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PAGE 24 • PLA1NDEALER - FRIDAY, JULY 20,1M4 Sports • _ * Changes abound, but River Run races on v Plaindealer photo Scenes like these are typical during McHenry's River Run. McHenry's Mike Eisele cools off above with a cup of water during last year's race. Eisele was the fourth place overall finisher in 1983. The River Run, although known by different names, will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year, as the runners will begin at Pearl Stteet Park Tuesday, at 6:45 p.m. By Chris Juzwik Plaindealer sports editor On August 15, 1974, 38 com­ petitors lined up at Pearl Street Park for the first road race of its kind in McHenry, called the McHpnry Marathon. Promoters billed the race length at "about eight miles," and divisions were set by school grades, with those out of the educational system forced to run in an 'open' division. Ten years later, the McHenry River Run, to be held Tuesday night as part of Fiesta Days, attracts running talent from across Illinois and the Midwest, runners competing in 10 dif­ ferent age groups for men and women. In 1980, McHenry's Depart­ ment of Paries and Recreation took control of the race, dubbing it the "Seven-Mile River Run." Last year, runners faced a shorter course, and the title underwent yet . another metamorphosis, and is now known, simply, as the River Run. A TOTAL of 265 runners competed in last year's event, with Chicago's Dave Valentine cruising to an easy win ahead of McHenry's Jim Wheeler. Valentine set a new course record with his time of 34:10.3, even though the 1983 version was a tad shorter than seven miles. Wheeler's second place time was 35:39. The previous record was held by McHenry's John Mclnerney, a three-time winner, who competed in the first race a decade ago. Mclnerney's record was 35:23. Mclnerney, a McHenry High School graduate, won the race in 1979, 1980 and 1982, while finishing second in 1978 and third in 1981. He did not enter last year's run. MclNBRNGY RAM the Women's Tuesday 16-inch inaugural race in a spiffy 40:19, winning the junior-senior division title. That race was captured by McHenry resident Alex Thomas, then 19, in 38:07. The most exciting race in terms of the racers' proximity to each other at the finish, was in 1981. Timothy Langford, 22, of Genoa City, Wis., zipped through the course in 36:09, five seconds ahead of McHenry's Darryl May, and 26 ticks in front of Mclnerney. Mclnerney's margin of vic­ tory in 1982 was a mere five seconds over McHenry's Mike Cook. THE RIVER RUN has ex­ panded geographically as well as in number. The first 'marathon' included mostly McHenry-area participants. It is no longer strange to see runners from the metropolitan Chicago area, nor from Wisconsin or Iowa. Last year, two of the racers were from California, according to Department of Parks and Recreation employee Barb Ansell. "There are a lot of visitors in the area for Fiesta Days, and they enter the race for fun. The course is scenic, and the race has become very competitive," Ansell said. One facet of the race that has remained almost exactly as the first, is the course. The runners still get the starting gun at Pearl Street Park, head across the bridge onto Lincoln Road, through Johnsburg, and up Riverside Drive, where the race ends at Riverside Park. • The only difference is that until last year, the course came full circle, finishing back at Pearl Street Park. Runners 13 and under run 3.5 miles, winding at the Johnsburg Rescue Women have entered the race en masse in recent years. There were only a few female runners in the initial River Run, and the total grew slowly, to only seven in 1979. By 1982, however, 32 women had entered. The two- time defending women's champion is Gayle Peterson of Crystal Lake. RACE OFFICIALS last year began using a computerized timing device, supplied by Coyote Race Systems of Schaumburg. The device, called Chronomix timing, gives run­ ners a computer printout sheet of their race results. Coyote also gives .. . River Run a digital display clock which reveals finishing times to spectators. Ansell said Chronomix has relieved much of the pressure on race officials. "Two