2018 Award Candidate Submissions

 

 

 

Most Valuable Club Member Award

I would like to nominate Dave Diaz as either the Most Valuable or Long Distance club member as this nomination is fitting for either category.  I would like to see him win one of these awards but don’t know who the other nominees are for either award. Dave has been a club member since the early days of the club, served at the Race Director of the Rock Canyon Half marathon for 20 years and now the Spring Runoff the past few years.  He maintains the calendar on the website for our club and other local running events, he helps coordinate the Predict series of races, get the tshirt awards for the predict series and hosts two of the Predicts, the Fall Harvest predict and the December Holiday predict.  He dedicates a lot of time communicating to the club with reminder emails.  Dave has always been a dedicated volunteer to our running community, he is always at the table helping SCR events and the organization in general and continues to attend board meetings and engage in many aspects of the club.

Submitted by: Kim Arline 

I would like to nominate Alexandria Romero for the Most valuable club member. Alex has been a fairly quiet member until bursting onto the scene and getting a lot more involved in the club the past year.  She and her husband opened the year by hosting a new Predict race and then she started attending the board meetings.  As an accountant she offered to complete the club taxes, looked over previous years taxes and managed to get over $1800 back from the IRS. She helped the club adopt new financial policies for more transparency and tracking of funds coming in and going out of the club based on the latest practices. She investigated newer accounting software to update the Treasurer report, financial statements for each event and the annual financial report for the club.  She has been nominated for Treasurer to take the club even farther into financial accountability.

Submitted by: Kim Arline 

Shawn Loppnow ….great work with the predict series.

Submitted by: Robert Pratt 

I nominate Shawn Loppnow for most valuable club member. Without Shawn the Predict Series would not happen. Shawn works almost every Predict race and many times, doesn’t get to run himself.  For every Predict Race,  he shows up  early, brings all the timing equipment and stays until the last runner finishes, many times missing out on  the food and fun times at the predicts.  When the race is over, he’s not done; he goes home and works on the results, and generally gets them out by the next day. Even when he can’t attend a Predict, he is still the person who gets the results out.  This year we had 13 Predict Runs and Shawn worked most of them. That’s a huge commitment on Shawn’s part and it’s important for the club to recognize him for all he does. He also timed the Atalanta race this year. In addition to being a talented runner, Shawn regularly attends club meetings, volunteers when needed and advises the club on computer and IT matters.

Submitted by: Dave Diaz 

Long Distance Award

Shawn Loppnow has dedicated hundreds of hours doing the timing and compiling the results of all the Predict races for several years. He deals with so much behind the scenes that no one sees. I realize that I have a biased opinion since he is my husband and he loves doing this for the Club and enjoys it, but he has to deal with a lot of minor issues, such as unhappy people emailing about their results. Shawn is a sensitive man and takes it personally when something is wrong with the timing or with someone’s results. He tries so hard to make everyone happy. He rarely gets to run the actual predict and gives up countless hours of his time to put together the results. He takes a lot of pride in his work and it shows with the timely posting of results. He dedicates his time to the Club and has done it year after year.

Submitted by: Kristin Loppnow

I would like to nominate Sheri Giordano for the Long Distance Award. Sheri does not sign up for many races, yet she runs. If you ask her she would probably say oh no I don’t run, being the humble person that she is.  Sheri runs with her dogs mostly, getting outdoors and enjoying nature. If she is not running you will see her biking, hiking, paddle boarding, kayaking and supporting her husband Roger in his triathlon training. Yet she finds the time to host the March predict, be race director for the State Fair 5K, and coordinate the year end banquet for the club. Sheri also finds time to take pictures at many races or predicts. Please consider Sheri for the Long Distance Award.

Submitted by: Melanie Nelson

I would like to nominate Dave Diaz as either the Most Valuable or Long Distance club member as this nomination is fitting for either category.  I would like to see him win one of these awards but don’t know who the other nominees are for either award. Dave has been a club member since the early days of the club, served at the Race Director of the Rock Canyon Half marathon for 20 years and now the Spring Runoff the past few years.  He maintains the calendar on the website for our club and other local running events, he helps coordinate the Predict series of races, get the tshirt awards for the predict series and hosts two of the Predicts, the Fall Harvest predict and the December Holiday predict.  He dedicates a lot of time communicating to the club with reminder emails.  Dave has always been a dedicated volunteer to our running community, he is always at the table helping SCR events and the organization in general and continues to attend board meetings and engage in many aspects of the club.

