Award Winners – 2024

GRAND PRIX OVERALL WINNERS

Women

  1. Erin Snyder
  2. Lindsey Weaver
  3. Mary Donahue
  4. Ruth Taylor
  5. Gretchen Whitsell

Men

  1. Daniel Jacobs
  2. Daveen Bavari
  3. Jordan Acton
  4. Jacob Sisler
  5. Jesse Henderson

GRAND PRIX AGE-GROUP WINNERS

Women

13 and under

  1. Milena Davis

14-29

  1. Gretchen Young
  2. Alexandria Forster
  3. Rachel Harris
  4. Courtney Lamb
  5. Cheyenne Norwood

30-39

  1. Kristen Acton
  2. Rachel Gottschalk
  3. Taylor Ludman Hallock
  4. Ainsley Cain
  5. Kelsey Fogle

40-49

  1. Mary McClearn
  2. Christina Ramirez
  3. Katie Davis
  4. Amanda Berry
  5. Melissa Wallace

50-59

  1. Caren Clark
  2. Caree Vander Linden
  3. Patricia Ainsworth
  4. Michele Newton
  5. Laurie Luck

60-69

  1. Beverly Black
  2. Robin McConaughey
  3. Harriet Langlois
  4. Tee Dockery
  5. Maxann L. Davis

70 & up

  1. Jeanette Novak
  2. Allie Young

Men

14-29

  1. John Temple
  2. Josh Hamilton
  3. Ethan Boyer

30-39

  1. Chris Clark
  2. Jesse Magolon
  3. Travis Leyhe
  4. John Hallock
  5. Neil Wright-Elliott

40-49

  1. Matthew Bugher
  2. Carey Ahr
  3. Paul Pultar
  4. Jason Hinerman
  5. Paul Lively

50-59

  1. Pete Wergin
  2. John Way
  3. John Duffy
  4. Chris Earle
  5. Eric Anderson

60-69

  1. Michael Kearney
  2. Ronald Black
  3. Dana Defibaugh
  4. Edward DiGiovanna
  5. Tom Whitesell

70-79

  1. Tim O’Keefe
  2. Jeff Jones
  3. Bruce Attavian
  4. Charles Gentry
  5. James Moreland

80 and up

  1. Ronald Chiarello
  2. Arthur Gregory

GRAND PRIX QUALIFIERS

Female Qualifiers

Mary Donahue, Beverly Black, Erin Snyder, Ruth Taylor, Caren Clark, Harriet Langlois, Gretchen Whitesell, Christina Ramirez, Robin McConaughey, Gretchen Young, Caree Vander Linden, Patricia Ainsworth, Sandra Slaughter, Haydee Jennings, Ainsley, Cain, Lindsey Weaver, Laurie Luck, Tee Dockery, Jessica Reif-Jones, Maxann L Davis, Nancy Kavanaugh, Joyce Smith, Melissa Wallace, Milena Davis, Katie Davis, Meredith Lang,Michele Newton, Courtney Lamb, Brigitte Farrell, Kelsey Fogle, Maddie Cramer, Amanda Berry, Melissa Sites, Kristina Banko, Jeanette Novak, Tessa Bavari, Lila Dorsey, Kristen Acton, Rachel Gottschalk, Allie Young, Allie Lerwick, Megan Putman, Theresa Hutchinson-Niemeier, Natalie Lebo, Sarah Johnson, Kereen Joseph, Akimosa Jeffrey-Kwanisai, Lucy O’Hara, Farrah Douglas, Sheela Belagutti, Rachel Harris, Karin Wartella, Jenny Birks, Kelly Schultz, Heidi O’Hara, Mary McClearn, Lily O’Hara, Elizabeth Ochs, Susan Searcy, Rachel Eyler, Wendy Rollison, Cari James, Roxanne Kircher, Taylor Earley,, Margo Patrick, Ronni Bowman, Lisa Lebo, Margo Smith, Katharine Warehime, Gabriela Falls, Michelle Edwards, Mary Snyder, Julie Fernandes, Karen Bertling, Sophie Tressler, Kathryn Whitmore, Karen Ochs, Madeline Catalano, Marie Burnett, Valerie Ficca, Morganne Hendrickson, Julie Henderson, Alexa Bedwell, Naia Lee-Hendricks, Robin Everhart, Sarah Foss, Marissa Temple, Kimberly Hirschmann, Jennifer Crabb, Chinatsu Mukai Wilson, Brooke Vorwerk, Claire