By Chris Paul
Over 720 runners took to the streets around Beaver Lake early Thanksgiving morning to participate in the 48th annual Greater Derry Track Club 5K Turkey Trot. The conditions for the race were seasonably cold and unlike last year where runners were staggered throughout the morning, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all racers headed out on a group start, where three Derry runners took the top three spots.
Pinkerton Academy senior long distance runner Luke Brennon was the first to cross the finish line, far ahead of the nearest competitor. Brennon, who was the number one finisher for most of the Astros Cross-Country team’s races over the 2021 Fall Season, he outpaced the pack by nearly a half a minute.
Brennon finished the 2021 season with a seventh place finish at the Division I Championship and a fourth place finish at the Meet of Champions.
The senior 17-year-old Astros runner finished with a time of 16:27 for first place. He was followed by fellow Derry resident Tom Harmon, 23, who finished with a time of 16:50. In third place was John Walker, another 23-year-old from Derry, who crossed the finish line with a time of 18:05.
The first female runner to cross the finish line had an impressive seventh place finish overall.
Kylie Johnson, a 20-year-old long distance runner from Waterboro Maine, finished with a time of 19:20 to take first for the women. Johnson is currently running for the Cederville University Yellow Jackets in Cederville Ohio.
Seven seconds later, the first Derry female finished the race for the second women’s spot and the eighth place overall. Emilee Risteen, 26, finished with a time of 19:27. Devin Molloy, a 22-year-old out of Naples, Florida, came in two seconds behind Risteen for the third place spot and ninth overall.
Other top overall Derry were: Craig Coventry, 11th (19:59); Jason Rzasa , 12th (20:00); Rusty Risteen, 14th (20:10); Michael Gendreau 16th (20:17); Contessa Silva, 17th (20:18); Logan McDonald, 24th (20:54); Cade Reimer 30th (21:29); Andrew Fongemie, 34th (21:44); Ryan Busby, 40th (22:00); Shane McCarthy, 42nd (22:20); Joshua Risteen, 45th (22:40); Jacob Taylor, 46th (22:40); Andy LePage, 49th (22:49); Joseph MacNicoll, 54th (23:29); Josh Rutstein, 61st (23:49); and Tony Patti, 68th, (24:09).
The top overall Londonderry finishers were: Kerry Daley, 19, 13th (20:00); Jack Smith, 14, 15th (20:12); Trevor Creed, 27, 35th (21:45); Alec Lemeris, 11, 37th (21:49); Caitlin Boufford, 19, 43rd, (22:26); Peter Lincoln, 53, 59th (23:48); Zack Luongo, 20, 64th, (23:53); Matthew Luongo, 14, 65th (23:53); Dan Root, 50, 116th (25:35); Ben O’Brien, 10, 117th (25:37); Joshua Rutina, 21, 122nd (25:43); Dave Aquilino, 26, 130th (25:54); Caden Guthrie, 13, 131st (25:55); Michele Pope, 48, 136th (26:08); Aidan O’Brien, 10, 142nd (26:29); Michaela Smith, 48, 145th (26:37); Andrew Feole, 29, 146th (26:41); Michelle Horan, 45, 156th (27:02); Tom Griffin, 59, 166th (27:34); and Brittany Bellew, 26, 174th, (27:57).