Circuit News: Age Group Standings

In this installment of Circuit standings recaps, we look at the top of the standings through Alpine Races 10 Mile in our most popular competition: age groups. Here, athletes are competing for the top 15 places only against those in their 5-year age group.

 Similar to other categories, a minimum of 5 races is required and the top 8 performances count. Racing 9 or more times will drop the lowest scores, providing further opportunity to go up in standings. A Circuit rule nuance to keep in mind is that age groups are scored based upon a runner’s age on July 1st, not their age on race day or the age group they competed in for the race. This prevents runners from switching age groups during the Circuit season, so it’s clear who they’re competing against. 

Finally, the Circuit only scores runners from Illinois (or the few out-of-state runners who specifically registered with CARA as out-of-state). For example, last year approximately 37,000 competitors were removed from the Chicago Marathon results when the Circuit was scored. This left Circuit runners to only compete against ~11,000 other Illinoisans, which is less than the number of finishers scored at the Shamrock Shuffle 8k. It also means that the Circuit may score a runner in a higher place than what’s in the official results.

For our youth categories, there are special considerations. Runners 14 & under may not score in races of 10 miles or longer, leaving only 3 races left this year for runners to score points (Lake Bluff PTO Pumpkin Chase 5k, Xtra Mile Fast Track XC, and Lincolnwood 10k). Runners 19 & under are only required to run a minimum of 3 Circuit races, with their five best scores counting for their total. Due to IESA, IHSA, and collegiate rules, many youth athletes are not permitted to compete for their school team and in road races (such as the Circuit races) at the same time. Even with this limitation, we have some proud CARA parents passing the joy of racing to their children.

And don’t forget, the top 3 finishers in each age group earn points toward the CARA Hall of Fame!

14 & Under – Female 

Place	Name	Points	Races
1	Callie Ding	60	4
2	Skye Turner	47	4

The era of Callie Ding dominance has begun. Not only is she undefeated in her age group, but she also finished as the 10th-12th female overall in 3 Circuit races this spring and has claimed the title of fastest in her family – beating Mom, Dad, and older brother in various distances. She could be the youngest inductee to the CARA Hall of Fame if she sticks with the Circuit. Her age graded scores are notable, averaging in the 82nd percentile. 

Her challenger this year, Skye Turner, is no slouch either. Turner finished 2nd for 14 & under at both the CARA Spring Trail Chase (50:37) and Chi-town Miles (6:37). With her impressive school times, she will be a threat in the remaining Circuit races. Unfortunately for her, with only 5 races scoring for this youth category, Ding only needs one more victory to clinch first place and a perfect score.

14 & Under – Male 

Place	Name	Points	Races
1	Nico Navarro	36	3
2	Chandler Ding	34	3
3	Winter Turner	31	4
4	L. Malcolm	2	1

Big brother Chandler Ding and little brother Winter Turner are facing off in a battle of their own. Turner took home first at CARA Spring Trail Chase 10k (48:36) ahead of Ding (49:54), but Ding bested him at both Race Against Hate 5k (21:02 for 6th to 24:25 for 10th) and PUMA’s Chi-Town Miles (5:50.17 for 6th to 6:17.76 for 7th). They’re only separated by 3 points, but they’re both trailing Nico Navarro. Navarro impressed at Run for the Roses with one of the best 5k times so far this year for the 14 & Under age group (20:53). Even more critical was that point he took from Ding, beating him at Chi-Town by a tenth of a second (5:50.04 for 5th). With a 5-point spread from 1st-3rd and only 3 eligible races left for these youngsters, the title is up for grabs and will likely go to whomever is able to cross the finish line the most. And to get to the start line, their best pitch may be “Hey Mom/Dad, don’t you want to race?”. 

15-19 – Female 

Place	Name	Points	Races
1	Gabi Stalley	72	5
2	Sarah Prestes	51	4

A newcomer to the Circuit, Gabi Stalley started strong in the spring with age group wins at the Good Life Race 5k (24:10) and CARA Spring Trail Chase 10k (53:43). Sarah Prestes finished behind her in 2nd place at the Trail Chase (56:13). Their closest race this year was PUMA’s Chi-town Miles, where Stalley finished 2nd with a 6:50.28 and Prestes crossed shortly thereafter in 6:57.95 for 3rd. Stalley has a strong advantage with 5 races under her belt, but Prestes has experience with last minute heroics. Last year she was OPRC’s 4th woman at the Xtra Mile Fast Track’s XC meet, the last Circuit race of the year. That team finished 2nd at the meet, which gave them the 1 point they needed to break a tie with Fleet Feet and finish 2nd outright in the 2023 Open Women category. 

15-19 – Male 

Place	Name	Points	Races
1	Max Malcolm	12	1
2	Nathan Stalley	6	1
3	Damon Strahan	4	1

Even though he’s sitting in 3rd place, Damon Strahan is the fastest of the top 3 in this age group. His 4 points were earned with a 12th place finish at the competitive Shamrock Shuffle 8k (33:47). In that race he covered a 5k faster than Max Malcom at Good Life Race 5k (23:15 for 4th) and Nathan Stalley at Run for the Roses 5k (25:41 for 10th). However, that doesn’t mean anything if the Circuit minimum of 3 races for this age group isn’t met. Each competitor needs to run at least two more races to be award eligible.

20-24 – Female 

Place	Name	Points	Races
1	Emma Stein	9	1
2	Megan Grizzle	5	2

For the 20+ age groups, the required minimum number of races increases to 5. With 4 Circuit races left, Emma Stein needs to race all of them. If she’s not signed up for the Chicago Marathon, then she will not be eligible for a podium finish. Megan Grizzle still has some racing to do too and will need to finish at least 3 more Circuit races. There are several other CARA members in this age group that also ran 2 races, so someone else could come out of the woodwork and have a strong late finish to take the title. Grizzle earned her 5 points at the CARA Lakefront 10 Miler with an 11th place finish.