Leeds, Kaitlin Woelfel, Rebekah Bydlak, Courtney Schlusser, Hayley Carter, Brenda Lancaster, Angela Dorsey, Conny Pritchard, Catherine Shelton, Valerie Powell, Amanda Golden-Mendoza, Caitlin O’Brien, Virginia Turner, Kelly Dworak, Kathy Cea Wergin, Pamela Price, Michelle Mitchell, Alexandra Ecott, Lori Evans, Brittany Burgan, Catherine Gironda ,Cara Phillips, Heather Rook, Anna Clary, Victoria Jennings, Emma Thompson, Kate Frick, Johanna Schick, Ismar Yepez, Sage Norton, Meredith Gersten, Florence Litzenger, Julia Chiplis, Swapna Mahendra, Adelina Jochsberger, Kathleen Kempert, Caroline Matthews, Brenna Vance, Ashley Fortress, Jennifer Edmond, Layla Noor, Camryn Dorfman, Chelsea Wallace, Beth Fulcher, Rebecca Innocenti, Josee Rundquist, Katie Lowe, Catherine Le, Sue Faibisch, Kate Sullivan, Renee Washart, Allegra Kwong, Nicole McDermott, Taylor Ludman Hallock, Justine Springer, Annie Carella, Pamela Kerr, Addison Oldham, Emily Lattin, Hayley Parker, Lee Jeffrey, Jane Dallimore, Terri Hentschel, Mason Yonge, Amy Axline, Jing Lisanby, Hannah Fuchs, Leslie Gifford, Heather Wilhelm, Amanda Wiles, Sophie Krahnke, Cheryl Glang, Rose Barnes, Acza Alvarado, Kaitlin Ramirez, Lori Schulman, Danielle Douglas, Kristen Watkins, Erin Gresh, Emily Guo, Meredith Bramati, Gabriela Serruche, Tracy Thomas, Ashley Toy, Alyssa Britt, Andrea Thompson, Stephanie Ayala, Erin Green, Allie Bennett, Addie Innocenti, Katja Kukovic, Erica Asencio, Catherine Gaudlip, Cindy Taylor, Jenny Eisenhuth, Katie Malone, Lori Rogers, Kathryn Brothers, Brenda Dorman, Sabrina Limpert, Samantha Kreuzburg, Sharon Cofer, Ximena Jennings, Janice Tipton, Malia Du Mont, Michelle Felux, Allison Kramer, Zaria Smith, Heather Brinker, Caroline Orlowski, Christie Nilan, Leeann Randow, Kimberly Singleton, Kerry Blackmer, Audrey Williston, Jen Kuhn, Jessica Zieg, Shelby Krouse, Haley Fournier, Jamie Wilson, Alisha Bretz, Susan Jensen, Sherrie Gallas, Stacy Sanders, Catherine Vincent, Denise Hatcher, Eliza Funk, Leslie Allen, Sandra Castellanos, Emily Bremer-Thomas, Sarah Lupia, Kristina Kirk, Genice Rill, Heather Orland, Yvonne Smith, Abigail Connole, Elizabeth Phares, Silvia Yacoubian, Madelyn Kwanisai, Zenaida Cammas, Samantha Weber, Beth Case, Michelle Rose, Sophia Tabor, Becky Miller, Laura Vargo, Jennifer Beck, Hayley Lafferty, Peyton Oldham, Stephanie Oldham, Joyce Hamba, Olivia Price, Kristen Brown, Susan Wolfe, Jess El-Zeftawy, Elizabeth Corker, Becky Soper, Naiyah Atulomah, Zainab Abdullah, Victoria McCarthy, Maya Narayanasamy, Darleen Husson, Tara Treacy, Brenda Jacobs, Kimberly Schaffer, Sharon Pieczenik, Myra Derbyshire, Rachel Williams, Isabella Ennis, Justine Miller, Amanda Cott, Summer Ciobanu, Dawn Ennis, Kaitlyn Beltran Rodas, Amanda McWhirter, Shannon Moodie, Bre Harwood, Leisa Bilyeu, Melissa Jones, Alex Jones, Ann Faucette, Lucille McCarthy, Christina Leeds, Rebecca Reeves, Miranda Ducey, Arshia Sehgal, Fabiola Alvarado, Erin Lebois, Mia Wrisley, Jennifer West, Marti Grib-Kachman, Heloisa Santamaria, Emily Fox, Allia Farzand

