SPRING 2002 The Mid-Pacific · 2015. 4. 16. · Pali Road 4.4-mile hill run on Sept. 16. We announced a $500 donation to the Red Cross to help with the recov-ery effort from the attacks

The Mid-PacificRoad Runner

Post Office Box 2571 • Honolulu, Hawaii 96803 • www.mprrc.comVol III, Number 24 • Spring 2002

16

Mid-Pacific Road Runners Roster of Club OfficersMPRRC VOICEMAIL: 295-MPRR (295-6777) • http://www.mprrc.com

Mid-Pacific Road RunnerPost Office Box 2571Honolulu, Hawaii 96803

Non-Profit OrganizationUS Postage Paid

Honolulu, HawaiiPermit No. 367

SPRING 2002

President .....................BILL BEAUCHAMP............395-7154

President emeritus ....BOB DOLEMAN

Past President.............RON PATE.......551-4463 or 537-1577

Past President.............GEOFF HOWARD ...............734-0797

President-elect ...........JOHN E. SIMONDS.............373-3609

2nd vice president.....BART MATHIAS..................732-3061 (administration)

3rd vice president......GEOFF HOWARD ...............734-0797(public affairs)

4th vice president ......JOAN DAVIS ........................955-0902(volunteer coordinator)

Vice president ............BEN CAVAZOS(race operations)

Treasurer .....................HELEN CHISUM.................733-3991

Secretary......................ASTI TOMSIC ......................537-8677

Membership Coordinator...........JUDITH INAZU...................261-8823

Newsletter...................JOHN SIMONDS .................373-3609

Race Registration ......GEOFF HOWARD ...............734-0797

Insurance and permits ...........SUSAN BLOCK....................735-8829

Equipment ..................JOAN DAVIS ........................955-0902

Computerized race timing ............BART MATHIAS..................732-3061

Awards.........................BART MATHIAS..................732-3061

Legal Advisor.............BILL BURGESS.....................947-3881

Statistician ..................BART MATHIAS..................732-3061

Social Committee ......SANDRA BURGESS............947-3881

Pre-Marathon series coordinator BRIAN CLARKE..................737-4340

USA Track & Field liaison.....................DICK SUTTON ....................373-3633

Hawaii RRCArepresentative .......JOAN DAVIS ........................955-0902

By Bill BeauchampMPRRC President

Much has happened to the worldin the past year, but the Mid-PacificRoad Runners Club has focused oncontinuing to serve Hawaii’s runnersand walkers with events and otherincentives to pursue good health andexercise.

After a quiet spring-summer run-ning season with successful runs inLanikai and Kailua Beach, our pre-marathon series got off to a greatstart at Hickam AFB on Aug. 19.The turnout that day for our 15Kwas 589, a club record and a most encouraging development.

Two helpful outcomes of thisspring's "Revitalization" meetingswere the addition of Clint Sheeley tothe race operations group and MistiKehoe's taking over the membershiptable, initially at the Barber's Point20K last Sept. 9. Misti provided clubshirts for sale and membershipapplications at our race venues.

The 20K at Barber's Point/Kalaeloa was also a success, withimprovements noted in the post-racebeverage supply. World events,which placed Schofield understand-ably off-limits in late September, ledus back to Barber's for the 25K. Theturnout at Barber’s/Kalaeloa wasgood despite the site change andsame-day competition with a popu-lar running event elsewhere.

The club went ahead with its OldPali Road 4.4-mile hill run on Sept.16. We announced a $500 donation tothe Red Cross to help with the recov-

ery effort from the attacks five daysearlier. Bill Cunningham, race direc-tor and clergyman, led the group inprayer before the start. A big thanksalso to Beth Blackburn for directingthe Tantalus 10-miler in mid-October.

The 30K race (with long-sleevedshirts again) from Kapiolani Park toHawaii Kai and back drew nearly1,000, and November’s Val NolascoHalf-Marathon exceeded the 1,000mark, even with a late change in run-ning dates to accommodate the City'smid-month brunch on the beach inWaikiki.

