Two selective racers win Bear Stampede 5K
by Gregory R. Norfleet · Sports · May 18, 2017
The overall winner of the signature 5K Bear Stampede runs often, but competes selectively, he said.
Mike Kabela, 50, of North Liberty, finished the race in 19:41. He typically runs four miles a day when he finds time between work and baseball practice.
“It’s a great race,” he said of the path throughout the hills of West Branch and the Hoover National Historic Site grounds.
Kabela said he does not often enter races.
“I like to support schools when we can,” he said, alluding to how the event raises money for the Parent-Teacher Organization that hosts it. “It’s got to be a good reason to spend the money.”
Finishing first in the women’s division with 21:12, ninth-grader Maycee Smith said her training regimen includes physical education classes and practice for competitive gymnastics events.
“I only run these,” the 15-year-old said of the Bear Stampede.
She took last year off from the race, but has won the 5K in the past.
“It’s very hard,” she said. “It’s one of the hardest I’ve won.”
Kristy Merchant, 37, of Iowa City finished first in the women’s division in the 10K with 54:08. Her years of running include backdrops of Mississippi, Kansas City and Wyoming, she said.
“This is the prettiest I’ve ever been on,” Merchant said, especially the section to the north, through the countryside.
Her final time includes getting lost for “a couple minutes,” she said, and encouraged race organizers to put out a few more signs for the run back to town.
The final two hills are the toughest part of the race, Merchant said, but that is where the volunteers are most encouraging.
“Everybody’s so nice,” she said. “When they cheer, I run faster.”
Rick Pahl won his fifth 10K in 36:22, and the 34-year-old from Muscatine this year brought along one of his toughest competitors, Tyler Sullivan, 29, of Iowa City, who took second with 36:35.
The two met as much as seven years ago at another race, and saw each other so often after that at other races, and so often shoulder to shoulder along the route, that they keep in touch and try to enter the same competitions.
“It’s a great race, and challenging,” Pahl said. “And it’s a lot more fun … being chased by a great competitor.”
Sullivan said they shake hands at the start and push each other during the race.
“It’s a friendly competition,” Sullivan said.
In the one-mile run, Caleb Reardon, 10, of Iowa City, who attends school at Hoover Elementary, took first place overall when he was one of the few racers to not walk sections of the two laps from the elementary school to Main Street to Poplar and around the football field. Taking first for the women’s division was Saidee Hamilton, 10, of Tipton.
One of the racers in the 10K wore a T-shirt that looked like it had the logo of the 80’s rap group, Run DMC. But a second look showed “Run DRC,” which stands for Daily Run Club. The shirt’s owner, Frank Evans, 54, finished in 54:12 and lives in Lake Sherwood, Mo., which is south of St. Louis. He said he is originally from Columbus Junction, and returned to the area this past weekend for Mothers’ Day.
One Mile
Racers listed by how they placed, name, city (if available), age, gender and finish time: 1. Caleb Reardon, 10, M, 7:31; 2. Saidee Hamilton, 10, F, 8:15; 3. Garrett Sotzen, 8, M, 8:27; 4. Maddux Rushton, 9, M, 9:39; 5. Unknown Partic. 160, M, 9:57; 6. Lanie Yeggy, West Branch, 8, F, 10:04; 7. Jat Hamilton, 8, M, 11:16; 8. Benjamin Lewis, 8, M, 11:42; 9. Finley Rushton, 8, F, 12:45; 10. Andrea Lewis, 34, F, 14:34; 11. Lisa Shipley, 63, F, 16:22; 12. David Shipley, 61, M, 16:23; DQ. Bria Yeggy, 6, F
Five Kilometer
