Scannell, Ankrum outrun deep field in Joints race

FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Friday, August 15, 2003
By Bill Khan
JOURNAL SPORTS WRITER

All the heavy hitters came out and they still couldn't catch Mike Scannell.

Pushed by the deepest field at a Flint-area road race this year, Scannell cruised to a 16-second margin of victory with a time of 15:56 Thursday in the sixth annual Joints in Motion five-kilometer run at Kettering University.

Laura Ankrum of Grand Blanc made it a repeat of the 2001 race by finishing as the first woman in 18:11. Scannell and Ankrum were the winners two years ago.

As was the case in 2001, both runners were using Joints in Motion as their final fast-paced tuneup for the Crim 10-miler, which will take place Aug. 23 in Flint.

A lot of other top runners in the field of 488 had the same idea, as all of the top-10 finishers have won at least one area road race. In the women's race, the top three finishers broke the 19-minute barrier.

Scannell, a 41-year-old from Grand Blanc, began to pull away from a seven-man pack around the midway point. He was followed across the line by Freeland's Chris Glowacki, who held the Joints in Motion masters record until it was eclipsed by three runners Thursday. The previous mark of 16:42 was beaten by Scannell, Glowacki (16:12) and fifth-place Don Singleton of Clio (16:37).

Kirk Walrath of Fenton, who has won 22 area races in the last 22 months, was third in 16:18.

"I ran a 5:10 pace," Scannell said. "It was a day to run a steady pace. That's the pace I aimed to run today. I wanted to be very comfortable and it seemed like most of the guys in the group were comfortable for a mile. I looked around and it seemed everybody was just fine."

If necessary, Scannell could have run even faster. His time of 15:08 in the Flushing Evening Road Race in June is the fastest in the area this year, and he ran a 14:52 on the track at Eastern Michigan University.

Ankrum was also too strong for a highly competitive women's field, running the second-fastest time in the race's history. She won by 31 seconds over Davison's Melanie Schultz, whose time of 18:42 ranks fourth on the event's all-time list. Sue Larsen of Fenton was third in 18:58.

"I'm still recovering," Ankrum said. "I did the Hell race last weekend pushing a stroller. I did seven-minute pace up hills and in the dirt. I won my age group, which surprised me. I wanted a good training run today, then start to taper for the Crim. This is my last speed work before the Crim."

David Pichey of Flint won the walk in 28:07, while Debbie Topham of Mayville was the first woman and second overall in 28:28.

Joints in Motion 5K

Run results

(488 finishers)

Top 10 - 1. Mike Scannell, Grand Blanc 15:56; 2. Chris Glowacki, Freeland 16:12; 3. Kirk Walrath, Fenton 16:18; 4. Mike Wilusz, Royal Oak 16:31; 5. Don Singleton, Clio 16:37; 6. Eric Larsen, Fenton 16:42; 7. Joe Whitman, Davison 16:55; 8. John Niven, Swartz Creek 16:58; 9. Chris Machniak, Flint 17:06; 10. Roger Lara, Grand Blanc 17:29.

Top 10 women - 1. Laura Ankrum, Grand Blanc 18:11; 2. Melanie Schultz, Davison 18:42; 3. Sue Larsen, Fenton 18:58; 4. Lisa Senakiewich, Davison 19:32; 5. Allison Fleece, Grand Blanc 20:52; 6. Liz Hendershott, Ortonville 21:29; 7. Semma Burba, Flushing 21:41; 8. Kelly Edwards, Grand Blanc 21:52; 9. Joan Mathews, Maumee 22:07; 10. Colleen Cady-Brown, Grand Blanc 22:09.

Masters winners - Men: Chris Glowacki, Freeland 16:12 (Scannell's)