Male Qualifiers

Male: Daveen Bavari, Daniel Jacobs, Larry O’Hara, Travis Leyhe, Jesse Magolon, Jesse Henderson, John Way, Jordan Acton, Ronald Chiariello, Joe Marks, Neil Wright-Elliott, Scott Wallace, Tim O’Keefe, Ronald Black, Paul Pultar, Pete Wergin, Paul Lively, Edward DiGiovanna, Abdi Russi, Bruce Attavian, Eric Woodward, Chris Burgenson, Ethan Boyer, Steve Rice, John Duffy, Amos Desjardins, Sam Williams, Matthew Smith, Chris Clark, Carey Ahr, Jacob Sisler, Steven Jennings, Dana Defibaugh, Ryan Fields, John Temple, James Lindstedt, Jeff Jones, Sean Kirchhoff, Arthur Gregory, Mark Neff, Owen Wallace, Andrew Giordano, Eric Anderson, Wayne Slaughter, JJ Botha, Matthew Bugher, Mike Holland, John Clarke, Michael Anderson, Michael Kearney, Edwin Roberto Marroquin, Robert Perry, Benjamin Hemler, Wazo Myint, PJ Lively, David Tressler, David Levine, John Hallock, Miles Ghim, Jack Kammerer, Chris Fox, David Ochs, David Heras, Will Leeds, Matthew Dyjack, Mike Gersten, Devin Abshire, Kevin Shanholtzer, Tom Whitesell, Josh Hamilton, Declan Dorsey, Andrew Spangenberg, Austin Williams, Gregg Damanti, Zachary Lesieur, Ryan Lebois, Christopher Mullen, George Ladue, Preetam Yengkokpam, Bobby Reeves, Nicholas Fox, Nick Dulac, Louis Lebois, John McKeever, Ryan Keyser, Brian Shayuth, Brady Malone, Jonathan Bydlak, Gregory Thompson, Kevin Kuo, Jeff Fisher, Nicholas Burkhart, Bradd Bowman, Rich Ohnmacht, Fred Schumacher, Jesse Tang, Nicholas Edler, Rob Conway, Nick Nilan, Charles Gentry, James Moreland, Mark Lawrence, Peter Bandettini, David Storper, Chris Earle, Darrel Dorsey, Rick Kern, Kachi Obuekwe, Kamsi Obuekwe, J. Adrian Morales, Arthur Leathers, Robert Dallimore, Duncan Smith, Simon Lipchock, Marty Micheals, Tristan Kruse, Thomas Trott, Chad Connors, Elijah Green, Lawrence Proulx, Michael Wyant, Adam Kiely, Weston Donahue, Hector Chicas, David Jun, Matthew Jones, David Jun, Reynald Dupuis, Gregory Wall, Eddie Cretella, Lincoln Pultar, Morris Gohlke, Andy Hanton, Patrick Britton, Louis Schiavone, Paul Dupnick, Ted Burkhardt, Aidan Callery, Dylan McMahon, Henry Cedillo, Matthew Fessler, Herman Smith, Dale Thomas, Michael Goodrich, Shane Kirk, Roan Moss, Kaleb Bennett, Ethan Kramer, Maynard Thomas, Dan Oldham, Tiffen Tapia, Michael Southwood, Zach Aguiar, Michael Muszynski, Adam Lowe, Eli Ennis, Julian Young, Mike O’Grady, Daniel Triman, Dhananjaymurthy SN, Jason Scaroni, Cole Gohlke, Daniel Miller, Cyrus Noorzai, Joseph Hawkins, Kyle Shreve, Robert Kelley, Qingluan Xue, Connor Cigrang, Jim Varley, Steve Small, Tim Sanders, Dan Ramsey, Jacob Putman, Chandrasekar Ramkumar, Michael Kelley, Joe Baker, Adam Smith, Mark Gaffigan, Robert Martin, Alex Price, George Serenko, John Limpert, Brendon Juengst, Domingo Gascon, Mitch Dowell, John Means, Madan Rajshekarappa, Eric Schneider, Kevin Schuller, Josh Frank, James Robertson, Alex Ennis, Lucas Putman, Juan Ayala, Lawrence Brew, Kyle White, Brian McEntire, Tony Cretella, Tim Thornton, JP Benante, John Burdette, Timothy Brady, Kevin Bertling, Jared Putman, Patrick O’Brien, James Wolfe, Austin Shores, Rick Canter, Benjamin Brabble, Wil Gutierrez, Brent Harwood, Harpreet Singh, Charles Doherty, Bob Cole

EQUALIZER SERIES

Women

  1. Mary Donahue
  2. Beverly Black
  3. Erin Snyder

Men

  1. Daveen Bavari
  2. Daniel Jacobs
  3. Larry O’Hara

DECATHLON SERIES

See Decathlon Tributes – 2024 for the detailed tributes

Women

1.Beverly Black
2.Ruth Taylor
3.Chris Thomas
4.Melissa Wallace
5.Erin Snyder
6.Heidi O’Hara and Gretchen Whitesell (Tie)
8.Beth Fulcher
9.Chelsea Wallace
10.Jeanette Novak

Men

  1. Daveen Bavari
  2. Larry O’Hara
  3. John Way
  4. Steve Jennings
  5. Ron Chiariello
  6. Scott Wallace
  7. Ron Black
  8. Thomas Trott
  9. Tim O’Keefe
  10. John Hallock

MAJOR AWARDS

Rising Star Women – Rachel Gottschalk

Thank you all again for being here to celebrate your fellow runners’ hard work and achievements! Over its 50 years of existence, the Frederick Steeplechasers have nurtured many burgeoning athletes across a variety of distances, many of whom we will be honoring this evening. The first runner I would like us to celebrate tonight is our female Rising Star, Rachel Gottschalk!

Rachel ran in college before taking a break to pursue her professional endeavors, and her return to training and racing has brought her a wealth of success. Her dedication and talent led her to strong finishes in distances from the 5k all the way up to the marathon in the 2024 season. She stuck to shorter distances for the majority of the year with fantastic results, as her age-graded percentages in the 5k and 10-mile display.

This past year, Rachel decided to step up to a new distance: the marathon. Leveraging her competitive spirit, Rachel set her sights on the Steamtown Marathon to great success. Her 3:21:03 finish at the 2024 Steamtown Marathon was not only good enough for a Boston and Chicago qualifier, but also put her 8th in her age group. Again, she did all of this in her first-ever marathon! She has big plans to continue her marathon career in the coming year, and if the success of her Steamtown debut is anything to go by, I’m positive her star will continue its impressive upward trajectory.

As evidenced by her racing successes and Strava stats, Rachel shows up and puts in the work, and her commitment pays off, in her athletic career and beyond. She truly, deeply cares about helping and uplifting others – those she runs with and those she works to support in her professional career as a lawyer. I am thrilled to present our first deserving Rising Star with this award. Congrats, Rachel!

Rising Star Men – Jordan Acton

This year’s Rising Star may be relatively new to the Frederick Steeplechasers but he is no stranger to Frederick or running in general. He joined the Steeplechasers 3 years ago, and was a graduate of Hood College after transferring from Salisbury University. During his time at Hood, he participated on both the track and field and cross country teams. Before college he was a podium finisher at the Maryland state track and field championships, clocking an impressive sub-2-minute 800m at Morgan State University.

A good nature and friendly conversation is how you will usually be greeted by our Rising Star. After winning—and setting a new course record, mind you—the hilly Catoctin 25K, he was humble and happy to talk about his race experience. He looked barely winded and ran so well that the finish line at Manor Area was hardly set up in time for him! Perhaps try the 50K next year? I always enjoy seeing road runners take to the trails, and his 2024 trail racing foray displayed his adaptability as a road runner and a trail runner.

