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AREA RUNNING

October 19, 2009

Omurwa, Kloss post victories in Lupus event

ROBERT MINER For The Times Leader

WILKES-BARRE – Bornfase Nyandusi Omurwa and Diane Kloss ran to easy victories in the Wilkes-Barre Lupus Loop 5K Run on a cold morning Sunday in Kirby Park.

Omurwa, 26, of Kingston and formerly from Kenya, broke the tape in 16 minutes and 11 seconds. He outran second-place finisher, John Sobocinski, 41, of Dallas, by 24 seconds. Craig Smith, 34, of Forty Fort, finished third in 18:06.

“John (Sobocinski, who is a track and cross country coach at Lake-Lehman High School) and I ran together for the first two miles,” said Omurwa. “That’s when I took off. John tried to stay with me for a while. But I continued to pull away. Once I started to pull away, John started cheering me on. He was very encouraging. He’s a good runner and a nice guy.”

Omurwa moved here from Kenya and married Megan Borsuk, whom he met in Sudan while working together for an organization that was building secondary schools.

Omurwa ran in Kenya, but never for any kind of running club and not competitively.

Kloss, who won the female division of the race in wire-to-wire fashion in 20:14, only started running five months ago.

The 32-year-old, who is currently running cross country for Penn State-Worthington, outraced second-place finisher, Jody Dutton, 22, of Dallas, by 23 seconds. Emily McHale, 25, of Scranton, finished third in 21:01.

“She took off right out of the gate,” said Dutton of the winner. “She had about a 20-yard lead on me throughout most of the race. And she kept a very steady pace.”

Dutton, who played point guard on the women’s basketball team for Houghton College (near Buffalo, N.Y.), said she kept looking for an opportunity to make a run at Kloss.

‘’But I never got that opportunity.”

Kloss won a medal for finishing fourth in the Wilkes-Barre (cross country) Invitational three weeks ago at Penn State-Wilkes-Barre – an event that featured runners from numerous Penn State campuses. She said her strategy was simple in the Lupus race.

“I just kept a nice pace,” she said. “I charged the hills. And I surged every so often.”

The Lupus Foundation raises money to fight lupus, a chronic disorder of the immune system that causes inflammation of various parts of the body.

The Pocono/Northeast Branch of the Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania ran three races this season (in Allentown on Sept. 13, in Scranton on Oct. 4 and Sunday’s race in Wilkes-Barre). The number of participants in yesterday’s race was down due to unseasonably cold temperatures. The field featured about 100 walkers and 30 runners compared to about 500 participants that turned out in Scranton two weeks ago. Nevertheless, events coordinator and race director Janice Liddic was optimistic.

“These races are our biggest fund raisers of the year,” said Liddic. “We are hoping to have raised – after the final count for the three races is in – somewhere in the neighborhood of about $50,000.”

Wilkes-Barre Lupus Loop 5K Run results

Top 5 male finishers

Bornfase Nyandusi Omurwa, 26, Kingston, 16:11

John Sobocinski, 41, Dallas, 16:35

Craig Smith, 34, Forty Fort, 18:06

Matt Malak, 17, Laflin, 18:08

Joe Pigga, 53, Dunmore, 18:37

Male award winners: Overall: 1. Omurwa; 2. Sobocinski; 3. Smith. Age group winners: 9-11: Jacob Coniglio, Mountain Top, 41:40. 12-14: Evan Kloss, Clifton Twp., 20:48. 15-19: Matt Malak, Laflin, 18:08. 20-24: Mike Devine, Wilkes-Barre, 22:29. 25-29: Jay Williams, Wilkes-Barre, 20:13. 30-34: Jon Tabatabaie, Dunmore, 22:48. 35-39: David Hines, Kingston, 25:42. Masters Division: 40-44: Salvador Bernac, Swoyersville, 18:50. 45-49: None. 50-59: Roy Collins, Hughestown, 20:52. 60 & over: None.

Top 3 female finishers

Diane Kloss, 32, Clifton Twp., 20:14

Jody Dutton, 22, Dallas, 20:37

Emily McHale, 25, Scranton, 21:01

Female award winners: Overall: 1. Kloss; 2. Dutton; 3. McHale. Age group winners: 9-11: Cassidy Taylor, Swoyersville, 35:11. 12-14: None. 15-19: None. 20-24: None. 25-29: Maria Alu, Scranton, 24:44. 30-34: Stacy Lipton, Pottsville, 23:22. 35-39: Jenn Pandither, White Haven, 22:41. Masters division: 40-44: None. 45-49: None. 50-59: None. 60 & over: None. Field: 100 (walk); 30 (run). Official starter: Patrick Wende (University of Scranton). Timing and results: Wilkes University students. Race director and events coordinator: Janice Liddic. Executive director of Pocono/Northeast Branch of Lupus Foundation of Pennsylvania: Beth Rundell.

Schedule

Sunday, Oct. 25: Wyoming Valley Striders 22nd annual Fall Trail Run, a 5.5-mile run at the pavilion near the boat launch area of Frances Slocum State Park, Kingston Twp. At 1 p.m. Info: Vince Wojnar, 474-5363.

Sunday, Nov. 1: Jewish Community Center of Wyoming Valley’s Benjamin August Memorial 3 Mile Run/Walk at the JCC, South River St., Wilkes-Barre at 10:30 a.m. Info: Bill Buzza, 824-4646.

Thursday, Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving): Berwick Marathon Association’s 100th running of the 9-mile Run for the Diamonds at Market and Second streets, Berwick at 10:30 a.m. Info: Margaret Livsey, 759-1300.

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