20-24 – Male

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	John Barrett	CARA Racing Team	65	6
2	Aaron Holzmueller	Evanston Running Club	34	6
3	Gift Chujor	Unattached	8	2

In his Circuit debut, John Barrett has 3 age group victories at CARA Lakefront 10 Mile (55:29), CARA Spring Trail Chase 10k (34:18), and Chicago 13.1 (1:14:00) and is in the driver’s seat to win this age group. Aaron Holzmueller, the defending champion, has had to up his game in response. Last year Holzmueller finished 3 Circuit races at this point in the season, but this year he has 6 already completed with potentially more to come. And that’s what he’ll need, more races, if he wants to reclaim the title. Third place Gift Chujor also needs more races to move up, but he has the additional risk of being dropped from standings if he doesn’t get the Circuit minimum of 5. 

25-29 – Female 

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Claire Krummenacher	Fleet Feet Racing Team X New Balance	51	4
2	Brittney Burmester	CARA Racing Team	45	3
3	Cecelia Galvan	CARA Racing Team	26	4
4	Jennifer Aguilar	DWRunning	24	4
4	Jacqueline Colon	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team	24	3

Fleet Feet’s Claire Krummenacher has some serious wheels. She has not repeated the same Circuit distance this year, and yet all her races were still at sub-6 pace except for the longest, Chicago 13.1, where she finished in 1:20:42 for 4th place in this age group (6:10 pace). She has an age group win at Elmhurst 4 on the 4th (23:06) and a second-place finish at PUMA’s Chi-Town Miles (5:06.16), 0.13 seconds behind the age group winner, Izzi Olive. 

CARA Racing Team’s Brittney Burmester is in second because she has one less race completed than Krummenacher, but she does have the most brilliant Circuit strategy: race a 5k, win the age group, repeat. She makes it look so easy! Her fastest win was 18:42 at the Good Life Race 5k. Burmester still needs two more races this year, and coincidentally, there are two more 5ks left. Can she keep the streak alive? And will it be enough to move ahead of Krummenacher? 

She also must keep an eye on the runners coming up behind her. CARA Racing Team teammate Cecelia Galvin finished a healthy age group 4th place at the Good Life Race 5k, which gives her a narrow lead over Jennifer Aguilar of DWRunning and Jacqueline Colon of Xtra Mile Fast Track. Aguilar has gone for the more competitive races, such as Shamrock Shuffle and Chicago 13.1, but she managed an outright age group win at the recent Alpine Races 10 Mile (1:15:00). Colon, meanwhile, earned the bulk of her points with a 2nd place age group finish at Run for the Roses 5k (23:02).

25-29 – Male 

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Sebastian Ramirez Wiener	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team	83	9
2	Dan Pettitt	CARA Racing Team	54	6
3	Nathan Holzmueller	Evanston Running Club	32	6
4	Greg Smith	Unattached	24	4
5	James Diamond	CARA Racing Team	23	5

Sebastian Ramirez Wiener is not messing around. The Fast Track runner has only missed one Circuit race so far this year, and he may have clinched at least third place for this age group at Hidden Gem Half Marathon. His age group win at Run for the Roses 5k (16:54) was promising, but he has speedster Dan Pettitt of CARA Racing Team behind him in second. Pettitt’s age group win this year at the Good Life Race 5k (15:59) is about a minute faster than Ramirez Wiener’s. If Ramirez Wiener continues to race through the end of the year, Pettitt’s window to the title will narrow quickly. Pettitt currently has a potential maximum score of 109 points, but that includes the challenging Chicago Marathon.

The next three competitors, Nathan Holzmueller, Greg Smith, and James Diamond, are all likely just out of reach of 1st, but they are competing against each other behind Pettitt to grab the remaining spots on the podium. CARA Racing Team’s diamond, James Diamond, (couldn’t resist!), has not lost to Holzmueller or Smith this year, but is in 5th due to race selection. If he can get to the finish line this fall, he can move up. Evanston Running Club’s  Holzmueller had a couple strong 3rd place age group finishes at CARA Spring Trail Chase 10k (39:41) and Race Against Hate 5k (18:19), which is why he has a point advantage over the other two. Smith has good race selection, only placing out of the top 15 for the age group once. Like Diamond, they’ll both need some more races under their belt to stay in the hunt.

30-34 – Female 

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Margaret Connelly	Unattached	60	4
2	Lauren Zumbach	DWRunning	56	4
3	Katherine Wuestenfeld	DWRunning	50	5
4	Maureen Miller	Unattached	34	3
5	Nicole Hobbs	CARA Racing Team	32	3

As one of the top overall women on the Circuit, Margaret Connelly has dominated this age group and is undefeated for the season. At CARA Lakefront 10 Mile (58:03), she was a full 10 minutes ahead of the 2nd place finisher in the age group, DWRunnings’s Katherine Wuestenfeld (1:08:54). Being the fastest is obviously an asset, but she is nowhere near clinching the title. Lauren Zumbach of DW has finished no lower than 3rd in the age group this year and is only 4 points behind. Wuestenfeld too, has quality finishes with two 2nd places, a 4th, and a 6th. These three are the favorites to get 1st-3rd, but that’s dependent upon them finishing more races.  Connelly especially needs to complete her 5th Circuit race to stay in the standings. 

If not, the door would open for Maureen Miller or CARA Racing Team’s Nicole Hobbs to move up. Miller outran Wuestenfeld at Shamrock Shuffle (30:20 to 33:02) and finished 3rd in the age group at the Good Life Race 5k (18:47). Hobbs’ top finishes so far this year were at CARA Spring Trail Chase 10k (47:40 for 3rd) and 5th at PUMA Chi-town Miles with 5:55.6.