The 2024 men’s Rising Star has had years of racing success, many of which predate his time with the Steeps. He carries a half marathon time of 1:17:19 and a 10 mile time of 57:47. However, in his time as a Steeplechaser he had commendable improvements in his marathon time. He has two marathons under his belt, both of which are well below the 3 hour mark. His 2024 marathon time of 2:49:50 was one of the top times by a male Steeplechaser this year and a 5 minute improvement on his debut marathon race. His mile times of 4:49 and 4:51 during this year’s Summer Decathlon 1600m and Market Street Mile show his short distance speed, on both road and track. He is impressive across the entire range of distances.

Our Rising Star can often be found running irresponsibly early in the morning alongside other speed demons in the club like Dan Jacobs, Andrew Spangenberg, Simon Are, as well as others.

Let me introduce the 2024 Rising Star, Jordan Acton! Congratulations, and we look forward to shadowing many more years of your success!

Most Improved Women – Kathleen Kempert

Good evening, everyone:

It’s with great honor and pleasure that I present the award for Most Improved Female Runner. I’ve been a close friend of this person for the past 20 years, so I’ve been fortunate to watch her running journey from day one. 

It began with a 5K running program through Beachbody in the summer of 2022. She ran her first 5K in August 2022 at the Mermaid Run and finished in a time of 28:36. Just a couple of months later on that same course she ran a 23:49 at the Cats and Bats 5K, an amazing improvement of almost 5 minutes. Her next challenge was the Maryland Half in June 2023 which she completed in 1:55:24 on a very tough course. Fast forward to November 2023 at the NCR Half where she ran a PR of 1:46:51, an almost 9-minute improvement.

2024 was her most impressive year yet. She set a PR at the Shamrock 5K in a time of 21:58 and at the Frederick Half she ran another PR in a time of 1:43:47. However, I feel her biggest accomplishment was in November 2024 when she ran her first marathon at the Ocean City Running Festival. She completed the course in a time of 3:41:18, which is a Boston qualifier.

I’m so proud of the hard work she’s put in and can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store, as I know she has lofty goals. It is my pleasure to present the Most Improved Female Runner award to my best friend and amazing runner, Kathleen Kempert!

Most Improved Men – Sam Williams

Our next award recipient began running in high school as a way to stay in shape for basketball season, and while he was good at basketball, running has always been where he has thrived. Ridiculously fast times earned him a spot at States each year as well as on the All SMAC Conference first team, along with many top three finishes. This in turn led him to a Division I athletic scholarship where he continued to dominate. 

After college, he continued to run and race locally, usually bringing home some sort of award, whether it was a top three finisher or age group win. But life became busy and in 2012, he decided to take a break from running, a break that would last for the next 10 years. In 2022 he started to get back into it, and if there is one thing that The Godfather II has taught us, it is that sometimes the sequel is even better than the original, and his past year alone was nothing short of incredible. 

Our winner raced frequently and PR’d in just about everything he ran. His first race of the year was the Shamrock 5K in Baltimore. After a tough start of weaving through countless runners (some of which were in the wrong starting corral), he finally broke free and finished with a time of 20:33, coming in the top 150 out of over 3700 runners.  

In April, he ran the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. Like Shamrock, he spent the first few miles weaving around runners, but found his groove and finished in 1:09:41, finishing in the top 7% of the 17,000+ runners there.

At the Frederick Half, he was prepared and ready to go. With his Ghost 15s tied tightly, his training showed when he crossed the finish line at 1:30:38, a PR of over 17 minutes. 

His racing season continued through the summer and on a very hot June day, he ran and PR’d on the hilly Baltimore 10 miler course in 1:09:19. To celebrate the 4th of July, he ran his next 5K, the Indy 5000 in 20:02, an improvement of 31 seconds. 

Marathon training began soon after and he added in a few half marathons as part of his training. A “training run” at Susquehanna brought him a time of 1:34:07 and in October he ran the Baltimore Half. While he originally intended to make it a nice, easy long run, he changed his mind at mile 4 and crossed the finish line with a new PR and a time of 1:29:28.

In November, his 16 weeks of marathon training paid off when he ran the Ocean City Marathon, his first marathon in 18 years, with not only an improvement of over 23 minutes, but with a time of 3:13:34 qualifying him for Boston in 2026 and Chicago this October, where he will not only be representing the Steeplechasers, but will do so as one of the newest members of the racing team.

I cannot wait to see what this next year brings him. Please join me in congratulating this year’s Most Improved Male, Sam Williams!

Iron Man– Carey Ahr

Three words will give away the recipient of this year’s ironman award: spreadsheets, calves, and fudge. If you don’t know who it is by now, you clearly have never been to a Wednesday night pub run. We’ll continue on, though, with the game.

This year’s Ironman award goes to a runner who has not only dominated MANY races at MANY different distances, but has also crushed PRs—from the 1 (beer) mile to the 100 miler. A true ironman, this runner logged over 2,000 miles this past year and ran 10 ultra races in one year. 

But this runner isn’t just about putting in the miles. Along with his dedication to smashing PRs and conquering thousands of miles, he found a way to bring something sweet to the running community: fudge. That’s right, in addition to his passion for running, he has a serious talent for making fudge, which he’s generously shared with all of us throughout the year. 

