennedy; Men's 45-49--Norm Gould; Women's 45-49--Sharlet Gilbert; Men's 50-54--Walter Radloff; Women's 50-54--Judi Shade; Men's 55-59--Carlos Saldivar; Women's 55-59--Diane Bromstead; Men's 60-64--Jerome Lewis; Women's 60-64--Joan Masui; Men's 65-69--Dick Yaeger; Women's 65-69--Margie Sedillo; Men's 70-and-over--Bill Wallace; Women's 70-and-over--Diane Ogilvie; Men's heavyweight--Mike Kioan.

[ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ]