Runners find, embrace challenges at Canton’s Lobster Loop road race

Runners take off at the start of the 2013 Lobster Loop road race in Canton.

CANTON – Runners looking for competition and to be challenged attended the 22nd annual Lobster Loop road race on Sunday.

Sami Glass of Goshen is 17 years old and will be a senior at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville this fall. On a suggestion from her coach Dave Driscoll of the Litchfield Track Club, Glass ran for the first time.

She won the women’s race, finished eighth overall and came within four seconds of setting a new course record for women.

Farmington’s Chris Chisholm is no stranger to the Lobster Loop. He won it twice and has raced her for years. Chisholm, 51, loves to race with the younger runners. Chisholm held off several teen-age runners to win the race for the third time. Only Marc Robaczyski of New Hartford has won the race more times (seven) than Chisholm.

Avon High’s new boys cross country coach C.J. Fusco came looking to challenge himself and race along side of the athletes he will be coaching in a few weeks.

Over 500 runners participated in the 3.1 mile road race. All of the proceeds benefit the Parent/Teacher Organization at Canton Middle School.

Goshen’s Sami Glass.

It’s been a great year for Glass running. She was second in the New England Prep School Division I championship meet in cross country last fall. She finished 17th at the Northeast Regional meet in December.

This past spring, she won the 1,500 and 3,000 meter races at the New England championships and was third in the 800 meters. She was the 10th woman at the 7.1-mile Litchfield Hills Road Race, which attracts international caliber competition.

She has been competing in the weekly Thursday night racing series at White Memorial in Litchfield this summer and a few other races. Driscoll suggested that Glass run here at the Lobster Loop.

“I like the races with competition,” she said. “I love the kick at the end of the race. I gun for that. It’s my favorite part.”

Glass led from the start, getting out with the lead pack of runners. And she finished strong with a time of 17:33. Burlington’s Stephanie Deccy was second in 22nd place with a time of 19:19. Burlington’s Mary-Lynn Currier, who has won the Lobster Loop eight times from 2004-11 was third with a time of 19:25.

Glass’ eighth place overall finish ties a meet record for best finish by a woman in the race. Race record holder Kate Padden was eighth in 2002 when she set the course record in 17:29 in a field of 474 runners while Meriden’s Sherry Christoff was eighth overall in 1994, the third year of the race.

Farmington’s Chris Chisholm won the Lobster Loop road race for the third time.

Chisholm’s goal was to stay with the top runners in the race and see what happens when he made a move. Running up Hill Street, the only steep hill in the race, Chisholm began to push the pace. “I like to push the pace up hills to see what people have,” he said.

Simsbury’s Philip Brown and Kyle Heubner were running with Chisholm along with Farmington’s Palmer Weimann.

“It was comfortable for the first mile or so and then he put it into another gear and I wasn’t able to stay with him,” said Brown, who will be a senior at Simsbury next month. Chisholm finished in 16:38 with Brown taking second in 16:46. In third place was Heubner, who will be a freshman at Marist, in 16:50. A second back was Weimann in 16:51.

Chisholm has been racing in the state for over 30 years. He was a standout runner at Farmington High, racing for his late father, Lee. And he continues to remain competitive today. A week earlier, he won the 42nd annual Torrington Donors Day road race.

At the Lobster Loop, Chisholm ran with several members of the current Farmington High team and offers encouragement and knowledge to those you want it.

“I’ve been doing it for a few years,” Chisholm said. “I try to get the team out there and fired up to run. It’s a good way to see what kind of shape they are in.”

Fusco, the new Avon High boys cross country coach, took the opportunity to see the status of some of the Falcons that will make up his team in a few weeks. Fusco, 32 and an English teacher at Avon High, finished 15th overall in the race with a time of 18:39. He won the men’s 30-39 age division by over a minute.

On this overcast morning, only Andrew Suter finished ahead of his new coach in 13th place in 18:33. 