This year this runner grew both in his race accomplishments and his creativity and risk-taking with his flavor combinations. Let’s highlight a few of his 2024 running accomplishments paired perfectly with his year of fudge-making: 

  • His year started in January with Dark Anchor complemented by the rich, minty Peppermint Dark Fudge—a flavor as strong and determined as the runner himself.
  • In April, he became a machine, relentlessly clicking off miles to run a PR at the C&O 100, just like the ultimate workhorse of fudges, Peanut Butterscotch. For those of you who did not know, he actually had a spreadsheet of his aid station times that, in the darkest corners of the pain cave, pushed him forward. Well, that and he knew, if he finished, he could hold it against Lindsey for the rest of the year. 
  • If Aztec fudge was a race, it would be his spicy PR victory at the Antietam Beer Mile in May. He came in 2nd place overall with a blistering time of 8 minutes 24 seconds to chug four beers and run four quarter miles. 
  • His race year took him through many distances and many different locations, from backyard ultras to a 5k PR at a different sweet treat themed race: Krumpees Donut Alley Rally. This race is his Midnight Snack fudge: late at night, salty and sweet, and a victory both in running and in flavor!  
  • In September, this year’s Ironman showed his grit and determination when he had his first of two PRs in the marathon distance. If Lock 2 Lock Marathon was a fudge, it would be chocolate caramel brownie: a delicious victory of a fudge and a race! 
  • As the fall continued, this Ironman dug even deeper and continued racking up the miles. In one weekend alone, he ran both Freedom’s Run marathon and then, the very next day, he ran an ultra marathon at the fan favorite Rick’s Run! This weekend of miles best represents his Charcuterie Fudge– a bizarre combination of pear, walnut, and blue cheese in a sweet that somehow just works! 
  • The year is wrapping up, but this runner is not done yet! He earned his turkey with not only a turkey trot, but another 100 miler attempt in November. Mamba 100 was his Bobba Feta Fudge, though, a valiant effort, but a failed attempt. 
  • He finished his Ironman exactly as his spreadsheet planned. Despite all the miles and distances already run, he decided to finish his year strong by running the Rehoboth Delaware Marathon. This race would be his black and white cookie fudge–the very last fudge he invented in 2024! 

It’s an honor to present this year’s Ironman award to someone who has shown us what it truly means to take on challenges and savor the sweetness of success along the way. Please join us in congratulating this year’s Ironman recipient, Carey Ahr!

Iron Woman – Linda Boring

This year’s Ironwoman, Linda Boring, is no stranger to the Steeplechasers- she has been a member for over 15 years.  While always a fast runner, since retiring from teaching a few years ago, Linda has taken up Ultra trail running with a passion!  And she thrived at it!  Not just with the number of ultra’s and races completed (10 this year alone!) but also with excellence!  At almost 60, Linda has routinely placed in the overall standings (top 5 women) in multiple ultras from 50K’s to 100k’s. As an indicator of ultra excellence, Linda has a gender overall ranking of 79.8%  and a nearly perfect 97.5% age group ranking from Ultra sign-up, a nationally recognized performance standard for ultra runners.  

And at last year’s Lewis 10 mile Run, Linda demonstrated she still has some speed in her legs for road races with an age- graded performance of 73.8%!   When she is not racing ultras, Linda stays busy with other pursuits including hiking our beautiful national parks across the country and keeping up with her grandkids! Congratulations again to Linda Boring, our Ironwoman of 2024!

Unsung Hero – Lou King

An unsung hero is someone who always is willing to lend a hand, jumps right in, or tackle an issue without anything in return. If you have been to any of our races, you will see Lou in the timing area. He is constantly doing behind the scenes tasks that most will never know to help to make the club run efficiently and smoothly. As you can see from the slide**, he has been very active over this past year, just like every other year. I can say firsthand that Lou has done various technical troubleshooting for membership that makes things seamless for our members and race participants, all with a positive attitude. He is a past president, board member and long standing member of the club which makes him a good resource to bounce things off of since he has a large wealth of knowledge.

Thank you Lou for all you do for the Steeplechasers!

Inspiration – Adrian Morales

First, we celebrate a runner who truly embodies the Inspiration Award—a recognition for perseverance, dedication, and determination. This award honors those who inspire the running community through their example and commitment to helping others, and there is no better recipient than this year’s honoree.

Over the past year, this runner has demonstrated remarkable dedication to both their personal goals and our community. Their impressive achievements include personal records of 5:43 in the road mile, 19:01 in the 5k, 1:22:12 in the half marathon, and a stellar 2:58:09 marathon, a mere 6 minute PB. They represented the Steeplechasers with pride at two world-class events, the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:05:25, and the Chicago Marathon, where they broke that 3-hour barrier.

But the Inspiration Award isn’t just about results—it’s about the spirit behind those results. This individual drives 45 minutes each morning from Damascus, MD to join our 5:00 or 5:30 am Baker Park runs five to six days a week, rain, shine, and snow, and brings their positive energy occasionally to the Wednesday night Pub Runs. They are an essential part of our community, inspiring others not just with their commitment but with their infectious enthusiasm and encouragement.

One moment this year truly reflects their heart. While spectating and cheering on fellow Steeplechasers at the Marine Corps Marathon, they went above and beyond to help a Steeplechaser runner in need. After suffering an injury at mile 18, they ensured her safety, personally driving her to the finish line so she could reunite with her family. This extraordinary act of selflessness is a powerful testament to his character and to the spirit of perseverance and compassion that this award represents.

And let’s not forget—this runner single-handedly keeps the running shoe industry thriving with an impressive collection of over 100 active pairs of running shoes!

It is my honor to present the 2025 Inspiration Award to my friend and training partner  Adrian Morales.

