9/3-Monks sets blistering pace in easy win, Bucklaw leads from gun @ Robbins Inv @ Kirby Pk (pix)

Maria Monks, the Hazelton senior, looks poised to have a great final campaign as a prep runner. She had two Dallas runners – including eventual runner-up Lisa Giacometti – with her until after the mile when she put in a gap that grew to over a minute. The course, now run virtually entirely in the non-wooded area of the park because of two years of flooding, does a flat loop around the start before heading out under two bridges and back. Despite ideal humidity, it was a hot day for the runners, who spent most of the time in open park. Monks ran about 12 seconds better than her 2004 win, going 18:43. Giacometti was 2nd at 19:54, with Council Rock North's Allison Sikora 3rd in 19:57. In the boys' race, Lakeland's Mark Bucklaw had a few chasers as he set the pace from the gun, and pulled away to win in 16:07. Teammate Kyle Pepson was 2nd in 16:46.

The meet story:The Cliff Robbins Memorial at Wilkes-Barre's Kirby Park is presented each year by the Robbins family and the Wyoming Valley Striders in honor of their patriarch and first organization VP, respectively. Long-time Council Rock (now North) girls' coach Cliff Robbins was a star runner in the area at E.L. Meyers HS, where he was 2nd in Districts four years in a row, and a member of the 3rd place States team his senior year. His running would lead his father, a former coal miner, to become a freelance sports journalist for the local Citizens' Voice newspaper. He took pictures of the meets, and was soon asked to take photos, "since you're going to all the meets anyway." And since he was taking photos, "why don't you do some writeups," soon followed. The champions' awards are presented by Coach Robbins, who uses the race as the season's first for the Council Rock North girls.


Race Flow Photos by Don Rich are below