years ago and before that, everything was done manually," she said. "It left a lot of room for errors." No timing problems should occur this year, but attention is . being paid to another type of timing issue - the traffic flow on the bridge. Department of Parks and Recreation chairman Pete Merkel said all the runners should cross the bridge "in about a minute." "We'll get them across some way," Merkel said. "Even if they have to ran in one lane." . .This year's race will begin at 6:45 p.m. Pre-registration fee is $7, but is raised to $9 the night of the race. For more information, call the Parks and Recreation office, 344-3300. Johnsburg GREG'S NEVER INN 5 AFTER THE FOX 2 - Greg's scored one in the fifth to break open a 2-2 tie. and came back with two in the seventh to ice the game away. Sparkling defensive plays by Greg's left fielder Doreen Rasbaugh helped the winner's cause. Paulette Erickson, Colleen Freund and Jamie White had two hits each for Greg's. White was the winning pitcher, striking out two. RIVER SHANNON 19 QLD BRIDGE 0 * River Shannon scored eight in the second and never looked back, crushing Old Bridge Tuesday. Karen Hintz was the winning hurler, allowing just one hit in the shutout performance. Big hitters for the winners were: Sharal Koenigseder, who was 4 for 4 with five RBI, and Mary Ellen King and Sharon Smith, each with two hits. "ED'S RENTAL 6 CULLOM KNOLL 0 Ed's jumped out to an early lead, scoring five times in the first, led by a three-run homer by Diane Michels. The winners managed another run in the third, and kept the Knoll scoreless with solid defense, anchored by Tonee Weyland and Karen Freund. Winning pitcher Jane Miller helped her own cause with two hits on her way to her fourth shutout of the season. OAK PARK LOUNGE 19 CLASSIC TROPHIES 1 Oak Park was helped by two- run singles from Mary Koleno and Judy Wiley, and a two-run double by Kelly Ludwig, all in the first inning, as they scored nine runs en route to the rout. RBI hits by Ludwig, Lisa Karpawich and Nancy Glick in the third accounted for four more tallies. Classic Trophies was able to muster only three hits. STANDINGS River Shannon 11-0; Oak Park Lounge 9-2; Ed's Rental 7-4; After the Fox 7-4; Greg's Never Inn 4-7; Cullom Knoll 4-7; Old Bridge 1-10; Classic Trophies 1- 10. Pigtail Juniors FASHION SHOPPE 16 WALLY'S BIKE HAVEN 0 Jackie Meyers shut down Wally's attack, as she was nicked for only two hits in four innings. Of the 12 outs Wally's made, 11 were strikeouts. Meyers helped her own cause with two singles and an RBI. The big bats belonged to Amanda Johnson, who had a homer, a single and five RBI, while scoring three runs, and Shannon Kostuch, whose timely hitting produced a double and two singles, knocking in two runs. •lohnsburai Rescue Squodi Schneider Ln Riverside Drive Par Park Street Lincoln Road Key:Ws mter stop McHenry warms up to title possibilities ALGONQUIN - Things can get hot and sticky in the sum­ mertime. McHenry's entry in the McHenry County American Legion league really heated things up Wednesday with an 8-5 victory over league-leading Algonquin. McHenry Nautilus raised its record to 9-3-1 with the win. Crystal Lake has three league and Algonquin now has been dumped twice. Algonquin has a game remaining with Crystal Lake on Sunday, and also the completion of a suspended game with McHenry, which was called with the score tied at four. McHenry also has a makeup game at Wonder Lake today at 4 Continued on pogo 22 PROVEN PERFORMANCE! PRICED RIGHT! f' t twk B Cub CadeT . '"*• GARDEN TRACTOR Quality packed and priced rightl Includes all the most wanted fea­ tures and attachment options. Cast iron l-beam front axle and center pivoted. Steel channel, auto motivetype, welded frame Automotive- type steering and built-in creeper drive lets you operate this brute quickly... confidently. Electric Power TakeOff clutch. Transaxle MODEL Gear Drive 11 H P - 4 Speed T H f c H O U S E T H A T S E R V I C E B U I L T Geo. P. Freund, line 4 1 0 2 W . C R Y S T A L L A K E RD M c H E N R Y 3 8 3 0 4 2 0 OUR OWN HOME GROWN SWEET CORN •S READYB DON'T MISS TOMATOES! ICE COLD. 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