Roscoe finally claims

win in road run

despite heat, humidity.

Steve Krah

skrah@etruth.com

GOSHEN — There were plenty of Batman sightings.

A few Amazing Spider-Mans.

The Super Marios Brothers made an appearance.

There was more than one banana.

Even Richard Nixon.

A costume party?

Well, a running one anyway.

A total of 474 — many dressing as their favorite characters — braved the heat and humidity Sunday to take part in the Elkhart County 4-H Fair’s 31st annual Parade 5,000 Road Run.

Some runners — like Goshen’s Justin Gillette — pushed a stroller or a wheelchair.

Elkhart’s Lucas Roscoe was the overall and male winner. Goshen’s Petrana Petkova paced the females.

The second year of the Dick Shank Lifetime Fitness Award honored two recipients — Goshen residents Lawrence Scholl and Freeman Hershberger.

Roscoe, 21, won his first Parade 5,000 in 15 minutes, 41.51 seconds.

“I’ve been trying to win this for awhile,” said Roscoe, who has been running in the event since he was at Central High School. “I kept putting myself in great position then I would fall apart at the end.”

Roscoe said he was leading the race going into the grandstand area a year ago but could not hold on for the victory.

“Last year, it was double race strategy,” said Roscoe, who this fall will be a redshirt junior cross country/track athlete at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. “This time I was patient. I waited, waited and waited and it worked out.”

Roscoe seized the lead just after the 2-mile mark and held off runner-up Tyler Wynn (a Goshen resident and Purdue University runner) for the win. Wynn was clocked in 15:43.61.

While temperatures at race time were in the 90s, Roscoe was in his element.

“I really, really, really enjoy running in the heat,” said Roscoe.

It was Roscoe’s first race since the Sunburst in June. In order not to burn out with cross country, indoor and outdoor track at GVSU, Roscoe uses the summer to put in mileage and build up a base for the fall.

Petkova, a former Goshen College standout who in 2011-12 was a coach at Union College in Barbourville, Ky., was the 22nd overall runner. The 39-year-old native of Bulgaria was timed in 18:33.71. Goshen’s Melissa Gillette was the No. 2 female in 18:39.59.

At 79, Scholl was the oldest runner in the race. He ran his 30th Parade 5,000 — he missed only the 1992 race — in 41:47.19. Hershberger, 74, completed the course in 35:19.

Goshen’s Gay Lehman, 62, was the oldest female competitor. Her time was 30:35.21.

The race has been directed all 31 years by Rick Clark.



Elkhart County 4-H Fair Parade 5,000

Overall Top 10: Lucas Roscoe (Elkhart) 15:41.51, Tyler Wynn (Goshen) 15:43.61, Andy Williams (Middlebury) 15:54.86 Ryan Smith (Albion) 15:57.56, Daniel Ng (Winona Lake) 16:16.87, Blake O’Dell (Bristol) 16:28.84, Jordan Smeltzer (Newe Paris) 16:39.18, Justin Gillette (Goshen) 16:50.16, Justin Gillette (Goshen) 16:50.37, Dillon Hinen (Goshen) 17.01.92. Note: Gillette had two bibs, one for himself and for his son in the stroller. Overall female - 22nd, Petrana Petkova (Goshen) 18:33.71.

Age Group Finishers

Male: 12-and-under — Micah Cross (Goshen) 20:57.56, Austin Miller (Millersburg) 22:49.17, Micah Stimm (Elkhart) 22:51.06. 13-15 — Gerardo Heed (Goshen) 18:43.9, Jamie Bradberry Jr. (Goshen) 19:24.02, Jacob Wiese (Goshen) 19:28.19. 16-18 — Ryan Smith (Albion) 15:57.56, Blake O’Dell (Bristol) 16:28.84, Dillon Hinen (Goshen) 17:01.92. 19-24 — Tyler Wynn (Goshen) 15:43.61, Andy Williams (Middlebury) 15:54.86, Daniel Ng (Winona Lake) 16:16.87. 25-29 — Justin Gillette (Goshen) 16:50.16, Justin Gillette (Goshen) 16:05.37, Felipe Abad (Goshen) 19:25.75. 30-34 — Rustin Nyce (Goshen) 17:29.06, Altee Lambright (Topeka) 17:32.5, Andy Mehl (Elkhart) 18:53.03. 35-39 — Jon Bontrager (Goshen) 18:39.23, Jason Veenstra (Syracuse) 19:51.45, Steve Cauett (Hudson) 20:40.94. 40-44 — Peter Casaletto (Goshen) 17:04.31, James Bradberry (Goshen) 18:17.42, Jerald Schrock (Goshen) 20:33.53. 45-49 — Steve Messick (Goshen) 19:13.26, Jesus Perez (Goshen) 20:31.66, Alberto Jimenez (Goshen) 20:40.09. 50-54 — Randall Jacobs (Goshen) 20:58.34, Jamie Rivas (Goshen) 21:45.82, Rayeue Davila (Goshen) 22:01.36. 55-59 — Mark Furkis (Ligonier) 17:30.98. 60-and-over — Winford Jones (LaGrange) 21:33.51, Floyd Miller (Goshen) 23:55.65, Arden Graber (Etna Green) 25:54.47.

Female: 12-and-under — Regan Landis (Elkhart) 29:44.31, Morgan Workman (Elkhart) 32:23.4, Hannah Fenwick (Three Rivers, Mich.) 34:41.89. 13-15 — Ashton Ellis-Krebs (Goshen) 22:39.31, Nicole Willey (Bristol) 23:08.9, Hannah Yeakey (Goshen) 23:24.33. 16-18 — Miranda Kay (Goshen) 19:10.06, Leah Kissinger (Goshen) 22:21.09, Kayla Rothi (Bristol) 23:10.58. 19-24 — Karla Madrigal (Elkhart) 19:41.55, Miranda Boyts (Goshen) 21:34.21, Diamond Setterberg (Goshen) 24:49.41. 25-29 — Melissa Gillette (Goshen) 18:39.59, Bekah Shenk (Elkhart) 21:28.02, Arica Sheffler (Goshen) 26:05.08. 30-34 — Carrie Martin (Middlebury) 22:25.88, Kisha Bowers (Appleton, Wis.) 25:26.24, Alicia Fuentes (Goshen) 26:19.07. 35-39 — Heather Schuh (Edwardsburg) 24:25.11, Betsy McEachern (Goshen) 27:12.05, Sandra Rolin Miller (Goshen) 27:44.05. 40-44 — Stacy Huser (Papillon) 20:48.37, Michelle Oyer (Goshen) 26:22.04, Lisa Miller (Goshen) 27:50.8. 45-49 — Christine Messick (Goshen) 25:36.16, Deb Miller (Goshen) 25:43.44, Chris Haight (Goshen) 26:17.42. 50-54 — Loretta LeCount (Elkhart) 25:46.18, Rachel Shenk (Goshen) 28:11.47, Sharon Bachel (Elkhart) 31:33.03. 55-59 — Regina Yoder (Goshen) 35:01.38. 60-and-over — Gay Lehman (Goshen) 30:35.21.