Four of the Morris Knolls 'Baseball Moms' volunteers who served the early shift on the registration committe, cheer on some of the runners as they cross the finish linein the 2010 race. Left to right: Rosella Nichay Matos, Theresa Ackerman, Kathy Shuey and Maria DaFonseca.

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Photo by Morris Knolls junior Caitlin Gieza

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For more race photos by Caitlin, visit 'MK5K Album' under the MK5K Run icon in the menu bar at left

7th annual MK5K Run/Walk
taking early registrations
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     DENVILLE - Early registrations are still being accepted for the seventh annual MK5K Run/Walk that will be held rain or shine on Saturday, April 9, 2011, starting at the Denville Community Church at 9 a.m. and finishing near St. Clare's Hospital here in the township.
      The race is sponsored by the Morris Knolls High School Baseball Diamond Club and the funds realized from the event are used to purchase equipment for the Morris Knolls High School baseball team as well as help fund several scholarships sponsored by the club.
      Race director Rich Luttenberger, an English teacher at Knolls who has run the event since he started it seven years ago, is hoping the weather will be nice enough so the race can surpass the 386 runners it attracted last spring.
     Online registration is offered this spring by visiting https://www.compuscorereg.com/resister/?event=3778. For more information on the race, a mail-in registration form, a link to the online registration form, and a registration fee strucuture, please visit www.mhrd.k12.nj.us/mk/mk5K.
     Race-day registration will be held from 7:15 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. in the church parking lot. 
     The race is a USATF sanctioned event conducted on a certified 5K course that was previously used by the Harvest Festival 5K, a course that still has a "fast and flat" label.
     Tim Steele, Morris Knolls first all-state cross county runner, has already pre-registered, according to Luttenberger. Also, Ed Halbig, who played baseball at Knolls in the late 60s, has also signed up once again to participate.

      Sponsorships for the race have been sold to Dr. Harry M. Gongola, a chiropractgic physician in Ledgewood; The Baseball Station, a hitting-pitching-fielding facility in Wharton; TD Bank of Rockaway; Barbara Tarchak of RE/MAX Realtors of Mountain Lakes; Dispenziere & Company, a certified public accountant firm in Montville; Applebee's of Dover; Paradiso Pizza of Rockaway; Bilori Jewelers of Denville; Montville Adventure Boot Camp for Women; Anna Marie's Pizzeria & Trattoria of Wharton;
      Also: Buzak Law Group of Montville; Steven B. Hodes, a veterinarian in Mine Hill; D&M Auto Body of Rockaway; Denville Dairy; Norman Dean Home for Services of Denville; Barbara L. Feinberg, Esq., of Rockaway; Jimmy and Cindy Kelly; John Westernberger Plumbing and Heating of Boonton; and Rosella Nichay Matos, an attorney at law in Morristown.
      Post-race refreshments have been donated by Dole Real Fruit Bites and the Pepsi Bottling Group of North Jersey in East Hanover.
      Prizes and awards have been donated by the Sneaker Factory of Millburn/Basking Ridge; RoadID; and Dispenziere & Company of Montville.
      Race bibs have been provided by The Sneaker Factory and race photography will be provided by Caitlin Gieza.
      T-Shirts will be available while supplies last ... limited parking is available at the start and finish lines ... CompuScore is the official timer of the race ... prizes will be awarded in 14 different age groups for both males and females and for the top three finishers among Morris Knolls students, Knoll alumni and Knolls staff.

Knolls Diamond Club MK5K

a social and a competition

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O'Reilly, Rosenberg, Danna finish race 1-2-3

