NOVA Takes Top Open Team Award at Navy-Air Force Half Marathon

NOVA Team takes Open Team Award, Navy-Air Force Half Marathon
(photo: Justin Buenaflor)

By now, it is becoming clear to those in the DC running community that the NOVA Running Club is a team to contend with. The performance of NOVA runners on Saturday, September 14, at the second annual Navy-Air Force Half Marathon and Navy 5 Miler left nothing to doubt, as our cadre of top performers served to demonstrate the skills, teamwork, and long-term potential of the NOVA team. Though NOVA does not match some other area running clubs in terms of membership size, what we lack in sheer numbers we make up for in the quality of our athletic performances and our consistent presence on the winner's podium at some of the top races in the area.

Following a successful summer training season, where we saw consistently high turnout at our weekly track workouts, NOVA President Justin Buenaflor knew the team was in contention for the top finishing team in the Half Marathon Team Open Division. As race morning dawned, the conditions could not have been better - a cool, almost chilly morning, clear skies, and a freshness to the air that was a noticeable improvement over the long humid days of summer racing.

Proving Buenaflor's predictions right, top NOVA finishers Bob Koeppen and Allen Denson used the power of teamwork to race to top finishes. Running together for the first 8 miles, Koeppen finished 30th overall (4th AG) in 1:20.29, and Denson finished exactly one minute later in 1:21.29 for 34th. Mark Drosky turned out another solid performance, finished third for the NOVA team and running a 1:26.33 (2nd AG). Leading the women for NOVA, and scoring fourth on the NOVA racing team and Second Masters Female Overall, was legend Martha Merz, who finished in a 1:29.42. Mike Naff also turned in a strong performance, finishing in 1:27.21. Rounding out the scores were Ben Brooks (1:29.42), Justin Buenaflor (1:44.40) and Jason Kaltwasser (2:04.12). Also competing on Saturday was NOVA's Erin Masterson, who ran the Navy 5 Miler and finished 6th overall (1st AG) in a 32:51.

All together, the NOVA team averaged a very respectable 1:24.34 for all scoring team members in the half marathon. NOVA Coach Jerry Alexander, doing double duty on Saturday and cheering for both NOVA and the Georgetown Running Club (whose own Michael Franklin won the Navy 5 Miler in a record time of 24:52), was proud of the NOVA team for their accomplishments. He says, "It was a great step forward for NOVA. To win a major race shows that our racing team is ready to make its mark on the local scene."

Look out for NOVA's next team performance in the Pacers Veteran's Day 10k on November 10! If you would like to join the racing team, be sure to check "NOVA Running Club" under Team Competition when registering for the race.

Results

Half Marathon
Bob Koeppen 1:20.29
Allen Denson 1:21.29
Mark Drosky 1:26.33
Mike Naff 1:27.21
Martha Merz 1:29.42
Ben Brooks 1:29.42
Justin Buenaflor 1:44.40
Jason Kaltwasser 2:04.12

Maher Itani   2:08:27

Ren Hucker   2:22:19

5 Miler

Dave Wertz  26:24

Erin Masterson 32:51

Vita Vock   49:19