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Past, Present & Future Announcements and News... The latest and greatest info about the club and our club members. RED HOT TOPICS below: 
FTHTC FIRST ANNUAL PICNIC Kiwanis Park, Tempe AZ 5pm - until Ramada 2 (park along Mill Ave) FTHTC FIRST ANNUAL PICNIC!!Was A Success... I'll Like to Give a Special Shout Out (Thanks) to Henrietta (Henrie), Ervin & Katalina Patterson for Coordinating and Organizing the Picnic!! 
Athletes Updates
FTHTC Runners Take Division Top Spots Running in her first 5K race, Madeline Juetten came away with the first place trophy in her age group (11 years old) with a solid first 5K time of 24:07. She was 51st overall. Mom Jacqueline came across the line right behind her daughter with a 24:12 and second place trophy in her age division of 41. She finish an impressive 54 overall and is shooting for a higher finish in her age group next year. Sprinter turn distance runner (only for this race) came in a surprising 38th overall in 23:07 and 8th in his age group of 37 years old. Very trememdous showing for someone who runs the 100, 200, 400 and 110 high hurdles. 5th Annual Arcadia Pride Run For Pride 5K Fun Run/Walk
November 1, 2008 ~ Arizona Falls ~ Phoenix, AZ http://www.arizonarunningeventsco.com/Pride%20Run%202008.htm if link doesn't work go to: www.arizonarunningeventsco.com, results and click on Arcadia Pride Run.
FTHTC Athletes Dominate at Frank Kush 5K Jessey Tenorio (23:31), Nazhony Thain (23:31), Keyshawn Thain (26:25), Tommy Thain (27:35), Russ Thain (27:37) all ran exceptionally well in their first 5K of the season. Jessey was 1st in her age (14) group of 14 and 34th Overall out of 315 runners. Nazhony was first in her age (10) group of 12 and 35th overall out of 315. Keyshawn place 1st in his age (8) of 9 and 69th overall. Twins Tommy (1st out of 7 and 83rd overall) and Russle (2nd to his brother and 84th overall) really took it to the competition. This was an impressive showing of the future of FTHTC and the high school (Marcos de Niza HS) that will be getting these great athletes. Great job! See full results: http://www.arizonarunningeventsco.com/Kush08.htm
Cole competes at Nationals in Cold Rainy Weather... Taylor Cole ran against the top 800m intermediate girls in the country on Thursday July 24th. Taylor placed 5th in her heat and 16th overall. Battling inclement weather (especially for an Arizona girl) as well as some poor decisions and judgement by USATF (athletes had to remove their warm-ups 15 minutes prior to their race and wait in the rain and cold in only their uniforms) Taylor bit the bullet and gave it her all. Placing in the top 20 in the country is an impressive task, especially for someone so new to the whole USATF atmosphere, which at times can be very daunting and intermediating. Great job Taylor and everyone better look out for you next year. http://www.usatf.org/events/2008/USATFJuniorOlympicTFChampionships/results/national/P403.asp ================================================================
Nat'l Youth: N 2:06.64 7/29/2006 Chanelle Price, United Star
JO Meet: J 2:06.64 7/29/2006 Chanelle Price, United Star
Name Year Team Prelims
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Preliminaries
1 Phillis Francis 93 06-Team Evoultion 2:13.89Q
2 Deseree King 92 10 Ebenezer Roya 2:14.10Q
3 Samantha Berggren 92 Unattached Colorado 2:15.89Q
4 Nia Fluker 93 Unatt Southweste 2:14.40Q
5 Tia Gamble 93 North Texas Chee 2:15.30Q
6 Claudia Francis 92 06-Team Evoultion 2:18.75Q
7 Elyse Wilkinson 93 United Stars 2:17.68q
8 Ellen Dougherty 92 IA United TC 2:18.08q
9 Devyn Thompson 92 Illinois Elite 2:21.35
10 Bria Guerin 93 Track Houston Track 2:21.39
11 Paisley Pettway 92 Together Elite 2:21.41
12 Savannah Rutherford 92 Tri-State 2:22.03
13 Nina Herrera 92 Youth Sports 2:22.79
14 Yolanda Taylor 92 Community TC 2:23.88
15 Colleen Conroy 92 Above The Gr 2:24.27
16 Taylor Cole 92 Feel The Heat 2:24.58
17 Jmyah White 93 Vegas Valley TC 2:24.88
18 Brittany Bennett 93 Rainier Beach 2:26.43
