California Track & Running News Apr-June 2013, VOLUME 39 NUMBER 2 | Page 26

CTRN-APR-JUNE_2013--1_Layout 1 4/24/13 8:18 AM Page 26 continued from page 25 But it was Jon Olsen (Tamalpa) who, like Bon, achieved a stunning breakthrough on the world stage and earned UROY honors in the process. (Open) debuted with a season highlighted by top-three overall finishes at the Ohlone and Whiskeytown 50Ks, punctuated by an 18:47 inaugural effort at the Western States 100M. Toshi Hosaka continued the Quicksilver surge with a successful defense of his Senior Open crown, winning the tightest points competition of the season, 323–307. He was also the busiest Grand Prix runner of 2012, with nine finishes. For all its impressive talents-of-many-ages, Quicksilver does have an unquestioned team leader in five-time defending Masters champion Jean Pommier. Now 48, he can still win the Grand Prix’s most competitive division by 100 points over runners mostly his junior. He can still be counted on to establish new age-group course records at several races annually—in 2012, at both the Ruth Anderson 50M and Quicksilver 50K—as well as to win races outright, as he did at both of those along with the Ohlone 50K. 2012 was Pommier’s sixth consecutive Grand Prix crown, placing him in a class by himself in terms of historic dominance of the series. With notably strong placements at both the Jed Smith and Tamalpa Headlands 50Ks— overall seventh and 15th, respectively—Dan Decker rounds out Quicksilver’s roster of division champions. In just his second season of Seniors competition, he ascended from an alsoran in 2011 to a slot comfortably atop the standings, winning by nearly a century. Among the Super Seniors, it was Tamalpa’s Charles Savage’s turn to quash Quicksilver’s hope of a repeat title. In a season capped by his 20th finish at the Western States 100M, Savage parlayed his natural persistence and notable quality control into a 100-plus points triumph. Created by Bob Anderson, founder of Runner’s World A New Sport, A New Challenge for Runners 26 ct&rn • April–June 2013 The Double Road Race® is the next dimension in racing! Run 10k, rest in the Recovery Zone, then run 5k. Times are combined for scoring. ® Join us for a DOUBLE at one of the 10 locations scheduled for 2013! Visit www.DoubleRoadRace.com for details. Register Today! Use Promo Code CRN1 for your free Double Guidebook www.DoubleRoadRace.com Cash Awards! For both overall and age-group placers Persistence? Savage had been a four-time runner-up in this age-group, starting with a razorthin three-point loss when he was a