Submitted by: Kim Arline 

Mary Jane Martinez….especially for bringing back and continuing the Atalanta Race for Women and her consistent club runs with the women in the mornings.

Submitted by: Robert Pratt 

I nominate Stacey Diaz for the Long Distance Award. Stacey has been a runner for over 35 years and a club member for over 30. Last year she ran 2 marathons, the Charleston Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon. In 2016, she ran the Boston Marathon and has run 13 marathons total. She is a former President of SCR and has been the volunteer point’s keeper for SCR for more than 10 years. She was the race director of the Atalanta Women’s Race for over 10 years and now is in her 4th year as co-race director of the Spring Runoff.  She and Dave co-host the Spring Runoff Tune-Up Predict in February, the Harvest Run Predict in October and the Mini, mini marathon Predict in December. She was the SCR Banquet co-coordinator for over 10 years. She regularly attends club meetings and newsletter stuffings and also submits pictures and articles to the newsletter. This year she worked the finish line at the Hot to Trot, PAWS run and the State Fair 5K and also worked packet pick up for the State Fair. She volunteered at the Rock Canyon Half Marathon for over 20 years. She also helps update the clubs Facebook page and sends sympathy cards and flowers to club members when needed.

Submitted by:  Dave Diaz 

Triathlete of the Year

Roger Giordano.  Improved on his second full distance Ironman in Wisconsin.  Roger assisted Gwen Steves with training youth in preparation for OMT.  Roger is always willing to discuss training & racing tips and the joys of running to everyone he comes across.  

Submitted by:  Jason Castro 

Please consider Sean Staples for the Southern Colorado Triathlete of the Year.  Sean is a very dedicated triathlete.  At the beginning of this year (2018) Sean had not competed in a single triathlon, but with pure determination and dedication he completed triathlons from the sprint and olympic distances on up to a whole IronMan.  After completing this daunting task this year, he already has plans in doing more half and full Ironman triathlons next year (2019) along with some sprint triathlons and full marathons. He accomplished this impressive feat in spite of having a bad wreck on his bicycle in mid-summer.  In this wreck Sean broke his collar bone which required surgery and sustained extensive and painful “road rash”.  Most people would have probably cancelled their plans to compete in the upcoming Ironman, but Sean had the conviction and resolve to continued his training while in substantial pain from his injuries. Sean is always very friendly. He greets people with a big smile and a hand shake and/or a big hug.  He always has something supportive and encouraging to say to his fellow runners and triathletes.  He is always there to volunteer his time to help setup and take down triathlon and running events and he helps train the youth SCR triathletes.  Not only has Sean developed his triathlete skills he has really become a competitive runner.  In the Rock Canyon Half Marathon this year he finished 29th out of 345 overall with an impressive time of 1:34.Finishing his first triathlons, including a full Ironman, all in one year shows Sean’s tenacious appetite for triathlons and distinguishes himself as a true triathlete. 

Submitted by: Danny Nelson

I would like to nominate Sean Staples for Triathlete of the Year. I have just really got to know Sean a little better this year. He is very personable and offers encouraging words at the predicts. He did state that he was interested in triathlons and pursue training for them, Sean not only set out to try triathlons, his goal was to complete in four triathlons, a sprint (OMT), olympic (Lake to Lake), half (Boulder) and full ironman triathlon (Wisconsin). Quite a goal for his first year. He picked a great group to learn from and train with.

Sean completed three out of the four, he would have done all four but had a bad bike crash and could not complete in the olympic distance triathlon. However, being an amazing individual that he is, competed in Ironman 70.3 Boulder 2 months after his bike crash and surgery on his shoulder. Sean went on to compete and finish Ironman 140.6 Wisconsin in September, OMT 1:03:23  10th OA and 1st in AG, Boulder 5:50:53, Wisconsin 12:47:31, Very impressive times for a first timer. Sean does a variety of cross training. Some of the races and training that he has done include: Feldman Challenge, the Incline and Barr trail, Super Half Marathon, Spring Run Off 10M, Biking up Pikes Peak Climb, Triple Bypass, and biking up Independence Pass.Sean is one of many triathletes that trained hard to compete in four different distance tris and all deserve recognition, however, I believe that Sean has overcame many obstacles and is deserving of Triathlete of the Year.