19 Margaret Francis 93 Inland Empire 2:26.83
20 Madison Knight 93 Pacific United TC 2:28.77
21 Nelima Crawford 93 Illini Heat TC 2:28.97
22 Jocelyn Keen 92 13 Carolina Alls 2:29.41
23 Kasia Taylor 92 Juventus 2:29.60
24 Pearl Terry 93 Unatt Pacific NW 2:29.70
25 Sarah Brandt 92 Pacific United TC 2:31.14
26 Jamilah Johnson 93 Tachyon Athletics 2:32.74
27 Katie Nelson 93 Unattached Iowa 2:32.84
28 Renee Usher 93 Community TC 2:34.70
29 Destiney Burt 93 Bellevue Breeze 2:35.30
30 Kelly Hodges 93 Unattached Indiana 2:36.59
31 Olivia Gantt 93 Track Houston Track 2:38.47
32 Avery Loyd 93 KC Extreme 2:40.23
33 Megan Borrett 92 IA United TC 2:43.57
34 brittany holt 93 Jenks America 2:49.72
Taylor Cole Heading to Omaha, NE for 42nd National Junior Olympics Championships
Taylor Cole (Hamilton HS), who competes for local USATF club, Feel The Heat Track Club, will be competing in the 800 meter run. She will be one of over 6000 athletes competing in Omaha. She placed third at the Region X Championships last Saturday at Glendale Community College with an impressive time of 2:19.86, a new personal best. Taylor also placed fifth (5th) in the 1500 meter run with another personal best of 4:47.55.
The U.S. Track and Field Junior Olympic National Championships begin on Tuesday, July 22 at Burke High School in Omaha, NE., and will take place through Sunday, July 27. The USATF Junior Olympics is the most visible youth athletic development program in the world. Many of today's Olympic stars began their track and filed careers competing in the USATF and all it's various championships.
Taylor began her road to the nationals at the USATF Arizona Association meet last month at Mesa Community College, where she placed second (2nd) with a time of 2:29.13 in the 800m and took first (1st) in the 1500m with a 5:16.86. Taylor was the only intermediate girl from Arizona to make it in the 800m.
From there, it was on to last weekends Region 10 championships which were held this year in Arizona at Glendale CC.
The top three finishers in each event in the five age divisions moved on to nationals. The divisions are as follows: Bantam (ages 9 and 10), Midget (11 and 12), Youth (13 and 14), Intermediate (15 and 16) and Young men and women (17 and 18) divisions.
Region 10 features athletes from Arizona, Border (El Paso, TX), Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. There are a total of fifteen (15) regions throughout the United States.
Taylor has all the qualities to be a great runner, she's consistant and dedicated, which makes her an extremely hard worker, she is competitive, she has the smarts (4.0 GPA) and she is very talented.
From more information or to follow the results:
visit www.usatf.org or www.speedbyrawle.com
Three Compete at Paradise Valley CC Puma Invitational Saturday January 26, 2008 Paradis Valley Community College, Phoenix, AZ Click below link for Overall Results: http://www.directathletics.com/results/track/7259.html While the youngsters were competing in Mesa, FTHTC had three Open and Masters Athletes competing at the Puma Invite at Paradise Valley Community College. Coach Anna Rodriquez won the womens 800 meter run in 2:39.30, and finish second in the 1500 meter run with a time of 5:40.86 in her first track action of the year. Running in only his second track meet in fifteen years, thirty five (35) year old Greg Zonno improved on his 400 meter time from the previous week by two seconds. Greg ran a 57.80. Greg also ran the 60 meter dash in a time of 7.98 and the 200 meter dash in a time of 25.85. Greg continues to make great strides on his comeback from such a long layoff. Battling a annoying hip injury, ninteen (19) year old Joe Santillan more than held his own as he ran a 4:26.63 in the 1500 meter run to finish 7th. Joe then came back and competed in the 800 meter run with his sore hip to finish in 2:11.54 for a 10th place finish. Next Open/Master Meet is the Gaucho All-Comers February 9th, 2008 11:00 am at Glendale Community College. Stop by and cheer them on.
