Photo above: Lisa Thomas of Alexandria, VA is ranked 11th among open women.

Open Women
The 2003 champion, Atalelech Ketema of Washington, DC (and Ethiopia) takes the top spot for the first time in 2004. The Paul VI Runfest 5K in Fairfax, Virginia, was the major showdown. Ketema (16:21) beat second-ranked Elena Orlova (16:24) of Gaithersburg, Maryland (and Russia), third-ranked Victoria Lynch (17:19) of Washington, DC, and fifth-ranked Susannah Kvasnicka (17:33) of Great Falls, Virginia. Another test was Baltimore's Run to Remember 5K, where Ketema (16:25) again defeated Orlova (16:48).

Sharon Lemberger of Washington, DC takes the third spot on the strength of the Kentlands-Lakelands 5K, where Lemberger (17:15) defeated Kvasnicka (17:22). The youngest qualifier was the 21- year-old Ketema, and the oldest qualifier was the 45-year-old Lee DiPietro of Ruxton, Maryland.

 Pl	Name         	Age	Hometown
  1	Atalelech Ketema 21	Washington, DC
  2	Elena Orlova	 34	Gaithersburg, MD
  3	Victoria Lynch	 30	Washington, DC
  4	Sharon Lemberger 30	Washington, DC
  5	Susannah Kvasnicka 32	Great Falls, VA
  6	Jill Krebs	 23	New Windsor, MD
  7	Marina Bychkova	 28	Germantown, MD
  8	Elvira Kolpakova 32	Germantown, MD
  9	Alisa Harvey	 38	Manassas, VA
 10     Mary Kate Bailey 29     Fredericksburg, VA
 11	Lee DiPietro	 45	Ruxton, MD
 12	Lisa Thomas	 28	Alexandria, VA
 13	Lindsay Goulet	 26	Arlington, VA

Women 35 - 39
After 16 runners qualified in the Summer, only six runners managed to qualify in the Fall, all of them 38 years old or older. Alisa Harvey of Manassas, Virginia, runner-up in the Summer and 2003, takes the top spot this time. She also qualified in the Open category. She ran 29:18 at the Van Metre 5-Mile to beat fifth-ranked Maria Kozloski (32:11) of Washington, DC. She also ran a 29:05 at the Fair Lakes 8K.

Patty Fulton (photo, by Bob Mallet) of Silver Spring, Maryland takes second, with her best performance being an 18:43 at the Race for Cooperative Development 5K. Linda Sawvell of Newport News, Virginia earns the third spot, based on the Seaside 10-Miler, where Sawvell (1:07:09) defeated fourth-ranked Maureen Hall (1:08:14) of LaVale, Maryland.

 Pl	Name       	Age	Hometown
  1	Alisa Harvey	38	Manassas, VA
  2	Patty Fulton	38	Silver Spring, MD
  3	Linda Sawvell	38	Newport News, VA
  4	Maureen Hall	39	LaVale, MD
  5	Maria Kozloski	38	Washington, DC
  6	Helen Beven	39	Kensington, MD

Women 40 - 44
Winter champion and 2003 runner-up Laura Freix takes first in the 40-44 category. The top spot was decided by the Army 10- Miler, where Freix (1:03:14) beat second-ranked Donna Moore (1:03:48) of Silver Spring, Maryland, and fifth-ranked and Summer champion Monica Grillo (1:04:18) of Arlington, Virginia.

Another key race was the Veterans Day 10K, where Freix (38:42) beat third-ranked Leslie Minnix-Wolfe (39:25) of Herndon, Virginia. Fourth is Robyn Humphrey of Ellicott City, Maryland, whose best performance was a 19:16 at Columbia's Metric 5K.

 Pl	Name        	   Age	Hometown
  1	Laura Freix	   42	Centreville, VA
  2	Donna Moore	   44	Silver Spring, MD
  3	Leslie Minnix-Wolfe42	Herndon, VA
  4	Robyn Humphrey	   40	Ellicott City, MD
  5	Monica Grillo	   40	Arlington, VA
  6	Julie Hayden	   44	Ashburn, VA
  7	Gloria Santarpia   42	Odenton, MD
  8	Cindy Conant	   42	Kensington, MD
  9	Ari Orr 	   42	Arlington, VA
 10	Sheryl Kline	   41	Arnold, MD
 11	Pamela Lovett	   41	Newport News, VA
 12	Terri Rath	   40	Ashburn, VA
 13	Lise Willingham	   40	Earlysville, VA

Women 45 - 49
Photo: Becky Roed of Springfield, VA is 13th in the 45-49 division. Photo by Drew Woodrich

2003 champion Lee DiPietro of Ruxton, Maryland tops the category for the third time this year. Her performances include an 18:02 at the Run to Remember 5K, defeating fourth-ranked Laura DeWald (19:40) of Baltimore.