Submitted by: Melanie Nelson

I would like to nominate Roger Giordano for Triathlete of the Year.  He has had 3 busy seasons of triathlon after struggling to learn to swim and take the leap into multisport.  He completed his 2nd full Ironman this year at Ironman Wisconsin finishing 16th in his competitive age group.  He along with Gwen helped mentor and train two newer triathletes in our club, Larry Navarro and Sean Staples, to compete in their first Ironman races. He has been a longtime volunteer for SCR co-hosting two Predicts each year, the Temple Canyon and State Fair Predicts. He has volunteered for a number of years at the Ordinary Mortals and Mini Mortals Triathlon. This year he became a coach for the Youth Triathlon Club helping foster the love of multisport in our youth.

Submitted by: Kim Arline

Roger Giordano…inspiration to finish an ironman.

Submitted by: Robert Pratt 

Female Runner of the Year

My nomination for Female Runner of the year is Melanie Steves. Melanie had a very successful year racing, she placed very well age group wise in most of the races she competed in.  She co-hosted Eric’s Black Jack predict run earlier this year and was co-director of a fantastic Rock Canyon half marathon. Melanie accomplished all these exploits while attending school full time, working, and being an outstanding mother. Melanie is also a three time Legends Marathon team relay winner.

Submitted by: Jason Castro

I would like to nominate Meg Scarlett for 2018 Female Athlete of the Year. You know Meg, the quiet curly hair girl who wears a running skirt at the predicts and is always smiling, yeah her. I thought I knew Meg. However, upon talking to her husband Lew, there is sooo much more, and I decided to give her a new super hero of “Lady Justice”. How this woman can manage all of the following and keep everyday life in balance is simply amazing.

First a little personal background on Meg. She was born in Topeka, Kansas and around 1993 she moved to Pueblo. She is a mother of two (son, Retzio 19 & daughter, Rahel Gredig 14) who are her pride and joy. Meg has two bachelor degrees, is a CPA, and has a Masters Degree in Public Administration. As for volunteering, Meg epitomizes the word. In the past several years Meg has volunteered as an Ambassador with the Greater Chamber of Commerce. She has been awarded the Ambassador of the Year twice for her undying dedication to our community. She volunteers for CASA as their treasurer, volunteers through United Way with VIDA providing help to the community for tax services. And Meg still finds the time to teach Accounting I & II at PCC.  Meg does all of this while holding down a full-time job as the Wastewater Accounting Specialist with the City of Pueblo. Whew, right?

The best story he told me about Meg, was her running career, back in the day. Meg has always ran since elementary school, after she got that ribbon in track and field day. In junior high,Meg began participating in track as a 220 sprinter. She was always very nervous before her meets to the point of almost getting sick, but when the gun went off, she became the runner for all to follow. One year while in Junior High, the coach signed Meg up for the 440. Meg was furious, stating “She wasn’t a long distance runner”. Meg stood her ground by not attending the track event, sadly that event her dad was there to watch her run.  In high school she ran the 880 and still holds the record (since it is now the 800). Meg ran track and cross country in college, and has done 2 marathons, the Chicago Marathon and St. Louis Marathon all prior to 1993 (with her first husband). I believe she is still trying to stand by her statement of not being a long distance runner, lol.

Finally, fast forward to the awards banquet last year, I was talking to Meg and she mentioned to me that her goal for 2018 was to run a half-marathon every month. Well she did it. For her not being a long distance runner, she completed 12 half-marathons comprised of: Prairie Dog Half – Louisville, Pueblo Mad Moose Half, Colorado Springs Super Half, Three creek Half in Cherry Creek, Colfax Half – Denver, Leadville Heavy, Half – Leadville, Prairie Dog Half – Castle Rock, Erie Half – Erie CO, ADT Half – Colorado Springs, Kooky Spooky Half – Golden Co, Pilgrim Pacer Half – Shawnee KS, and Rock Canyon Half – Pueblo. Other races this year include the Spring Run Off 10 mile, Garden of the Gods 10 mile, Hot Chocolate (9.3), and many more 5ks including Atalanta. Plus there are the predicts too. I asked what motivates Meg, and I was told, she’ll tell you, she likes to eat. Please consider Meg Scarlett as Female Runner of the Year.