30-34 – Male 

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Matthew Bevil	Unattached	52	4
2	Ken Love	Xtra Mile Fast Track	44	8
3	Samuel LeVon	Unattached	43	6
4	Jose Mora	Unattached	43	6
5	Brendan Thielsen	Fleet Feet Racing X New Balance	40	3

Please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Fasten your seatbelts and hold on, this age group is a thriller! At 12 points from 1st to 5th, the Male 30-34 category has the tightest spread out of any age group by far. Mathematically, even 20th place isn’t eliminated from winning it all – it’s just that tight. Conveniently, all top 5 raced both Elmhurst 4 on the 4th and PUMA Chi-town Miles, allowing for a good comparison.

				Elmhurst 4 on the 4th	PUMA Chi-town Miles
Place	Name	Time	Place	Name	Time
4	Brendan Thielsen	20:51	1	Matthew Bevil	4:22.05
5	Matthew Bevil	21:06	3	Brendan Thielsen	4:32.74
17	Samuel LeVon	23:46	5	Samuel LeVon	4:53.20
19	Jose Mora	24:29	13	Jose Mora	5:05.28
23	Ken Love	25:15	18	Ken Love	5:34.78

Given their times, you’d think 2022 CARA Runner of the Year Brendan Thielsen should be at the top of the standings, but with only 3 races completed he sits the lowest of them all. Clearly, he has potential to win some major points, and it could take only one race for him to jump to 1st. The Fleet Feet runner’s other race this year was an age group win at Run for the Roses 5k in 16:06. The current leader, Matthew Bevil, shined with his age group win at Chi-town and has the fasted 5k of this group with a 15:48 at the Good Life Race 5k. Fast Track’s Ken Love, along with Samuel LeVon and Jose Mora, have shown grit and determination by entering multiple Circuit races. With 4 Circuit races left, they each could gain significant points. 

Speaking of looking ahead, if we assume each runner wins the age group for the last races of the year, we can calculate what their maximum potential score will be. The Chicago Marathon is a different animal, and it’s unknown at this point who is registered and planning on competing, so included below is what their score will be if they win 3 or 4 races. The bottom line is that it will be too close to call until it’s all over, and we’ll just have to enjoy the ride!

Name	Potential Maximum Points (+4 races won)	Potential Maximum Points (+3 races won)
Matthew Bevil	112	97
Samuel LeVon	103	88
Jose Mora	100	88
Brendan Thielsen	100	85
Ken Love	97	89

35-39 – Female

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Brittany Matteson	DWRunning	74	5
2	Samantha Greenwood	DWRunning	67	5
3	Christy Kennedy	Unattached	62	5
4	Kimberli Bishop	CARA Racing Team	42	3
5	Margaret Flynn	Unattached	37	8
6	Bridget Chamberlin	Naperville Running Co. TC	36	4

After finishing 2nd in the age group at Shamrock Shuffle 8k, DWRunning’s Brittany Matteson has gone undefeated. While she won CARA Runner of the Year in 2022, she hasn’t rested on her laurels and has continued to drop her times every year, making it harder on the rest of her age group to keep up with her, literally. Her top performance this year was Run for the Roses 5k (17:46) with an age graded score in the 83rd percentile.

Not too far behind, DW teammate Samantha Greenwood also has an age group win at Alpine Races 10 Mile (1:06:44), with two 2nd place finishes at CARA races: Lakefront 10 (1:03:52) and PUMA Chi-town Miles (5:25.09). Greenwood’s ticket to the top of standings is still possible, but Matteson is in the driver’s seat.

3rd place Christy Kennedy has a 20-point lead over 4th place Kimberli Bishop of CARA Racing Team. That sounds like a lot, but here it’s really the difference of 2 races. And that’s exactly how many less races Bishop has run than Kennedy: 2. Both Kennedy and Bishop have 5k age group wins this year: Kennedy at the Good Life Race 5k (19:37) and Bishop at Race Against Hate 5k (19:45). While Kennedy has the faster Circuit 5k this year, Bishop bested her at PUMA Chi-town Miles (5:30.70 to 5:47.27) and Run for the Roses 5k (19:43 to 20:11). With Margaret Flynn and Naperville Running Company Track Club’s Bridget Chamberlin still in the mix, this age group could see some changes after every race.

35-39 – Male

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Yoon Oh	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing	101	7
2	Nathan Kennedy	Unattached	47	4
3	Finbar Smith	Naperville Running Co. TC	39	3
4	Patrick Mitoraj	Unattached	34	3
5	Austin Getchell	Naperville Running Co. TC	27	4
6	Steven Bromley	Oak Park Runners Club	26	4

While attacking and going for the Overall Men’s title, the men in Yoon Oh’s age group have felt his wrath. The Fast Track runner has finished no worse than 2nd in the age group with three wins. His top performances so far are a 16:33 at Good Life Race 5k and 57:14 at Alpine Races 10 Mile. It’s likely he’ll lock up 1st place before the last Circuit race. 

Second and third place will take longer to play out. 2023 CARA Runner of the Year Nathan Kennedy has put himself in a position to place with 3rd place finishes at Run for the Roses 5k (17:30) and PUMA Chi-town Miles (4:48.45). He narrowly beat Naperville’s Finbar Smith at Run for the Roses 5k by 4 seconds, so a motivated Smith returned the favor at Chi-town and crossed the line 0.42 seconds ahead for 2nd place. Patrick Mitoraj, Naperville Running Company TC’s Austin Getchell, and Oak Park Runners Club’s Steven Bromley all have a few top 10 age group finishes keeping them in the game. With all of these podium chasers having only 3 or 4 races, they’ll need to get that 5th race in or risk being dropped from standings. 