Second is Valerie Plyler, who enters the category strongly. Her best performance was a 19:27 at the Heritage Humane Society 5K in Williamsburg, Virginia. Third is Deborah Romig of Chesterfield, Virginia, who recorded a 33:44 at the nTelos 8K. Fifth is 2003 runner-up Leisa Ensle of Virginia Beach, whose performances include a 2:20:26 at the Stonewall Jackson 20- Miler.

 Pl	Name	           Age	Hometown
  1	Lee DiPietro	    45	 Ruxton, MD
  2	Valerie Plyler	    45	 Newport News, VA
  3	Deborah Romig	    47	 Chesterfield, VA
  4	Laura DeWald	    47	 Baltimore, MD
  5	Leisa Ensle	    46	 Virginia Beach, VA
  6	Hosni Haghighian    46	 Charlottesville, VA
  7	Robin Goodwin       45	 Timonium, MD
  8	Elizabeth Snyderwine46	 Potomac, MD
  9	Liza Recto	    47	 Lexington Park, MD
 10	Myra Washington     47	 Montgomery Village, MD
 11	Jean Betz	    45	 Chevy Chase, MD
 12	Ellie Bustin	    47	 Yorktown, VA
 13	Becky Roed	    45	 Springfield, VA

Women 50 - 54
Winter and 2003 champion Betty Blank (photo) of Falls Church, Virginia reclaims the top spot in the Fall rankings period. Her most decisive race was the Veterans Day 10K, where Blank (42:28) beat fourth-ranked Donna Lund-Nidds (46:01) of Ashburn, Virginia. Blank also recorded a 20:43 at the PACE Race 5K.

Second is Mary Astrop of Richmond, whose best performances include a 2:32:32 at the Stonewall Jackson 20-Miler and a 3:26:17 at the SunTrust Richmond Marathon. Linda Gulick of Richmond is third. Her best time was a 35:01 at the nTelos 8K. Fifth is Jenny Rexrode of Fredericksburg, Virginia, who ran a 21:54 at the Navy Federal 5K and a 54:41 at the Riverbank 12K.

 Pl	Name          	  Age	Hometown
  1	Betty Blank	   50	Falls Church, VA
  2	Mary Astrop	   50	Richmond, VA
  3	Linda Gulick	   52	Richmond, VA
  4	Donna Lund-Nidds   53	Ashburn, VA
  5	Jenny Rexrode	   50	Fredericksburg, VA
  6	Mary Lang	   50	Pasadena, MD
  7	Patricia Gilley	   51	King William, VA
  8	Karen Marchant	   50	Springfield, VA
  9	Christie Wamsley   51	Colonial Heights, VA
 10	Merrilee Seidman   50	Alexandria, VA
 11	Ellie Murphy 	   50	Baltimore, MD

Women 55 - 59
Alice Franks (photo) of Rockville, Maryland, who had led the first three ranking periods, was ambushed in the Fall period by two runners just entering the age group. First goes to Barbara Mathewson of Virginia Beach. Mathewson was ranked third in 2003 in the 50-54 age group. She ran 1:10:32 at Yorktown's Battlefield 10-Mile to beat fourth-ranked Barbara Biasi (1:23:55) of Yorktown. Mathewson also ran a 33:13 at the Neptune Festival 8K in Virginia Beach, and a 20:18 at the Hilton 5K in Newport News.

Second is the 2003 runner-up in the 50-54 division, Sandra Adams of Winchester, Virginia, who ran a 1:13:08 at the Army 10- Miler, beating third-ranked Alice Franks (1:14:43) and fifth-ranked Catherine Van Brocklin (1:22:15). Adams also ran 3:43:02 at the Marine Corps Marathon, to beat Franks (3:50:01).