The 2002 season launched with a“Sprint Series” of four shorter races,ably directed by Clint Sheeley withhelp from other younger club mem-bers. The series was a suggestion ofthe revitalization committee, anexperiment that may be repeatednext year.

At the club’s January meeting,members agreed to co-sponsor theUSO’s annual 10K/5K event, held ona different Oahu military base eachyear. Special thanks to DickVercauteren for presenting thisopportunity.

Michael Whelan again directedthe club’s Oahu Perimeter RelayRace with enthusiastic participationby more than 130 teams in the 31strunning of the popular event.Members may have seen TheAdvertiser’s March 8 article.

Club members celebrated a suc-cessful marathon season with aDecember holiday party at Dave andBuster’s, and we look forward to a

2002 that will provide even moreroad running activity than the busyyear just finished.

The President’s Forum

After a Busy Year, Even More Club Events are Planned for 2002

2

ON THE COVER:Pictured clockwise from left: FarleySimon and Sayuri Kusutani, winners ofthe Hawaiian Half-Marathon; BenCavazos on the Tantalus Trail; ChristalCuadra, Connie Comiso and LoritaLeonhardt top three female finishers inthe Old Pali Road Run; David Rarangol,finishing the Tantalus 10-miler.

SPRING 2002

Bill Beauchamp, MPRRC president.

President Beauchamp and race director Bill Cunningham, at left, speak to runners at start of Old Pali Road 4.4-mile run last Sept. 16.

TABLE OF CONTENTSPresident’s Forum ..........................2Photo highlights

of 2001 events..............3-5, 11-14Photo highlights of 2002 ............6, 9Ben Cavazos ....................................7Revitalization focuses

on club future ............................8David Rarangol.............................10Family runners..............................152002 Schedule of Races ................15Roster of 2002 Club Officers .......16

15

Lou and Asti Tomsic,

fast runners who’ve

worked to upgrade

MPRRC’s internet

capabilities.

SPRING 2002

Mary and Mac Kempshall,regulars on the racing scene.

John and Ellen Humphrey,

veterans of running’s senior circle.

Runners Trevor Page and Jean Gridley with their passengersat the Old Pali Road 4.4-mile run.

Andy Harris wins the Sam’s5K run last December.

Marie Boles, longtime runner and MPRRC volunteer.

Family Running Year 2002 MPRRC Racing Schedule

EVENT SITE

NORMAN K. TAMANAHA 15K . . . Kapiolani ParkSunday, April 14, 2002

BOSETTI 10K. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hawaii Kai Sunday, April 21, 2002 Near Sandy Beach

PEARL HARBOR BIKE PATH 10K . . Lehua Elementary SchoolSunday, May 12, 2002 Pearl City

CENTRAL OAHU 10-MILER . . . . . . . Schofield Barracks Sunday, May 26, 2002 Stoneman Field

LANIKAI BIKE PATH 8K . . . . . . . . . . Lanikai BeachSunday, July 21, 2002

KAILUA BEACH RUN . . . . . . . . . . . . Lanikai/Kailua BeachSunday, July 28, 2002

AIRPORT 15K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hickam AFB Sunday, Aug. 18, 2002 Seabreeze Restaurant

Marathon Readiness Series

KAPOLEI 20K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kalaeloa (Barber’s Point) Sunday, Sept. 8, 2002 White Plains Beach


OLD PALI ROAD 4.4-MILE RUN . . . Int. of H-3 and Sunday, Sept. 15, 2002 Kamehameha Hwy.

CENTRAL OAHU 25K. . . . . . . . . . . . . Schofield Barracks Sunday, Sept. 29, 2002 Stoneman Field


TANTALUS 10-MILER. . . . . . . . . . . . . Makiki Street ParkSunday, Oct. 13, 2002

MPRRC 30K RUN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kapiolani Park Sunday, Oct. 20, 2002 Marathon Readiness Series

VAL NOLASCO MEMORIALHALF-MARATHON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kapiolani Park Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002 Marathon Readiness Series

SILVIA MARTZ MEMORIAL 5K . . . Kapiolani ParkSunday, Dec. 1, 2002

LAST RUN OF THE YEAR . . . . . . . . . Blaisdell ParkSunday, Dec. 29, 2002 Pearl City

Please call 295-MPRR to verify dates, times and sites.

