Today, Thursday, May 24th, is the final day of Spring Running Bears.

Parents, please know that it has been my utmost pleasure to coach your children this spring. Each and every one of the kids has exhibited stellar efforts and has made some great improvement.  Please know that it has been a delight wot work with your kids and see them thrive in the many physical and mental benefits of the great sport of running. 

 Today we will have a race at practice. It will be a mile. Following the race, I will have awards for each child for completing the program plus some special awards for superior efforts. I also have some goodies for the chidren to eat. 

Though there is no formal Bears Running program in the summer, I am available for private coaching. You can call/text me at 973-271-6624 if you want to pursue this. The fall Bears Youth Running Program will resume in September, and I am looking to do Tuesdays and Thursdays. It will be held at Lodestar Park in Fredon. For information and an application please e-mail me at LaurieGordonRun@aol.com. 

Coach Laurie 

FOR FULL RESULTS OF THE 2012 STILLWATER STAMPEDE, PLEASE CLICK ON

"STAMPEDE 2012 RESULTS" ON THE LEFT SIDE BAR.

THERE YOU WILL FIND THE FULL RESULTS PLUS A LISTING OF OUR OVERALL AND AGE GROUP WINNERS. 

THANK YOU JEFFREY KATZ

Jeffrey Katz is a local attorney who is the Bears primary sponsor. Thanks to his support of The Bears, we are able to continue this vital program, AND it now runs three seasons of the year. We are most appreciative and grateful of his support and belief in the program and his generosity.

STAMPEDE IS TREMENDOUSLY AWESOME SUCCESS

Mother Nature was on our side for a stunningly tremendous 2012 Stillwater Stampede! Rochdi Yousefd, of Morris Plains, was the champion clocking a blistering 15:29 for the 5-kilometer race... and to boot on a course that includes a rakish uphill at the 1.5-mile mark. He was just 28 seconds shy of the Stampede 5K course record. On the women's side, it wasn't close to a course record but it was a nice personal vindeta for 49-year-old Suzanne Laburt who ventured to Stillwater from Greenwood Lake, NY to prove that age doesn't matter if you train properly. She clocked 20:01 and out-ran many women who were much younger.  "I love coming to this race, and to win at 49 was so great," she said. 

 Kyle Brightbill, of Warren, NJ, was second in 16:17, and Kittatinny Regional High School's own Blake DiGiaimo was third in 18:13, one of his personal bests. 

 Lindsey McKee was the second female. A student at Ramapo College, she ran 20:27. Lisa Wilburne, who runs for North Warren Regional, was third in 21:44.

The Mile "Fun Run" became a greatly anticipated event for 8 first graders from The Stillwater Township School along with a number of other participants from all around the area. For the first time, we had them run a double loop course which added a lot of excitement as their parents could see them and cheer at the turn around cone. On the boy's side, Stillwater School fifth grader, Zachery Loppy, was the champion with Daniel Manzer, a first grader at Stillwater, second. For the girls, Ashley Rose Gordon used a combination of pacing and sheer guts to take first. She is also a first grader at Stillwater. Her friend and classmate, Clare Schwartz, was second.  

 Special accolades to Running Bears' David Michelman. A second grader at Stillwater, David surprised his coach and parents by insisting on doing the 5K race.  He ran 9:30 pace and turned in a 29:26 for the three-point-one-mile race and then even upped the anti and jumped into the mile race too.  

Another Bears shout out goes to Jacob Jiuliano who completed his first 5K. The 12-year-old from Blairstown ran 37:36. His sister, who is also a Bear and in the first grade, Angilina, rocked it out in the mile.

 The beauty of the day was underscored by some awesome music which added great energy and enthusiasm to the marquis 5K and following Mile Run and Tiny Trot. Thanks to Tran and Ruth Whitley for being such great DJs and providing some senseational rock n' roll as the back drop.  

 Many thanks to the Bears' parents who baked for the post-race "goodie table" and to all of those who vounteered at the event.