 Pl	Name           	 Age	Hometown
  1	Barbara Mathewson 55	Virginia Beach, VA
  2	Sandra Adams	  55	Winchester, VA
  3	Alice Franks	  55	Rockville, MD
  4	Barbara Biasi	  56	Yorktown, VA
  5	Catherine Van Brocklin 57 Gaithersburg, MD
  6	Jane Poole	  56	Falls Church, VA
  7	Christy St. Clair 55	Fork, MD
  8	Helene Price	  59	Williamsburg, VA
  9	Betty Brothers	  57	Virginia Beach, VA
 10	Kathy Webster	  55	Newport News, VA
 11	Meredith Bonta	  58	Crofton, MD
 12	Claudia Crawford  57	Stafford, VA
 13	Linda Bankerd	  59	Alexandria, VA

Women 60 - 64
Photo: Rockville's Janet Newburgh was racing a lot in the fall/winter period to establish her credentials for the 50 Plus Club. She is ranked eighth among women 60-64.

An impressive 15 runners qualified in the 60-64 category. Judy Gilbert of Stevenson, Maryland takes the top spot. The showdown race was the Army 10-Miler, where Gilbert (1:19:17) beat Winter champion and second-ranked Joan Coven (1:21:18). Gilbert also ran a 47:58 at the Veterans Day 10K.

Third is Dee Nelson of Gaithersburg, Maryland, whose best was a 23:52 at the Great Frederick Fair 5K. Nancy Linck of Alexandria, Virginia is fourth, with a best of 1:21:37 at the Great Allegany Run 15K. Fifth is Judith Brennan of Mt. Airy, Maryland, who had a best of 1:59:07 at the NCR Trail Half-Marathon.

 Pl	Name            	Age	Hometown
  1	Judith Gilbert         	60	Stevenson, MD
  2	Joan Coven          	62	Williamsburg, VA
  3	Dee Nelson            	60	Gaithersburg, MD
  4	Nancy Linck          	62	Alexandria, VA
  5	Judith Brennan       	62	Mt. Airy, MD
  6	Rosemary Schwartzbard   62	Arlington, VA
  7	Mary Ann O'Connor	62	Reston, VA
  8	Janet Newburgh       	62	Rockville, MD
  9	Andrea Hess          	60	Midlothian, VA
 10	Donna Fitzgerald	63	Leonardtown, MD
 11	Mary Saunders          	60	Vinton, VA
 12	Barbara Stark          	60	Suffolk, VA
 13	Kathy Price          	64	Rockville, MD
 14	Jeannette Novak 	60	Damascus, MD
 15	Rosemary Jellish	60	Alexandria, VA

Women 65 - 69
The top two from 2003 take the same spots in the Fall rankings period. First goes to Tami Graf of Lusby, Maryland, who also led the Winter and Summer periods. She ran 46:20 at the Kensington 8K, beating third-ranked Jamie Wollard (54:20) of Rockville, Maryland. Graf also ran 44:46 at the Fair Lakes 8K.

The second spot goes to Nancy Patron of Williamsburg, Virginia, whose best performance was a 27:46 at the Heritage Humane Society 5K, who gets third on the basis of competition defeated. Fourth is Jill Mottus of Baltimore, who ran a 49:07 at Baltimore's Jones Falls 5-Mile, and fifth is Arlowene Garland of Warsaw, Virginia, whose times include a 1:10:38 at the Riverbank 12K.

 Pl	Name         	Age	Hometown
  1	Tami Graf	67	Lusby, MD
  2	Nancy Patron	67	Williamsburg, VA
  3	Jamie Wollard	65	Rockville, MD
  4	Jill Mottus	66	Baltimore, MD
  5	Arlowene Garland 65	Warsaw, VA
  6	Betty Munden	65	Norfolk, VA
  7	Ann Manciagli	68	Williamsburg, VA

Women 70 - 74
The 70-74 division came down to a showdown at the nTelos 8K in Richmond. Janet Lakey (45:31) of Midlothian, Virginia, won the category by beating second-ranked Nancy Welker (52:31) of Roseland, Virginia. Third is Jacqueline O'Neil of Washington, DC, whose best performance was a 34:28 at the MMRF Race for Research 5K.

 Pl	Name             Age	Hometown
  1	Janet Lakey	  71	Midlothian, VA
  2	Nancy Welker	  70	Roseland, VA
  3	Jacqueline O'Neil 72	Washington, DC

Women 75 & Over
The oldest woman qualifier is 77-year-old Helen Schley (photo) of Myersville, Maryland, who also wins the category. Schley's best performance was a 39:37 at the Great Frederick Fair 5K. Second is Spring champion Martha Trimmer of Baltimore, whose best was a 42:34 at the Baltimore 5K.

 Pl	Name        	Age	Hometown
  1	Helen Schley	77	Myersville, MD
  2	Martha Trimmer	75	Baltimore, MD

See the Men's Autumn 2004 WRR Runner Rankings.