FTHTC Athletes Give Impressive Performance At USATF Meet
Saturday January 26, 2008
Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ
Feel The Heat Track Club (FTHTC) athletes competed in the season opening USATF-Arizona Developmental Meet and had great success!
Click below link for Overall Results:
http://www.usatf.org/assoc/az/results/080126-Dev.htm
In the Bantam Girl's Division Nazhony Thain took 2nd place in the 100-meter race with a time of 15.52. Running mad, (she wasn't happy she lost the 100) she followed up with a 1st place finish in the 400-meters with a time of 1:15.95, and then finished off her competition with a another 2nd place finish in the 200-meters with a 32.34.
Running amongst the older kids, Bantam Girl's middle distance runner Shannon Murphy took home a pair of 1st place with a winning time of 3:08.28 in the 800-meters and a 6:11.34 in the 1500-meter race.
In the Girls Youth Division, Jessey Tenorio came home in 9th place in the 800-meter run in 3:12.16 and 4th place in the 1500 with a 6:35.65. This was a great performance considering Jessey hasn't been able to train with the club, due to her school softball obligations at Fees Middle School.
The Intermediate Girls Division saw outstanding performances from three FTHTC athletes in the closes race of the day. Arielle Allen took the title with a fast early season time of 13.48, followed very closely by soccer player Katalina Patterson in 3rd with a 13.55 and Miss GPS, soccer player and distance runner turn sprinter, Amber Pasternak, in a surprising 5th place with a fantastic 14.26. Pretty impressive considering this was her first time ever using blocks and running in a sprint race. Who said distance runners don't have or need speed. Who was it that said that, come on raise your hands if it was YOU! Hamilton Freshman Destiny Lundy was 2nd with a time of 13.54.
FTHTC athletes took two of the top four spots in the Girls Intermediate 200-meter dash, with Arielle Allen finishing 2nd with a time of 27.88, behind winner Lundy. Katalina Patterson won her heat and finish 4th overall with a time of 28.59. Miss Patterson, will remember to run hard through the finish line from now on, so as to assure herself of a better finishing place, even when she is handily beating the competition in her heat races.
The Girls Intermediate 400-meter finish was a carbon copy of the 100-meter race, with Arielle Allen taking first with a opening season time of 1:03.08, followed closely by Destiny Lundy in 1:03.30. Great race ladies, you should look forward to a nice 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relay teams this upcoming high school season.
Continuing with the Intermediate Girls Division theme, Amber Pasternak, competing in a more famaliar race, won the 1500-meter race with a great early season time of 5:40.40.
The Young Women Division saw Mariah Hoffman take home first in the 100-meter dash with a 14.54. She then came back and ran the 400-meters on short rest and finished in a time of 1:08.30 to take first. Mariah finish the meet with a time of 28.12 to take 2nd in the 200-meter dash. These are solid performances considering Mariah, has only been back training for a couple weeks since the cross country season ended in November.
In other Young Women action, Sara Flubacher, better know as Saraflu, came home 2nd in the 800-meter run with a 2:49.60 and followed that up with another 2nd place in the 1500-meter run in 6:24.13. Fellow teammate, Allison Schnied, running in her first track meet ever, finish 4th in the 800-meter run with a solid 3:04.46 and came back to run 6:42.51 to finish 3rd in the 1500-meters. Outstanding job ladies and look for continued improvement as the season goes on.
On the boys side, running in his first track meet in the Sub-Bantam Division, little Keyshawn Thain started things off on the right foot (pun intended) for the club with solid performances in the 100-meter dash (12th place)19.78 and 200-meter dash (11th place) 42.95. Keyshawn is going to be flying by mid-season, once he realizes he can beat most of the boys that were ahead of him. Keep that head looking straight Keyshawn.
The Midget Division saw football superstar, Malique Sharp took it to the competition with convincing first places in both the 100-meters and 200-meters. His blistering times of 14.30 and 29.39 respectively were very impressive for his first foray into track.