40-44 – Female

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Kristin Dailey	DWRunning	105	7
2	Kelly Thielbar	DWRunning	73	6
3	Julia Ordzowialy	DWRunning	56	4
4	Kristen McPhee	Oak Park Runners Club	50	4
5	Ashley Turner	CARA Racing Team	47	5

Notice anything interesting here? There’s some serious teamwork going on. CARA Racing Team, DW, and OPRC are the top 3 teams, in that order, in both the Open Women and Masters Women team categories (scored through Chi-town Miles). Along the way, these runners have picked up some points and recognition for themselves.

No surprise here, Overall Women leader Kristin Dailey has a perfect score and should clinch the age group title in her next Circuit race. Her top performances so far this year are imposing, scoring in the 89th percentile age graded (17:11 at Run for the Roses 5k and 22:17 at Elmhurst 4 on the 4th). 

DW teammate Kelly Thielbar has also done well, finishing no lower than 6th, with two 2nd place finishes behind Dailey (4 on the 4th in 26:07 and 5:48.19 at PUMA Chi-town Miles). However, another DW teammate, Julia Ordzowialy has finished no worse than 3rd, with an age group win at Shamrock Shuffle 8k (28:38). Thielbar has the lead due to two extra races run. Ordzowialy just needs to clock at least 2 more races, plus however many more Thielbar runs in order to surpass her. 

OPRC’s 2023 Runner of the Year Kristen McPhee and CARA Racing Team’s Ashley Turner also have a shot at the podium. McPhee’s top finish was 2nd at Chicago 13.1 (1:31:16) and Turner has two 2nd place finishes at CARA Spring Trail Chase 10k (41:29) and Race Against Hate 5k (19:53). 

Between 2nd-5th place in the standings there’s a lot of 2nd place finishes, but if Dailey’s racing that might be the best her competitors can hope for.

40-44 – Male

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Matthew Jeromin	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing	94	7
2	John Craig	Unattached	84	7
3	Jeremy Ruston	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing	68	5
4	Ivan Yank	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing	49	5
5	Aaron King	DWRunning	44	3

This is another cutthroat age group with some experienced Circuit runners. Four of the top five have at least one age group win, and no one is undefeated. At the recent Alpine Races 10 Mile, Fast Track’s Matthew Jeromin crossed the finish line 6 seconds ahead of John Craig (58:15 to 58:21), and they both were ahead of Jeremy Ruston (1:00:10) and Ivan Yank (1:00:14). Previously, at Run for the Roses 5k, it went the other way where Ruston (16:24) and Yank (16:47) went 1-2 ahead of Jeromin in 3rd (16:50) and Craig in 4th (17:12). And let’s not forget DW’s Aaron King, who doesn’t have as many Circuit races, but is nearly undefeated with his only loss coming against Ruston at CARA Spring Trail Chase 10k (34:19 to 34:42). King has beaten the other top 5 except for Yank, whom he hasn’t faced yet. Looking at head-to-head results is like trying to do football rankings – plugging it into a spreadsheet results in a circular reference error. King and Ruston have the faster times, but time is running out. And don’t forget the precious CARA Hall of Fame points on the line – if Ruston finishes 2nd or better he will be a 2024 inductee.

45-49 – Female

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Evance Stalley	CARA Racing Team	114	8
2	Erica Alansari	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing	100	8
3	Trisha Doris	Unattached	64	7
4	Wendy Curry	CARA Racing Team	56	5
5	Megan Leahy	CARA Racing Team	56	4

While DW has dominance with the 40-44 females, in the 45-49 age group is where we see CARA Racing Team’s strength. Defending age group champion Evance Stalley is two points away from clinching 1st, but her point total is so high it’s possible she could still win the age group without finishing another race this year. She has finished no worse than 3rd this year and half her races so far are age group victories. She PR’d earlier this year with her win at the Good Life Race 5k in 19:56.

Like Stalley, Fast Track’s Erica Alansari has completed 8 Circuit races this year and will start to drop her lowest score – currently a not-too-shabby 6th place at Shamrock Shuffle 8k for 10 points (35:28) – if she finishes 5th or higher going forward. She has two 2nd place finishes this year, so it’d be nice to see her get that age group win before the year is out, which also would probably be enough to clinch a top 3 spot given the point gap down to 3rd place.

Trisha Doris is holding onto that third spot, but it took her 7 races to get there. CARA Racing Team members Wendy Curry and Megan Leahy are tied 8 points behind her with only 5 and 4 races run, respectively. They are averaging more points scored per race than Doris, and Leahy leads this age group with the fastest 5k for a Circuit runner (a 19:50 win at Good Life Race 5k). Any of these ladies could end up on the podium.

45-49 – Male

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Daniel Lennington	Evanston Running Club	90	6
2	Steve Breese	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing	66	7
3	Patrick Devitt	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing	59	6
4	Scott Mangum	Evanston Running Club	57	4
5	Ryan Curry	CARA Racing Team	47	5

As the current overall male leader, Evanston’s Daniel Lennington has been perfect in his age group with 6 races and 6 age group victories. His top performance this year was a 16:08 at the Good Life Race 5k, scoring in the 88th percentile age graded. The only other top 5 runner in this age group with a win is his Evanston teammate Scott Mangum, who is only 3 points away from a perfect score in four races. However, even he can’t touch Lennington, finishing almost 2 minutes behind him at Run for the Roses 5k (16:14 to 18:06) and 35 seconds behind at PUMA’s Chi-town Miles (4:46.38 to 5:21.00). The damage is done though, at this point Mangum’s high scoring average prohibits Lennington from clinching 1st until Lennington gets 27 more points, which would be at least 2 more races. 

Fast Track’s Steve Breese and Patrick Devitt don’t have times as fast as Lennington and Mangum, but they could be a thorn in their sides with strong performances at the last four races. They each have potential maximum scores over 100 points, which might be enough to keep their podium spots. Breese has two 3rd place finishes (19:51 at Run for the Roses 5k and 1:12:20 at Alpine Races 10 Mile) and Devitt has a 2nd place finish at Race Against Hate 5k (19:54) but ran even faster at the Good Life Race 5k, where he finished 5th in 19:26. 