    DENVILLE - There were 386 runners and walkers in the sixth annual Morris Knolls Diamond Club MK5K Run/Walk held on Saturday, April 10, and the only regret about the day for race director Rich Luttenberger was that he didn't get around to thanking each and every one of them for participating.
     Luttenberger, a Knolls graduate who teaches English at the high school, organized the run/walk six years ago as a fund-raiser for the Eagles baseball team, helping purchase equipment and helping fund several scholarships the Diamond Club sponsers.
     It didn't take long for Luttenberger to realize the race/walk was also a reunion of sorts as well as a competition.
     This is why Luttenberger is especially proud of the growing number of alumni, faculty members, students and volunteers he gets to see and work with each race.
     "Our volunteers are mostly baseball people and have little or no 5K experience," Luttenberg says. "Yet they come together every year and do a great job in putting out this event ... it's quite an accomplishment on their part and we can't thank them enough."
      Unfortunately, Luttenberger's many race-day duties keep him from meeting and greeting the participants as much as he would like.
      "Race day can be a frenzy for me," Luttenberger explains. "When I do run into people with whom I want to catch up, our 'conversation' is usually something like:  '... Hi, how are you? Excuse me, I have to go ... nice seeing you and thanks for coming out!'"
      There were more than 50 Knolls alumni on hand to participate and another 30-plus runners/walkers who were Knolls students or staff, according to Luttenberger.
      The race started at the Denville Community Church on Diamond Spring Road and finished on Pocono Road across the street from St. Clare's Hospital. Cool temperatures and gusty breezes greeted the runners at the 9 a.m. start and the course record of 15:38 set in 2008 by Craig Donnelly was not threatened. The course is rated "fast and flat" and the race is sanctioned by USATF.
      Denville resident Tom Metz was the first Knolls' alum to finish as he placed fourth overall with a time of 17:45.25.
      Karl O'Reilly of Morristown was first to finish, crossing the line in 16:22.71 after outdueling Gary Rosenberg of Morristown, who posted a time of 16:25.30 in trying to become the first second-time winner of the six-year race. Rosenberg, a 1989 graduate of Morris Hills High School, won the 2006 race.
      Maria Danna was the third-place finisher (in 17:41.13) and the first female to finish, the first time a female has finished in the top three overall.
      Awards were given to the top three male and female runners; the top three runners in 14 age groups; and the top three runners in seven "Special Category" groups focusing on participants with Morris Knolls ties.
      O'Reilly, Rosenberg and Metz were the top three male finishers and Danna, Mary Christian (18:55.00) of Flanders and Joy Brnic (19:16.55) of Boonton the top three female finishers.
      Bobby Cangelosi, 17, a Morris Knolls junior from Rockaway Township, was the first Knolls male student to finish, posting a time of 18:47.66. Spencer Severson, 17, of Rockaway Township, was second in 18:59.09 and Jack Haeberle, 18, of Boonton was third in 21:01.93.
      The first Morris Knolls female student to finish was Sujin Park, 16, of Denville, who posted a 25:56.65. Sol Pyo, 15, of Rockaway Township was second in 29:50.00 and Athina Kritharis, 17, of Denville was third in 32:45.38.
      Aaron Lipsen of Rockaway, a social studies teacher at Knolls, was the first male faculty/staff member to finish, posting a time of 23:59.65. Craig Miniter of Boonton was second in 24:27.07 and Keith Bigora of Port Murray, was third with a time of 25:21.97.
      The first female faculty/staff member to finish was Cynthia Garcia of Rockaway Township, who completed the course in 28:32.46. Susan Defreitas of Morris Plains was second in 30:28.71 and Lori Vertucci of Boonton placed third with a time of 30:30.
      Metz was the first male alumnus to finish while Terry Lusardi of Morris Plains was second in 18:08.59 and Kyle Plucinsky of Denville was third in 21:08.51.