Junior Runner of the Year – Milena Davis

Our Junior Runner of the Year is a dynamic young woman that needs no introduction to most of you. She participated in both the spring and fall programs of the Steeplechasers Spires Youth Running Club last year. She has a passion for running that is utterly refreshing: she values having fun over speed or other numeric-based metrics. That’s not to say she’s not speedy or lacks endurance; she just prioritizes making running fun; and fun she has!

She is a prolific participant who, in addition to swim meets and competing in a youth triathlon, ran in at least 17 events last year; ranging anywhere from 2 miles to more than 2.5 hours in duration. The majority of these runs she probably finished with at least one pair of untied shoelaces perilously slapping at the ground as she crossed the finish line. 

She developed an affinity for trail running last year and managed to post her second-fastest-ever 5K time at the club’s Wild Trail 5K despite the dreaded hill at the 3-mile point in the race. She crewed and paced her mom at The Dark Side Ultra last spring, learning that chocolate covered bacon will cure just about anything other than muddy shoes. She ran 2-loops plus at Rick’s Run, logging 11 miles (her longest run to date) when she decided that she couldn’t quit with just over 10 miles total, she needed to hit her goal of 11 miles

She diligently trained for and completed her longest road run, the Bay Bridge 10K, in just under an hour and 8 minutes And she finished up her year in style, running in a Santa Suit at the Santa Shuffle 5K in Harrisburg – as I said, always having fun!

When she’s not running, she has proven herself to be a capable and self-starting volunteer who is always willing to pitch in. Even though she typically makes friends wherever she goes, her favorite running buddy is her trusty four-legged companion, Royce. And on rare occasions, she’s even been known to grant her mother permission to be seen running with her. I am honored to present to you, the one, the only, Mila Davis, our 2024 Junior Runner of the Year.

Super Grand Master Runner of the Year Women – Allie Young

Our Female Super Grandmaster of the Year is Allie Young. Allie has been running since 1979 (yes, that is even before some of you were born) and she is continuing to run strong! Whenever I see Allie, she always has a smile on her face and is very inspiring. I heard from another runner that she has great costumes to run in, like the one at the Gingerbread Dash. In 2024, Allie represented the Steeplechasers in the Maryland Women’s Distance Festival series as 1 of only 52 ladies that participated in at least four races statewide.  Congratulations Allie!

Super Grand Master Runner of the Year Men – Ronald Chiarello

Ron Chiarello can’t be here tonight, as he is currently on a cruise steaming toward the Caribbean. As I know him the best, I was asked to speak about him.

Ron started running in 2001 at age 61. In just three years, he was able to qualify for and run the Boston Marathon. Now at age 85, he continues to set goals and strive to meet them. 

For a couple years, I’d been talking up the Summer Decathlon with him, and he was intrigued with racing several new distances and with the age-grading component of the series. So last year, he decided to join the Steeps and come up from Montgomery County to do the Decathlon series. He really enjoyed the competition and the camaraderie, and was able to finish 5th in the series despite only being able to attend 7 of the 10 events.

Ron was also interested in opportunities to race against others in his age group, which can be rare in your 80s. He was happy to finally meet John Clarke and to finish only one minute behind him at Spook Hill. And he loved getting to know Art Gregory during the Decathlon, and to edge out that youngster in the Grand Prix Series.

Our 2024 Super Grandmaster Runner of the Year is Ron Chiarello.

Grand Master Runner of the Year Women – Robin McConaughey

Our Female Grand Master Runner of the Year has been an active Steeplechaser for over 15 years!  When I first started running with Steeplechasers, this runner was one of my 1st training partners.  We had great training runs with good conversations that go with running.  We could talk about anything and the miles- no matter how far – flew by.  She helped me through some tough times and made running fun.  She even convinced me to ask out my future wife, Ruth! And the rest is history! 

Since her retirement last year, this runner has stepped up her training and it shows- both in her overall speed, consistency, and number of races done!  She completed 10 races this past year in our Grand Prix series- good enough for 2nd place in her AG.  She has consistently been placing in the top 3 in her age group at various races that she has run as well.  Congratulations to our 2024 Female Grand Master Runner of the Year and my good friend, Robin McConaughey!

Grand Master Runner of the Year Men – Ron Black

Our Grand Master Runner of the Year, Ronald Black, had a remarkable comeback this Year! For those of us who know Ron, he is a lifelong runner and has been an active Steeplechaser member for over 25 years! He is a prolific racer-  competing in multiple series in different RRCA clubs.  Along with his wife, Bev, he has been a fixture as an active participant, volunteer,  and competitor in the Decathlon and Grand Prix series since the 1990’s!  Coming off a serious injury this spring, he got back in the groove with the Decathlon series- running all 10 races strongly enough for a 7th OA place in the series!  He continued to improve through the summer and into the fall with impressive performances at the Independence 5000 , Run for the Pie 10K, and Market St. Mile.  He finished the year with a Grand Prix division win at Spook Hill Cider run- good enough for a  2nd OA age group win for the Grand prix series.  Congratulations again to Ronald Black- our Grand Master Male Runner of the Year!

Master Runner of the Year Women – Ruth Taylor

I fully admit to my bias, but this next award winner is in my top two favorite Steeplechasers.

The first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Ruth is her competitive drive. As her stats reveal, she continues to be a killer competitor, all these years on from her conversion from the dark side (soccer). I don’t think it’s unfounded to claim that the common denominator of every runner in this club is admiration for Ruth’s grit and commitment to her racing craft, and this reasoning is why the committee decided to crown Ruth with this year’s award.