The Boys Intermediate Division saw Nyle James compete in the 800-meter run (USATF is not showing an official time or place, will need to check with them) and the 1500-meter run, where he scored a 2nd place finish with a time of 5:36.96.
The Young Men Division saw great competition with FTHTC athletes holding their own and then some. Running on cruise control, Aaron Williams brought home three first places in the 100-meter dash, (11.26) 200-meter dash (23.48) and the demanding 400-meter dash (53.86). He was followed close behind by Philip Viel, with surprising and outstanding 2nd place performances in the 100-meter dash (11.86) and 200-meter dash (24.39). Philip has not be able to practice very often with the club because he is a member of the Hamilton High School soccer team.
Jared Brock took home some hardware or in this case soft ribbons, with solid performances in the 800-meter run (1st place in 2:18.42) And 1500-meter run (2nd place in 5:05.61).
All in all, Feel The Heat athletes had an outstanding day, with some great performances. This is especially impressive, considering many of the athletes were competing in their first ever track meet, as well as USATF meet. Look for many more great performances from this group of athletes in the not too distant future.
Next USATF Meet is February 2nd, 2008 9:00 am at Mesa Community College. Come by and cheer them on.
Sunday 1/20/08 Gaines takes a "Cold" First Place at Snowshoe 5K!
Adventure and Trail Racer FTHTC Athlete Adam Gaines ran the Kahtoola Snowshoe 5K at Flagstaff Nordic Center on Sunday and came home with a cold, snowy, hard fought victory. Adam's time of 27:53 was the fastest 5K time on the course since the inception of the race.
For any of you who might be ah, curious and want to try this at some time in the future, it was quite fun, competitive and yes difficult. It will be exactly like a regular 5K, except for those big snow shoes on your foot. Oh yeah, and the snow you have to run over.
Yes, it was cold up there, but I manage to survive, by parking myself next to the wood burning stove in the Nordic Center, as often as possible. The employees probably thought I was moving in. Thanks to them for not kicking me out in the cold.
Sunday 1/20/08 Coach Anna Rodriguez competes in the 4th Annual AZ Run To Remember Coach Anna ran her first 5K of the year at the 4th Annual Run To Remember and finish in a time of 21:46. She finish 20th overall and the 6th female finisher out of 352 participants. Great job coach and welcome back to competition. Check out the overall results at: http://www.arizonarunningeventsco.com/Remember2008.htm
Saturday 1/19/08 Two FTH athletes competed against the Big Dawgs this past weekend Competing in her first ever college invitational, Mariah Hoffman more than held her own in her first track competition since last May. She competed in both the 400 and 200 meters, along with Greg Zonno, who also added the 60 meters in for good measure. Zonno was competing in his first Track and Field meet since his college days at Sam Houston State, (http://www.shsu.edu/) some fifteen year ago. Zonno has been one of FTH most consistent athletes in training since he started back up from his fifteen year layoff. He has not only improved his running form and times, but has also lost some 25 pounds in the process, during his comeback. Greg was a bit anxious, excited and nervous for his first race back to say the least. However, by the time he got the 60 meters under his belt or racing spikes in this instance, and finish the 400 meters, he was well prepared (mentally) for the 200 meters. Better yet, in his own words, "I am too tired from the 400 meters to be nervous for the 200 meters." Hoffman, a Junior at Marcos de Niza, (http://marcosxctf.com/default.aspx) (http://www.tuhsd.k12.az.us/mdn/) was happy with her first meet performance and expects to improve each week. "I am so happy I ran in this meet. When it's time for me to run in my first high school meet, it will be much easier and I wouldn't be as nervous." The 200 meters was