14

Photos by Tesh Teshima

Elite runners jockey to start the Hickam 15K.

SPRING 2002

Matt Stevens, right, winner of several2001 races, and Clint Sheeley, speedy

runner and organizer of this year’s popular Sprint Series of four events.

Hiroshi Sakaecomes out of the

woods in theTantalus Trail Run.

Harry Siegmund, strongrunner in the age 65-69age bracket, finishes the Hickam 15K.

Robert Yeemakes a strong

finish in the 30K.Hawaiian Half-Marathon’s

top three, winner Farley S

imon, right;

Brian Salter, center, and K

evin Rathbun.

More Highlights of the 2001 Running Scene


3

Highlights of the 2001 Running Scene

SPRING 2002

Honolulu Marathon, Christian Friis finishing at 2:49.25.

Sayuri Kusutani tops female finishersin the Hawaiian Half-marathon.

Lien Lindberg finishes October’s 30K run.

Joan Ushijima nearing the 30K finish.

Mary Sele, right, overall female winner of the HickamAFB 15K run in August, with Angie Song Rooney, who

in December topped female finishers in Sam’s 5K.

Sunny Weiss emerges from the woods in the Tantalus Trail Run.



4

SPRING 2002

Yang Sun Carpenter, 3rd in the Hickam 15K, came infirst among female runners in November’s Val Nolasco

Half-Marathon.

Michelle-Yen Le strides to the finish at the Tantalus

10-miler in October.

Bobbi Stapenhorst, first in her 55-59 age group in the 30K.

Naomi Sakai smiles during the Tantalus

Trail Run.

Running legend Farley Simon winsthe Hawaiian Half-Marathon.

Cinco de Mayo top finishers from right, Christian Friis, Jonathan Lyau and Siul Michel.

Heather Jablonsk

y, left, and Cassan

dra Ley finishing t

he

Race Against Vio

lence in Manoa.

13

SPRING 2002

Runners thunder through an underpass after the start of the Hickam 15K in August.

Craig Knohl finishes 2nd

in the Tantalus10-miler.Dennis Uyehara continues his streamlined

form in the Tantalus 10-miler.

Cheryl Smith, in a December run here, repeatedher winning performance in

this year’s Straub 10KWomen’s Race.

Hawaiian Half-Marathon top female finishers Sayuri Kasutani, right, 1st;

Yuko Arimori, center, 2nd and Lisa Blomme, 3rd.

Bonnie Kolsum, still going strong in her 80s.

P.J. Salmonson on the trail in

Tantalus.

12



J.B. Nation, race director

for the Lanikai Bikepath 8

K,

announces names of winn

ers.

SPRING 2002

Runners with ankle-strap chips in place areready to go at 5:30 a.m. for the 30K run.

Helen Chisum, MPRRC treasurer, heads for the finish.

Lou Tomsic, winner of the Kole Kole Pass Half-Marathon.

Suzie Martinson smiles at the finish of last October’s 30K run.

Coswin Saito in the Tantalus 10-miler.

5

Tesh Teshima flashes a sh

aka in this John Simonds

photo at the Hickam 15K.

SPRING 2002

Dennis Tanigawa finishes the Tantalus 10-miler.

Jeanne McCadneyat the Hickam 15K.

Beth Blackburn ran and also directed the Tantalus 10-mile race.

Masako Sagawa displays her medal at the Kole Kole Pass

Half-Marathon in August.

Susan Block at the DecemberDiamond Head Duet run.

Sarah Rogers bree

zes to the

finish at the Hicka

m 15K.


6

(Continued on page 9)

This year’s Central Oahu 3-miler gets off to a fast start on Jan. 27 in Waipio.

SPRING 2002

Michael Georgi

finished 9th

and topped

his 45-49

age group.

Jeannie Wokasch races to

ward a 2nd-place

finish among female runn

ers.Chris Larsen finishes 3rd overall.

Nina Christensen finished7th overall and won thefemale division.

Early 2002 Highlights

Jonathan Lyau and Nina Christensen were the winners in the new event at Central Oahu Regional Park.

