Photo above: Nicholle Cardello, age 25 of Baltimore, finished 13th among women with a time of 21:29

Photo below: Michael Golash, age 59 of Washington, and Taya Viragh, age 32 of McLean (20:24, third in her age group)

The twelfth annual Spring Valley/Sumner 5K took place in Bethesda under sunny skies with one of the most talented fields ever to participate. Chris Hendrix-Buxton ran away from last year's winner, Joseph Daniels, and finished in16:10. Four women finished within 25 seconds of winner Sharon Donovan, who clocked an 18:41. Both winners commented on the great neighborhood atmosphere and pleasant weather.

Christopher Hendrix-Buxton attends George Mason University but is ineligible to compete for the cross-country team this season after transferring from the University of Tennessee to be with his mother while she underwent cancer treatment. The difficulties his mother has faced give him a better appreciation for life now. He was an All-American runner as a student at Hayfield High School in Alexandria, where he ran with Sharif Karie on the 4x800 meter relay team that won a national high school track title. During his senior year, he ran the third fastest prep 1000 meter indoor race in the country.

Sharon Donovan recently moved back to the Washington area from Peoria, Illinois. Donovan works for the federal government as a lawyer; she clerked for a judge in Peoria and competed often in Illinois road races, including the Steamboat 4 Miler, where she placed 13th among women. Her goal at this race was to break 19:00. In the Sumner 5K, she paced herself off the men in front of her and stayed in front of her female competition.

Joseph Daniels, last year's winner, has not raced since April; he says he and Chris ran the first mile together but then Chris pulled away. At that point, Daniels told himself that as long as he could keep Hendrix-Buxton in his sight, he'd have someone to focus on. Daniels felt OK through the second mile; he began to hear Dan Murphy behind him, which Daniels took as an indication that he could not relax or Murphy would get him. Fortunately, Daniels did hold off Murphy's challenge and finished second.

Daniels was at the race with his wife, two sons and his brother's two sons also. Daniels noted that the events of September 11th have affected many people; for him, it means saying goodbye to a brother in the military, who is about to leave town.

Gretchen Triantos (45) finished less than two seconds behind the second place woman finisher and remarked after the race that Maria Kozlowski was "so close, but I was unable to close the gap." She went on to comment that as a coach of high school cross country runners, she needs to toughen up and catch nearby competitors before she can insist her runners do it also. Triantos did not have enough punch in her legs to catch Kozlowski going up the final hill into the finish.

The W.C. & A.N. Miller Companies has been the primary sponsor of the event since its inception in 1990, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Children's National Medical Center. President Ted Miller commented during the awards presentation that Children's Hospital is a "very important member our community. We need to keep it strong." Dr. Bear attended the event and mingled with the crowd while a doctor explained that blood collected at Children's Hospital stays on site and is used to treat children with cancer.

Results

Overall Men
Pl	Name    	Age	Hometown	Chip Time Gun Time
  1	Chris Hendrix-Buxton 20	Washington, DC	16:09	16:10	
  2	Joseph Daniels	36	Marlow Heights, MD 16:34 16:35	
  3	Dan Murphy	38	Bethesda, MD	16:47	16:47
  4	Eric Rodkin	29	Burtonsville, MD 17:00	17:01
  5	Jonathan Sousa	30	Washington, DC	17:09	17:10
  6	Scott Douglas	38	Bethesda, MD	17:34	17:36
  7	Bill Lickert	28	Washington, DC	17:38	17:40
  8	Jeff Regelman	40	Reston, VA	17:54	17:55
  9	Eric Avilles	33	Riverdale, MD	18:22	18:24
 10	David Andrews	46	Bethesda, MD	18:40	18:42