2013 Lobster Loop road race results

2013 Lobster Loop road race
At Canton
Overall results: 1. Chris Chisholm, Farmington, 16:38 for 3.1 miles, 2. Philip Brown, Simsbury, 16:46, 3. Kyle Heubner, Simsbury, 16:50, 4. Palmer Weimann, Farmington, 16:51, 5. James Yost, Canton, 17:01, 6. Matt DeMarco, Canton, 17:15, 7. Peter LeDuc, Canton, 17:23, 8. Sami Glass, Goshen, 17:33, 9. Matt Mona, Barkhamsted, 17:35, 10. Andrew Gutierrez, Simsbury, 17:36

Top women: Sami Glass (8th overall), Goshen 17:33, 2. Stephanie Deccy (22), Burlington 19:19, 3. Mary Lynn Currier (24), Canton, 19:25; 4. Kristin Sullivan (38), Burlington, 20:49; 5. Cindy Jones (40), Granby, 20:58, 6. Kaeli Baker (42), Farmington, 21:08, 7. Cheyenne Schumacher (43), Colebrook, 21:17, 8. Tara Molson (52), Avon, 21:38, 9. Catherine Lyons (63), Bloomfield, 22:21; 10. Jane Frawley (66), Canton 22:21

Divisional results
11 and under girls: 1. Alexandra Poole, Farmington, 24:05, 2. Maya Sutton-Hall, Canton, 24:42, 3. Abby Charron, Canton, 26:00

Girls 12-14: 1. Cheyenne Schumacher, Colebrook, 21:17, 2. Jane Frawley, Canton, 22:21, 3. Belle Magna, Canton, 22:26

Girls 15-18: 1. Sami Glass, Goshen, 17:33, 2. Stephanie Deccy, Burlington, 19:19, 3. Kristin Sullivan, Burlingotn, 20:49

Women 19-29: 1. Ashleigh Stephan, Avon, 22:43, 2. Deanna Dempsey, Mancheser, 24:34, 3. Brianna Pasqualicchio, Bristol, 25:30

Women 30-39: 1. Alison Manaresi, West Hartford, 22:28, 2. Jennifer Rottkamp, Canton, 23:02, 3. Katieann Pirog, Winsted, 23:29

Women 40-49: 1. Mary-Lynn Currier, Burlington, 19:25, 2. Lani Ralston, Granby, 23:15, 3. Kimberlie Breu, Vernon, 25:08

Women 50-59: 1. Catherine Lyons, Bloomfield, 22:11, 2. Donna Daniels, Wallingford, 26:49, 3. Tracey Keefe, Avon, 27:40

Women 60-69: 1. Connie Malone, Canton, 30:49, 2. Mary Tomolonius, Canton, 32:21, 3. Susan Auclair, Winsted, 34:39

Women 70-79: 1. Evelyn Joseph, Plainville, 38:58, 2. Jane Lamberty, Canton, 60:48 

Boys 11 and under: 1. Jesse Schumacher, Colebrook, 20:22, 2. Tyler Schumacher, Colebrook, 22:07, 3. Joshua Schumacher, Colebrook, 22:14

Boys 12-14: 1. Jeffrey Schumacher, Colebrook, 19:45, 2. Zachary Oliver, Canton, 20:39, 3. Ethan Porter, Canton, 20:40

Boys 15-18: 1. Philip Brown, Simsbury, 16:46, 2. Kyle Heubner, Simsbury 16:50, 3. Palmer Weimann, Farmington, 16:51

Men 19-29: 1. Peter LeDuc, Canton, 17:23, 2. Chris Cutler, Granby, 19:06, 3. Nick Chekas, Canton, 19:16

Men 30-39: 1. C.J. Fusco, West Hartford, 18:39, 2. Justin Esposito, Middletown, 19:40, 3. Michael Popham, Tolland, 19:54

Men 40-49: 1. Mario Longo, Cheshire, 18:28, 2. Douglas Mulcahy, Canton, 18:53, 3. Patrick McCue, Canton, 19:14

Men 50-59: 1. Chris Chisholm, Farmington, 16:38, 2. Kevin Goehring, Farmington, 18:40, 3. Jeff Loureiro, Canton, 19:42

Men 60-69: 1. Tom Giorgetti, Bristol, 22:22, 2. Ronald Bush, West Hartford, 23:18, 3. Dennis Marolda, Canton, 23:32

Men 70-79: 1. Fred Gohringer, Milldale, 24:40, 2. Erling Schmidt, Bloomfield, 27:13, 3. Charles Fidlar, Norfolk, 28:08

Men 80 and over: 1. Bob Davidson, Canton, 37:14, 2. Edward Regmer, Torrington, 47:22 

WINDING TRAILS INVITATIONAL: Chisholm is still trying to help meet director Chip Apfelbaum of Farmington recruit additional teams to run in the second Winding Trails cross country Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 28, beginning at 9 a.m.

Boys and girls teams run 3.0 mile races on Winding Trails’ wooded trails. The meet is also open to middle school teams (grades 6-8), who will run a 2.1 mile course. Interested coaches should email [email protected].

A year ago, Newtown outlasted host Farmington, 40-59 win the boys varsity race. Ellington beat North Branford in the girls varsity race, 20-43.