11



Great bodies, great outfits

! Dressed for a photo finis

h at the Kole Kole Pass

Half-Marathon in August.

SPRING 2002

Doug Tonokawa receives an age-group ribbon from

Geoff Howard at Lanikai Bikepath 8K awards in Ju

ly.

Barbara Zamparelli completes the Kole Kole Half-Marathon.

Jeff Fong finishes strongat the Tantalus 10-miler.

Ryoko Takahashi goes all out for the Hawaiian Half-Marathon.

Michael Le looks cool and relaxed near the Tantalus 10-mile finish.

10

By Lyle Nelson

Two things set DavidRarangol apart from most veter-ans of road running: He runsseven days a week, usually,though others may equal that.

But how about this one?David was born aboard a shipon the high seas. Few peopleanywhere can match that!

The veteran road runner isnow competing in the 75-79 agegroup. David, 78, when nothampered by a recent ankleinjury, starts his daily roadworksometime after 3:30 a.m. and isready to go to work by 6 a.m.

"I take a drink of water, runabout six miles, then have break-fast with my wife,” usually abanana and coffee, “and I'mready for work," he said.

Rarangol is a custodian atWaipahu High and runs in thatneighborhood. "I'll do a fasterpace on Monday, then slow onTuesday, fast again on Wednesday,"he said.

On the weekend he'll make longerruns.

"I started road running in 1978,"he said. Then in his 50s, he turned ina creditable 4:20 that first year in theHonolulu Marathon.

"I think exercise is important andalways feel I need to do more. Now Ican't part with the routine," he said.

"When I'm in a race, I just keepthinking, 'Go, go, keep up a steadypace,'" he said.

Rarangol was inspired to roadracing by his Army career.

"We had exercise sessions eachday for PE but the Army's morningtwo-mile run was not enough forme," he recalled.

David Rarangol's life story beginsaboard the President Cleveland, apassenger ship going from the FarEast to Honolulu.

At the time, his parents were

moving from northern Luzon to asugar plantation on the Big Island.

That's where David grew up. In1932 the family returned to thePhilippines. His running experience,he said, was limited to running arelay while in the sixth grade.

Caught by events leading toWorld War II in the Far East in 1941,Rarangol said survival from thatpoint on "was difficult." He didn't getback to Hawaii until 1951. "I wasdrafted then and sent to the KoreanWar as a rifleman," he said.

Before leaving for combat, hereceived his basic training atSchofield Barracks, when, for a shorttime, recruits from around the coun-try were sent there. "I was in the lastgroup to get basic at Schofield," herecalled.

When he returned later toSchofield, Rarangol had enough ofinfantry life, changed his militaryoccupation specialty (MOS) andlanded work in an office. By then he

was career-bound and had achance to travel. He went toJapan for six years, came backto Hawaii, then went to Koreaagain.

In 1958, he met his wife-to-be, also a native of thePhilippines. They were intro-duced through friends whothought they would make agood pair. In 1961, the Armysent them to Fort Belvoir, Va.,then to Orleans, France, for twoyears.

After a stint in California,Rarangol found himself at NhaTrang on the Vietnam coast. Hereturned to Schofield andretired in 1975 as an E-7. Then, from 1977-86, Daviddrove trucks at the PearlHarbor shipyard. He landed acustodian's job at Aloha stadi-um that led to his job for the

past 10 years at Waipahu High.It was during his time at the

shipyard that he started his road run-ning, and he's been at it ever since.

David "Raring to Go" Rarangol Likes to Run Every Day

David Rarangol finishes last year’s Hickam 15K run.

SPRING 2002

Lyle Nelson, right, and Michael Houston, in last June’s Hawaiian Half-Marathon.

By Kit Smith

Imaginethis: You’reout for across-trainingride on yourmountainbike and takea bad spill.Your kneecapis shattered!The doctorspromise younothing.Grim!Essentially,you have tolearn to walkagain.

But you dorecover. Infact, in July ofthe next year,1999, you dothe rugged

(but beautiful!) Volcano Marathon onthe Big Island. Your time: 3 hours, 54minutes, best in the military division.