Thanks to her athleticism, Ruth accumulates wins and medals and award paraphernalia like no one else I’ve ever met, for races both local and international. For context, there are so many medals in her and my Papa’s (you all know him as Art) house that Honi (their dog) uses them as an alert system for when she needs to go outside! These awards come from mile races, 5ks, 10ks, 15ks, half marathons, full marathons, 55ks, and 50-milers. Although she did tell me that last year may have been her final JFK, to the relief of her fellow competitors. As many people already know, one of Ruth’s long-term goals is to run every world marathon major. She’s run Boston more times than I can count, ticked off Berlin and Sydney in 2023, and will be headed to Tokyo this spring!

On top of her athletic ability, Ruth is also an integral part of the club’s community as both a leader and mentor. She co-leads the Competition Committee and is a regular attendee at the pub and breakfast runs. She’s always willing to show both me and other runners new routes and preview race courses all around the area. It was the combined efforts of her and my Papa, who convinced me to join the Steeps back in 2020, and while she hasn’t quite convinced me to take up marathon-ing yet, she sure is trying!

You could say that this sport runs in the family! So congrats to my step-grandma, Ruth Taylor!

Master Runner of the Year Men – Larry O’Hara

This year’s winner for Male Master’s Runner of the Year is Larry O’Hara! And he has had an incredible comeback of a running year! He started the year with a great performance at the very competitive Frederick Half Marathon with a Steeps division placing of 3rd and an amazing age graded performance of 72.8%. On to the track for the summer, Larry showed poise and excellence with a 2nd OA ranking in the series with strong age-graded performances from a low of 74% to an astonishing AG of 81%! Back to road races for the fall, Larry had excellent performance at Market St Mile (AG- 84%!) and the Sheppard Pratt turkey trot (AG- 77.8%!). 

Besides being a 1st rate runner, Larry has made running a family event with his wife Heidi and nephew, Lawrence joining him in the fun at the summer Decathlon events. Off the track, Larry keeps busy being a coach at TJ High school. Congratulations again to Larry O’Hara our male master’s runner of the year for 2024!

Runner of the Year Women – Mary Donahue

There are runners among us, scattered here and there, who stand out, and make the rest of us stop and question ourselves. We ask, “How can I complain about intervals, or track workouts, or early alarm clocks, when I have this shining example of athleticism, who, day in and day out, crushes her workouts, and does it seemingly without complaint?” And I’ll tell you her secret. She complains to me. And to a few others at that table there. But now is the time for us to witness the result of her effort and determination, and to stand in awe of her achievements, and wonder to ourselves, “Does she even take rest days?”

And the answer is no. She does not.

Her 2024 running season was nothing short of legendary. Whether she was blazing through a mile on Market Street, tackling an ultra in the Catoctin mountains, or making every 800-meter split look like a casual jog, she was unstoppable. At one point, the volunteers started asking if they should just give her the first-place medal when she was checking in to the race.

And she’s not just fast on her feet. She’ll hand out kudos on Strava at lightning speed. Just a couple of days ago, I got a notification of a comment on my run before the notification that my run was uploaded. She is the ultimate cheerleader. She won’t shower you with empty praise. She’ll get specific. She’ll call out a good workout you did that week. Or she might pull a Garmin and mention an “unproductive” workout. She gives good tips and constructive advice.

Let’s look at this picture.

Here, she’s telling me to drink my beer faster during my beer mile, and she’s telling me that I don’t actually need oxygen, which honestly is exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. And let’s zoom in on that, you can really see that positive energy and enthusiasm, it’s just oozing out of her.

And her dedication extended far beyond race day. She brought the kind of energy to her training that most of us reserve for finding post-run snacks or beverages. She had early mornings, track sessions, long runs, and trail adventures — and she embraced them all with relentless focus and determination.

And her results speak for themselves — whether she was dominating the marathon, the half marathon, or the trails, she brought her best to every race. On the flats, she’s like Gandalf. You cannot pass. On the downhills, she’s like a gazelle, gracefully prancing over terrain that most of us tiptoe over. On the uphills, she’ll get to the top, like, eventually. She showed us all what’s possible with grit, focus, and maybe just a little help from a really good pair of running shoes, of which she keeps several dozen stashed in the trunk of her car.

So, without further ado, it’s time to introduce the woman who made all of this happen—the one who inspired us, impressed us, cheered us on, and maybe even made us a little jealous of her speed. Please join me in celebrating the Steeplechasers Runner of the Year, Mary Donahue!

Runner of the Year Men – Chris Burgenson

Next, we celebrate an extraordinary achievement as we honor the Frederick Steeplechasers Runner of the Year. This award represents more than just athletic success – it recognizes remarkable running performances, dedication, and the positive impact on our running community.

Our recipient this year has had an incredible 2024. From setting a 4:42 personal best at the Frederick Market Street Mile to an impressive 1:16:02 personal best at the Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon, their accomplishments are truly outstanding. But it was their 2:36:25 performance at the Chicago Marathon – believed to be the fastest marathon time by a Steeplechaser in 2024 – truly sets them apart.

Beyond these feats, this individual embodies the spirit of the Steeplechasers. They’re a consistent presence at our early morning Baker Park runs, bring camaraderie to Wednesday night Pub Runs, and offer encouragement during track workouts. They inspire us all to push harder and dream bigger. As I mentioned, they are on target to potentially shatter their marathon time this April at the Boston Marathon.

…And yes, ladies, he’s single.

It is my absolute pleasure to announce that this year’s Runner of the Year is none other than Frederick Steeplechasers Running Team member and my training partner, Chris Burgenson.

