Annual Aroostook Musterds banquet is Oct. 18
The 27th edition of the Aroostook Musterd County Challenge Road Racing Series was completed on Sept. 7 with the Caribou Labor Day 8K.
The race saw the overall men’s, women’s as well as age group winners emerge after the final of the eight series races was completed. Although the women’s overall champion clinched the top spot before the last race, the men’s ultimate winner ran a solid race to come out on top. Alfred Hanscom needed a fifth place finish on the Caribou course to gain his second consecutive series title and finished in second spot to best Jeff Ashby by four points. On the women’s side, Marie Strouse gapped Angela Ewings by 18 points to gain her first series championship.
Age group winners are as follows: 14 and under: Trevor Levesque; 15-18: Kelly Kashian and Jake Michaud; 19-29: Strouse followed by Nicole Porter, and Brian Powers; 30-39: Michelle Roy, and Hanscom followed by Thomas Beckum; 40-49: Ewings and Jeff Ashby; 50-59: Connie McLellan and Chris Smith; 60 and over: Don Zillman.
Each of these runners ran at least the minimum four races required, with only Hanscom running all eight, including The Katahdin Trust 5K Snow Run in Houlton, The UMPI Spring Runoff 5K in Presque Isle, The S.W. Collins 5K in Caribou, the Musterd Mile in Caribou, the Potato Blossom 5-Miler in Fort Fairfield, the Island Falls Summer Fest 5K in Island Falls, the County Open Half-Marathon in Island Falls, and The Caribou Labor Day Road Race in Caribou.
The series was inaugurated in 1983, with the series champions being Emily Higgins and Conrad Walton. Last year’s winners were Ewings and Hanscom. Winners in all divisions for 2009 will be presented awards at the annual Musterds awards “gathering of the herd,” to be held at Nordic Heritage Sports Club on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Additionally, participation awards will be given to those who competed in five of the nine races. The 2009 Musterd Runner of the Year will also be announced. The event stats at noon and includes a training run, pot luck lunch, awards presentation and club meeting. All club members and award recipients are encouraged to attend.
