Avon’s Kevin Verge wins Avon Lions Club Charities Scholarship race

AVON, Sept. 9 – Kevin Verge, the 37-year-old marathon runner from Avon, won the second annual Avon Lions Charities Scholarship race Sunday at Fisher Meadow Park.

Verge won the 3.1 mile race with a course record time of 18:28, eclipsing the record of 18:56 set a year ago by Berlin’s Zoltan Rigo. In recent years, Verge has completed the Boston Marathon and the Hartford Marathon.

Brody Santagasta, 14, of Middletown was second Sunday in 20:44, nipping Josh Spooner of Sturbridge, Mass., by one second.

Spooner’s eight-year old daughter, Violet, was the top female runner in the race, finishing 11^th in the field of 38 runners with a time of 26:24. Rocky Hill’s Anna Dubiel was second among the women with a time of 26:43.

Proceeds from the race benefit the Avon Lions Charities’ Raymond Zacchera Memorial Scholarship which is presented in the spring as part of the Avon Dollars for Scholars program.

A year ago, the race attracted 43 runners.

2018 Avon Lions Charities Scholarship Race
At Avon
Overall: 1. Kevin Verge, Avon, 18:28 for 3.1 miles, new course record (Old record 18:56, Zoltan Rigo, Berlin, 2017); 2. Brody Santagata, Middletown, 20:44; 3. Josh Spooner, Sturbridge, Mass., 20:45; 4. Matthew Cvercko, New Haven, 21:27; 5. Heath Leber, Bristol, 21:37; 6. Nick Chadha, Avon, 22:26; 7. Kevin Crowley, Brookfield, 25:00; 8. Josh Cremeans, Burlington, 26:01; 9. Michael Thompson, Norwalk 26:08; 10. Douglas Wiegert, Bristol, 26:18

Top women: 11. Violet Spooner, Sturbridge, Mass., 26:24 for 3.1 miles, 12. Anna Dubiel, Rocky Hill, 26:43; 16. Maureen Gillis, East Haddam, 28:28; 17. Andrea Meher, Moodus, 29:19; 18. Michele O’Neil, Colchester, 29:22; 19. Tina Lee, Easton, 29:58; 20. Caryn Shea, South Windsor 30:37; 21. Jessica Freed, Simsbury, 30:38; 22. Shawna Wirkus, West Haven, 31:07; 24. Kimberly Parkman, Oxford, 31:21