a tough race for both athletes, as the 200 meters was after the 400 meters, so their recovery time from the 400 meters was very limited. Quite a job by both to go ahead and run the 200 right after finishing the 400 at altitude. Congratulate them on a job well done! The NAU Lumberjack invitational is a high quality annual meet hosted by Coach J W Hardy and Northern Arizona University (www.nau.edu) in the Skydome in Flagstaff, Arizona. Participants included colleges such as NAU, Univ of Arizona, Univ of New Mexicon, UNLV, BYU, Dine College, as well as many clubs, high school and elite open athletes. Check out the overall results at: http://www.directathletics.com/results/track/7259.html
Sprinter/Hurdler and now wanttabe distance runner, Greg Zonno finished 33rd (23:46) overall at the Arcadia Pride 5k. Fellow FTHTC teammate Amalia Kingsbury, finish 90th (28:34) while nursing a sore foot. There was 255 runners in the race. Awesome baby, Awesome! 11/3/07 2007 State Cross Country Results
Nazhony & Jessey Run Tough at Ghost & Goblins 5k 10/28/07 Nazhony Thain placed 1st in her age (9) group and 26th overall with a time of 25:42 and Jessey Tenorio place 2nd in her age (13) group and 43rd overall with a time of 27:08. Click below for results: Nazhony & Jessey showing off their medals
Cross Country Region Roundup Marcos de Niza Girls Take Pima Region Title Samantha Meyerhoff paced the Marcos de Niza girls in winning the Pima Region individual title in 20:06. The Padres easily handled Phoenix Pinnacle for the team trophy as well (26-49). Naomi Jimenez was a close second for the Padres in 20:33. The team got a strong showing from Mariah Hoffman as she finshing in 6th place with a 21:09 to help the point total. Other Padre runners who did an awesome job in helping secure the team title were: Mariah Curley (8th) 21:26, Julie Bennett (9th) 21:30, Kay Shaeffer (10) 21:39 and Nicole Petteruti (19th) 22:54. The Marcos boys didn't do too shabby either finishing 5th as a team. Hamilton sophomore Taylor Cole won the Fiesta Region individual title with a time of 19:08. The team missed out on the team title by a whisker (49-51) to the ladies from Highland. Sydney Beatty came in a strong 5th for the Chandler lady wolves. Hamilton team members were: Victoria McArthur 10th in 20:42, Caty Berry 11th 20:53, 13th Amber Urban 21:01, 16th Kristi Pasternak in 21:09, 18th Amber Pasternak 21:16 and 20th Sarah Flubacher 21:23. On the boys side Shayne Pasternak from Hamilton finish a solid 10th in 16:48 to earn himself some hardware for the trophy case. Click for complete results Taylor Cole - Staying in contact now to pounce later
The boys and Paula did the 1 mile run 154 NAZHONY THAIN 09 4/6 F 4432 29:24 9:28 221 JESSEY TENORIO 13 4/8 F 4391 32:35 10:30 226 OLIVIA LINGRUEN 14 5/8 F 4392 32:50 10:35 This is out of 70 runners Saturday, September 22, 2007 Taylor Cole (Hamilton) was first amongst 125 other girls from 18 schools with a time of 19 minutes, 53 seconds. "I felt strong at the end," Taylor commented, as she headed off to collect her first place trophy. With the day not quite over, she headed off to another sporting activity, club soccer. Other notable performances included, Victoria McArthur(Hamilton) 7th 20:27, Amber Pasternak (Hamilton) 18th 21:18, Amber Urban (Hamilton) 21st 21:29, Maria Hoffman (Marcos de Niza) 23rd 21:33, Julie Bennett (Marcos de Niza) 30th 21:58, Natalie Jones (Marcos de Niza) 34th 22:03, Caty Berry (Hamilton) 35th 22:05, Sarah Flubacher (Hamilton) 49th 22:40, Tess Haebe (Hamilton) 54th 22:57 and Maria Curley (Marcos de Niza) 56th 23:00. On the boys side, Bryan Hoover (Marcos de Niza) placed 19th 17:25 with his teammate Tanner Kundrat coming in 26th 17:46. Other notable performance were, Sayne Pasternak (Hamilton) 32nd 18:07, Jared Brock (Hamilton) 35th 18:10, Kile Crump (Hamilton) 44th 18:41, Kyle Guthrie (Hamilton) 53rd 18:51, Eddie Martinez (Hamilton) 59th 19:04, Andrew Clauss (Marcos de Niza) 62nd 19:11, Jack Haebe (Hamilton) 64 19:21 and Devon Lewis (Marcos de Niza) 67th 19:30.