Overall Women
  1	Sharon Donovan	28	Arlington, VA	18:39	18:41	
  2	Maria Kozloski	37	Washington, DC	18:47	18:49
  3	Gretchen Triantos 45	Rockville, MD	18:47	18:49
  4	Kerry Rodgers	34	Washington, DC	18:57	18:59
  5	Julie Bravin	27	Vienna, VA	19:03	19:05
  6	Taya Viragh	32	McLean, VA	20:24	20:27
  7	Becky Stewart	13	Manassas, VA	20:24	20:30
  8	Eileen Kickish	22	Washington, DC	20:52	20:55
  9	He Huang	18	Bethesda, MD	21:08	21:10
 10	Jennifer Gibson	32	Washington, DC	21:05	21:13

Age Group 19 & Under Men
1	William Linnoila 19	Bethesda, MD	21:16	21:20
2	Zack Buzzell	13	Middletown, MD	21:34	21:39
3	Kyle Taylor	18       		21:51	22:00

Age Group 19 & Under Women
1	Becky Stewart	13	Manassas, VA	20:24	20:30
2	He Huang	18	Bethesda, MD	21:08	21:10
3	Brennan Hogan	19	Washington, DC	22:44	22:53

Age Group 20-29 Men
1	Chris Hendrix-Buxton 20	Washington, DC	16:09	16:10
2	Eric Rodkin	29	Burtonsville, MD 17:00	17:01
3	Bill Lickert	28	Washington, DC	17:38	17:40

Age Group 20-29 Women
1	Sharon Donovan	28	Arlington, VA	18:39	18:41
2	Julie Bravin	27	Vienna, VA	19:03	19:05
3	Eileen Kickish	22	Washington, DC	20:52	20:55

Age Group 30-39 Men
1	Joseph Daniels	36	Marlow Heights, MD 16:34 16:35
2	Dan Murphy	38	Bethesda, MD	16:47	16:47	
3	Jonathan Sousa	30	Washington, DC	17:09	17:10

Age Group 30-39 Women
1	Maria Kozloski	37	Washington, DC	18:47	18:49
2	Kerry Rodgers	34	Washington, DC	18:57	18:59
3	Taya Viragh	32	McLean, VA	20:24	20:27

Age Group 40-49 Men
1	Jeff Regelman	40	Reston, VA	17:54	17:55
2	David Andrews	46	Bethesda, MD	18:40	18:42
3	Andy Fitzgerald	45	Potomac, MD	18:50	18:54

Age Group 40-49 Women
1	Gretchen Triantos	45	Rockville, MD	18:47	18:49
2	Christy Dale Slavin	40	Silver Spring, MD 21:23	21:26
3	Victoria Trunnell	40	McLean, VA	21:30	21:33

Age Group 50-59 Men
1	Jay Wind	52	Arlington, VA	18:42	18:43
2	Larry Washington 51	Rockville, MD	18:46	18:48
3	John Zakotnik	50	Potomac, MD	19:27	19:32

Age Group 50-59 Women
1	Alice Franks	54	Rockville, MD	23:40	23:47
2	Elizabeth Sadoff 53	Washington, DC	27:14	27:25
3	Alice Drew	56	Bethesda, MD	39:20	40:01

Age Group 60-69 Men
1	John Haubert	60	Alexandria, VA	20:02	20:03
2	Skip Grant	66	Silver Spring, MD 21:36	21:45
3	Franklin Willis	60        		22:34	22:40

Age Group 60-69 Women
1	Barbara Szoradi	61	Washington, DC	26:22	26:32
2	Yolanda Derez	60	Silver Spring, MD 26:35	26:43
3	Janet Newburgh	60	Rockville, MD	28:23	28:50

Age Group 70 & Over Men
1	Keith Olson	71	Silver Spring, MD	24:52	24:55
2	Donald McCarten	73	Falls Church, VA	27:10	27:14
3	Henry Metzger	70	Chevy Chase, MD 	27:45	28:57

Age Group 70 & Over Women
1	Lee Glassco	71	McLean, VA       	34:56	35:23

Photo: John Haubert (left), age 60 of Alexandria, and Clifford Gaddy, age 56 of Kensington, ran in to the finish at 20:03.