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Locals Win Running Events In Park Fete Competition
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Riverbank resident Ruben Esparza won the two-mile run and Shane Brookshire of Collegeville led the 10K in Escalon's Park Fete run/walk events on Saturday morning, July 10.

Esparza's time was clocked at 10:45.1, which he considered "good" seeing he was aiming at 10:50.

The 45-year-old is a member of ShadowChase Running Club, which organized the event, and Esparza - taking top honors both overall and in his 40 to 49 category - said he runs about 40 miles a week in training. He was joined in the Park Fete event by his brother from Orange County, who happened to be visiting him over the weekend.

Brookshire, 23, a graduate of Escalon High School and former employee of Big Boy Market, came in first in the 10K at 35:27.1.

He's just finished running for the Cal State Stanislaus team at Turlock and regarded the Escalon event as a time trial for the Wharf-to-Wharf run in Santa Cruz in two weeks' time.

The early morning events drew ample numbers of participants, with 165 registered for the two-mile and another 100-plus in the 10K.

Pearl Rivers, a 2010 graduate of Escalon High, was the first overall female finisher in the two-mile, coming in at 12:03.0 and taking first in her age division (13 to 19) as well as sixth place overall honors.

Other first place finishers in the two-mile were:

Females: Leone Rivers, 12 and under; 16:58.0; Mallory Rose, 20 to 29, 15:24.3; Heather Mello, 30 to 39, 17:13.6; Betty Topping, 40 to 49, 13:03.7; Vicky Boyd, 50 to 59, 13:49.0; Anita Parham, 22:26. 9; Marge Price, 70 to 79, 36:11.6.

The 13 to 19 age group featured five Escalon runners in the top five, paced by Pearl Rivers with her 12:03, followed by Adriana Delucchi, second, 13:40.9; Samantha Cuddy, 14:30.6; Kelly Irons, 16:21.1; and Rosebud Brumley, 18:31.8.

Top placers for the male runners included:

Marc Ney, 12 and under, 15:19.0; Alec Carpenter, 13 to 19, 11:18.8; Matthew Heflin, 20 to 29, 12:33.8; Brian Forbes, 30 to 39, 10:47.8; Mike Callas, 50 to 59, 14:17.6; Juan Garcia, 60 to 69, 14:32.1; Ricardo Guidolin, 70 to 79, 15:24.8; Joe LoBianco, 80 and over, 30:20.5.

In the 10K event, Brookshire was first overall and first for the men in the 20 to 29 division, with Anne Kelley of Atwater taking top honors for the women, finishing seventh overall in a time of 43:43.7, running in the 50 to 59 category.

Other first place finishers, by age division, for the women were:

Gina Vargas, 13 to 19, 57:45.8; Holly Moore, 20 to 29, 54:08.2; Melissa Minjarez, 30 to 39, 44:57.3; Tiffany Walker, 40 to 49, 52:53.8; Lynn Coble, 60 to 69, 55:37.7; Chiyo Shingu, 70 to 79, 1:03:18.

On the men's side, age division winners were: Matthew Barnum, 13 to 19, 36:15.1; Jesse Santana, 30 to 39, 36:26.6; Daniel Rivers, 40 to 49, 40:51.8; Daniel Garcia, 50 to 59, 40:24.2; David Willis, 60 to 69, 1:11:12.4.

Many children on foot or in strollers, as well as one riding on his father's shoulders, several dogs on leashes and an elderly woman in a wheelchair took part in the two-mile event.

Eighty-eight year-old Lena Pinasco of Stockton had her son John Pinasco of Linden push her around the course. They finished the two-mile in 33:30.0, son John getting credit for the time in the 50 to 59 age division.