Marathon debut
Kingsford’s Eric Charette first at Keyes Peak Trail RunBy RON DEUTER, Sports Writer
FLORENCE, Wis. A former Kingsford resident who only began running seven years ago topped a field of nearly 40 runners at the inaugural Keyes Peak Trail Run Marathon held here Saturday.
Eric Charette, a 1994 Kingsford High School graduate who now resides Huntsville, Ala., covered the hilly terrain including a 50-yard river crossing - in 3 hours, 19 minutes and 55 seconds.
"I'm extremely ecstatic," the 34-year old Charette said. "I did really know what to expect. I knew it was pretty hilly country. But I thought this was a really great course. It rolled the whole time, which was nice. You get to change up the muscles that you're using. The volunteers that were out there did a phenomenal job. They put on a really nice race."
At the river crossing, located about eight miles before the finish, runners had the option to take a shortcut which required swimming or heading a little bit further downstream to walk across where the water was slightly shallower.
"I asked which was shorter and the aid worker said it was the swim part," Charette said. "I swam half way and it was well over the top of my head and I ended up floating downstream to where the runners were crossing and then crossed from there. But it was refreshing, that cool water."
Charette described himself as "lazy" up until age 27 when he picked up running. He's now completed more than 20 marathons and ultra marathons. His performances have been so good that was selected to the 2010 Team US for ultra running. Last month he completed a 335-mile trek along Pinhoti Trail through northern Alabama.
"I'm very proud of him," said Charette's father Dennis of Kingsford. "He's very dedicated. Once he started running, there was just nothing going to stop him."
Mary Flaws of Waukesha, also an ultra runner, was the first woman to finish. Running in the 40-44 age bracket, Flaws completed the race in 4:03:07.
"It was good," she said. "It was gentle on the feet. It was a nice course. The footing was great."
Flaws, who said she's been running for about 10 years, chose to walk the river crossing.
"I loved the river crossing," she said. "I walked it, but the current was up chest high and really strong. If there wasn't someone there to help, I would have been swept down a little bit. I was pushing with my feet and I couldn't get them to stay on the bottom."
Flaws time was good for 12th overall. Just two weeks ago Flaws completed a 100-mile race.
"I had no idea what to expect from my legs, but I felt good," she said. "I really enjoyed it."
Norway High School graduate Teresa Morstad, now living in Grand Rapids, finished second in 4 hours, 8 minutes.
Local finishers of the race included Iron River's Fred Jacobs in sixth (3:45:26.2), Armstrong Creek's Stanley Borzecki in 16th (4:40:12.7), Norway's Gary Giannunzio in 18th (5:13:15.9) and Niagara's Alfred Sauld in 27th (5:58:17.4).
In the women's standings, Amy Giesen of Niagara took ninth (5:44:50.2) and Deborah McKinzie of Iron Mountain finished in 11th (5:58:17.6).
Jennifer Hendrickson of Two Rivers, Wis., (1:04.35) and Jake Keehan of Oshkosh (49:05) captured 10K honors.
Complete marathon results follow:
Men 1, Eric Charette, Huntsville, Ala., 3:19:55.0; 2 Peter Witucki, Madison Wis., 3:24:42.5; 3, Mike Wasson, Vandenberg AFB, Calif., 3:28:34.1; 4, Joel Patenaude, Waupaca, 3:29:13.6; 5, Steven Karceski, Chicago, Ill., 3:44:06.9; 6, Fred Jacobs, Iron River, Mich. 3:45:26.2 ; 7, Peter Sehloff, Appleton, 3:49:07.6; 8, Bruce Martin-Wright, Madison, 3:51:03.7; 9, Michael Demeritt, West Chicago, Ill., 3:56:10.5; 10, Michael McPheters, Wheaton, Ill. 3:56:10.8; 11, Todd Brown, Des Plaines, Ill. 4:02:41.6; 12, Doug Osterberg, Menasha, 4:10:15.6; 13, Joel Braatz, Merrill, 4:20:59.9; 14, Jon Newman, Amherst, 4:22:10.9; 15, Howard Ogden, Loganville, 4:22:37.2; 16, Stanley Borzecki, Armstrong Creek, 4:40:12.7; 17, Thomas Burr, Minneapolis, Minn., 4:59:34.5; 18, Gary Giannunzio, Norway, Mich., 5:13:15.9; 19, Thomas Myers, Marquette, Mich., 5:17:28.5; 20, Melvin Martin, Ripon, 5:17:36.9; 21, Kent Hoffmann, Marinette, 5:24:29.9; 22, Jeff Weiss, Milwaukee, 5:44:08.8; 23, Steve Engel, Appleton, 5:45:32.9; 24, Paul Fournier, Gurnee, Ill., 5:45:34.2; 25, Bob Rusch, Rib Lake 5:49:20.1; 26, Tim Marquardt, Prairie Grove, Ill. 5:56:59.1; 27, Alfred Sauld, Niagara, 5:58:17.4.
Women 1, Mary Flaws, Waukesha, 4:03:07.2; 2, Teresa Morstad, Grand Rapids, Mich., 4:08:06.3; 3, Cassie Kottke, Brillion, 4:13:23.1; 4, Laura Caulfield, Milwaukee, 4:21:13.3; 5, Laura Neumeier, Oconomowoc, 4:37:07.7; 6, Rejaunne Kubik, Reedsville, 5:01:23.4; 7, Danielle Macik, Atlanta, Ga., 5:34:09.0; 8, Melissa Frazor, Greenville, S.C., 5:38:56.4; 9, Amy Giesen, Niagara, 5:44:50.2; 10, Jessica Dredske, Pardeeville, 5:55:03.1; 11, Deborah McKinzie, Iron Mountain, 5:58:17.6.
