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Visitors claim 10-k race

Cool temperatures, breeze help keep runners smiling at July 4th event.

By Michael Pearlman

Although 2004 Fourth of July 10-k winner Josh Ricardi wasn't able to defend his title Monday, another member of his Gardiner, Mont., family was eager to pick up where Josh left off.

John Ricardi, 18, won his first valley road race in decisive fashion, dominating the field of 173 runners who tackled the out-and-back course on Fish Creek Road in Wilson. Ricardi, a 2005 graduate of Gardiner High School, finished the race in 34 minutes, 3 seconds, over a minute faster than Michael Lunde of Jackson, who finished in 35:51. Wilson resident Erich Wilbrecht took third place in 36:40.

While John Ricardi's winning time in Monday's race was two minutes slower than his older brother's 2004 time, the younger Ricardi's future looks promising. The 2003 Montana state cross country champion will attend the University of Iowa on a track scholarship this fall, and his personal best times in the mile and two-mile races are impressive enough that he could soon be eclipsing his brother's success.

"I took two weeks off after track season, so I'm not as fast as I'd like to be," Ricardi said. "Josh just got a job in Seattle or he would have been here and that would have been interesting."

Although Wilbrecht managed to keep pace with Ricardi for the first two miles of the course, he couldn't maintain the younger runner's torrid pace.

"He's got a bright future ahead of him," said Wilbrecht, a 1992 Olympic biathlete. "It's nice to see these young guys beating the butts of the old guys."

Boulder, Colo., resident Tanya Trucco repeated as women's champion, finishing in 40:17, 34 seconds ahead of Salt Lake City resident Holly Hagarman, who finished third in the 2004 race. Josh Ricardi's older sister, Lois, who runs cross country at Idaho State University, finished third after placing fifth in 2004.

"I took the month of June off because I was injured," said Trucco, who expressed her displeasure over the fact that her winning time was nearly two minutes slower than her 2004 finish. "I just have to accept that when you come back you won't be as fast right away."

Trucco and Hagarman are competitive marathoners who are past qualifiers for the U.S. Olympic Marathon team trials, Trucco in 2004 and Hagarman in 2000.

"I could tell [Hagarman] is a marathoner by her stride," Trucco said. "I'd rather run with someone and have a good time than be by myself out there."

Cool temperatures helped keep smiles plastered to competitors' faces, and a light wind kept runners from overheating without forcing the field to battle a stiff headwind on the trip back to Owen Bircher Park.

"The breeze really helped in the last couple of miles," said first-time competitor Noah Waterhouse. "It was just strong enough to keep the air from being too still and hot."

Fifteen-year-old David Crawford was pleased about finishing his first-ever 10-k race in 48:41. The Bronc cross country runner and Nordic skier just completed his freshman year at Jackson Hole High School.

"It was nice to go out a little slower than I'm used to," he said. "I hit the wall about two miles from the end."

Starting the Independence Day holiday with the Fourth of July 10-k has become a family tradition for many, including the Dean family who has competed annually for the past decade. In order to reach Jackson and join his son Charley in time for the race, Rich Dean left Wisconsin at 3 a.m. on July 3 and drove 19 hours straight, stopping only for gas. The pair, who also compete in triathlons, posted solid finishing times with Charley finishing 24th in 42:32. Rich Dean joked that in his exhausted state, he was happy just to cross the finish line.

"I felt better this year, but I prepared myself more," said Charley, who also completed the grueling Escape from Alcatraz triathlon in San Francisco last month.

Rich Dean praised the race sponsors Skinny Skis and Pearl Street Bagels for maintaining the community event: "It's great that they [Skinny Skis] support this race. Along with Pearl Street Bagels, they're great benefactors for the community."

Forrest Franzen said his preparation for the race included trail running around Bradley and Taggart lakes.

"I prefer the singletrack feeling of running up and downhill, not to mention the solitude," Franzen said.

Signal Mountain Lodge restaurant employee and Arkansas native Ryan Smith, 23, admitted to struggling with the altitude, but said Jackson's dry climate was a welcome change from his accustomed running conditions.

"I've been sucking wind for the past few weeks, but it's getting better now," he said. "Back home the humidity is so bad you sweat like a dog. Altitude versus humidity ­ it's a give and take."

Longtime valley resident Rohn McKee credited the St. John's Medical Center emergency room staff for his presence at Monday's race. McKee completed his first 10-k three years after undergoing quadruple heart bypass surgery.

"It was a good race. I paced myself pretty well but I ran the whole thing," McKee said.

For complete results of the Fourth of July 10-k, see Sports Review on page 9C.