Thank you,

Submitted by:  Melanie Nelson

I would like to nominate Gwen Steves for Runner of the Year. Gwen is a driving force in our community to be more active and provides lots of opportunities for the Pueblo community to challenge themselves physically.  Gwen served as the SCR club president for two years while juggling two young children, a full time job and a busy training schedule herself. She volunteers to chip time our local SCR events saving the club thousands of dollars and dedicates an attention to detail for the most accurate and timely of results.  Our club owes a great deal of gratitude to her leadership and hundreds of hours of volunteer time. 
She is an accomplished runner and triathlete that competed in her 6th Ironman this past fall.  We all know she is a great swimmer and a beast on the bike but her marathon time at Ironman Wisconsin was just minutes from her PR. She ran a 3 hr 51 minute marathon AFTER she swam 2.4 miles and rode 112 miles.  This performance led her to a 4th place podium finish in 11 hour 5 minutes, an IM PR.  She was so close to a coveted Kona World Championship slot that she continues to train hard for possibly another shot this June at Boulder IM.
She shares her knowledge freely with others always taking a few athletes under her wing and helps them train for events alongside her.  Gwen is a true leader and coach in our community and has never been recognized as Runner of the Year and feel she is truly deserving this year. 

 Submitted by: Kim Arline

Volunteer: Rock Canyon-race director, OMT-registration, predict race-substitute for Robert Pratt. Races: Revel Rockies 13.1-PR 1.45.40, Mt. Sneffels 13.1-4th plc, Spring run-off 10 mile, Slacker half, liberty point 5k-2ndplc, state fair stampede-1st plc, Walsenburg duathlon- Overall Female, Atalanta-1st plc., Walsenburg marathon relay 1st plc team. This runner usually runs more but with her college and work she cut down. She states “I love running over the years, it has brought me much joy.  It’s been nice being a bigger part with the club and getting to know everyone more. I always try my best come race day, but it is the practice days that I appreciate and am grateful for most of all.” I wish to nominate Melanie Steves for ROTY. 

Submitted by: Stacey Diaz

Meg Fox…consistent runner. Always trying to improve. Serves our community through the chamber of Commerce.

Submitted by: Robert Pratt 

Male Runner of the Year

My nomination for Male Runner of the year is Eric Castellano.  Eric has completed several marathons this past year with a purpose of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.  Although he came up a bit short in this endeavor, his passion & determination remains as a strong as ever.  Eric, also completed most of the monthly predict runs and hosted (along with Melanie) the Eric’s Black Jack run, he was very helpful with preparing the Temple Canyon predict course and was co-director of a very successful Rock Canyon half marathon.  In his spare time, Eric was a pacer for numerous Beast pacing events throughout Colorado.  Eric is a positive role model in the Pueblo running community and is always willing to lend a hand.  Eric is also a three time Legends Marathon team relay winner.

Submitted by: Jason Castro

I would like to nominate Robert Pratt for Male Runner of the Year. Robert has been a member of SCR for many years, probably longer than I have known him. He supports many local races and does many destination races. Just a few of the races that I have heard about this year include the predicts, Spring Run Off, Royal Gorge, and Rock Canyon Half. Robert ran the Revel Rockies Marathon this year iin 3:23:41, a personal record and first in his age group. With this time, he made the Colorado Runners Magazine as Colorado’s Fastest Runner in his age group (very impressive). Robert also ran in Portland Oregon, running along the Willamette River; but I would have to say his biggest adventure run was running the Berlin Marathon in 3:37:05.
Robert is a staple in the community, he is self-employed providing a service to the community. He usually participates in the Christmas musical theater and this year he was MC for the Bluesky Fashion Show. Robert is always willing to be an announcer at a race with the finish line results.
Please consider Robert Pratt for Male Runner of the Year

Submitted by: Melanie Nelson

I would like to nominate Eric Castellano as Runner of the Year.  He has developed into a phenomenal runner, specializing in marathons, many marathons the past year.  He became a volunteer pacer for a couple Colorado marathons to help others accomplish their goal of a certain finish time.  He is very involved in the Predict series, has helped several years getting the trail ready for the Temple Canyon Predict and even jumped in to host a Predict at his house this fall. 
But the most remarkable thing is he and Melanie stepped up to serve as the race director for the Rock Canyon Half marathon while he was working two jobs and Melanie worked and finished her final semester of college with the race the weekend before finals.  They brought a whole new flavor to the race and kept smiling through it all.