With two 5ks left on the Circuit, CARA Racing Team’s Ryan Curry isn’t out of it yet either. He finished 2nd in the age group at the Good Life Race 5k in 18:43, meaning he could out-earn Breese and Devitt in points with the remaining races and spoil their party.

50-54 – Female

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Maria Amaro	Evanston Running Club	115	9
2	Julie Bruns	DWRunning	88	6
3	Erica Agran	CARA Racing Team	79	7
4	Lubeca Betancourt	Elmhurst Running Club	43	5

This is another hot competition to watch. Evanston’s Maria Amaro is in first place with four age group wins. DWRunning’s Julie Bruns is in second place with four age group wins. Currently, Amaro has the advantage with 9 Circuit races run versus Bruns’ 6, but both runners are on a path to win the age group with a perfect score, a rare sight this late in the season. Head-to-head Bruns is up 3-2, and Amaro’s last victory over Bruns was a photo finish, 0.16 seconds ahead (6:41.96 to 6:42.12 at PUMA’s Chi-town Miles). 

While they duke it out for 1st, CARA Racing Team’s Erica Agran is looking solid in third and could potentially move up to second if Bruns is done racing this year. Behind her, Lubeca Betancourt of Elmhurst is not yet eliminated and if she competes in the last 4 races of the year, she could challenge Agran for the podium.

50-54 – Male

	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Trent Fifield	DWRunning	105	7
2	Volker Rose	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing	99	8
3	Phillip Stalley	CARA Racing Team	73	7
4	Rick Summer	DWRunning	54	4
5	Lance Caldwell	Track and Trough Athletic Union	42	7

DWRunning’s Trent Fifield is another dominating runner with a perfect score. His best performance was an intimidating 4:53.3 at PUMA Chi-town Miles, which is in the 89th percentile age graded. One of the top 5 age graded runners on the Circuit, he has total control over this age group and is just waiting for Hidden Gem Half Marathon to be scored to make his victory official. 

2023 CARA Veteran Runner of the Year Volker Rose has finished no lower than 7th this year, topping out at 2nd at both Chicago 13.1 (1:22:35) and Elmhurst 4 on the 4th (23:28). While the age group wins have eluded him so far this year, the Fast Track runner still has time, and his consistency may pay dividends by holding onto 2nd place. 

Looking to uproot him are Phillip Stalley of CARA Racing Team and DWRunning’s Rick Summer. Summer has faster times and higher places, but again, less Circuit races. He’ll need a minimum of two more appearances if he wants to go for 3rd and probably all 4 remaining races to take down Rose. Point-wise Rose can lock out Stalley with 8 more points, but that will be harder to come by since he’s already scored in 8 races and most of his finishes are already in the top 5, not to mention if Fifield is racing, it would be hard to earn the win. 

In 5th place Lance Caldwell of Track and Trough Athletic Union is too far behind to claim 2nd or higher, but he’s a Circuit veteran and knows that you must race through to the end, and he could end up sliding into 3rd if he can bring some end of the year heroics.

55-59 – Female

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Kristin Otto	Oak Park Runners Club	99	7
2	Melinda Poulton	Evanston Running Club	88	7
3	Geri Bensen	Oak Park Runners Club	82	6
4	Unsal Ozdogru	CARA Racing Team	70	5

With the last year’s champion not around to defend her crown this year, this age group should have been a walk in the park for Oak Park’s Kristin Otto and Geri Bensen. “Not so fast! No literally, you’re not so fast,” is something Evanston’s Melinda Poulton and CARA Racing Team’s Unsal Ozdogru could say as they step in and try to stop the duo from going 1-2 in the age group. None of these top four have finished less than 5th in the age group, with Poulton being the only one without an age group win. 

There are few runners in this age group outside the Circuit with such impressive speed and endurance, so they often are directly competing against each other. At Race Against Hate 5k, they went 1st-4th (1-Bensen 22:58, 2-Otto 23:29, 3-Ozdogru 23:44, 4-Poulton 25:03) and at PUMA Chi-town Miles it was 1st-5th (1-Bensen 6:46.27, 2-Otto 6:52.67, 3-Ozdogru 6:53.66, 5-Poulton 7:38.39).

As it stands through Alpine Races 10 Mile, Otto has control of her own fate and can lock Poulton out of first with one more age group win. A perfect run of 4 wins through the last 4 races of the year would give her a perfect score of 120, but she’s the only one of the four who has the points to do it. With less races run, Bensen and Ozdogru can make up ground quickly. The good news/bad news for all these runners is that once they complete their 8th race and start dropping their lowest scores, they still must place high. For example, if Poulton or Bensen win the age group in their 9th race (+15 points), they would only be gaining 4 points by dropping their lowest score of 11 points (5th place). However, as the Circuit draws to a close, every little point is going to count and that might be what it takes.

55-59 – Male

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Aaron Barnhart	Evanston Running Club	105	7
2	Richard Vigsnes	Oak Park Runners Club	96	7
3	Ken Schuch	Unattached	83	6
4	Doug Pearson	Elmhurst Running Club	74	10

Similar to the ladies, three of the top four in this age group have earned age group wins this year. Evanston’s Aaron Barnhart has a perfect score so far and is awaiting Hidden Gem Half Marathon to be scored so he can tell his teammates he clinched the title. He’s having a stellar season and is second in the age graded competition. His top performance so far this year was a 28:41 age group win at Shamrock Shuffle 8k, an age graded score in the 88th percentile.

