Simmons, Esposito take 5K titles

Kern and McCubbin go long, claim 10K crowns

5K results -- Male   Female          10K results -- Male   Female

by Kevin Spradlin                                                                                          Race Director: Tom Russell

UNION BRIDGE, July 11 -- In a preview of what Dan Simmons will offer his new cross country team this fall at Westminster High School, the junior posted a field best of 17 minutes, 6 seconds over 5,000-meters to win the short race of the fourth Twilight Series competition Thursday evening at Francis Scott Key High School.

   Simmons, 16, finished 51 seconds ahead of runner-up Paul Miller. Simmons' ex-teammate at Francis Scott Key, Shane Russell, was third in 17:59. After spending his first two years at FSK, Simmons will be transferring to Westminster next month. 

   As one of the top members of the Eagles cross country team last fall, Simmons' best 5K time was a 17:39 at the MVAL Championships at North Hagerstown in mid-October. He obviously has a great runner career ahead of him. 

   Team CMAC charter member Sherry Esposito finished behind FSK sophomore Brian Leiter (18:35) to be the first woman across the tape in 18:40. CMAC teammate Becky Alvarez was second in 20:46, followed by McDaniel College sophomore Colleen Lawson, Winters Mill freshman Kathleen Hertsch. Team CMAC member Mira Foote rounded out the top five, finishing as the top female Masters runner in the 5K portion.

   In the 10K edition, Frederick's Rick Kern and Taneytown's Tina McCubbin won the male and female divisions, respectively. 

   Both runners did most of the work themselves. Kern (34:53) beat out second-place Mike Replogle (37:05) by more than two minutes while McCubbin (43:00) outdistanced Sherry Clower (47:54) by nearly five minutes.

   This was the first race in which runners chose which series they would compete in for the summer, long or short. Respective series standings will be posted as they become available.