Annual Banquet - 2005

2004 Award Winners

Men’s Open Runner of the Year
Mark Gilmore
In February, he spearheaded the men’s racing team at the RRCA 10 Miler, finishing fifth overall in 54:45 and leading the Striders to a glorious victory in the championship. That feat alone might have earned him the Runner of the Year award, but he continued his exploits by winning the Outback 5k in 15:54 in March and winning the Mainstreet Mile in 4:22.7 in April. Pitted against an all-star field at Damien's 5k in June, he finished fifth in 15:43. In July, he registered a 25:58 at the Rockville Twilighter 8k, and in September he won the prestigious Jones Falls Expressway 8k in 26:10. Not content with these short races, he also won the Bachman Valley Half Marathon (1:15:37), and went on to place 14th overall in the Baltimore Marathon (2:38:34). Mark wins the Runner of the Year award for the second year in a row.

Women’s Open Runner of the Year
Robyn Humphrey
Recently becoming a master runner merely unleashed the powers of this formidable and well-known Striderwoman. She started 2004 by placing second at the Penguin Pace 5k in 19:44, and she nobly supported the Strider effort at the RRCA 10 Mile Challenge with a 1:06:06 (10th woman). At Damien’s 5k in June, she finished second with an incredible 18:58 and beat last year’s runner of the year Julie Thienel. In July she led the Women’s Distance Festival 5k from start to finish, winning in 19:09. A month later, she placed second overall at the Leesburg 10k in 39:49. In October, she won the Metric 5k in 19:16 and placed second in her age group at the Baltimore Half Marathon (1:33:54). She capped off the racing year with a 38:46 at the very rugged Run Through the Grapevine 8k.

Men’s Master Runner of the Year
Chris Chattin
The over-40 crowd fear the day when he would enter their age group and, when the time finally happened, he lived up to the advanced billing. He usually raced the big-name races, and he always won something. He started his racing year at the highly-competitive Shamrock 5k where he placed sixth overall in 15:46 (second master). In early May, he struck again at Philadelphia’s Broad Street 10 Miler, where his 54:41 earned him a cash award for second place master. Two weeks later, he hit another master’s field at the Sallie Mae 10k (33:29). His 33:14 blitz at the Lawyers Have a Heart 10k placed him first in the age group. In July, he was the second master at the Rockville Twilighter 8k (26:47). Come September, he pounded the masters competition at the Airport 4 miler and placed third overall in 21:35. With performances like these, the other old guys are hoping they get into the next age group real soon.

Women’s Master Runner of the Year
Julie Thienel
The master woman runner of the year is another recent convert to the master’s age group. She contributed to the Striders’ victory at the 10 Mile Challenge with a 1:05:01 (seventh woman), and won the masters competition at the Penguin Pace 5k in 19:56. She ran a 1:07:53 at a very windy Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in April. A couple weeks later, she placed second among all women at Clyde’s 10k, and her 40:32 was only eight seconds behind the winner. Over the summer, she placed fourth overall at Damien’s 5k (19:06), third in her age group at the Rockville Twilighter 8k (32:39), and third overall at the Leesburg 20k (1:25:04). On a hot day in Annapolis, she ran 1:09:44 and was the second master woman to finish. Her favorite distance seems to be the marathon. She ran a 3:12:23 at the Frederick Marathon in May and then ran a 3:11:17 at the Twin Cities Marathon in October. The week after Twin Cities she won the Terrapin Trot 5k in 19:09!

Men’s Co-Grand Master Runners of the Year
Mick Slonaker and Jerry Warfield
[Mick Slonaker] He has become unquestionably the best grand master runner in the Striders, and his performances of the last few years have sealed his future entry into the Hall of Fame. He seemed to win something each week. He started 2004 with a 1:02:40 in helping the Striders win at the 10 Mile Challenge. He tuned up for Spring with a 29:30 at the Oriole Advocate 8k in March. Then he ran a wind-impeded 1:02:44 at Cherry Blossom, turned a 37:45 in the Pikes Peek 10k, and won cash by placing third in his age group at the Broad Street 10 Miler (1:03:12). He won his age group at the Annapolis 10 Miler (1:06:17). In September, he won his age group at the prestigious Philadelphia Half Marathon (1:22:35), and he simply outdid himself by winning his age group at the Twin Cities Marathon in an incredible 2:55:26. By the way, he also ran a 5:23 at the Meet of the Miles in July.