Racers listed by how they placed, name, city (if available), age, gender and finish time: 1, Michael Kabela, 50, M, 19:41; 2. Louis Pelsang, Iowa City, 42, M, 20:28; 3. James Pelsang, Iowa City, 52, M, 21:05; 4. Oliver Palmer, 12, M, 21:10; 5. Maycee Smith, West Branch, 15, F, 21:12; 6. Kiersten Conway, Solon, 13, F, 21:43; 7. Blake Shultice, West Branch, 28, M, 22:11; 8. Mark Visser, 28, M, 23:35; 9. Michael Sexton, West Branch, 32, M, 23:42; 10. Michelle Sexton, West Branch, 32, F, 23:43; 11. Nicole Hamilton, 28, F, 23:46; 12. Eddie Johnson, 10, M, 24:24; 13. Brick Kabela, 11, M, 24:30; 14. Amber Fields, 31, F, 24:55; 15. Jerry Melick, 50, M, 25:37; 16. Julie Smith, Grinnell, 44, F, 25:39; 17. Devin Lewis, West Branch, 31, M, 25:46; 18. Shae Farmer, West Branch, 10, M, 25:56; 19. Taryn Hansen, 16, F, 26:02; 20. Marlan Hansen, 51, M, 26:02; 21. Erica Fitzgerald, 35, F, 26:05; 22. Madison Hovancik, 13, F, 26:06; 23. Doug Lord, Lisbon, 62, M, 26:24; 24. Bruce Martin, West Branch, 60, M, 27:12; 25. Ben Martin, West Branch, 19, M, 27:12; 26. Jude Johnson, 14, M, 28:07; 27. Emmersen Thomas, 12, F, 28:17; 28. Lila Krall, West Branch, 14, F, 28:20; 29. Erin Senio, 35, F, 28:41; 30. Gabby Rushton, 11, F, 29:06; 31. Kortney Chamberlain, 21, F, 29:11; 32. Kayla Nargang, 25, F, 29:13; 33. Sara Klosterboer, 36, F, 29:51; 34. Sheila Castens, Silvis, Ill., 61, F, 30:05; 35. Colton Keasler, 52, M, 30:10; 36. Marinell Keasler, 52, F, 30:10; 37. Michelle Reichert, Tipton, 31, F, 30:14; 38. Kristin Nalan, West Branch, 49, F, 30:14; 39. Reese Trepanier, 11, M, 30:29; 40. Jessica Kiley, West Branch, 31, F, 30:31; 41. Nina Torkelson, 10, F, 30:40; 42. Lillian Waterman, Dyersville, 10, F, 30:45; 43. Alison Gade, Tipton, 9, F, 31:24; 44. Kathy Walter, 66, F, 31:30; 45. Kenza Nelson, Coralville, 37, F, 31:32; 46. Daphne Hoefler, 17, F, 31:36; 47. Chad Gade, Tipton, 40, M, 32:05; 48. Thad Chamberlain, 53, M, 32:33; 49. Kaleann Waterman, 27, F, 32:54; 50. Breanna Lewis, West Branch, 33, F, 33:17; 51. Terry Anderson, Bettendorf, 58, M, 33:18; 52. Robert Jones, 9, M, 35:11; 53. Megan Jones, 35, F, 35:23; 54. Halia Gade, Tipton, 7, F, 35:43; 55. Andrea Gade, Tipton, 41, F, 35:48; 56. Mike Fryauf, 53, M, 36:51; 57. Mary Crowley, West Branch, 57, F, 37:35; 58. Sam Torkelson, 13, M, 38:19; 59. Mike Torkelson, 61, M, 38:29; 60. Mary Denmead, 51, F, 38:29; 61. Jim Tiedemann, Iowa City, 67, M, 39:31; 62. Joanna Sabha, Iowa City, 40, F, 40:37; 63. Sandee Buysse-Baker, West Liberty, 51, F, 42:07; 64. Lindley Visser, 28, F, 42:13; 65. Jackie Lynch, West Branch, 38, F, 42:14; 66. Heidi Luneckas, 42, F, 42:15; 67. Michael Tharp, West Liberty, 68, M, 42:34; 68. Kaney Staker, 12, F, 43:24; 69. Andrea Shultice, 29, F, 47:58; 70. Josephine Strong, 18, F, 1:01:26; 71, Casandra Bowers, 28, F, 1:05:31; 72. Lauren Bowers, 26, F, 1:05:32; 73. Jeff Kostner, 49, M, 1:05:35; 74. Maggie Strong, 37, F, 1:06:22; 75. Tony Jones, 7, M, 1:06:23; 76. Beatrice Strong, 62, F, 1:07:43
Ten Kilometer
Racers listed by how they placed, name, city (if available), age, gender and finish time: 1. Rick Pahl, 34, M, 36:22; 2. Tyler Sullivan, Coralville, 29, M, 36:35; 3. Zach Hill, Iowa City, 31, M, 43:17; 4. Mario Garcia, 60, M, 48:34; 5. Mike Reardon, 45, M, 50:34; 6. Kristene Marchant, 37, F, 54:08; 7. Frank Evans, 54, M, 54:12; 8. Olivia Wilson, Amana, 15, F, 55:41; 9. Brian Brandsmeier, 39, M, 55:54; 10. Monty Beal, 54, M, 57:31; 11. Erin Laughlin, 24, F, 57:54; 12. Sonya Ziegenhorn, 42, F, 1:01:34; 13. Linsie Dauber, West Branch, 29, F, 1:01:34; 14. Angie Maske-Berka, Iowa City, 37, F, 1:02:06; 15. Lisa Wilson, Amana, 48, F, 1:05:20; 16. Anthony Sotelo, Atalissa, 56, M, 1:06:02; 17. Amanda Schmidt, 34, F, 1:06:32; 18. Jackie Pelzer, Tipton, 31, F, 1:06:33; 19. Stephen Fasnancht, 44, M, 1:07:53; 20. Hilda Hernandez, West Branch, 12, F, 1:08:28; 21. Liz Hernandez, West Branch, 42, F, 1:08:40; 22. Charles Potter, Muscatine, 68, M, 1:17:12; 23. Jennifer Sotelo, Atalissa, 53, F, 1:23:30
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