Hello, Yeti! Klunker-Cross & Trail Run rouses abominable snowman from hibernation

     The Western Nature Trail was host today to the first running of the Hello, Yeti! Klunker-Cross & Trail Run.

     "Everything went impressively well," Western Middle School track coach Jim Rissi said. 

     Forty-seven competitors took their pick of three options: a 30-minute cyclocross race, a five-kilometer trail run, or, for the hearty few, both. 

     Winning the multi-sport event was Marshall Randall, a Western High School alumnus who now lives in Grand Rapids. He second second in the cyclocross and and second the trail run.
     Typically, a cyclocross race is contested on a course a mile or less in length, with a variety of terrains and barriers. Riders race to complete as many laps as possible in a set amount of time. For the Klunker-Cross, riders finished whatever lap they were on at the 30-minute mark.        
      Klunker-Cross winner Ed Millenaar, of Sarnia, Ontario, was the only rider to complete seven laps.

Derek Easton completes a flying dismount as he approaches a barrier on the Klunker-Cross course.

     Trail Run winners were Katsune Nakashima among the women, and Ashten Griswald among the men.
     "It felt good out there today," Griswald said. "It was just cold enough, and I like running on the trail."

     Competitors and spectators alike had positive things to say about the overall experience.
     "For this being the first time, it went really well," multi-sport competitor Dustin Burdick said. "The drums and cowbells were super sweet. You could hear them no matter where you were on the course."

Seth Amburgey, Jack Tallman, and Gabe Rowlison, members of Western High School's drumline, perform during the Hello, Yeti!

     After covering expenses associated with organizing the event, the Western Runners Club will donate proceeds to the Melanoma Research Foundation.
     "Melanoma is a sneaky skin cancer," varsity track and field coach Lucas Sponsler said. "The key is catching it early. So it's important people know what to look for, and don't hesitate to have any weird moles or lumps checked out."
     Sponsler said the lives of several Western athletes and coaches have been touched by skin cancer. "It became clear we needed to do something extra."

     Burdick said he and his fiance, Courtney Head, who ran the 5k, would have participated regardless, to support the MRF, but, "it was just plain fun."

     

Special thanks to the sponsors listed in the above photo, who provided materiel and financial support. Especially deserving of recognition are Corey Grazul of P&T Fitness, who withstood the brisk November air to provide free tune-ups and pit repairs to bike racers, Dan Powell of Portland Desgin Works, who donated the PDX Beanies and other goodies, and Courtney and Dustin Burdick, of Jackson Coffee Co., for keeping us warmly caffeinated.
 Thanks also to volunteers like Parker Brue, Alex Sponsler, Sean Burns, Hannon Morgan, Dave Cole, Jacob Sponsler, Colby Sharp, Linda Scholl, Cole Sharp, Ralph Rice, Ben Engelter, Kristin Kiebler, Mike and Martha Palmer, and everyone else who made this event a success. This fall's Yeti Committee consisted of Jim Rissi, Alaina Sharp, and Lucas Sponsler.