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Marathon.“After that, I wasted a lot of energy trying to catch up (to Spinnler). Even after I started feeling better, I didn’t think I’d catch her.”Spinnler, who finished second in 37:40, turned an early 15-yard lead into nearly a 60-yard advantage by the 21A-mile mark. Although Spinnler was unaware of Johnston’s equipment problems, she knew her only chance of winning was to reach the five-mile mark (on Valley Avenue) before Johnston did.If I could have maintained the lead until then, I think I could have won,” Spinnler said. “She knew that. I knew that.”Johnston agreed.Maria would have outkicked me if it was close (in the last mile) because she has better speed than I do,” Johnston said.Instead. Johnston made her move nearly 41/2 miles into the race, passed Spinnler, and created enough distance to neutralize her opponent’s speed down the final stretch down Valley Avenue and back toward the finish line at Handley High School.Spinnler’s bid for a three-peat was dashed with the defeat. The 39-year-old from Hagerstown. Md., won last year’s race in 37:11.“I tned to keep positive thoughts in my head, hut I hurt. I hurt,” Spinnler said. “Next year I come back as a master’s runner (age 40 and up .Some people actually look forward to that.”Amy Debor, 25, who moved to Shepherdstown from Connecticut about six months ago, tookthird place by finishing in 37:58.“The course wasn’t tdo difficult at all. I had a lot of fun out there,” said Debor, a former runner for Mount St. Mary’s (Md.) College. “I last ran (competitively) three years ago and I’m just now getting back into the racing scene.”Former Sherando High School standout Robyn Ritter, 20, of Stephens City, finished first in her age group and fourth overall (38:23), just ahead of five-time winner Jennifer Steams, 32, (39:29) of Stafford. Steams was also first in her age division.Other age division winners included Winchester’s Rachel Eisenfeld, 14, who finished in 45:17; Jessica Edburg, 19, of Long Island, N.Y., (43:25); Jennifer Ganoung, 28, of Hedgesville, W.Va., (41:37); Laura Nelson, 35, of Harrisonburg (40:31); Kimberlee Bums, 42, of Winchester (44:31); and Sandra Adams, 51, of Winchester (42:48).Edburg, who attended Mary Washington College with her best friend Stephanie Jenkins of Winchester, said the Apple Blossom was “one last hurrah” for the two.“We just finished school and this was the last time we would get to run together for a while,” Edburg said. “Yeah, I had fun.”Johnston, who races all over the country, said she really enjoys running in the Apple Blossom’s 10K whenever she gets the opportunity.“This race is run just as well as any other race I’ve been in. They really do a nice job here,” Johnston said. “But the humidity was a factor today. It’s the first real humid day of the year, but I guess it wouldn’t be Apple Blossom without it.”
Newspaper Details
Winchester Star
Winchester, Virginia, US
Mon, May 07, 2001
Page 16
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MD, USA 11 Dec 2024
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