Submitted by: Kim Arline

This runner completed thee marathons this year which put him up to 103 marathons in his lifetime, The Colfax, Pikes Peak Marathon and the Marine Corp Marathon. He also ran many other races and placed in his age in every race. Mt Evans 15 miler, Colorado Springs Summer Roundup, Georgetown Half marathon, Pikes Peak Ascent and then doubling the next day by running the PP Marathon, Nederland half, COS half, Rim to Rim half, and the Rock Canyon half.

This runner had been a long time club member for well over 30 plus years. He is co-race director for the Spring Runoff and co race director of the SCR Predict series an well as the Holiday mini marathon Predict. He helps with almost every finish line, attends most club meetings and is a staunch supporter of our running club. This runner has a tremendous love of running, more than anyone I have ever met in my life. He encourages new runners whenever he can and loves to share his love of the sport. He also is just an all-around nice guy. What you see is what you get with this runner and he is one of the most honest and caring individuals I’ve ever known.

My nomination for the ROTY is Dave Diaz.

Submitted by: Stacey Diaz

Dear Southern Colorado Runners Club Award Committee,
It is with delight and admiration that I nominate Mr. Larry Navarro for consideration of the 2018 Southern Colorado Runners (SCR) of the Year award.  Not only did Larry put in a power house 2018 triathlon season, completing his first Ironman 70.3 – Boulder and followed that up with Ironman 140.6 – Wisconsin, he finished out the year with an incredible year-end PR with a 1:26:45 2nd place age group (AG) at the Rock and Roll – San Antonio Half Marathon. Larry is a well-known, talented, and inspirational member of the southern Colorado running community and he always demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to his family, work, friends, and church.Fondly known around the area as always being a top podium AG contender at any running race he shows up to, Larry is no doubt currently one of the best AG local runners within our community and is still progressing.  As a friend and observer, it is safe to say that he has recognized the impact of having a caring and loving family, his house of worship, friends, and of course running has made on his quality and balance of life.What many may not know about Larry is that he and his family are truly committed and loyal members of their faith and church community where they are often seen volunteering countless hours on the weekends and at least one night per week.  How do I know?  He happily and consistently, with a big smile and grin, turns down his training partners if any activity should be suggested on either a Sunday or Wednesday evening.  His goals, focus, and passions are indeed clear.Larry continues to inspire and impress his fellow friends, house of worship, and the local running community with his selflessness and dedication, and his enthusiasm motivates others around him, including myself.  Therefore, it is my sincere hope that he may be considered for the 2018 SCR Runner of the Year award.

Sincerely,Sean Staples, Club Member

This runner volunteered as a Beast Pacer, temporarily produced Robert pratt’s prediction from his house , temple canyon as co-race director and a few marathons, the Colorado, the REVEL, The Ouray marathon, Mt Sneffles marathon, slacker half, Three Creeks half, super Spartan, Palmer Lake volunteer aid station and co-race director of Rock Canyon. This runner is one of the nicest guys and loves running. He is generous with his knowledge and time. With his easy manner, bright smile and sense of humor, he is a pleasure to be around. 

I would like to nominate Eric Castellano as Runner of the Year.

Submitted by: Stacey Diaz

I nominate Dean Hall for SCR runner of the year. At 49 years old, Dean was 9th overall at the 2018 Rock Canyon Half Marathon with a time of 1:27:18; he was first in his age. He was also first in his age at the 2017 Rock Canyon with a time of 1:25:57 again 9th overall. He consistently runs faster than any other runners in our club, except Corey Rose (who is 18 years younger). He was 3rd overall at the 2018 Spring Runoff 10 miler with a time of 1:04 and won his age. He also won his age at the Hardscrabble 10K. In 2017, he ran the Portland Marathon in a time of 3:00:03 and qualified for the Boston Marathon. He will run Boston in April 2019.

Submitted by: Dave Diaz 

Female Youth Runner of the Year

I believe Michelle Pratt would be a great representative of this award. Michelle has been a great leader on her team at PWHS, has one of the most positive attitudes, and motivates those around her to be both better athletes and better people.

Submitted by: Bobby Tillman

Emily Lucero

Submitted by: Jason Castro

I would like to nominate Patrice McGivney as this year’s Youth Female Runner of the year.  This young lady has been involved with the Southern Colorado Runners club for many, many years.  I have watched her grow up and have been especially impressed with her this past year.  Not only did Patrice participate at numerous SoCo Runner sponsored events, she also volunteered at many of them as well.  This past year, Patrice had stepped up yet again and volunteered to be the secretary at several SoCo Runner’s monthly meetings.  That is some true expression of maturity and professionalism to be able to document the meeting notes for us.  After reading her notes from the meetings she covered as secretary, I was immensely impressed at how well organized and concise  her notes were.  Great job Patrice!

