Vartosu wins race

The Westport Parks and Recreation department opened its 48th road runners season with a 2.2-mile run which started and finished at Staples High School. Anatolie Vartosu of Stamford won the 153-person race with a time of 11:55 but didn't come close to touching Westport's Roy Mascolino's record (10:25), which he set in 1986.

Tom Parise (12:23) of Suffield and Westporter Jack Hennessey (12:35) placed second and third, respectively. Liz Herbert (13:40) of Darien won the women's division and placed 12th overall. Emmy Stocker (14:33) of Cos Cob and Dee Dee Scanlin (14:37) of Westport were second and third in the women's division, 25th and 29th, overall. Other Westport-Weston residents who finished in the top 10 were David Allen (12:44), fourth; Roger Baxley (12:53), fifth; Paul Greenberg (12:58), sixth; Bruce Geller (13:03), seventh; and Peter Huggins (13:26), eighth.

This week's point winners in the Grand Prix scoring system are as follows: Men's Junior Division; Jack Hennessey, 3 points, James Crennan, 2 points, and Zach Howard, 1 point. Men's Open Division; Tom Parise, 3 points, Jeff Watson, 2 points, and Michael Koenigs, 1 point. Men's Sub-Masters Division; Vincent Dejana, 3 points, Rob Leder, 2 points, and John Tarantino, 1 point. Men's Masters Division; Anatolie Vartosu, 3 points, David Allen, 2 points, and Roger Baxley, 1 point. Men's Grand Masters Division; Randy

Brophy, 3 points, Mike Gaffney, 2 points, and Robert Albanese, 1 point. Men's Veterans Division; Ramsay Merriss, 3 points, Steve Sylvestro, 2 points, and Martin Herbstman, 1 point. Men's Grand Veterans Division; Bob Laufer, 3 points, Watt White, 2 points, and Jim Stevens, 1 point.

Women's Junior Division; Judy Feng, 3 points, Georgia Kursten, 2 points, Quincy Stein, 1 point. Women's Open Division; Emily Lamont, 3 points, Liz Meyer, 2 points, and Sarah Kasuva, 1 point. Women's Sub-Masters Division; Lyn McCabe, 3 points, Melissa Lemieux, 2 points, and Natalie Decatur, 1 point. Women's Masters Division; Liz Herbert, 3 points, Dee Dee Scanlin, 2 points, and Terry Bernard, 1 point. Women's Grand Masters Division; Emmy Stocker, 3 points, Deidre O'Farrelly, 2 points, and Ronnie Behringer, 1 point. Women's Veterans Division; Carol Kane, 3 points. Women's Grand Veterans Division; Norma Minkowitz, 3 points.

This week's gift certificate and prize winners were Michael McKay, Mark Overley, Judy Feng, Jeff Wieser, Ramsey Merriss, Georgia Kursten, Liz Meyer, Watt White, Pippa Bradbrook, Carolyne Hynes, Dale Steinhart, and Jim Stevens whose place stick numbers were drawn at the post-race prize lottery by race winner Anatolie Vartosu. This week's award tee-shirt winners were Anatolie Vartosu, Tom Parise, Jack Hennessey, Liz Herbert, Emmy Stocker and Dee Dee Scanlin.

The next scheduled race is 3.1-miles and will be held tomorrow at 8 a.m. at Longshore Club Park. The runners will start at the Longshore Marina Parking Lot and run out the Exit Road, turning right on South Compo Road, right on Compo Beach Road, left on Sound View Drive, left on South Compo Road, left on the Longshore Entrance Road, straight past the Recreation Office Parking Lot, left at the first tee of the golf course and in front of the Longshore Inn Restaurant, right into the Pool Parking Lot and finish in front of the Tennis and Pool Pavilion. The record for the 3.1 mile run of 14:48 was set by Bruce Merrill of Stamford in 1978. The women's record of 17:19 was set by Sally Zimmer in 1981.

All interested persons are invited to participate. Applications for and information about the Road Runners Program are available at the Recreation Offices at Longshore Club Park, at the start of each Saturday's race, or at the Program's website located at: westportroadrunners.org. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Pavilion located next to the Tennis Courts and Pool area. The fee for the program is $30 for Westport residents and $50 for non-residents. In addition, participants have the option of paying a weekly fee of $5 (resident) or $8 (non-resident) per race fee instead of the program fee. All participants are reminded to park in the Marina or Gravel Parking Lots not the Tennis and Pool Parking Lot. Co-sponsors of this year's Road Runners Program include: Pequot Runners, Running Times Magazine, Village Bagels, Runner Roost, Sherpa Training, Road I.D. and Matt Greene of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance.

Complete results of Saturday's 2.2 mile race are attached or may be found at westportroadrunners.org.