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Ethiopians Girma Tola and Aziza Ayilu, Win Titles at 18th Mayors Cup Cross Country
Races Presented
by adidas and the Boston Athletic
Association BOSTON, Mass. Blustery winds, blue skies, and temperatures in the lower 50s created the quintessential New England cross country backdrop for the 782 finishers in Sundays Mayors Cup Cross Country Races, presented by adidas and the Boston Athletic Association, and directed by USA Track & Field (New England Association) and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department in conjunction with Boston Centers for Youth and Families.
Westchester (New York) Track Club repeated its feat from last year, sending both the male and female champions to the winners circle, and Aziza Ayilu an Ethiopian residing in the Bronx became the first female to win back-to-back since the legendary Lynn Jennings successfully defended her title in 1994-95. Ayilu, 22, ran 16:37 in the womens championship 5-kilometer race, beating Julie Culley, of Arlington, Virginia, by six seconds. Culley, 26, and formerly of Rutgers University improved from her eighth place finish at the 2006 Mayors Cup. Serena Ramsey was third in 16:50.
With her second Mayors Cup title, Ayilu joins Jennings and Kathy Franey as the only women to have notched two victories in the events 18 years. Four men have won the Mayors Cup twice: Keith Kelly (2002-03); Francis Kirwa (1998, 2000); Silah Misoi (1996-97); and Brad Schlapak (1992-93).
RIADHA/S4A won the womens competition by the score of 35 to 46 over the Nike Central Park Track Club. Greater Boston Track Club (GBTC) was the first local club (third place; 70 points).
Riadha (ree-ah-thah), Swahili for athletics, which in East Africa translates to Track and Field plus non-track running, is a self-funded athlete based philanthropic organization focused on improving human health worldwide, which also supports developing track and field athletes. Riadha merged with Shoe for Africa (S4A) and the club is now referred to as Riadha/Shoe for Africa.
Girma Tola, 32, also Ethiopian and who has been living in the Bronx, New York for approximately two months, won the mens 8-kilometer race (180 finishers), with a time of 23:18, three seconds faster than runner-up Jorge Torres, 27, of Reebok and Boulder, Colorado. Massachusetts was represented on the awards platform in the person of Sean Quigley, 22, who is in a collegiate red shirt year at LaSalle University (Penn.), but who made his name as a scholastic standout at Franklin Park when he wore the local colors of Archbishop Williams several years ago. Quigleys time was 23:24, while fourth place Dylan Wykes (23:41), of the host Boston Athletic Association, led the B.A.A. to the team victory. Genesee Valley Harriers (91 points) and Westchester Track Club (100 points) were the second and third place mens teams.
Defending champion Stephen Chemlany (KEN) was 14th place and and 2005 champ Jarrod Shoemaker (Sudbury, MA) was ninth. Shoemaker was recently named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic triathlon team. The 10-year old meet records by Franey (Womens 5K; 16:22 in 1997) and Misoi (Mens 8K; 22:53 in 1997) went unchallenged for yet another year.
Another
former Mayors Cup champion U.S. Olympian Kate ONeill served as the starter
of the womens race and was an all-around celebrity as she distributed the
awards to the top placers from the youth races. ONeill, the 2003 Mayor's Cup champion
and who is from Milton, Mass., was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team
(10,000m), and was in town to tour the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Women's
Marathon course in Boston and Cambridge. She qualified for that event three
weeks ago at The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon where she placed third with a
time of 2:36:15. The Mayor's
Cup is composed of five races: girls' and boys' 1.1-mile races, the open
Franklin Park 5K, the women's Championship 5K
and the men's Championship 8K. Winners of the other Mayors Cup races were: Brett Baker
(Boys 1.1 mile) 5:40; Laura Williamson (Girls 1.1 mile) 6:21; Eric
Khatchadourian (men, Franklin Park 5K 16:02); and Jennifer Rapaport (women,
Franklin Park 5K 19:30).
2007 Girma
Tola (Westchester TC); Aziza Aliyli (Westchester TC) 2006 Stephen
Chemlany (Westchester TC); Aziza Aliyli (Westchester TC) 2005 Jarrod
Shoemaker (B.A.A.); Kim Smith (Reebok) 2004 Mark
Carroll (adidas); Atalelech Keteme (Westchester TC) 2003 Keith
Kelly (New Balance); Kate O'Neill (Nike) 2002 Keith
Kelly (New Balance); Kristin Chisum (New Balance) 2001 Sandu
Rebencuic (U.S. Army);
Priscilla Hein (Indiana Invaders) 2000 Francis
Kirwa (Life
University); Sarah Dupre
(B.A.A.) 1998 Francis
Kirwa (Life
University); Lesley Lehane
(B.A.A.) 1997 Silah
Misoi (Life
University); Kathy Franey
(Nike International) 1996 Silah
Misoi (Life
University); Kate Fonshell
(ASICS) 1995 Seamus
McElligott (ASICS); Lynn Jennings (Nike International) 1994 Abidi
Bouazza (Westchester TC); Lynn Jennings (Nike
International) 1993 Brad
Schlapak (NYAC); Carmen Troncoso (Nike Texas) 1992 Brad
Schlapak (NYAC); Kathy Franey (Reebok Racing) 1991 Andy
Ball (Nike Running Room); Gwyn Coogan (Nike Boston) 1990 Michael Baugh (HFC Striders); Michelle DiMuro (Reebok Racing)
For complete results, please click here
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