Sports: Training partners take top two spots

Training partners take top two spots

By WAYNE GRUMET

SPRING LAKE -- Two-time defending Flatlanders Challenge champion Muchapiwa Mazano arrived Saturday morning with his new training partner, Mike Greiwe.

The two quickly pulled ahead of the 200-person field. About halfway through, the two began to exchange the lead. As the pair approached the final stretch, the 22-year-old Greiwe pulled ahead of Mazano to win the 10K race by eight seconds.

"We were talking to each other during the race. We were helping each other out up the hills, encouraging each other," said Greiwe, a Plant High graduate.

"We kept moving on each other, and the other one would stay with the other person. I just ended up moving a little bit at the end."

Mazano added, "I want to win, but we train together. So it's okay with me as long as I put as much effort as I can put in."

The women's race wasn't much of a contest as Gainesville's Carla Dolder jumped out to an early lead and did not look back. Dolder, who began running a year ago, beat Inverness' Jennifer Schmidt by 2:27. Dolder narrowly missed cracking the overall top 10, finishing 11th.

"I didn't see any women near me in the beginning. I just wanted to go out at my pace," said Dolder, 38.

"I started out running 6-minute miles, but I slowly died. That was the hardest 10K course I've run in my life."

The 22nd Flatlanders Challenge might have been the toughest. It was moved from downtown Brooksville to Spring Lake. The terrain was not as hilly, but the footing was a far cry from pavement.

The mile-and-a-half stretch on Hickory Hill Road challenged even the most experienced runners.

The course took a sharp downhill that ended with a quick 180-degree turn into an uphill climb.

"You finish going downhill, and you have to stop and then get your momentum back going up the hill," Greiwe said. "It's a challenging course."

Mazano added, "It was nicer than downtown, I think. Running in the dirt will make you work hard."

Dade City's Eric Hall finished third to lead the North Suncoast contingent. Brooksville's Brian Major edged Hernando High's John Emerson for fourth.

For the women, May-Zi Cuypers of Brooksville finished third followed by Brooksville's Lauren DeWitt and Inverness' Karen Tyler.