Saturday, September 8, 2007 Once again Junior Sydney Beatty ran a gutsy race and place third (3rd) in her second cross country race of the season at the Chandler Invitational at Tumbleweed park in Chandler. Running with a sore throat and stuffy nose and once again in sweltering heat and believe it or not high humidity, Sydney over came difficulty breathing and that nauseating feeling we all know so well, to run a 18:44 for third, behind Ann Bawden of Highland 18:36 and race winner, Stephanie Ledgerwood of Kofa 18:10, in a very competitive race. The Saturday races took on a different look as all races were run in class. Meaning, all Freshman ran together, Boys first, then Girls one minute later. Then Sophmores and so on and so on. Other unofficial FTHTC athletes also did well in they races, including: Freshman Race Miki Cole, Hamilton 39th 23:12, Sophmore Race Taylor Cole, Hamilton, 2nd 19:15 Junior Race Tanner Kundrat, Marcos de Niza 11th 17:00 Mariah Hoffman, Marcos de Niza 23rd 21:31 Senior Race Samantha Meyerhoff, Marcos de Niza 3rd 18:47 Naomi Jimenez, Marcos de NIza 5th 19:21 Bryan Hoover, Marcos de Niza 35th 17:43 Click below for race results http://www.arizonatrack.com/arizona/2007_Results/2007_XC/2007chandlerinvitational.html
The 2007 High School Cross Country season has begun Saturday, September 1, 2007
Sydney Beatty Dominates XC Race in Tucson!! Our very own FTHTC athlete, Sydney Beatty (Chandler HS), won her initial 2007 AIA High School Cross Country race of the season on Saturday. Sydney ran a 22:19.8 to win by ten seconds over the second place competitor, Kylee Kieser, from Case Grande Union.
"It was really hot, but the race felt really easy and I sprinted in at the end," commented Sydney. Biding her time and running in the desert heat of Tucson, Sydney ran a relax and smart race and took charge in the late stage of the race to take care of the competition.
"The course was flat but the few small hills there was, felt like nothing after running "A" Mountain," a confident Sydney said. Great job Sydney and have a nice rest day on Sunday. No Hill for you.
Side Note: The course was a bit longer (who knows by how much) than the stated 5K/3.1 miles as it was mismeasured, causing all athletes to run the extra distance. No problem for Sydney however, as she dusted the competition.
For race results Click Here:
http://www.arizonatrack.com/arizona/2007_Results/2007_XC/2007maranatigerinvitational.html
For full AZ High School Cross Country schedule Click Her:
http://www.arizonatrack.com/arizona/2007_Results/2007_XC/meetschedule.html
Congrats Sydney for getting off to such a great start to your 2007 cross country season.
Next up for Sydney, a home meet: The Chandler Invitational Saturday September 8th.
Check the Archives for 2007 Track & Field / Road Racing Season highlights
| This week's Hot Topic (if you have a story for us, let us know) Read Allstars team member inspirational story Ben is a member of our Allstar relay team, which consist of Chris Faulkner, Courtney Muhammad, Ben James and Rawle Crichlow that compete yearly at the best and most popular (last years relays had 114,191 spectators) track meet in the country, the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, PA. 400-meter man Ben James proves tougher than cancer:
Anyone who's ever seen Ben James run the quarter knows he's tough. We didn't know the half of it. While others were sweltering in Charlotte last August, he was sweating his own mortality -- having just learned he had non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, a form of cancer. Columnist Peter Glavin of the Messenger Post newspaper wrote a revealing piece. In it, Ben says: “I have a new respect for cancer patients. The body changes were brutal. The 14-pound weight loss, the hair loss, the nose bleeds and the nausea made for a long winter.” Then came Boston. Now 50, Ben did the incredible.
Here's the story -- thanks to a heads up from M55 hurdler Bill Pontius:
By PETER GLAVIN Messenger Post Columnist Posted: Apr 4, 01:00 PM EDT
Ben James confronts his biggest challenge — and wins
For over a quarter of a century, Bennie James, 50, has been the predominant sprinter in the Rochester area.
He has been a dominant force nationally and internationally, as well, at the Master's level, always in medal contention and most of the time winning. He has competed in every corner of North America, from Boise to Boston and from Orono to Honolulu, consistently running at a level that very few athletes achieve.