Ken Schuch and Oak Park Runners Club’s Richard Vigsnes are neck-and-neck. They each have one age group win and three 2nd place finishes. The difference is that Vigsnes has three 3rd place finishes and Schuch has two, so Schuch can make up the difference with just one race. They both have identical potential maximum scores (117). Head-to-head Schuch has a slight advantage 3-1. Vigsnes bested Schuch at Race Against Hate 5k by 6 seconds (18:55 to 19:01), but Schuch’s largest victory was well over a minute at CARA Spring Trail Chase 10k (40:16 to 42:00). 

If either of these two should decide to hang up the Vaporflys early, CARA Hall of Famer Doug Pearson will gladly snatch a podium spot. Pearson has not missed a Circuit race yet and has some lower scores that can be dropped. His best placing this year was 4th at Alpine Races 10 Mile in 1:19:35, and with the season ending at local community races, there are many points to be snatched.

60-64 – Female

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Angelica Guerrero	Fleet Feet Racing X New Balance	120	10
2	Libby Harvey-Hill	CARA Racing Team	107	8
3	Julie Blankemeier	Oak Park Runners Club	77	7
4	Ann Marie Phaneuf	Unattached	61	5
5	Angie Dudman	Unattached	42	3

A CARA Hall of Famer, multiple-time Masters and Veteran Runner of the Year winner, and one of the top all-time performers on the Circuit, Angelica Guerrero is adding to her streak of consecutive CARA age group championships, making this year lucky number 13. Her dominance has not slowed, and she has clinched the title this year with another perfect score. Also one of the best age-graded runners, she scored in the 89th percentile at Shamrock Shuffle 8k this year with a 34:32. With nine age group wins, her one second place finish came on an unseasonably warm CARA Trail Chase 10k in May.

CARA Racing Team’s Libby Harvey-Hill was there that day to claim her first age group win this season. With four second place finishes, all behind Guerrero, Harvey-Hill has improved this year, dropping over two minutes off her 10 mile time from CARA Lakefront 10 in April (1:22:48) to Alpine Races 10 Mile in August (1:20:13). She’s one win away from clinching second place in the age group.

For third place, Oak Park Runners Club’s Julie Blankemeier has a two-race and 16-point advantage over Ann Marie Phaneuf. Head-to-head, they’re 1-1, with Phaneuf taking CARA Lakefront 10 Mile 1:24:36 to 1:26:00 and Blankemeier taking her hometown Good Life Race 5k 24:22 to 24:38. While Phaneuf could make up those two races quickly, so could 5th place Angie Dudman. Dudman only has three races this year, but they’re all second place finishes behind Guerrero. There aren’t enough races left in the year for her to max her score out and finish 8 Circuit races, so she might need 3 or all 4 remaining races to get the points needed to boost her into third.

60-64 – Male

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	David Schaub	Oak Park Runners Club	117	9
2	Carlos Viramontes	Elmhurst Running Club	103	10
3	Marc Woodcock	Elmhurst Running Club	101	8
4	David Hensley	Elmhurst Running Club	76	7
5	Eugene Callaghan	Oak Park Runners Club	70	7

It should be obvious from the standings which two teams are in first and second place in the Senior Men team category. These men are so dominant that the lowest score their teams are dropping is third place. They are due some individual recognition as well.

Oak Park Runners Club’s David Schaub has been relentless this year in his pursuit of Circuit glory. And his dedication has turned dividends - he is so close to a perfect score that the only way he can earn any more points this year is through age group wins. He already has 5, and together with his 3 second place finishes he has clinched 1st for the age group.

Elmhurst Running Club teammates Carlos Viramontes and Marc Woodcock have each beaten Schaub at least once this year, and they might need to dig deep and do it again during the remaining Circuit races. They both are starting to drop their lowest scores because of more than 8 races completed. Viramontes must finish in the top 3 for the age group to earn any more points. He’s got three 4th place finishes (12 points) and will earn only 1 point for 3rd, 2 for 2nd, and 3 for 1st going forward. It’s quite a challenge. Woodcock, meanwhile, could gain quite a bit in his next race. He has one low-scoring 12th place finish (4 points) at Shamrock Shuffle 8k, so he could earn 11 points with a win. After that score is dropped, he’ll be in the same boat as Viramontes and only gain 1-3 points for 1st-3rd place finishes. These guys will be sprinting across the finish line to inch up in points.

Elmhurst Running Club’s David Hensley and Oak Park Runners Club’s Eugene Callaghan are not eliminated yet and are still eligible for second and third in the age group. However, their maximum potential scores are lower, so if Viramontes and Woodcock continue to race that opportunity will pass.

65-69 – Female

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Janet Robinson	Unattached	107	8
2	Eileen Skisak	Unattached	93	7
3	Eileen Dolan	Oak Park Runners Club	89	6
4	Kielo Sauvala	Evanston Running Club	42	3
5	Ann Ryan	Oak Park Runners Club	28	2

This is another good competition that will go down to the last race. Janet Robinson has made an excellent Circuit debut, completing 8 races and finishing no lower than 4th in the age group. She has an age group win at PUMA’s Chi-town Miles in 7:45.48. Going forward, she’ll earn 1-3 points when finishing 3rd or better as she drops her lowest scores.

Sitting in second place with 7 races, Eileen Skisak needs a second-place finish to pull even with Robinson. She has three already, and like Robinson, has finished no lower than 4th this year. But an even more dangerous threat lies in third, where Eileen Dolan of Oak Park Runners Club looks poised to attack. She is nearly undefeated in the age group this year, with only one second place finish at Chi-town (7:57.00) behind Robinson. She’s the only one in the age group that could still get a perfect score.

Still in the hunt, Kielo Sauvala of Evanston Running Club and OPRC’s Ann Ryan can challenge for third place only if they run all the remaining Circuit races. They each have a win so far this year, Sauvala at Shamrock Shuffle 8k (43:27) and Ryan at CARA Lakefront 10 Mile (1:34:09), so they’ve shown the capacity to finish high and get the points they need.

