As a former collegiate track and field athlete, Minnesota runner Angie Voight is a competitor.
But when there is a worthy cause on the line, Voight puts aside her hunger to win and competition goes out the window.
Voight crossed the finish line side-by-side with running accomplice Casey Schwarz in Saturday’s LeeShore Center Run for Women to forge a tie for victory in the 10-kilometer race, although official results technically had Schwarz with the win.
Voight is an annual competitor in the event, with over 20 appearances since first running it in 1996, and has made it a habit to show up on road trips each summer.
This summer, she returned for another overall victory in the race, and brought a friend along.
“This is like, the 20th time for me, but the first for Casey,” Voight said, nodding to her fellow friend and competitor. “We’re here with my mom, my nieces and my brother.”
Schwarz said the weather conditions were ideal for a race Saturday morning, but the laid-back pace she and Voight enjoyed was a perfect start to her Alaska experience.
“As we age, our bodies are telling us to get off the pavement,” Schwarz said with a laugh. “But she’s dragging me along to these races, and this one is important. We signed up for just that reason.”
The two lithe endurance athletes jogged down Main Street in Kenai to cross together in a time of 42 minutes, 54 seconds.
The 5K race win went to Jaycie Calvert in 20:52, while 15-year-old Tyler Johnson crossed just in front of Calvert to win the boys race in 20:48.
The event, in its 31st year of running, is a benefit for the LeeShore Center, which has served as a 24-hour domestic violence and sexual assault shelter for Kenai and the central Peninsula since May 1977, providing a safe place for women and children to go.
Schwarz said she once worked at a domestic violence center, and so Saturday’s race held more meaning for her than most other events.
“It was a huge motivating factor,” Schwarz said. “This one was important.”
The 41-year-old Voight has won either the 5K or 10K race at least 10 times since her first Run for Women at 19, and Voight said she and Schwarz average about 20 to 30 races a year, but Saturday was the first one she purposefully tried to finish in a tie.
Saturday, they crossed together sporting the names of their racing teams on their singlets — Voight with “Run N Fun,” and Schwarz with “Twin Cities Running Co.”
“We do all kinds of road races, marathons and team circuits from where we are,” Schwarz said.
Voight and Schwarz were able to put a gap on the rest of the field early, pulling away to contend for the race win between themselves. Third-place Sarah Walton finished 4 1/2 minutes behind in a time of 47:20.
Calvert won her second Run for Women 5K race, adding to the one she claimed in 2016. She said she typically uses the late summer event as a tuneup for the high school cross-country season. Calvert will join her Kenai Central teammates Monday for the Nikiski Class Races.
“It’s nice to get a race in before Monday, to see where you are,” Calvert said. “I’ve been putting in a lot of training in the offseason.”
Calvert said she managed to distance herself from the pack on the way back following the halfway turnaround, but couldn’t catch Johnson at the end.
Johnson admitted that he doesn’t consider himself much of a runner, but as an avid basketball, football and soccer player, Saturday’s race fit in with his workout schedule.
Plus, his mother, race volunteer Michelle Johnson, coaxed him into racing.
“I don’t run long distances,” Johnson said. “But (Calvert) got in front of me a few times, and I passed her back halfway.”
2018 LeeShore Center Run for Women
Saturday in Kenai
Women’s 5K — 1. Jaycie Calvert 20:52, 2. Mikayla Gillson 22:46, 3. Shari Bedunnah 23:09, 4. Mallory Millay 23:33, 5. Susan Craig 23:43, 6. Leah Shockley 24:47, 7. Taylor Guilliam 24:49, 8. Lindsey Henkelman 25:23, 9. Amanda Millay 25:43, 10. Katrina Cannava 26:15, 11. Chisato Jphnson 26:38, 12. Jacquelyn Laplante 26:52, 13. Viorka Thompson 27:18, 14. Rachel Babbit 29:01, 15. Sheila-Margaret Pothast 29:56, 16. Kaylee Fann 30:11, 17. Maria Cox 30:32, 18. Terri Cowart 31:05, 19. Christine Morin 31:06, 20. Ariana Cannava 31:11, 21. Morgan Mallory 31:18, 22. Laura Sanborn 31:25, 23. Theresa Hayden 31:28, 24. Julie English 31:47, 25. Mickinzie Ticknor 32:38.