Then, in 2000, playing soccer withyour men — you’re an Army sergeantmajor — one of the guys slams his footinto your knee instead of the ball. Thesame knee! Again, the kneecap breaks.Again, surgery— this time with bonegrafted from your hip and screwsinstalled.

You hang ’em up, right? Enough isenough!

Not if you are Ruben “Ben”Cavazos, 41 years old, a 22-year Armyveteran now stationed at Fort Shafter.This is his story.

Three months later, bouncing backagain, Ben ran the Mid-Pacific RoadRunners‚ 15K at Hickam, in 1:02. Thisqualified him to join four other Armymasters runners from Hawaii for theannual Armywide 10-miler inWashington, D.C.

Then, last December, he did anotherHonolulu Marathon, in 3:11. To under-score his comeback, in January he did a100-kilometer run (62 miles) onTantalus trails (sponsor: Hawaii UltraRunning Team, or HURT). Time: 19:54.

You get the picture: Ben not only

rates as a fine runner but as tough anddedicated as they come.

A native of Linares in northeastMexico, he moved to the United Statesin 1979 to join the U.S. Army, barelyable to speak English. At basic trainingat Fort Jackson, S.C., he got special per-mission to read with a flashlight underhis blanket to help build English skills.

His first assignment was toGermany. During 19 months there, hewas inspired to join the Army’s air-borne forces. He went to jump schoolat Fort Benning, Ga., and then, for 14years, served at Fort Bragg, N.C., homeof the famed 82nd Airborne Division(“America’s Guard of Honor”). Sincethen, he has done about 160 jumps, themost recent in 1998.

Ben got into running at Fort Bragg,finding that the soccer skills he learnedin Germany had little use back inAmerica.

“It took three years for me to callmyself a runner,” he says. His first 10Khad taken him 56 minutes or so, put-ting him well back in the pack.

Then he got a coach — a mixedblessing, it seemed at the time. Benremembers his name well: RichardMata, an Army engineer, an enlistedsoldier. Training sessions often werepunishing. “Sometimes it seemed likedhe was trying to kill me,” Ben says.

But the hard work paid off.Running his first marathon in 1984 —the All American at Fort Bragg — hedid a remarkable 2:38, earning him sec-ond place. In first place: Richard Mata.

Ben became a member of the FortBragg Express, a crack five-memberteam that competed in numerous Armyevents “and always did well.” His 10Ktimes by now had shrunk to “the high33’s or 34’s.” (In the meantime he hasdone times as fast as 30:58 and 30:59).

Ben was transferred to Hawaii in1995, a dream come true. Not only isHawaii highly desirable duty but “Iwanted to be a first sergeant,” and heknew he was in line for such an assign-ment here.

“As a first sergeant you and yourcommander are responsible for thetraining, developing, coaching andmentoring of a company of soldiers.

“It’s the best job in the Army

because you mold these soldiers tofight and defend our country and,hopefully, bring them home safely.”

Ben has been married since 1999 toBeverly (“Bev”) Hudgins, a regionaldirector for Saks Fifth Avenue respon-sible for 13 western stores, includingone at Waikele on Oahu. Bev, too, is arunner. And soon after they met theydid a race together —the “Triple Trek”on Tantalus trails. Bev opted to do oneloop — 10 miles. Ben, of course, pickedthe three-loop, 30-mile option. “I want-ed to impress her,” he admits. He fin-ished second, “and of course she wasimpressed.”

Today, Bev and Ben have a brand-new son, Peter, born last Sept. 5. Theycount the baby as a special blessing; it’sBev’s first child, and she is a whiskerolder than Ben. By a previous mar-riage, Ben has a daughter, Lia, 17, asenior at Mililani High School, and son“BJ” (for Ben Junior), 11, in the 6thgrade at Enchanted Lake ElementarySchool. Lia and BJ live with Ben, Bevand Peter in their Enchanted Lakehome. (Ben is the oldest of three broth-ers, two sisters and three half-brothers.His father died when he was 6. Peter ishis mom’s 21st grandchild.)