Outstanding Volunteer Award – Caren Clark

What is a volunteer? A person who helps others willingly for fun and free

Tonight we are here to recognize a remarkable individual, a beacon of selfless dedication in our organization: Caren Clark. Their unwavering commitment to volunteering embodies the very essence of giving back, making a tangible difference in the lives of countless people, often without seeking recognition.

Caren is not just a volunteer; she is a force of nature, consistently stepping up to tackle challenges head-on, whether it’s being a Race Director, coaching training groups, coaching at the youth Spires level, or volunteering at multiple races. Her infectious enthusiasm and genuine care bring a spark of hope to every interaction. 

So let’s just say you came to Rick’s Run to do 1 loop and peer pressure gets you to do more and as you barely finish your 3rd loop and you can’t walk; whole body is cramping, your friends are laughing at you, who was the first one coming up to me with pickle juice and Gatorade? Caren. This is just one example of the many examples I could discuss on ways she has gone above and beyond, demonstrating the true power of compassion and action. 

Beyond their tireless work, Caren is a true inspiration to us all. Her dedication reminds us that even the smallest act of kindness can ripple outwards, creating positive change. 

So, as we celebrate tonight let us not only acknowledge her remarkable contributions but also be inspired to follow her example. Let us all find ways to give back to the Steeps, to be the change we want to see in the world, just like Caren has done so magnificently. 

Thank you, Caren, for your unwavering commitment. You are a shining example of what it means to truly make a difference. I know it’s been a tough time the last few months for you and your family and I know how hard it is to lose someone that close to you, but I know for a fact Big Sexy is here with us tonight and extremely proud of you and all your accomplishments! 

We all love you and have your back. And oh yeah; GO Buckeyes!

President’s Award – Tim O’Keefe

I am thrilled to present this year’s President’s Award to Tim O’Keefe. The President’s Award is given to someone whose contributions extend beyond the boundaries of the Club. In considering this award, Tim was the first person who came to mind. In talking with some folks about my selection, when I mentioned the name Tim O’Keefe, the responses were: “What an excellent choice!”  “He is the Steeplechaser that I look up to most,” and “He’s a Treasure!”

I met Tim O’Keefe at a breakfast run. I learned that he is from Western PA and that he graduated from the same university as me, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I knew that I liked him right away. Tim has been a member of the Steeplechasers for since 1979! He is a past club president. He is a long-serving member of our Board. But I think most members know him now for his leadership of the Summer Decathlon. The first thing that I would like to tell you about Tim is that at his core, he is a runner. His running journey started in 1967 as a sprinter.  He started running in high school, and as his stats show, he had some real athletic talent. Tim continued running in college at IUP. After graduating and beginning his teaching career, he did not give up on running. He started running longer distances, and though he had challenges, he learned lessons along the way. Tim the sprinter became a half marathoner, then a marathoner. After 25 marathons, he qualified for Boston. At age 50, he ran JFK. He has run 12 ultras, mostly 50ks. He is still a truly competitive runner in the club.

I mentioned that Tim is a teacher. He may be retired now but teaching and coaching seem to also be part of his core. I learned from his four children – Jen, Jessica, Sean and Jacqueline, that Tim supported and coached them when they were growing up. Even now, he participates with his grandkids in their running events. Throughout his life, Tim has had a dedication to youth running. His daughter Jen shared “Dad got his running legs from his dad and started running high school through college, then onto road racing and trail running. He has coached kids of all ages, elementary on up, beginning with coaching teens in Montgomery County and then working with the Knight Striders when I started running in the mid 1980’s. He coached team Pangea, a group of high schoolers, on a trip to Russia in the 1990’s. He was my biggest cheerleader as I ran track and eventually cross country and traveled to as many meets as he could when I was in college.” When his own kids graduated, Tim got into officiating. He is always mindful of rules, but also helps young athletes learn even while they compete.

Many may not know that Tim is a Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association Official. He officiates over track and field events and cross-country events. This involves making sure that all of the student athletes understand how the event will proceed. His involvement includes shooting the starting gun and helping to keep everything moving. As a race official, he must assure fairness and make split second decisions involving false starts, rules of the event and sportsmanship. The job requires focus for events that can last many hours. And according to Crystal Tressler who has traveled to many of these events to cheer on her children, “he is the most pleasant official you will see! ”Apparently serving as a race official has its downside when you have to make a call that isn’t well received, but Tim is always fair and resolute.  He had an infamous moment in 2023 where, as the head official, he had to disqualify the nationally ranked 300-meter state champion at a regional meet for breaking rules of sportsmanship, taunting his opponents.  The article in the Hagerstown Herald was picked up by Runner’s World and international media. Tim took some criticism on social media for the call, and yet he was somewhat vindicated when the athlete repeated the offense 3 months later at the state championship and was again disqualified by different state officials. 

Tim truly has made an impact on fostering and supporting youth running and has made a big impact on the runners in our Club. The environment that he has fostered at the summer decathlon is something you don’t get to experience every day. We have runners of all ages–from young kids to runners in their 80s–competing and cheering for one another. There is a true spirit of competition, but everyone is welcomed and made to feel like they belong. Each year when Tim announces the winners of the Summer Decathlon, he takes a great deal of time to research and share the stats for each winner, and that’s because he truly cares.

This is from Tim’s (Steeps) online bio: “As a Steeplechaser I have served as secretary, vice president, and a term as president. I have served on the board of directors since then and have been organizing the Summer Decathlon for the past 30 years. Needless to say, running and the Steeplechasers are an important part of my life.”

Thank you, Tim, for all that you have given to our Club and the running community. We are the lucky ones!