World Championships have taken him to Europe, Canada and the Caribbean. Just last year, he won the 400- and 200-meter dashes at the USATF National Master’s Indoor Track and Field Championships in Boston.
Recently, his biggest triumph came off the track, however, as he overcame a health scare that could have made all those experiences distant memories. Instead, it became another victory for the dedicated and faithful James.
In August, James went to the doctor to have a lump on his neck checked. A biopsy revealed that he had non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, a cancer that begins in the lymphatic system, which is part of the body's immune system.
In the lymphatic system, a network of lymph vessels carries clear fluid called lymph. Lymph vessels lead to small, round organs called lymph nodes, which are filled with lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. The lymph nodes trap and remove bacteria or other harmful substances that may be in the lymph. Groups of lymph nodes are found in the neck, underarms, chest, abdomen, and groin.
Each year, about 54,000 Americans are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
James was shaken by the news, despite assurances from his doctor that it was treatable.
"It was the lowest part of my life,” he said. "Very scary.”
He began chemotherapy, undergoing one treatment every three weeks for five months.
“I have a new respect for cancer patients," James said. “The body changes were brutal. The 14-pound weight loss, the hair loss, the nose bleeds and the nausea made for a long winter.”
His doctor suggested two more chemo treatments, but James decided eight were enough. That was two months ago. He had a CAT scan, which to his relief, showed him finally cancer-free.
James, a resident of Honeoye Falls and a 27-year employee of Kodak as a chemist, is deeply religious. He was taught to put his faith and trust in God, and he relied on that faith, his family and “a lot of reading the bible” to get though the ordeal.
After not running for over six months, James resumed training in January. "When he appeared for his first workout at RIT in January, I didn’t recognize him,” said Genesee Valley Harrier’s Running Club coach Mike Reif. “He had no hair. He was gaunt, and he could hardly make it around the track. Although his body wasn’t quite ready, his spirit was, and I knew it would be just a matter of time before the 'old Bennie' would appear.
"Ben has an incredible work ethic, and I knew he was determined to return to achieve the highest level in his sport. I never doubted that he could do it, despite his total lack of fitness."
James said that about the third week of training, he started to feel himself again. With the 2007 USATF Masters Indoor Nationals in Boston as his goal, his training and fitness improved gradually to the point that winning gold in the 400 in his first race as a 50-year old seemed realistic.
The twice-weekly training sessions were exhausting and challenging. Occasionally James would run his intervals with GVH Open elite athletes half his age in order to pull him along and reach his targeted training times. The young athletes had great respect for Ben’s ability to run with them, yet they had no idea of the ordeal he had been through because he had kept that private between him and his coach.
Once in Boston two weekends ago, James’ strategy in the 400 was to get to the 200. “However, Tom Smith from Ft. Wayne, Ind., got there first,” said James. “He slowed down at the 250-meter mark and I almost ran into him and came to a complete stop. I wasn’t sharp mentally due to the fact it had been so long since I raced. Normally, I would have just gone around him. At the 300-meter mark, James Morton of Springfield, Mass., came up from behind me and kept hitting me in the back. At 350, I just turned it on and got even with Smith. With five meters to go, Morton tried to run right between the two of us — there wasn’t enough room and he ended up pushing me across the finish line.”
The push gave James (:54.46) the one-hundredth of a second victory over Smith (:54.47). Morton was third in 54.92. The victory was indeed sweet, but only Ben James knew how far he had come and how very sweet it really was.
“For being his first race since Indoor Nationals last year, I think it's amazing he did as well as he did,” said Reif. “He worked hard with an aggressive training program and it paid off. It's really unbelievable what he did. Overall he was very pleased and grateful for the support he had.”
When the GVH Open Elite runners learned after Ben’s victory and that he had overcome cancer they were awe struck and in near disbelief.
"I believe Ben’s story was inspirational to these young athletes and will be inspirational to several other millions of people who suffer from cancer. It is a story of what hope, faith, hard work, and the human spirit can overcome and achieve.”
"On the Run" appears weekly in Messenger Post Newspapers.
Peter Glavin can be reached at pglavin@rochester.rr.com.
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