Cardinal ace in Freihofer race

May 30, 2009 03:23 am

— ALBANY — Toni Wiszowaty, Plattsburgh State's six-time All-American, will be running in the 31st Freihofer Run for Women today. The 22-year-old grew up in Shirley, N.Y., but now lives in Plattsburgh.

Wiszowaty, a 2008 graduate, earned All-American honors for the Cardinals in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. She holds a number of conference records and had the fastest time 10km time in Div. III for 2007 and 2008.

Her personal-best for the 5,000 meters — today's distance — is 16 minutes, 34 seconds. The Freihofer record is 15:18.

In the four years the Freihofer's Run for Women has been open to international athletes, only one African athlete (Asmae Leghzaoui, 2005) has ever won the coveted title and the $10,000 first place check.

That may change today, as one of the deepest African fields assembles in Albany for the 31st running of the fabled 5k road race at 10:15 a.m.

The African continent's biggest threat to unseat three-time Run for Women champion Benita Johnson is Teyba Erkesso, 26, who comes to New York's capital city having won last weekend's 98th ING Bay to Breakers 12K (38:29). She also set a course record (2:24:18) at this year's Houston Marathon.

Kenya, another nation with a deep running history, will also be well represented. Five athletes will make the trip.

to upstate New York, including Jane Gakunyi, 29, who competed for her country at the 2004 Athens Olympics at 5,000m; Millicent Gathoni, 22, winner of the 2008 Bolder Boulder event; Genoveva Kigen, 29, victor of the Fifth Third River Bank Run 25K, which doubled as the US 25k Championship; Rose Kosgei, 27, winner at this year's Hervis Prague Half Marathon; and, Salome Kosgei, first place finisher at this year's Bermuda International 10k.

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