Former Auburn High School standout Chris Mason has become accustomed to first-place finishes over the past year.
The Citizen file photo
Auburn native Chris Mason finished 26th overall in the Boilermaker, an annual 15K run in Utica.
Auburn native Chris Mason finished 26th overall in the Boilermaker, an annual 15K run in Utica.
The 2007 graduate has won NJCAA Division III titles in both cross country and track and field in his freshman year at Delhi.
This past weekend Mason added another first to his resume, by winning his age group at the Boilermaker, the annual 15K race in Utica that attracts some of the worlds' elite runners. Mason won the 15- to 19-year-old group by ll seconds over Ryan O#,Connor of East Aurora. He finished 26th overall in 49:47 and was the 13th American to cross the finish line. Nearly 10,000 runners competed in this years' race.
Mason described it as redeeming, after finishing 148th last year. He also had another triumph, beating perennial top runner Tommy Gruenewald, a former high school foe from Fayetteville-Manlius that won a state federation title as a senior and now runs for Stanford.
“I could never ever beat him,” Mason said. “Ever. He's always been the top dog for distance running in Section III. He's nationally-ranked and state-ranked. The Boilermaker was the first time I actually got him.”
According to Mason, it was a good day for a race, with the sky clearing just as the race started. While it was a little humid, conditions were near ideal. Mason described the course as hilly after the first three miles, but knew he was doing well when he passed Gruenewald and was battling one of the Kenyan runners (the top 10 finishers were from either Ethiopia or Kenya) later on.
After the finish Mason was definitely happy with his time, but still has other races to look forward to this summer, notably the Great Race. He has been training with Auburn coach Al Wilson in preparation for that and his college career ahead.
“My main focus right now is to pull of a real, real fast time for that,” Mason said.
After the Great Race, the 19-year-old has another year of running for Delhi before he must decide where to take the next step. He is looking to D-I and possibly D-II four-year schools.
“I can't really focus too much on searching for (colleges) because it's my first year and I just want to work on running and my education,” the business major said.
This past weekend Mason added another first to his resume, by winning his age group at the Boilermaker, the annual 15K race in Utica that attracts some of the worlds' elite runners. Mason won the 15- to 19-year-old group by ll seconds over Ryan O#,Connor of East Aurora. He finished 26th overall in 49:47 and was the 13th American to cross the finish line. Nearly 10,000 runners competed in this years' race.
Mason described it as redeeming, after finishing 148th last year. He also had another triumph, beating perennial top runner Tommy Gruenewald, a former high school foe from Fayetteville-Manlius that won a state federation title as a senior and now runs for Stanford.
“I could never ever beat him,” Mason said. “Ever. He's always been the top dog for distance running in Section III. He's nationally-ranked and state-ranked. The Boilermaker was the first time I actually got him.”
According to Mason, it was a good day for a race, with the sky clearing just as the race started. While it was a little humid, conditions were near ideal. Mason described the course as hilly after the first three miles, but knew he was doing well when he passed Gruenewald and was battling one of the Kenyan runners (the top 10 finishers were from either Ethiopia or Kenya) later on.
After the finish Mason was definitely happy with his time, but still has other races to look forward to this summer, notably the Great Race. He has been training with Auburn coach Al Wilson in preparation for that and his college career ahead.
“My main focus right now is to pull of a real, real fast time for that,” Mason said.
After the Great Race, the 19-year-old has another year of running for Delhi before he must decide where to take the next step. He is looking to D-I and possibly D-II four-year schools.
“I can't really focus too much on searching for (colleges) because it's my first year and I just want to work on running and my education,” the business major said.
The Citizens' Say
There are No comments posted.