2019 Shannon Trail Series Wrap Up

And just like that, the 2019 Shannon Trail Series has come to a close.  I'm sure Dennis is relieved.  Let's give it up for him though, he did a fantastic job on this year's series.  Sure, I was the co-race director, but Dennis put a majority of the work in.  If you're one of those people that likes to get the "whole story" my write up from race #1 is here, race #2 is here, and last year's series wrap up is here.

(photo credit: Jammie Preiser)

Our previous race was January 26th, so the runners had 3 weeks to rest up heading into this one.  As with all of our trail races, we spent a couple weeks out on the course on our normal Tuesday night runs.  We had to be careful not to mark the course too early as Kent said that the longhorns will sometimes eat the tape right off the tree.

Tuesday night course marking crew.  I think Kent was explaining tape to us (photo credit: Jammie Preiser)

Two of my former students came out w/us a few times.  This is Morgan crossing the mud (photo credit: Jammie Preiser)

"eww mud" (photo credit: Jammie Preiser)

"for the yearbook" (photo credit: Jammie Preiser)

The trail was not too different than race #2 in that it had plenty of rolling rocks and was mostly single track.  The major difference between the two races is the roller coaster trail.  Roller coaster starts about a mile from the finish and, like its namesake, includes plenty of ups and downs and hairpin turns.  The section is fun, but can definitely drain the gas tank.
A few of us have an ultra coming up soon (oh yeah, I signed up for the Crazy Desert 50k) so we decided to put in some miles the Sunday before the race.  To do so, we ran both courses and got a little... turned around. It was a beautiful, chilly, overcast morning and we even had some "cows with long pointy ears" eyeing us cautiously.

a quick break after finishing the 5k course before going out for the 15k

Jon finishing the 5k course

views from the 15k course

Dennis leaving me behind

fixing a shoe at Flintstone village (yep, we added a little extra)

Jammie and Daniela had breakfast burritos waiting for us when we finished the 15k course.  Why doesn't that happen more often?

We, again, did the Friday night SoCo - beer, pizza, and bibs trifecta (they're bad influences on me)

Jon was a machine (photo credit: Jammie Preiser)

and a few Lizards camped out at the state park.  I had planned on it, then forgot to rent camping stuff.  real smooth.

The morning of the race was about 10 degrees colder than forecasted and that cost us some live music.  Didn't stop my nanner/Clif bar HEB run though.

We had a beautiful sunrise while setting everything up.

Unfortunately we didn't have the TCA kids as volunteers this year and my student volunteers have graduated and moved on.  However, we made it work.  I am working on convincing my co-worker Joe that this trail running thing is a good idea, and he was able to joyfully help out for a couple of hours.

(photo credit: Jammie Preiser)

We had a mad rush of race day registration right before 8 (woohoo!) so the race got off to a bit of a late start.  We sent the 15kers on their way first with instructions to follow the tape and signs, pick up your feet, have fun, and finish.

More pre-race pics (all photos courtesy of Jammie Preiser)

Jon, just go over there 

look at them Prelsers

The "Flying Rodriguez Sibs"

The 316 TRS dudes

Xavier and Adrian, two of our fastest 5k guys

Hi Dennis!

Cliff getting warm beverages for everyone

Race pics (all photos courtesy of Jammie Preiser)

15K start

he looks legit scared of her

push it!

15k top finishers, the top three treated us to a sprint to the finish, finishing less than 3 seconds apart

Barrel Roll

our two ruckers finishing up

Oh, hi

dirty dirty

dude's a tank

way too photogenic, go run it again

Lucia runs in honor of different vets.  We got to meet her Iraq War vet after the race today

So, we told them to follow the signs and tape.  What we didn't know is that the cows had knocked down one of our signs.  Many of the 15k runners went the wrong way, including the top 3.  They only ran an extra 1/2 mile or so but some went an extra 2.5 miles. 

Results!

Let's start with the results of the single race.  In the 5k, the same fellas came in first and second as in all three races, Xavier Gomez and Marcelo Barraza.  A newcomer, Clay Boness, rounded out the medals in third.  For the ladies, Celeste Lozano returned for her third victory.  Her younger sister Lia took the silver and the lady that already had two silvers, Vanessa Saavedra, added a bronze to her collection.
The 15k was where we had some trouble.  Apparently the chase pack followed each other the wrong way and added over two miles to their run.  Kent was right behind them and did his best to chase them down.  I'm not exactly sure where the leaders turned or how come they didn't go that far off course, but they also got off track for a bit.  They finished with an all out sprint over the last few hundred meters.  We didn't have a three peat winner as Stephen Shields out gunned Tyler Ferguson at the finish.  Blake Snider was right behind them in third.  For the ladies, 2x champ Lisa Warechowski was among those that went 2+ miles in the wrong direction.  This opened the door for Daniela Munoz to take the victory.  Lucie Jenkins and Ashley McClintock took second and third.

Short Series Results

Overall

I wrote that the race for third overall was going to be exciting last time and... unfortunately we didn't get the showdown I'd hoped for.  Matt Garcia didn't show up to the race, so Adrian Rodriguez had to run well, but wasn't as pressured as he could have been.  The top two, Xavier Gomez and Marcelo Barraza finished 1-2 every race and last year's series champ took the bronze this year.

Just like Xavier and Marcelo on the men's side, Celeste Lozano was the top female finisher in every race.  Vanessa Saavedra was able to keep her 2nd place standing.  Also, just like the men's side, the person in 3rd place after 2 races did not show up for the 3rd.  This opened up a spot for Jennifer Jurado to move into 3rd overall.  Vanessa took 2nd in the 15-29 division last year.

