Saratoga News

Follmar among past Dammit winners

Last year's champ looking to defend division title

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 of Saratoga 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 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.

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.

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.

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

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