      The first female alum to finish was Melissa Schmitt of Rockaway, who was timed in 24:19.67. Alexandra Golden of Denville was second in 24:59.37; and Jessica Thalman of Denville race third.
       The top three finishers in the age-group categories include:
       Male Masters:: 1. Tom Metz, Denville, 17:45.25;  2. Angelo Harasts, Pine Brook, 17:45.25; 3. Terry Lusardi, Morris Plains, 18:08.59.
       Female Masters: 1. Mary Christian, Flanders, 18.55.00; 2. Catherine Stone, Hamburg, 20:53.37; 3. Eva Fischer, Boonton, 22:59.86.
       14 and Under Males: 1. Peter Lavallie, Denville, 22:00.64; 2. Skylar Violette, Flanders, 23:00.80; 3. Tyler Simmons, Rockaway, 24:00.12.
       14 and Under Females: 1. Kassandra Ortiz, Denville, 20:26.79; 2. Shannon Dolan, Denville, 22:10.66; 3. Ally Black, Denville, 22:28.54.
       15-19 Males: 1. Benjamin Goodyear, Flanders, 18:38.16; 2. Bobby Cangelosi, Rockaway, 18:47.66; 3. Spencer Severson, Rockaway, 18:59.09.
       15-19 Females: 1. Anna Kerkendall, Washington, 25:13.60; 2. Sujin Park, Denville, 25:56.63; 3. Sol Pyo, Rockaway, 19:50.00.
      20-24 Males: 1. Jason Schmitt, Rockaway, 22:25.52; 2. William McWalters, Denville, 25:36.79; 3. Michael Taorimina, Denville, 28:54.42.
       20-24 Females:: 1. Melissa Schmitt, Rockaway, 24:19.67; 2. Alexandra Golden, Denville, 24:59.37; 3. Ashley Moormann, Stanhope, 25:17.69.
      25-29 Males: 1. Vin Verteramo, Staten Island, 18:06.76; 2. Ted Mussano, Wayne, 18:16.65; 3. Michael Tolleth, Jersey City, 21:05.52.
      25-29 Females: 1. Vivan Suchy, Westfield, 23:08.11; 2. Lauren Sylvestro, Montville, 23:44.35; 3. Meghan Cameron, Union City, 25:04.96.
      30-34 Males: 1. Karl O'Reilly, Morristown, 16:22.71; 2. Michael Simone, Denville, 20:16.77; 3. Kevin Warrender, Hopatcong, 20:46.36.
      30-34 Females: 1. Maria Danna, Morris Plains, 17:41.13; 2. Heather Gardiner, Verona, 20:38.30; 3. Shannon Chapman, Sparta, 23:25.38.
      35-39 Males:: 1. Gary Rosenberg, Morristown, 16:25.30; 2. Edward Obermueller, Morris PLains, 20:58.87; 3. Brian Lauterbach, Flanders, 21:43.
      35-39 Females: 1. Joy Brnic, Boonton, 19:16.55; 2. Elaine Acosta, Randolph, 22:48.59; 3. Rachel Ricucci, Dover, 22:56.92.
      40-44 Males: 1. Tom Metz, Denville, 17:45.25; 2. Angelo Harasts, Pine Brook, 18:07.29; 3. Tony Kharitonov, Union, 18:37.20.
      40-44 Females: 1. Jennifer Devries, Oak Ridge, 23:52.55; 2. Stephanie Worthington, Rockaway, 25:15.62; 3. Olga Malitska, Rockaway, 25:15.62.
      45-49 Males: 1. Terry Lusardi, Morris Plains, 18:08.59; 2. Antonio Massa, Budd Lakes, 18:15.62; 3. Nicolas Vanier, Denville, 19:59.50.
      45-49 Females: 1. Mary Christian, Flanders, 18:55.00; 2. Catherine Stone, Hamburg, 20:53.37; 3. Susan Mello, Essex Fells, 23:48.11.
      50-54 Males: 1. Will DeRoberts, Boonton, 18:29.74; 2. Chris Kunkel, Oradell, 21:06.70; 3. Steve Fischer, Boonton, 21:23.39.
      50-54 Females: 1. Eva Fischer, Boonton, 22:59.86; 2. Nancy Farrelly, Lake Hopatcong, 27:07; 3. Pat Paglinco, Denville, 27:51.84.
      55-59 Males: 1. Franz Mitterer, Morristown, 19:17.94; 2. Bill Bosmann, Sparta, 19:29.90; 3. Scott Uhrmann, Hackettstown, 21:38.49.
      55-59 Females: 1. Betty Lagenkamp, Wharton, 28:34.63; 2. Fran Libasci, Millington, 32:09.72; 3. Debra Bernstein, Dover, 33:01.84.
      60-64 Males: 1. Carl Weaver, Morris Plains, 21:04.50; 2. Bruce Lagenkamp, Wharton, 21:16.99; 3. Kenneth Baker, Towaco, 22:50.31.
      60-64 Females: 1. Lynda Brush, Annandale, 26.48.00; 2. Leslie Moran, Randolhp, 35:51.67; 3. Alanna Luciano, Wayne, 40:28.00.
     65-69 Males: 1. John Saarmann, Stanhope, 26:08.54; 2. Al Reitmeier, Denville, 29:24.00; 3. Reeves Geraghty, Hackettstown, 32:14.00.
      65-69 Females: 1. Lorrie Brnic, Towaco, 39:20.52; 2. Claudia Monse, Wharton, 44:04.67.
      70-74 Males: 1. Charlie Keller, Dover, 31:31.85.
      70-74 Females: No finishers.
      75-Over Males: 1. Arch Seamans, Rockaway, 35.37.80
      75-Over Females: 1. Diane Stone, Bernardsville, 44:22.49.

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(This race was timed by CompuScore)

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For a complete list of 2010 race sponsors, past results and photos, please visit the MK5K Web site at www.mhrd.k12.nj.us/mk/mk5k/.