Volte Athletes Get April Off to a Good Start

With three Texas 10 Series races to wrap up its 2020-2021 season, April is going to prove to be the busiest month for Volte runners since the start of the pandemic.

A handful of our runners got things started on Easter weekend – Saturday and Sunday, April 3 and 4.

But before that, the daughter of Volte runner Mayra Caamano, Chloe Kramer, capped off her sophomore season of track and field at College Park High School with a second-place overall finish in the 1,600 meters at the UIL District 13-6A Sub-Varsity Meet on Thursday, April 1.

Kramer set a personal best of 5:34.08 – just seven seconds behind The Woodlands’ Vivian Pfister.

Since only three runners can represent each school at the varsity district meet, it was the only JV race that she ran all season.

Her bests - all career bests - this season included a 1:09.78 400 meters, 5:15.64 in the 1,500 meters and a 12:32.60 in the 3200.  The bests in the 400 and the 3,200 meters were in the same meet.

Trail Racing Over Texas’ Brazos Bend races – 25K and 50K -- were moved to 7IL Ranch in the metropolis of Cat Spring.

Williamstown, New Jersey’s Joe Iovanisci came in with a 93.82 rank on UltraSignup and likely figured to pick up a win at the 50K distance, but he had never run against Luis Murillo before.

Luis, 37, bested him by more than 30 minutes to take the overall win in 3:13:46, while brother Juan, 44, was fourth overall in 4:07:06.

After an excellent marathon in March at The Woodlands Marathon, it was time for Rob Gay, 44, to get his first ultra-marathon in the books, doing so in fine fashion with a debut 5:00:45 in the 50K.

Have to wonder if a 50-miler will wipe that smile off of Rob's face?!
Seriously though, great debut at the 50K distance.
(Photo courtesy of Layton Gill)

Luis and Juan’s father, Jose, finished the 25K in 2:43:00.

Replacing Muddy Trails this year, since its course lies in Harris County, The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation department created the Run and Done 3.1 that was held on The Woodlands Waterway.

Sharon Mitchell participated and finished in 33:38.

Reports indicated that the course was slightly short, but otherwise kudos went out to the Parks and Recreation staff from whom events are typically very well produced.

Volte friends John Slate of the Seven Hills Running Club and Galloway’s Debbie Tripp finished, respectively, in 25:03 and 39:25.  John was first in his age group.

To no one’s surprise, Volte friend – and legend – Ken Johnson got in two races before The Woodlands Running Club’s Sunday Night 5K.

Ken ran the Run The Ramps 5K (Ramp Romp in earlier versions) for the 13th time on Friday, April 2, 2021, finishing in 44:05 – almost a minute faster than he did in 2019.

The next morning, he ran his 17th race of the year and his 1,170th overall when he travelled to Bellville to run the Guns and Hoses 5K.

Ken finished in 43:25 – and that included a porta-potty stop as he recorded on his blog.

A big turnout ensued at The Woodlands Running Club Sunday Night 5K on Sunday, April 4.

Sixteen runners – including two Volte friends – covered the distance.

Robert King led the way with the overall win in 20:35.

Jerritt Park and his son Brayden went second and third in 21:15 and 23:23, respectively.

Making it 55K for the weekend was Rob Gay who was next in 25:05 while Todd Hunter was not too far behind in 25:37.

Todd Hunter stepping it in to the finish with about two-tenths of a mile to go.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

Judith Albarran was the first overall female in 26:10, which was also the time for Christopher Branch.

Volte friend Jon Walk was next in 30:53 followed by George Rux in 31:40.

Good work by George Rux to start off the month of April.
(Photo courtesy of Bill Dwyer)

The entire Campbell family joined us – Jane and daughter Evie ran together while Auggie and his son Simon did so – and they all finished in 34:26.

Robert Dempsey escorted his wife, Michelle, to a finishing time of 36:53, while Ken Johnson made it three for three with a time of 42:42.