65-69 – Male

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Keith Holzmueller	Evanston Running Club	115	8
2	Terrence Keleher	Oak Park Runners Club	85	8
3	Brian Sweney	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing	71	5
4	Mark Przbyla	Unattached	64	5
5	Lynn Crim	CARA Run Crew	59	9

Although not a complete run away, longtime CARA and Evanston Running Club member Keith Holzmueller has had a great season with four age group wins, three second places finishes, and one third. He started strong with a stellar 19:58 5k at the Good Life Race, an age graded score in the 84th percentile. A perfect score is possible, but he hasn’t been able to clinch first yet because Brian Sweney of Fast Track is also performing well. Sweney has two age group wins, two second places, and one third, with his best performance coming at Alpine Races 10 Mile in 1:08:21. Sweney is also ahead head-to-head 3-2 versus Holzmueller but sits down in third because he has only completed five races to Holzmueller’s eight.

In between them, Oak Park’s Terrence Keleher has been steadily accumulating points, finishing as high as third at the CARA Lakefront 10 Mile (1:29:34). If he keeps racing, he can gain 1-9 points by dropping his lowest scores, which he will need to do with Sweney coming up behind him. Unfortunately, he can’t surpass Holzmueller’s 115 points and at best can hope for second place in the age group.

While Mark Przbyla and CARA Run Crew’s Lynn Crim round out the top 5 in the age group, there are several others that could also score over 100 points and get on the podium, if, that is, they are able to compete in the last 4 Circuit races. Fast Track’s Michael Holmes (57 points, 6th), Oak Park’s Rainer Schochat (50 points, 7th), and Timothy Gross (38 points, 8th), and even DWRunning’s Dave Walters (35 points, 9th) have a legitimate chance of finishing second or third. Schochat won the age group at Chicago 13.1 (1:46:02) and Walters won both Race Against Hate 5k (19:35!) and Alpine Races 10 Mile (1:06:50). As each race passes, this field will narrow until we reach the final race.

70-74 – Female

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Grace Wasielewski	Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing	90	6
2	Maureen Mikulski	Unattached	82	6
3	Kaori Maeshima	Unattached	73	6
4	Catherine Saccany	Evanston Running Club	38	4
5	Curt Hansman	DWRunning	35	3

Last year’s Super Senior Runner of the Year Grace Wasielewski is at it again. Perfect through six races, she could collect the age group title should she complete two more races. She is one of the Circuit’s top 10 age graded performers and scored in the 88th percentile this year for her 23:46 at Run for the Roses 5k. Only one other CARA member in this age group even broke 30 minutes for a 5k this year: Connie Nash in 27:54 at the Good Life Race. Technically, she must still place high and earn points in those last two Circuit races, but given her supremacy in this age group, anything but a win would be a little surprising.

She’ll be forced to race again to win the title because Maureen Mikulski will take it from her if she does not. Mikulski won the CARA Spring Trail Chase 10k in 1:08:18 and has finished no lower than 3rd in the age group this year. An experienced runner and racer, Mikulski first placed in her Circuit age group in 1999, and she is poised to add some more CARA Hall of Fame points to her total this year.

Kaori Maeshima has done well and is in good position to finish the year on the podium. She has placed 2nd-6th in the age group and can end up with over 100 points if she races through the end of the season. Evanston’s Catherine Saccany and DWRunning’s Curt Hansman are not out of the competition yet, but are behind due to less races run. They both will also need to pick up at least their 5th Circuit race or risk being dropped from standings.

70-74 – Male

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Bill Leiner	Evanston Running Club	8	118
2	Robert Jungwirth	Elmhurst Running Club	9	106
3	Greg Smith	Unattached	8	88
4	Peter Bender	Oak Park Runners Club	6	59
5	Fritz Gareis	Evanston Running Club	7	52

Sitting at 118 points with 7 age group winds, Bill Leiner has clinched first place. The age group’s defending champion and Evanston Running Club member’s only blip on his perfect season was a third place finish at the Good Life Race 5k in 22:55. No other CARA member in this age group has broker 23 minutes at a Circuit 5k this year and only one has broken 24 minutes (Bernard Mcgourty in 23:41, also at Good Life).

Elmhurst Running Club’s Robert Jungwirth narrowly will miss the 1st place prize and currently has a potential maximum score of 117 points. His 106 points this year were earned through four second place finishes and a win at Alpine Races 10 Mile in 1:26:08. With only one Circuit race missed so far this year, he will continue to gain 1-5 points with each additional finish line he crosses and rise further away from third place.

Another active participant, Greg Smith, has a two-race lead over fourth, but won’t be able to move up to second if Jungwirth places 2nd or higher at any further Circuit races. Smith has finished between 3rd-8th in the age group this year. 

Behind him, Peter Bender of Oak Park Runners Club and Evanston Running Club’s Fritz Gareis could still slide into third if they can compete at the remaining Circuit races. Bender has a better shot, with two second place finishes already in his trophy case.

75-79 – Female

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Isola Metz	Oak Park Runners Club	111	8
2	Nancy Rollins	Evanston Running Club	105	7
3	Delma Bartelme	Lake Shore Racing Club	76	6
4	Judy Friedes-Craig	Unattached	38	4
5	Lynn Adler	Unattached	33	3

Oak Park’s Isola Metz is an experienced Circuit runner and knows she needs to max out her score by competing in a lot of races. It’s necessary when you have a potential GOAT in your age group. Evanston’s Nancy Rollings has won her age group for the last 14 years, and the last time she didn’t at least place in her age group was 1991. She is the CARA Hall of Fame all-time points leader that Metz, also a CARA Hall of Famer, has had to face many times over the years. Metz has done well, wining the age group twice (31:41 at the Good Life Race 5k and 9:51.44 at PUMA Chi-town Miles) and placing no lower than fourth for the year. But it's never enough to take down Rollins, who is undefeated through seven races this year. Rollins will likely clinch the title when her eighth Circuit race is scored.

