Evanston Running Club’s Nancy Rollins continued her impressive streak with yet another age-graded victory at the Lake Bluff PTO Pumpkin Chase. Her score of 928.6 was her third highest of the year, solidifying her dominance as she now holds 7 of the top 10 age-graded performances in the Circuit. In a close 2nd, Fleet Feet’s Angelica Guerrero delivered her best 5k of the season, earning a world-class score of 903.4. These two athletes are truly in a league of their own. DW’s Kristin Dailey, the first woman to cross the finish line, rounded out the top three with an impressive 887.4. In the Circuit standings, Guerrero climbed from 5th to 4th, while Dailey moved up from 4th to 2nd.
Despite his 8th place finish, Evanston’s Aaron Barnhart couldn’t hold onto his 2nd place position and slipped to 3rd. With 8th now his lowest finish, Barnhart will need stronger performances in the remaining races to regain his standing. Dailey, however, has a lowest score of 18th place, and with her exceptional Chicago Marathon performance, she’s in a strong position to widen the gap over Barnhart.
Overall Circuit leader Daniel Lennington of Evanston Running Club finished 4th in age-graded scoring at Pumpkin Chase, holding steady in 6th place overall. Fast Track’s Grace Wasielewski also held onto her 7th-place standing with a solid 5th place age-graded finish at Pumpkin Chase.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Ruston of Fast Track delivered a 7th place performance at Pumpkin Chase, propelling him from 10th to a three-way tie for 8th place in the standings. The race continues to tighten, with every point crucial in the final stages of the season!
Pumpkin Chase 5k Top 25 Age Graded Scores (top 25 score points)
Place | Age Graded Score | Name | Time | Team |
1 | 928.6 | Rollins, Nancy | 0:25:07 | Evanston Running Club |
2 | 903.4 | Guerrero, Angelica | 0:20:59 | Fleet Feet Racing Team x New Balance |
3 | 887.4 | Dailey, Kristin* | 0:17:16 | DWRunning |
4 | 869.0 | Lennington, Daniel | 0:16:18 | Evanston Running Club |
5 | 856.4 | Wasielewski, Grace | 0:24:56 | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team |
6 | 854.9 | Ding, Callie | 0:19:39 |
|
7 | 851.5 | Ruston, Jeremy | 0:16:22 | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team |
8 | 851.4 | Barnhart, Aaron | 0:18:29 | Evanston Running Club |
9 | 850.3 | Conheady, Tim | 0:19:52 | Elmhurst Running Club |
10 | 846.1 | Richards, Bryce* | 0:15:11 |
|
11 | 836.0 | Schuch, Ken | 0:18:49 | CARA Racing Team |
12 | 820.3 | Krummenacher, Claire | 0:17:58 | Fleet Feet Racing Team x New Balance |
13 | 819.2 | Vigsnes, Richard | 0:19:03 | Oak Park Runners Club |
14 | 818.9 | Sweney, Brian | 0:20:38 | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team |
15 | 809.5 | Dolan, Eileen | 0:24:59 | Oak Park Runners Club |
16 | 809.5 | Harvey-Hill, Libby | 0:23:08 | CARA Racing Team |
17 | 808.1 | Yank, Ivan | 0:16:45 | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team |
18 | 805.4 | Stalley, Evance | 0:20:15 | CARA Racing Team |
19 | 804.8 | Bruns, Julie | 0:21:40 | DWRunning |
20 | 804.7 | Etienne, Aaron | 0:16:42 |
|
21 | 802.6 | Stage, Eddie | 0:16:16 |
|
22 | 799.9 | Blackmer, Margie | 0:21:00 |
|
23 | 797.4 | Otto, Kristin | 0:22:39 | Oak Park Runners Club |
24 | 793.0 | Thielsen, Brendan | 0:16:12 | Fleet Feet Racing Team x New Balance |
25 | 790.4 | Barrett, John | 0:16:15 | CARA Racing Team |
*Overall male and female winners by time
Age-Graded Standings (top 25 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | Nancy Rollins* | Evanston Running Club | 200 | 9 |
2 | Kristin Dailey | DWRunning | 173 | 8 |
3 | Aaron Barnhart | Evanston Running Club | 171 | 9 |
4 | Angelica Guerrero | Fleet Feet Racing X New Balance | 162 | 11 |
5 | Trent Fifield | DWRunning | 155 | 8 |
6 | Daniel Lennington | Evanston Running Club | 150 | 7 |
7 | Grace Wasielewski | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team | 121 | 7 |
8 | Keith Holzmueller | Evanston Running Club | 92 | 9 |
8 | Volker Rose | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team | 92 | 8 |
8 | Jeremy Ruston | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing Team | 92 | 6 |
*Clinched 1st place with a perfect score.
