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caption, page 9:
The Winner
William Sanders closes in on the finish line at the Deary Memorial Road Race Aug. 10. Photo courtesy of Jimi Gothreau.
Perfect day
greets Deary
racers
By Ron P. Coderre
The Deary Memorial Road Race, which benefits cancer programs and patients locally, is run annually in the month of August. The weather, when warm, humid and sticky, can often be a deterrent in attracting participants.
This year there were no excuses for runners as Aug. 10 broke with clear sunny skies, moderate temperatures and humidity, which made running conditions nearly perfect for this time of the year. A total of 296 male and female participants of all ages, ranging from 9 to 77, crossed the finish line in front of J.D. Cooper’s Restaurant on Park Road.
Three runners who came out of the chute with determination pulled away from the remainder of the pack very early and easily outdistanced the field. At approximately the halfway point of the 5-mile race, running through the center of Olde Towne Putnam, William Sanders of Wethersfield, Jeff Wadecki of Ledyard and Morgan Kennedy of Grafton, Massachusetts were packed together looking like they were the only runners in the race.
The order going through Putnam stayed the same for the remainder of the race with the 26 year old Sanders breaking the tape in a winning time of 29:09, followed by Wadecki age 30 at 26:55 and 25 year old Kennedy at an even 27 minutes.
Coincidentally, the first three women through Olde Towne Putnam also crossed the finish line in the same order. The first female across the finish line was 39 year old Cheryl Cleary of Rutland, Mass., who finished 10th overall in a time of 30:25. The second-place finisher was Plainfield running sensation 17-year-old Kerri Ruffo with a time of 31:21 and 16th overall. The third-place runner was the popular 38-year-old Linda Spooner of Sturbridge, with a time of 33:51 good for 25th place overall.
Age group winners:
Male (2 to 12) Carson Bellisle, 44:09; Female (2 to 12) Kate Boshka, 35:07.
Male (13 – 17) Cody Kingman, 30:03; Female (13 – 17) Kerri Ruffo, 31:21.
Male (18-29) William Sanders, 26:09; Female (18 – 29) Bailey Hunter, 36:03.
Male (30 – 39) Jeff Wadecki, 26:55; Female (30 – 39) Cheryl Cleary, 30:25.
Male (40 – 49) Todd Bennett, 29:30; Female (40 – 49) Barbara McManus, 34:44.
Male (50 – 59) John Pajer, 30:08; Female (50 – 59) Julie Caouette, 43:11.
Male (60 – 69) Wayne Jolley, 33:58; Female (60 – 69) Michaeleen Hasseler, 50:08.
Male (70 and over) Ronald Gale, 48:53; Female (70 and over) Geraldine Palonen, 59:42.
Racing Shorts: The first recognizable runner through Olde Towne Putnam was the area’s long-distance running sensation Scott Deslongchamps who finished 17th overall…Linda Spooner who finished 3rd overall in the women’s race had her personal cheering section near Victoria Station, where her kids and her parents rooted her on…Gene Michael Deary Sr. and Jr. ran but were separated by 45 other runners. Sr. finished 69th and Jr. 24th…St. Mary Church Pastor, Fr. David Choquette had a respectable time of 44:16…Putnam High School Boys’ Basketball coach Shawn Deary posted a time of 44:15…The popular Laura Crosetti of Putnam took time to stop and give yours truly a kiss and still managed to finish in a time of 48:20…Sheila Frost, owner of the Courthouse Restaurant and major sponsor of the O’Putnam Race crossed the finish line in 50:04…Bryan Hitchcock of Putnam, a former Tabor Academy athlete, finished 39th overall…Former Putnam Clipper and Nichols College quarterback Nick Perron, currently an assistant football coach at MIT had a time of 46:01…It’s hard to believe that former Putnam great and Northeastern University quarterback Allen Deary is 55 years old. His time of 48:41 was outstanding for his age (only kidding Allen)…One female slowed at the top of the Pomfret St. Hill. When asked if she needed help she replied, “Waiting for my slow husband.” End of story…George “Snookie” Brown, husband of “Downtown” Pam Brown broke the tape at 54:18…Lisa Faucher of North Grosvenordale, more noted for her ice fishing exploits than her running, did very well with a time of 57:33…Lori Hall, the ex-Putnam and Assumption College softball standout, posted a time of 50:34…Everyone’s favorite “Irish Colleen” and popular J.D. Cooper’s waitress Erin Crosby had a finishing time of 59 minutes even…Two determined and courageous women, Chris Southam and Elizabeth Buzalski, completed the 5-mile run a few paces ahead of the Putnam ambulance…The Cerrone family was well represented. Grant Cerrone, 12, finished second in the Male 2 to 12 Division. Mom, Atty. Kate Cerrone almost broke the one-hour barrier. Dad, Dr. Marc Cerrone finished 75th overall in a time of 39:25 and then was seen racing off to the Bradley Playhouse where he had a 7:30 p.m. stage appearance as a lead in the musical “Anything Goes.” Everyone’s wondering where Amanda Cerrone was?…It’s hard to believe that next year will be the 25th Anniversary of this event. Where does the time go?
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