Lake Shore Racing Club’s Delma Bartelme has had a strong year and sits a healthy 38 points ahead of fourth place, a cushion of at least 3 races. Metz’s and Rollins’s high point totals may just be out of reach for her, so she is unlikely to move up the standings. 22 More points is all she needs to clinch third – completely doable considering she has finished between 2nd-5th in the age group this year. 

It’s possible, but it would take an aggressive run through the end of the season by Judy Friedes-Craig and Lynn Adler to take that third spot. A priority more so should be to get their 5th Circuit race completed, so they can take home their CARA Racing Award.

75-79 – Male

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	James Kubik	Unattached	98	7
2	Bob Richards	Elmhurst Running Club	89	6
3	Donald Jensen	Oak Park Runners Club	78	6
4	Dale Monroe-Cook	Oak Park Runners Club	77	8
5	Carle Rollins	Evanston Running Club	71	6

The competition for this age group is tighter than the last few. The top 3 all have a maximum potential score of 114 points or more – the equivalent of averaging 2nd place for the year. Only one, CARA Hall of Famer Bob Richards, has a path to a perfect score of 120. The Elmhurst Running Club runner holds the second spot with 5 age group wins and one 2nd place finish. And that one second place finish? He was only 3 seconds behind CARA Lakefront 10 Mile age group winner Norman Finlayson, 1:38:48 to 1:38:51. Richards will get a perfect score and clinch the age group if he wins two of the four remaining Circuit races. 

James Kubik currently holds the lead with seven races completed and a win at PUMA Chi-town miles in 8:54.26. His lowest finish was third at Alpine Races 10 Mile (1:58:05) and his other races were all second-place finishes. There is a path to victory for him, but Richards is in control. Kubik can clinch at least third with 11 more points (5th place or better), which shouldn’t be a challenge in the remaining four races. 

Oak Park Runners Club is represented by Donald Jensen and Dale Monroe-Cook. Only one point apart, Jensen came into his points by finishing 2nd-4th in six races, while Monroe-Cook has had to dig deeper. The age group’s defending champion hasn’t been 100% this year, but has shown some grit. His highest finish was a second place at PUMA Chi-town Miles where he race-walked a 12:40.45, no easy feat. At this early point, Jensen needs 31 points to lock in third place, but that number may come down as the season draws to a close. Getting in those seventh and eighth races should be his first priority.

Carle Rollins rounds out the top five. Representing Evanston Running Club, Rollins has finished 3rd-5th so far in the age group. He will also need to get in his seventh and eighth races in if he wants to move up in the standings. To get to the podium, he’ll also need to finish closer to the top.

80-84 – Female

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Eileen Malec	Elmhurst Running Club	83	6
2	Muriel Odeen	Unattached	60	4
3	Tamerra Buckhanan	Unattached	15	1
4	Phyllis Hansen	Unattached	14	1

Eileen Malec of Elmhurst Running Club must be glad to have graduated from the 75-79 age group where she competed against running legends Nancy Rollins and Isola Metz. This year she has finished no lower than third and took a win at PUMA Chi-town Miles in 16:42.95. With six races completed, she has put herself in the lead.

Muriel Odeen finished 2023 with 4 races, 4 wins, and 60 points, just short of the 5 races needed to earn the CARA Racing Award and also win the age group. This year she has 4 races, 4 wins, and 60 points, but sits in second place behind Malec. She’ll need one more race to earn her Circuit eligibility and then at least one more after that to catch up to Malec. Her 5ks are averaging about 7 minutes faster than Malec, so if she’s able to match Malec’s race count, she can win the age group. Fair warning though, Malec loves to race.

Tamerra Buckhanan (1:02:15) and Phyllis Hansen (1:26:39) went 1-2 at Shamrock Shuffle 8k this year. With only one race each, they will need four more races scored or be dropped from standings.

80-84 – Male

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Adrian Malec	Elmhurst Running Club	115	9
2	Joe Sehnal	Elmhurst Running Club	60	4
3	Robert Ramsay	Unattached	28	2
4	Lynne Hans	Unattached	26	2

Elmhurst Running Club’s Adrian Malec put the screws to his teammate Joe Sehnal. Sehnal is faster and undefeated through his four races this year, beating Malec all four times. But Malec only missed one Circuit race so far and has finished no lower than second. It’ll take all four remaining Circuit races for Sehnal to move into first. He can max out with a perfect score of 120 points, but if he’s not registered for the Chicago Marathon, then Malec has already clinched the title.

With four races and 60 points still on the table, Sehnal hasn’t clinched a podium spot either. Robert Ramsay and long-time Circuit runner Lynne Hans are tight in that 3-4 spot. Neither can win the age group, and both need to get more races in to stay in the standings and go for 2nd or 3rd place. If they do, Ramsay’s CARA Lakefront 10 Mile (2:07:08) is about an hour faster than Hans’s Alpine Races 10 Mile (3:03:11), so he has that advantage. But Hans is a determined runner and there should be no doubt that he will go for it. 

85 & Over – Male 

Place	Name	Team	Points	Races
1	Kirby Anderson	Oak Park Runners Club	29	2
2	Hank Caldwell	Unattached	15	1
3	Nick Koplos	Unattached	15	1

It’s amazing these guys are out there competing, and it gives us all something to strive for. With four Circuit races left, and one of them being the Chicago Marathon, it will be challenging for these gentlemen to earn their CARA Racing Award. Recent CARA Hall of Fame inductee Kirby Anderson of Oak Park Runners Club has the most potential with two races already completed. He could get to the 5-race Circuit minimum with the remaining two 5ks and the final 10k. 

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