Patrice competes for the East High School Eagles. She ran on the varsity squad this year more often than I recall in past years. She always had a smile at the meets that I saw her at, and always ran to the best of her ability. During the 2018 cross country season, her team was standing high in the rankings, partly due to how well Patrice ran this season. It was a very competitive season for all Pueblo girls cross country teams, so that is a great accomplishment.

Volunteering is another quality that Patrice exhibits. She, along with her fellow East Eagles cross country squad, volunteered at the Ordinary Mortals Triathlon this year. I was impressed as I witnessed her leading her team mates on exactly what they needed to do at that event. Her leadership was impressive and any coach would love to have an athlete like Patrice on their team. Although she seems a bit soft spoken or shy, she does work well with others and conveys her thoughts well.  If you have any doubts, just strike up a conversation with Patrice and you will soon understand what I am talking about. For all of the great work that Patrice has contributed to the world of running this past year, I am honored to nominate her for the Youth Female Runner of the Year.

Submitted by: Robert (Chuck) Lucero

I would like to recognize one of our fellow SCR members, Paddy McGivney, as the Female Youth Runner of the Year for all of the great things she has done and is doing that reflect positively on Southern Colorado Runners (SCR). Not only is Paddy a dedicated and accomplished runner-athlete, she also excels in academics and has volunteered for many SCR causes as well as being a well-mannered and courteous young lady.
Paddy has earned four letters as a member of the East High School Cross Country Team as well as being their #1 runner in her sophomore year and team captain in her senior year.  Although she battled injuries in her junior and senior years of cross country, she was still able compete and contribute significantly to the training, morale and wellbeing of her fellow teammates. Oftentimes she would turn down other opportunities and scheduling conflicts so she could be there to run with and support her teammates. She even turned down the chance to compete in the coveted Knowledge Bowl Tournament so she could join her team at a cross country meet. 
Paddy started running in grade school and has run every Spring Run Off race since then as well as being one of the smallest runners to finish the Woman’s Distance Festival at the Nature Center when she was way down in the grades.  She has run/walked/volunteered for numerous SCR predict races and is currently the Co-Secretary of Southern Colorado Runners.
Paddy is accomplished in Tae Kwon Do with over 10 years’ experience.  She has earned a Black Belt and has been instructing her subordinates for several years. 
Academically Paddy has excelled.  Besides earning academic letters every semester she has:
               -Lettered in Music, Orchestra three years.
               -Lettered in Music, Choir one year.
               -Lettered in Speech & Debate 4 years.
               -Captain of the Speech & Debate team.
               -Captain of the Knowledge Bowl Teams.
               -Lead her Knowledge Bowl team to the state tournament each year.
               -Participated in two East High school musicals, in both the orchestra and on stage and will graduate with an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.
               -National Merit Semifinalist.
I feel that Patty’s inherit work ethics and motivation in both athletics and academics highly qualifies her as Southern Colorado Runner’s Female Youth Runner of the year. 
Thank you.

Submitted by: Danny Nelson

I would like to nominate Patricia McGivney for Youth Female Runner of the Year.
To be honest, I really do not know her all that well, but I would describe her as being shy, modest, and reserve. However, watching her run (mostly at the predicts) I see a confident, determined bright and charming young lady.
Patty is a senior at East High School and will graduate with a IB Diploma. Earlier I described her as bright, what I should have said is intelligent! Patty is a semi finalist of National Merit Scholarship, has a 4-year letter in academics, 4-year letter in Speech and Debate (captain the year), and a member of the Knowledge Bowl Team (helped lead them to the State Tournament). Patty also participated in two EHS musicals, one on stage and the other in the orchestra. She has been doing Tae Kwon Do for 10 years and has a black belt in it. Her and other highly ranked students teach many classes. Recently during the teacher strike here in town, she supported the teachers rally in Denver and was quoted in the paper as “It’s better to be part of history than in history class”.
Patty and her family have been SCR members for many years. If Patty is not running in a predict she is volunteering. She is currently the Club secretary, sharing the duties with another member when there is a conflict of time.
Patty has participated in cross-country at EHS for 4 years lettering each year. Her best year was her sophomore year where she was the number 1 runner at EHS that year. Due to injuries, she may not have the the number 1 runner, but her running contributed to the team. Every year, Patty runs the Spring Run Off, it is one of her favorite races.
If you ask her dad what moviates Patty and he will say her hard working mom and that is also where she gets her work ethic. However, I would have to say she gets it from both parents, who are very encouraging and supportive, not to mention very proud.
Please consider Patty for Youth Female Runner of the Year.
Thank you