[Jerry Warfield] This Grand Master runner didn’t just win something every time he raced, he won his age group. And he did so by running widely disparate distances. For example, in the dead of winter, he contributed greatly to The Cause with a 1:08:56 at the 10 Mile Challenge. In the spring, he won the 60+ group at the Outback YMCA 5k (20:17) and then won the same age group at Clyde’s 10k (42:14). In the autumn, he lead the 60-64 men at the Metric Marathon (1:56:06) and then a week later throttled that age group at the Baltimore Marathon (3:19:31). A life-time Howard County Strider, Mr. Warfield burst into the six-decade age group this past year. “He must have been saving it up,” one of his age-group peers explained.

Women’s Grand Master Runner of the Year
Pat Brooks
Our own Grand Master Lady enjoyed another fine year of racing. She started off with a 25:53 at the Penguin Pace 5k, and then contributed a 1:28:09 at the 10 Mile Challenge. At Clyde’s 10k, she placed third in her age group (49:54). In the autumn, she did the Metric Marathon (2:37:39). She placed third in her age group at the impossibly rugged Run Through the Grapevine 8k (48:29) and helped the Sour Grapes to victory in the Women’s Masters Team category.

Men’s Junior Runner of the Year
Brian Harvey
This year Columbia Flier kept us abreast of the accomplishments of this exciting young runner for Centennial High School. At the track and field county championships in the spring, he placed second in the 1600m (4:36) and second in the 3200m (10:10). At the spring regions he ran even faster, winning the 1600m (4:35) and placing second in the 3200 (10:01).

Women’s Junior Runner of the Year
Nicole Shouse
She was on a roll for the entire year, beginning with the Penguin Pace 5k where she easily won her 14 and U age group in 20:31. She was the third woman overall at the Outback 5k (19:59). She ran her first 10k race at Clyde’s, where she again won her age group (44:51). She placed fourth overall at the Women’s Distance Festival 5k (19:48— NOT a PR!), and also won her age group at Damien’s 5k (20:54), the Police Pace 5k (19:47), and the BWI Airport 4 Miler (26:48). She ran a 5:37 personal record at the Meet of Miles in July, and simply terrorized the young runners (and some old runners) throughout the summer at the Summer Fun Runs. She was a captain with the Howard County Junior Striders, and she place 14th in her age group at the AAU National Cross Country Championships in December.

Men’s Most Improved Runner of the Year
Jason Tripp
Everywhere we looked this year, this fellow was setting personal records and building a growing reputation among the elites. He started the year with a second-place finish at the Penguin pace 5k (18:17). With no mile markers to worry his pace, he ran a magnificent 59:22 at the 10 Mile Challenge, which contributed mightily to The Cause. He won his age group at the Outback 5k (17:33). At the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler he ran a 59:43, and at Clyde’s 10k he placed 13th overall in 36:56. At Damien’s 5k, he set a road personal record of 16:54. At Annapolis, he was the first Strider to cross the finish line (1:00:07). He saved his best performances for the fall. He won the Metric Marathon in 1:39:16 (only person under 1:40), and two weeks later set a personal record of 2:48:44 at the Baltimore Marathon, where he also finished second in his age group.

Women’s Most Improved Runner of the Year
Jane Terranto
She trained with Mick Slonaker in the Next Step program and made great strides in her performance. She started modestly with a 49:41 at Clyde’s 10k in April and a 23:04 at the Viking 5k in May. Training assiduously with Mick, she improved to 22:11 at the Women’s Distance Festival 5k and placed second among the 40-44 women. By autumn, she had become a hardened distance runner. In September she ran the Philadelphia Half Marathon in 1:37:04, and two weeks later placed third among all women at the Metric Marathon (2:04:32). At the Baltimore Half Marathon, she placed fourth among the 40-44 women in 1:39:01.

Volunteers of the Year
Doug Hawkland and Linda Kennedy
The Howard County Striders are rightfully proud of the running performances the previous award winners, but the club could not function nor even exist without the efforts of volunteers like these two. Doug Hawkland helped behind the scenes at many of our largest races, and he also snapped a few pictures now and then. Linda Kennedy delivered equipment for the weekly races last year.

FIT/GIRL Award Winners
Cathy Smith and Beverly Byron.
Outstanding participants of the Females In Training and the Getting Inspired to Run for Life programs.

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