Villacres provides a fast response to late challenger

The volume of cheering heard by frontrunner Bob Villacres as he headed toward the finish at Saturday's Cougar Classic 5K indicated his leadership position was in dire jeopardy.

Sure enough, bearing down on the Coast Guard helicopter pilot was Bradenton's Mike Aldrink, sprinting for all he was worth trying to snatch the victory at Countryside High.

But Villacres had an answer to the late challenge.

"I felt him breathing down my neck," said Villacres, 33, assigned to the Coast Guard Air Station at St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport.

"I'm not usually a sprinter, but I figured I had to get going to win," he said.

Villacres prevailed narrowly with a time of 16 minutes, 45 seconds, just two seconds ahead of Aldrink.

It was his second straight win, having taken first the previous weekend at the Fall Classic 5K in Tampa in nearly the same time, 16:46.

"I'd like to do the Turkey Trot 5K again (Nov. 28) and improve on my 10th-place finish from last year," said Villacres, a member of the St. Pete Mad Dogs.

Last Thanksgiving Day at Clearwater High, Villacres finished in 16:53. Jim Sellers of Tampa won in 15:43.

David Meri, who shares a home with Villacres in St. Petersburg, finished third in the Cougar Classic in 17:14, followed by Mike Dirks (17:17), Michael Weiss (17:18) and Mike Gately (17:25), a freshman on the cross country team at Eckerd College.

James O'Berry, a freshman at Lakewood High, took the early lead with a 5:14 first mile with the pack in hot pursuit.

He held on for seventh (17:33) and won an award as the first high school finisher. He was coming off a fourth-place finish at the Pinellas County Athletic Conference championship at Largo's Taylor Park.

The women's race was equally close with four-time Turkey Trot winner Judy Maguire barely holding off Kit Van Allan for a highly appreciated win after a long layoff.

"I didn't know what kind of (competitive) shape I was in not having raced for months," said Maguire, 42, who has won the Wingding 5K at the Turkey Trot the past two years.

"I've had a ankle injury which has forced me to cut back my training to 30 miles a week."

Maguire won in 18:42. Her win on Thanksgiving Day last year was in 17:35.

She won the main event at the Times Turkey Trot, the 10K, in 1993 as Judy Mercon, and again in 1999.

St. Petersburg's Jeanne Lesniak finished third (20:05) at the Cougar Classic, followed by masters winner Karen Gately (20:09) and Tracy Pringle (21:05).

Anna Deschryver of Countryside High was the top female high scool runner.

CLASSIC NOTES: The first-year event served as a fund-raiser for the Cougar wrestling team.

The course meandered out and back from the school through residential neighborhoods. Race organizers plan to make the event a fixture on the road race calendar.

Lesniak, 29, a former standout runner at St. Petersburg Catholic and the University of Central Florida, is leaving in December to take a hospital position in London. She's a member of the St. Pete Mad Dogs and Forerunners.

NEW YORK CITY MARATHON: Among a large delegation from the greater Tampa area, three Forerunners paced the field.

Steve Wilcox finished 402nd (of 31,000) in 2:56:32, Walt Sieg came in at 2:57:47 and Amy McClenathan, 42, ran the 26.2 miles through the five boroughs in 3:09:51.

McClenathan's goal was to run under 3:20. Sieg, a Palm Harbor Realtor, was pleased to run under three hours for the first time in two years.

"I covered the first 10K under 40 minutes (39:56) and 1:24 at 13.1 miles hoping to average 6:45 for the full distance," said Sieg, 42, running his 34th marathon since 1991. "But I wasn't expecting any hills in the second half of the race.

"Overall, it was a good race for me averaging 6:47. Now I'm looking forward to returning to Boston in April for my 12th consecutive one there."

He posted his best time there in 1995, a 2:36:36 effort.

THINK BIG: Running 3.1 miles is a major accomplishment for most people.

Largo's Barbara Frye is planning to multiply that number many times over as she embarks next spring in the TransEurope Footrace, a 3,200-mile trek from Lisbon, Spain to Moscow.

Frye, 48, is the only American in the field of 35-40 who will set out to run 50 miles a day for a little over two months starting on April 19.

Frye knows what she's doing. Last year, over four months, she became the first American woman to complete six 100-mile trail races, part of the Last Great Race series.

While that was a significant personal achievement, Frye looks at this endeavor differently.

"I am running as a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program and will wear its logo," said Frye, on the faculty at the University of South Florida.

"This program does a great job supporting athletes' training for running, cycling and triathlon events, and in turn, the athletes raise money for the society.

"I'm also interested in running for this charity because I have lost friends and colleagues to blood-related cancers," Frye said. "I have a strong desire to support the research that has made great strides in the treatment and cure for these diseases."

Frye has set a goal of raising $50,000 by March 1. In Pinellas, she can be reached at (727) 392-6369 or (727) 667-5966.

Pledges also can be made via her e-mail address, runtrls@tampabay.rr.com or go online to www.anytrail.com.

THIS WEEKEND: Saturday's Take Fitness to Heart 5K, an all-women's event, will be held from the University of Tampa's Pepin/Rood Stadium at 8 a.m.

All finishers receive medals and the top three finishers win $500, $250 and $150, respectively. Age-group awards range from 12-and-under to 80-and-over. The top mother/daughter team also will be recognized.

Television commentator (New York City Marathon) Kathrine Switzer directs the national program.

She won the women's division of the 1974 Big Apple event but is better known for being the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon.

Clearwater's Vicki Stum is entered. She won September's Race For The Cure and last month's Tampa Police Memorial 5K. Maguire is leaning toward entering.

The on-site entry fee is $25. For information, call race director Gail Hardy of the Tampa Bay Runners Club at (813) 987-2729.

TRIBUTE: There will be a memorial for former Suncoast Runners Club board member Randy Frye on Saturday at 4 p.m. Friends and former club members will gather at Park Street and First Avenue S, St. Petersburg.

Those who knew Frye, who died while running in September, are invited to attend. Questions should be directed to Justine Allen at 341-0521.

DOWN THE ROAD: After the Times Turkey Trot, area lovers of true cross country will travel to Countryside Country Club for the December & Dash 5K on the golf course starting at 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 7.

After the event, the pool and fitness center will be available to runners. The entry fee before Dec. 1 is $10; $8 or $5 for children.

There's also a mile fun run at 8 a.m. For an entry form or a question, call Kellie Taylor days at (727) 796-1333, or e-mail her at kellie.taylor@ourclub.com.

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