As of 11/1/24
Clydesdale and Athena Categories
Athena A (top 15 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | Kristin Bowen | Unattached | 105* | 7 |
*Includes unofficial Chicago Marathon results
Recovering from the Chicago Marathon and already having clinched 1st place, Kristin Bowen sat out Pumpkin Chase.
Athena B (top 15 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | Marsha Komosa | Unattached | 119* | 9 |
2 | Grace Hussar | Unattached | 96* | 7 |
3 | ‘Lovie Twine | Oak Park Runners Club | 88 | 6 |
4 | Melissa Grandt | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing | 39 | 3 |
*Includes unofficial Chicago Marathon results
Grace Hussar and Fast Track’s Melissa Grandt took to the Lake Bluff streets and came away with 1st and 2nd, respectively. Hussar scored 400.6 (37:47) to Grandt’s 351.0 (45:03) and moves up to 2nd place in the Circuit. Grandt will remain in 4th place and needs to complete the last two Circuit races to earn her CARA Racing Award.
By virtue of only two races remaining, Marsha Komosa has clinched 1st place. If she races again and wins, she will have a perfect score of 120 points. Hussar and OPRC’s ‘Lovie Twine will continue to test each other for 2nd and 3rd place.
Clydesdale A (top 15 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | Greg Smith | Unattached | 120 | 8 |
2 | Lynn Crim | CARA Run Crew | 115 | 10 |
Lynn Crim won Pumpkin Chase uncontested with an age graded score of 558.1 and time of 29:43. He gained one Circuit point and will remain in 2nd since Greg Smith clinched 1st place with a perfect score.
Clydesdale B (top 15 score points)
Place | Name | Team | Points | Races |
1 | Shane Petrelli | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing | 117* | 9 |
1 | John Archer | CARA Run Crew | 117 | 8 |
3 | Muhammad Alansari | Xtra Mile Fast Track Racing | 87 | 7 |
4 | Edward Donovan | Evanston Running Club | 84 | 6 |
5 | Peter Roberts | Evanston Running Club | 49 | 4 |
6 | Rob Warner | Unattached | 41 | 3 |
*Includes unofficial Chicago Marathon results
We have a tie for the lead, folks! This head-to-head battle is on fire and it’s going to be an exciting finish. CARA Run Crew’s John Archer is peaking at the right moment, clocking a season-best 19:33 and age-graded score of 692.2 to take the win at Pumpkin Chase—a significant 30-second improvement from his time at Run for the Roses. Meanwhile, Fast Track’s Shane Petrelli stayed consistent with a solid 21:01, just five seconds shy of his previous season best. Adding to the mix, Fast Track’s Muhammad finished third with an age-graded score of 619.4 and a time of 22:51, moving him into 3rd place in the Circuit standings.
Here’s where the excitement kicks in: With both Archer and Shane maxed out on races (8+ each) and finishing no lower than 2nd, they can only gain one point per victory in the remaining two races. This means they could split wins and end up tied for the season. In the case of a tie, the Circuit title goes to the athlete with the highest average age-graded score, and with his recent 692, Archer has the advantage.
But there's still the thrilling possibility of a ‘winner-take-all’ outcome. Since this is an age-graded competition, not time-based, they need to ‘beat the spread’ to win outright. And here’s the twist: the spread has changed! Back in August, Petrelli held about a 10-second cushion over Archer in 5ks due to his age. Now, with his recent birthday, the spread for the upcoming XC race jumps to around 19 seconds for his home meet. For the Lincolnwood 10k, that margin will increase to roughly 40 seconds.
Two races left, one tight battle—this one’s going down to the wire!
Clydesdale C (top 15 score points)
Place | Name | Points | Races |
1 | Leonard Donaire | 90 | 6 |
2 | David Dziagwa | 86 | 6 |
This category is a nail-biter too! The new rivalry between Leonard Donaire and David Dziagwa continued at Pumpkin Chase, with both athletes putting everything on the line. Donaire took the win with an age graded score of 436.9 and time of 34:32, making a strong statement as he inches closer to the Circuit title. But Dziagwa isn’t backing down without a fight—finishing 2nd with a score of 398.8 and a time of 42:22, he’s proving that he’s still in this battle and determined to take it all the way to the finish.
Neither is willing to yield, and the upcoming races are sure to be a thrilling showdown as they chase the ultimate prize. Who will emerge victorious? Stay tuned for an exciting finish to this competition!
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