New champs crowned in seventh annual Thanksgiving Day event
THE WMHS boys’ hockey team volunteered at the seventh annual AMPT “Earn Your Turkey” 5K race last Thursday morning at Lake Quannapowitt. The Warriors helped race officials break down the equipment at the event and handed out T-Shirts to the runners.
Published in the November 29, 2016 edition.
WAKEFIELD — The seventh annual AMPT “Earn your Turkey” 5K had a huge turnout on Thanksgiving morning as 805 runners competed and finished the race which was held around Lake Quannapowitt.
There were two new champions crowned as Saugus resident Kevin Powers, 21, won the men’s race with a time of 16:31. Powers beat out Revere resident and former Wakefield resident Jared Geller, 21, who was the runner-up at 16:51.
Leicester’s Jennifer Pajer, 20, won the women’s title with a time of 18:51. Taking second was Cambridge’s Madeline Weber, 30, in a time of 19:08.
Also finishing in the top 10 in the men’s race from Wakefield was Ryan Kerrigan, 35, who came in fifth in a time of 17:12. Peabody resident and former Wakefield resident Jerry Sancinito, 35, finished in eighth at 18:29.
Rounding out the top 10 in the men’s race were: Wilmot, N.H.’s Conor Terhune (17:00), Woburn’s Matt Haringa (17:11), New York City’s, Jonathan Gregorowic (17:30), Reading’s Paul Whitelam (18:22), Lawrence’s Matt Surette (18:54) and Cleveland, Ohio’s Rich Gent (18:57). They finished third, fourth, sixth, seventh, ninth and 10th, respectively.
Last year’s women’s champ, Wakefield’s Suzy Macero, 43, secured third in the women’s race as she clocked in at 19:43. Also finishing among the top 10 in the women’s race were Wakefield’s Lauren Sallade, 19, and Meghan Chapman, 19. They came in eighth and ninth with times of 21:07 and 21:08.
Rounding out the top 10 in the women’s race were: Lynn’s Mary Broufas (20:09), Julie Donovan (20:14), Georgetown’s Kathryn White (20:33), Wilmington’s Elizabeth McDermott (20:58) and Stoneham’s Jessica Brown (21:21). They finished in fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and 10th, respectively.
There were also male and female winners in a number of age categories.
Reading’s Luke Bartley (21:54) and Melrose’s Cadence L’Heureux (24:10) were the male and female winners in the 1-13 age group, while Melrose’s Aidan Kay (19:56) and White were the men’s and women’s champs in the 14-19 age category.
Gregorowic and Broufas were the the first place finishers in the 20-29 age group, while Haringa and Wakefield’s Erica Ferrell (21:37) were tops in the male and female age categories among 30-39 year olds.
Whitelam and Wakefield’s Victoria Clair (21:36) were the male and female champs in the 40-49 age group. Reading’s Bill Squires (19:55) and Melrose’s Elizabeth Emerald (24:52) were the first place finishers in the 50-59 age group.
Wakefield’s Audie Bridges (22:58) and Woburn’s Anne Craig (25:31) were tops in the male and female categories among 60-69 year olds. Melrose’s John Piasecki (35:48) and Wakefield’s Patricia Macbeath (42:33) were the first place finishers in the 70-99 age category.
The rest of the Wakefield runners that ran and finished in the top 100 included: Chris Clair (19:53), Bret Ferrell (19:54), Ryan Flanagan (19:58), Timothy MacLean (20:46), Dylan Sellers (20:56), Jonathan Kaufman (21:11), Ryan Campbell (21:28), Erik Cann (21:32), Victoria Clair (21:36), John Gallagher (22:09), Bryan Polchlopek (22:14), Nate Wilcox (22:16), Matthew Kerton (22:47) and Lucy Howard (22:48).