Like others in the military, Ben facesa cloud of uncertainty stemming fromthe war on terrorism. But he reacts thesame way as when friends warn thathis ultra-distance running “may giveyou a heart attack.”

Says Ben: “If I die running, jumpingout of a plane or fighting for my coun-try, I will die happy.”

7

Ben Cavazos, running in the Tantalus 10-miler, hasovercome serious injuries.

SPRING 2002

Kit Smith, best of age 65-69 runners, finishes this year’s Bob & Ron 5K.

Tough Soldier Ben Cavazos Triumphs over Shattered Knees to Keep on Running

8

By Brian Clarke

Club revitalization began with aconcern: only a small group of peo-ple were doing most of the work inthe Mid-Pacific Road Runners Club.Michael Whelan and I felt we couldcontribute more to make Mid-Pac thebest running club in Hawaii.

So we challenged one another in2001 to revitalize club operations.

Revitalization is about new life:new people involved in new projects,new members enjoying new benefits,and new athletes participating inexciting new races.

We began with two revitalizationmeetings in April and June, attract-ing 60 Mid-Pac members. Amongother things, they recommended twonew racing series, more effective pro-motion of our races, a program torecruit, educate and show apprecia-tion for our volunteers, and an ongo-ing drive to attract new members tothe club.

The current club administrationunder the leadership of BillBeauchamp has been very supportiveof the revitalization process. The clubunderwrote the cost of a dinner

meeting so we could report ourprogress to members who had notyet participated in the revitalizationprocess. And at the MPRRCexecutive committee meeting in Julyofficers committed the club to thenew Sprint Series of four races thispast January and February.

The Sprint Series focused interestamong runners and walkers in con-ditioning, competition and participa-tion early in the year. Under theenergetic direction of Clint Sheeley,the series attracted leadership andsupport from younger members ofMPRRC and the larger running community.

The Sprint Series is one of two newseries to be launched in 2002. We alsoplan to establish a new championshipseries to determine age group andoverall winners in our club.

It takes work to organize thesenew series and to continue the club’sother events as well. This is where arevitalized volunteer program comesin. Michael Whelan and Joan Davis,the current volunteer coordinator,believe that our members will volun-teer if they feel their contributionsare appreciated.

Thus, our new volunteer appreci-ation program will make people feelgood about themselves. In themonths ahead, look for more appre-ciation dinners, new and valuableawards for volunteers, and othernew incentives for volunteer activity.

Once people realize they canlearn, grow and have fun in this revi-talized club, others will want to join.We aim to attract many new mem-bers with our most enthusiastic andinspirational players. Our dream is tomake Mid-Pac the one club in Hawaiito which everyone belongs, becausewe have great races for them to enjoyand fun social opportunities to com-plement their own club activities.

Our ultimate challenge is to makeour races so popular that we prosperas a racing club. Achieving that levelof popularity will mean a revitaliza-tion program that takes excellent careof our members, our volunteers andour racing customers. Are you up tothe revitalization challenge?

Revitalization Challenge Helps Focus MPRRCLeaders, Members on Club’s Future


Joy Sarin of Team 24 completes an earlyafternoon Oahu Perimeter Relay leg inWaipahu on Feb. 24.

9

SPRING 2002 SPRING 2002

Revitalization leaders Brian Clarke, right, and Michael Whelan. Whelan also directed the 2001 and 2002 Oahu Perimeter Relays.

Phil Damon doing the annual Kilauea VolcanoWilderness Marathon on the Big Island.

Dolly Patel finishes the Jan. 13Bob & Ron 5K.

Jack Karbens heads to the Bob & Ron 5K finish.

Dick Vercauterensprints to the finishat the Downtown2-miler on Jan. 6.

Sisters Cindy Pascua, left,

and Joy Sarin enjoy a bre

ak in the Oahu Perimeter R

elays

Virginia Shepherd approaches the Bob & Ron 5K finish line.

Joy Schoenecker winds upher 5K run.

More Early 2002 Highlights

Documents

SPRING 2002 The Mid-Pacific · 2015. 4. 16. · Pali Road 4.4-mile hill run on Sept. 16. We announced a $500 donation to the Red Cross to help with the recov-ery effort from the attacks