0-19

We had a repeat champion in the boys' division with Jamison Jurado.  Jamison came in 4th overall as well.  Cole Warren finished second with Tony Velasquez in third, just as they had been after race #2.

The girls also kept their places from race #2 with Lia Lozano joining her sister to the top of the podium.  Tatum Reeves kept her silver and last year's champion, Ariel Schmidt, took home the bronze.

20-29

Adrian Rodriguez moving up to 3rd overall opened the door for Tjay Sughrue to win gold.  Zach Daniel was able to jump from 4th to 2nd during the last race.  This left my student Ben Morris in 3rd.

Vanessa Rodriguez, who took 2nd last year, won this year's 20-29 ladies' division.  Her sister Alex, last year's overall female champ, took 2nd to complete the Rodriguez gold-silver-bronze medal collection.  She passed up Caitlyn Howarth who didn't run the final race.

Alex and George heading to the finish

30-39

Ahh, the best division.  In my opinion, anyway.  The men stayed in the same 1-2-3 positions from the 2nd race with Carlos Cruz (2nd place 20-29 long course last year) winning, Cody Guins (3rd last year) and Victoriano "El Bigotazo" Aguirre coming in 3rd.  The women's division did have a little shake up after Jennifer Jurado moved up to 3rd overall.  Dionnie Hoelsken and Jammie Preiser held their places, with Jammie incrementally improving her overall placement every race.  3rd place was Monica Minzenmayer.  She had been 3rd overall, but didn't show for the last race.

40-49

The 40-49 divisions had a lot of movement.  3rd overall Matt Garcia missed the last race as did Melanie Baucom, who had been leading the division after two races.  Bob Biggers had been leading the division, and ended up winning after taking 2nd last year.  Matt won the division last year but had to settle for silver this year.  Gerald Jost rounded out the medals with the bronze.

With Melanie a no show, Kathleen Scott was able to win the ladies' division.  Berrangere Tharp also finished strong and took home a silver medal.  Melanie was able to tie Sophia Flores, last year's 3rd place, for 3rd.

50-59

Wendell Baucom had been leading the division but missed the last race.  This left Neal McSpedden with the division win.  Greg Larson took 2nd and Wendell was able to take bronze after taking silver last year.  For the ladies, Deloras Shubert repeated as the division winner.  Sharon Simmons and Bertha Terrazas flip flopped positions, taking 2nd and 3rd respectively.

60+

The seniors division had plenty of runners this year.  Wendell Wheaton was a repeat series winner.  James Meador came in 2nd and last year's winner, Terry Shaner, missed the last race and dropped to 3rd.  The ladies kept their places from the 2nd race with Kimberly Atkins winning, Beth Sindorf taking 2nd, and Lisette Alverio taking 3rd. 

Long Series Results

Overall

The overall top three for the men weren't as clean as in the short series as Tyler Ferguson won two races and Stephen Shields won another.  Tyler came away with the gold and Stephen the silver.

Double Medal Tyler

Race #3 champ and 2nd overall for Stephen

Blake Snider was Mr. Consistency, coming in 3rd in all three races.  

For the ladies, Daniela Munoz was the surprise series winner after 2x champ and last year's 50-59 division winner Lisa Warechowski accidentally added distance to race #3.  Lucie Jenkins moved up from 4th overall to take the bronze.

0-19

Austin Stone and Dani Jenkins were the only sub 20 runners on either side.  Austin came in 2nd overall during the 12k , but that was his only race. 

20-29

The men's 20-29 standings got all sorts of mixed up as last year's winner, Taylor Harrison, was part of the wrong way pack and fell to 2nd.  That means Dillon Smith was able to move into the gold medal spot.  My student Kelvin Ngo dun graduated and was on his way to his next base during the race.  He was in 2nd in the division and Augustine Mendoza, last year's 15-29 short course champ, beat him for the bronze by only 1 point.  

Rocio Cruz, last year's bronze medal winner, took the gold this year. Kaitlynn LeBrasseur and Emily Hughes kept their places from race #2 at 2nd and 3rd.

30-39

David Warren very well could have gone the wrong way on race #3 but he kept the gold as silver medalist Lenny Christo did the same thing.  Mason McClintock won the bronze while pacing his wife for two of the races.

Lenny Christo

Speaking of Ashley McClintock, she won the women's division.  Katy George jumped from 4th to 2nd in the division while Kathryn Straha missed race #3 and fell to 3rd. 

40-49

Lance Overstreet, Heath Stiles, and Charles Hodges all kept their 1-2-3 placing in the men's 40-49 division.

Charles Hodges and Rocio Cruz

Lucia Rivas (3rd last year) also kept her top spot, but Rachel Campbell and Jennifer Limbaugh switched positions at 2nd and 3rd.

50-59

The men's 50-59 had a lot of action on the last day.  Well, Lynn Zaruba maintained his winning ways, but Warren Conway moved from 4th to 2nd and Cliff De La Cerda moved from 6th to 3rd.  He thought I was kidding when I called out his name.

Robbie Wilson and Tammy Brown only ran the first race of the series but that was enough to take gold and silver.

60+

Course marker Kent Fish chased down the wrong way pack, feeling guilty the whole time, but was still able to repeat as age group champion.  Mike Sparks improved upon last year's bronze by getting a silver this year and Lloyd Lavender was 3rd.

Mike Sparks stoked about his medal

Susan Terry was our 60+ ladies' champ.

That's it, the 2019 series has come to a close.  We'll look at making 2020's series even better.  Thanks to everyone who came out whether to run, volunteer, or cheer!

Finish Line Ladies