Sports
Murdick's opens the summer road race season
Mark Engerman, 41, a sometime resident of Edgartown, won the annual Murdick's Fudge Run the Chop Challenge, a five-mile road race that took the runners from the Tisbury school to West Chop via Main Street and return to the school via Franklin Street turning on to Clough Lane from where there is a slight incline to the finish which, to tired legs, can feel more like Pike's Peak.
Photos by Ralph Stewart
Engerman's winning time was 28:54, 23 seconds better than last year's best, Joe Cresko's 29:17, but nowhere near the 25:57 posted by Kevin Gray in the '06 race.
One hundred ninety-three runners met the challenge, 44 more than last year.
The first female to complete the run was Hope Grady, of Mercersburg, Pa., who was ninth overall at 33:38.
The top dozen finishers following Engerman were (2) Christopher Schmidt, 33, Chicago, 29:35 (3) P.J. Martinez, 27, Baltimore, 30:24 (4) Ed McDevitt, 34, Boulder, Col., 30:41 (5) Steve Eick, 44, New York City, 31:38 (6) David Diriwachter, 39, Tisbury, 31:55 (7) Alfred Woods, 48, Arlington, 32:22 (8) Darren Delisle, 31, Edgartown, 32:46 (9) Hope Grady, 41, Mercersburg, Pa., 33:39 (10) Jim Austin, 65, Tisbury, 34:37 (11) Dana Gaines, 51, Edgartown, 34:46 (12) Bruce Kallner, 47, Rye Brook, N.Y., 34:55.
First in the several gender-age groups were Female: 12 and under, Samantha Solomon, New Haven, Conn., 46:35; 13-19, Lindsey Rasmussen, Minneapolis, 42:22; 20-29, Elizabeth Ryan, Baltimore, 36:03; 30-39, Christine Clark, 38, New York City; 40-49: Hope Grady, 41, Mercersburg, Pa., 33:39; 50-59, Rachel Shanor, 50, Milton, 41:25; 60-69, Margaret Seymore, Columbia, S.C., 46:48.
Male 12 and under: Jeremy Tarter, Oak Bluffs, 35:27, 13-19, Evan French, 17, Norwich, Conn., 36:07; 20-29, P.J. Martinez, Baltimore, 30:24; 30-39, Christopher Schmidt, 33, Chicago, 29:35; 40-49, Mark Engerman, 41, Edgartown, 28:54; 50-59, Dana Gaines, 51, Edgartown, 34:46; 60-69, Jim Austin, 65, Tisbury, 34:37.
Also winning big Saturday was Martha's Vineyard Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the beneficiary of the annual race.
Softball - not a stroll in the park
The Monday Men's League softball games produced unlooked for, unhappy incidents when Tony Moniz of the Wildcats was painfully injured in a play at the plate. After receiving first aid from Chris Wiggins and others, Tony was taken to the hospital by ambulance where it was found that his right foot was broken in two places.
Shortly afterwards, Wildcat pitcher Bill Frizzell was struck in the face by a come-back line drive that took a crazy bounce. Ice was applied to Bill's bleeding face and he left the field of play to be replaced on the mound by Ryan Murtha. Later it was determined that facial bones had been broken.
Both Tony and Bill were treated at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital and transferred to Mass. General Hospital in Boston.
The Canes usual tight defense deserted them and the Wildcats scored in every inning but the seventh, collecting 20 runs to the Hurricane's 7.
In earlier games at Veterans Park, Monday, the Treds scored six runs in the third inning which made the difference in their 12-8 defeat of the Stampede and the Land Sharks scored four times in the 6th pulling away from the Riptide in what had been a closely contested game to win, 7-1.
Last Wednesday, the Brewhas handed the Canes their first loss of the season, 14-9, and the Wildcats outlasted the Land Sharks in a wild one, 16-15. The Riptide posted its first win of the year, besting the Stampede, 8-6.
On Thursday, the Hurricanes blew away the Riptide, 18-3. The Boilers forfeited to the Land Sharks, and the Brewhas bowed to the Highlanders in extra innings, 20-15.
Hoops at O.B.
The Summer Basketball Leagues are launched at Niantic Park, Oak Bluffs, with eight men's teams going at each other Fridays and Tuesdays at 6:30 and 7:30 pm, and a four-team NCAA League in session Thursdays and Mondays at 6:30 and 7:30 pm.
Four girls teams play Sunday and Wednesday at 5 and 6 pm and three women's teams play Sundays and Wednesdays at 7 and 8 pm.
All is under the watchful eye of high school coaches Mike Joyce and Lisa Stewart.