Submitted by: Melanie Nelson

I want to nominate Patricia McGivney for youth female runner of the year.  Patrice is a cross country and track athlete at East High School and a regular at our local races and Predict Series.  Patrice has volunteered at events but this year she went even farther stepping into a leadership role for SCR and has served as our club secretary.  She quietly listens and takes diligent minutes at our meetings but periodically raises her hand and shares a most insightful comment or idea for improving an event or procedure.  I have been very impressed with the quiet young lady who is not intimidated and dares to get involved and improve our club as an officer, provide constructive criticism and a friendly competitor on the course.

Submitted by: Kim Arline

Youth Male Runner of the Year

I believe Rylan Dehn would be a great representative of this award. He embodies what hard work and dedication mean and is just an all around great young man to be around. He has made a positive impact on his team at PWHS and will continue to do so in the future.

Submitted by: Bobby Tillman

Ben Highfill

Submitted by: Jason Castro

In the last year I have seen Lorenzo Wade development into a fine young man and a formidable runner.  He seems to improve every time I see him run.  In the Rock Canyon Half Marathon this year he improved his time by 11 minutes over last year’s time and improved his mile pace from 8:26 to 7:36.  Despite his young age he is an extremely dedicated and hard working runner who is always open to suggestions to improve his running and fitness.  He competed for Skyview Middle School in track and field (mile and 800) and cross country.  In addition, he challenges himself by competing in many non-school related races such as running (5k to Half Marathon), triathlons, mud runs and biking events.
Academically Lorenzo is a 3-year National Junior Honor Society recipient and has also been on the principal’s Honor Roll since the 6th grade.
Lorenzo also volunteers for the PAWS for Life and the Salvation Army. 
He has not only competed in numerous competitions throughout the year, he has excelled in many of them, placing in his age group, including:
            -2nd place in Spring Run Off 5k
            -2nd place in Mosaic 5K
            -3rd place Ordinary Mortals
            -1st place Paws for Life 5K
            -2nd in his heat in the Big Dog Brag Mud Run
            -2nd place Liberty Point 5k
            -4th place YMCA 5K, Benton Harbor Michigan
            -1st Tim Man Triathlon
            – 2nd Place team in Masters of the Rockies run/kayak/bike/shooting relay
            -1st place Hot-to-Trot 5k
            -2nd place overall in the 8th grade District 60/70 XC championships
            -Team Middle School Champions at the City/County XC Championships
            -1st place YMCA Turkey Trot, 7th overall
            -5th place Rock Canyon Half Marathon (his second Half Marathon)
Thank you for your consideration of Lorenzo Wade as SCR Male Youth runner of the year for 2018.  I hope you agree that he is deserving of this high honor.

Submitted by: Danny Nelson

I would like to nominate Lorenzo Wade, for Youth Male Runner of the Year.
Lorenzo is a student at Skyview Middle School. He has been a member of the National Junior Honor Society (for 3 years) and has been on the principal’s honor roll all through middle school.  Lorenzo does volunteer work for PAWS and is a Bell Ringer for the Salvation Army.  He is on the cross-country team, and this year they took first place in the Pueblo City Championships, and he competed in the state middle school meet with his team.
He is a member of SCR, and you probably have seen him and his family participating in the predicts and other local races.  This last year he has also tried sprint triathlons. Here is a list of the races and other sports he has done this last year:
            Mosaic 5K – 2nd in AG                             Paws 5K – 1st in AG
            Liberty Point 5h – 2nd in AG                     Hot to Trot 5K – 1st in AG
            YMCA Benton Harbor 5K – 4th AG           YMCA Turkey Trot – 1st AG, 7th OA
            Rock Canyon Half – 5th in AG                  Big Dog Mud Run
            Elephant Rock 40 mile bike ride               MMT – 3rd place
            Melon Man Tri                                          Tin Man Tri – 1st in AG
            Master of the Mountain – Raton NM — as a group (run, kayak, bike)
Please consider Lorenzo for Youth Male Runner of the Year.

Submitted by: Melanie Nelson