26. Laura Henkelman 33:06, 27. Angeline Quiner 33:13, 28. Maryjane Hadaway 33:16, 29. Khloey Bedunnah 33:26, 30. Alias Smalley 33:56, 31. Tammy Fann 34:01, 32. Ashlee Fann 34:03, 33. Kyaran Matturro 34:15, 34. Breanna Mcconnell 34:15, 35. Mary Rhyner 34:46, 36. Melodie Epperheimer 35:12, 37. Emma Key 36:00, 38. Pat Walton 36:07, 39. Nancy Hammermeister 36:19, 40. Lisa Wells 36:32, 41. Laurie Winslow 36:35, 42. Shannon Bird 37:04, 43. Carrie Wawrzyk 37:04, 44. Maria Soledad Mooney 40:35, 45. Sara Dennis 41:17, 46. Jennifer Tollackson 41:18, 47. Miah Mead 41:35, 48. Shannon Vinzant 41:38, 49. Amy Mcdonald 42:24, 50. Daedra Doyle 42:26.
51. Yvonne Oren 43:07, 52. Patricia Montgomery 43:24, 53. Joy Morgan 44:40, 54. Susan Nabholz 44:52, 55. Madelyn Owens 44:54, 56. Kailey Crowell 45:38, 57. Cassandra Winslow 46:43, 58. Glenna Strongheart 47:18, 59. Ann Strongheart 47:21, 60. Louise Martin 48:36, 61. Susie Smalley 48:42, 62. Paula Standefer 48:43, 63. Tamara Ramseth 49:19, 64. Beth Pearson 49:20, 65. Nikki Ramseth 49:20, 66. Reagan Schoessler 49:31, 67. Savanna Schoessler 49:35, 68. Terri Zopf-Schoessler 50:09, 69. Judith Ann Demers 50:10, 70. Sharon Isaak 50:50, 71. Gayle Forrest 50:50, 72. Tina Seaton 50:50, 73. Mckibben Jackinsky 50:50, 74. Laura Bruce 52:04, 75. Jennifer Pelka 52:31.
76. Cecelia Strongheart 52:34, 77. Hannah Mahaffey 52:37, 78. Lori Peikert 52:44, 79. Kelly Lawson 52:58, 80. Connie Dunham 52:58, 81. Margaret Gilman 53:23, 82. Nancy Lafferty 53:23, 83. Elaine Larson 53:24, 84. Judi Artman 55:08, 85. Marystars Armstrong 55:26, 86. Barbara Beeman 55:27, 87. Sydney Tyler 56:06, 88. Lane Beauchamp 56:07, 89. Pat Reilly 57:03, 90. Therese Frothingham 59:05, 91. Alyssor Frothingham 59:05, 92. Sarah Souders 1:04:26, 93. Annette Wassillie 1:04:28, 94. Sarah Voight 1:06:38, 95. Carmen Mallory 1:11:12.
Boy’s 5K — 1. Tyler Johnson 20:48, 2. Johann Carranza 22:22, 3. Jake Nabholz 25:52, 4. Daniel Anders 26:31, 5. Malakai Bedunnah 29:53, 6. Tungsten Bedunnah 31:15, 7. Isaak Winslow 44:45
Women’s 10K — 1. Casey Schwarz 42:54, 2. Angie Voight 42:54, 3. Sarah Walton 47:20, 4. Ahlan Owens 54:35, 5. Jessie Heutt 56:41, 6. Nicole Dixon 56:47, 7. Cynthia Mcmillin 57:15, 8. Cristy Millington 58:44, 9. Amanda Waggoner 58:44, 10. Brooke Campbell 58:47, 11. Kathy Biondini 58:51, 12. Amy Baxter 59:20, 13. Amy Drake 59:42, 14. Erica Radeck 1:00:34, 15. Sharon Oyao 1:03:12, 16. Ryan Lundstrom 1:04:12, 17. Clndy Todd 1:07:31, 18. Stacy Tronnier 1:07:47, 19. Lauren Pilatti 1:08:35, 20. Debbie Whiley 1:10:19, 21. Maria Sweppy 1:12:45, 22. Eliza Anders 1:20:10, 23. Denise Baldwin 1:24:44, 24. Cat Patrick 1:25:21, 25. Penny Furnish 1:27:38.
26. Daniela Dimitrovski 1:43:03, 27. Beta Dimitrovski 1:43:28
Boy’s 10K — 1. Samuel Anders 51:21.
Angie Voight (left) and Casey Schwarz approach the finish of the women’s 10K race Saturday morning in the 31st annual LeeShore Center Run for Women in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Women’s 5K winner Jaycie Calvert (775) and boy’s winner Tyler Johnson approach the finish line Saturday morning in the 31st annual LeeShore Center Run for Women in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Samuel Anders takes a drink of water early in Saturday morning’s 10K race in the 31st annual LeeShore Center Run for Women in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Lauren Pilatti pushes a stroller full of children Saturday morning in the 31st annual LeeShore Center Run for Women in Kenai. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
