GVH and Syracuse TC win team titles at USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships

Niagara Results Scoreboard

On Sunday (20-March) 66 athletes and 12 teams from USATF Niagara competed in the USATF Masters Half Marathon Championships in Syracuse.  The championships were hosted by the Syracuse Half Marathon and were the the fourth race in the 2022 USATF National Masters Grand Prix.  A total of 181 athletes from 24 states competed in the championships.

USATF Niagara clubs that fielded scoring teams were: Checkers AC, Genesee Valley Harriers, Greater Buffalo TC, Roadkill Racing, Syracuse TC, 

Four locals earned trips to the awards podium for their top-three finishes while nine of the teams earned top-three placings and recognition during the awards ceremony.

Winning national team titles were the Genesee Valley Harriers women's 40+ and Syracuse TC men's 70+ squads.  

The Genesee Valley Harriers women's 40+ cumulative team time was 4:47:59 (1:36:00 average per runner). Their scoring athletes were Elizabeth Matthews (8th 40-44, 1:33:31), Heather Patterson (3rd 45-49, 1:33:34), and Debra Vertoske (4th 45-49, 1:37:25).  In the men's 70+ division the Syracuse TC outran the Atlanta TC; 5:27:32 to 5:35:39.  The teams scorers were James Foster (2nd 70-74, 1:35:33), Douglas Wood (4th 70-74, 1:50:08), and Timothy Leonard (6th 70-74, 2:01:51).  The Genesee Valley Harriers finished third with a total team of 6:16:16.

In the women's 50+ team results local teams placed second through fifth. Earning podium visits were the Genesee Valley Harriers (second) and Roadkill Racing (third).  The Greater Buffalo TC and Checkers AC finished fourth and fifth, respectively.  The team title was won by the Shore AC (New Jersey).

In the men's 50+ team results the Genesee Valley Harriers finished second with the Checkers AC finishing third.  The Garden State TC (New Jersey) won the title.

Both the M40+ and M60+ Genesee Valley Harriers teams earned award podium appearances with their third place finishes.

In the individual competition John McMahon, 55, of Williamsville and James Foster, 70, of Chittenango each earned a silver medals.  McMahon ran 1:20:00 to finish second in the men's 55-59 division and Foster ran 1:35:33 for his second place finish. McMahon's performance scored 85.17 on the age-grading tables; the best score on the day for the Niagara athletes.  Foster's score of 82.72 was the fourth best for the locals.

In the women's individual competition Heather Patterson, 47, of Rochester and Barbara Sauer, 73, of Buffalo each earned third place finishes.  Patterson ran 1:33:34 to finish third in the 45-49 division and Sauer ran 2:08:16    for third in the 70-74 division.  Sauer's 79.85 age-grading score was the best among the Niagara women.

Top Niagara Age-Graded Scores