Wandizlak and LRC Racing Team Stand Out in Market-to-Market Relay
The 2012 Market-to-Market Relay provided an exciting and interesting finish to say the least. The 6-person LRC Racing team navigated the 78.7-mile course in a time of 7:25:23. LRC’s team was made up of LRC members, Logan Watley, Cole Marolf, Mike Rathje, and Neil Wolford, and LRC honorary members, Ryan Dostal and Derek Schnell. These runners averaged 5:40/per mile for over 78 miles. LRC Racing and Team Nebraska came into the final stage with little separation. LRC’s Logan Watley then handed off the timing chip to Derek Schnell who was the first person to cross the finish line from either team. After the race, Team Nebraska disputed the finish due to an unclear rule on whether it was the first chip to cross the finish line or if all members of the team had to cross the finish line in order to complete the race. The Market-to-Market race directors ruled that it would be a tie between the two teams. LRC Racing provided the second-fastest time in Market-to-Market Relay history. When asked about the race, Logan Watley said, “It was a great experience for our team. It was tough since we only had six guys on our relay, but we pushed through and really competed well against the other teams.” Ryan Regnier, Tom Woods, and Austin McKillip also competed for the Lincoln Running Co./ Pepsi team. Their time of 7:51:43 was good enough to give them a 3rd place finish overall, averaging 6:00/per mile over the course. Other LRC members that competed were Adeline Hohman and Maria Longenecker. Watley also added, “I’m proud of the way our team, and all the LRC runners competed in the relay, and especially of all the hard work our teammate, Ben Cohoon, put into making the relay as great of an event as it is.” For results from the Market-to-Market Relay Click Here.
In the inaugural 50k race, LRC’s lone competitor was Brian Wandzilak. Wandzilak was the runner-up, posting a time of 3:55:41. “The mental part of running a 50k was surprisingly easy, I just had to go out there and get it, but the humidity forced the physical aspect of me to suffer far more than I had planned for, “said Wandzilak, “It was a great experience to be a part of (the Market-to-Market 50k).” For results from the Market-to-Market 50k Click Here.
Next up for LRC Racing is the Des Moines Marathon and Half Marathon. Tom Nichols will be looking to bounce back after an injury derailed him less than 2 weeks ago in the Twin Cities Marathon. Nichols enters the race with a marathon PR of 2:25:13 which he ran at the 2008 USATF Marathon Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. Running the half marathon will be LRC athletes, Hannah Kinberg, Malaina Huebert, Mike Rathje, Logan Watley, and Neil Wolford. For Kinberg, Huebert, and Rathje, this will be their first attempt at the half-marathon distance since completing their collegiate careers. Logan Watley will also be competing in the half-marathon, but is treating the race as a test run for the New York City Marathon on November 4th. Wolford enters the race with a half-marathon PR of 1:11:46, which he ran at the 2012 Hospital Hill Half-Marathon in Kansas City. LRC will also have several athletes competing in the Art F/X Governor’s Cup in Lincoln on Sunday afternoon. LRC athletes, Adeline Hohman, Austin McKillip, Brian Wandzilak, and Nora Youngs will be competing in the 5k competition while Frankie Petersen, Ryan Regnier, and Tom Woods will be competing in the 15k. Wandzilak is coming off a 2nd place finish in the Market-to-Market 50k, and took 5th place in this event last year. Petersen is coming off an amazing debut in the marathon with a 3:00:52, and was the 4th female to cross the line in last year’s Governor’s Cup 15k.