Race #1 - One Hour Track Run

Bresette Takes Early Grand Prix Lead with Track Run Victory

Russellville - James Bresette was the overall winner of the 2006 One Hour Track Run, collecting 30 points to sit atop the initial Grand Prix Overall Male standings. On the female side, Eimear O'Brien won the race, while Sarah Olney was the top Grand Prix finisher. The top masters runners on the day were Clint Daniels and Barbie Hildebrand.

Daniels was also 2nd overall and along with Bresette and Michael Weller, constituded a 1-2-3 finish for the RVR men. John Perez of LRRC came in 4th overall to end any chance of RVR claiming a perfect top 4 male Grand Prix sweep. The strong showing at the top did allow RVR to win the men's team competition. LRRC, CARK, CRC, and ARK rounded out the rest of the top five.

The LRRC women won the women's team competition with Olney and Hildebrand as the 1-2 GP finishers and Tina Coutu coming in 4th. The CARK women had a strong showing to finish 2nd, followed by ARK and WRR. Three women's teams (RVR, CCC, & CRC) just missed out on the team competition. All three clubs had two runners at the Track Run, just one runner shy of the minimum necessary to score points in the women's team competition.

Race #2 - Valentine's Day 5K

Sieczkowski and Olney Run to Valentine Victories

Russellville - Sarah Olney was the Valentine's Day 5K overall female winner in 19:59. The win extended her lead atop the Overall Female Grand Prix Leaderboard. Olney, who runs for LRRC, was the top female GP runner at the One Hour Track Run to open the 2006 season. Tina Coutu, also of LRRC, placed 2nd in the race and Ginny Lantz of CARK was close behind in 3rd. The next GP finisher was Melanie Baden-Kuhn, giving the LRRC women the V-Day 5K team title. CRC had a great showing to claim 2nd, followed by CARK, CCC, ARK and WRR.

On the men's side, Brian Sieczkowski narrowly edged out Michael Weller to win the race in 16:43. James Bresette finished just a few seconds back to take third place, which netted him 16 points to remain atop the Men's GP Overall Leaderboard. Weller and Bresette, both of RVR, were followed by teammates Todd Hink and Chuck Campbell to secure an easy team victory for the River Valley Runner men. They were followed by LRRC, CRC, CARK and ARK.

Bresette was once again the top male Masters runner, and now has a perfect 50 points atop the male Masters Grand Prix Leaderboard. Club Arkadelphia's Keith Willsey pulled the same feat, clocking an 18:12 finish at the V-Day run to keep him perfect on the season in the male Grand Masters Division. Rick Richardson maintained his GP lead in the Seniors category by virtue of a 2nd place finish at the V-Day 5K behind Maurice Robinson of the Saline County Striders.

Tina Coutu was the first female Masters runner and is the new GP leader in that division. Angie Orellano and Joan Scarlata were the top V-Day 5K Grand Masters and Seniors finishers, respectively. Vicki Ingram was the 2nd female Senior runner, to keep her in first place in the 2006 Grand Prix Female Senior Standings.

Race #3 - Little Rock Half Marathon

Bariola, Hildebrand Capture Half Marathon Titles

Little Rock - Brian Bariola was the first Grand Prix finisher at the Little Rock Half Marathon, clocking a 1:17:03 in his 2006 GP debut. John Lagunas of CARK was 2nd, followed by Karl Lenser who placed third overall and 1st in the male Masters competition. Brian Sieczkowski's 4th place finish among GP runners was enough to move him into 1st place on the Overall Male Leaderboard. In the male Grand Masters race, David Williams got his first victory of the year, as did Don Potter in the Seniors competition. Roy Hayward was 3rd GP Senior at the race, moving him into 1st on the Senior Leaderboard. Joan Scarlata was the first female Seniors GP finisher.s

On the women's side, Barbie Hildebrand held off Tina Coutu down the stretch to become the 1st female GP finisher in 1:34:16. Hildebrand's victory also made her the top Masters and Grand Masters runner on the day. Coutu's 2nd place finish vaulted her into 1st on the Overall Female Leaderboard. 2005 GP champ Tammy Walther made her 2006 debut, running the full marathon in 3:21:22 which converted to a 1:40:41 half marathon time and landed her third overall on the day. These three women constituted a perfect 1-2-3 sweep for the LRRC team, who have now won each of the first three races in 2006. LRRC was followed by CRC, CARK, ARK, CCC, and WRR.

The RVR men also won again, edging out LRRC for the men's team victory by the narrowest of margins. CARK was third, followed by CRC, ARK, and WRR.

Race #4 - Hogeye Half Marathon

Sarah Olney & James Bresette Top GP Finishers at Hogeye

Fayetteville - James Bresette took top GP points for the 2nd time this season by holding off Karl Lenser in the closing miles at the Hogeye Half Marathon. The victory allowed Bresette to reclaim the top spot on the Overall Male Grand Prix Leaderboard. Bresette and Lenser were also the top two GP Masters runners on the day, while Tom Aspel took home 20 points in the Grand Masters category by clocking a 1:39:53. Maurice Robinson of SCS was the top GP Seniors runner.

On the women's side, Sarah Olney was the top GP overall finisher for the third time this year. Olney was followed by the day's top female Master, Tina Coutu, and Melanie Baden-Kuhn. Bernita Lovelace was the top Grand Masters runner on the day, and now leads that division in the season's GP standings. Likewise, Carole Nash's time made her top GP female Senior runner and vaulted her into first on the season's leaderboard.

The team competitions were more of the same as the RVR men and LRRC women continued their perfect seasons. Each team has won all 4 races thus far in 2006. The Conway men had their best showing of the season to finish 2nd, followed by LRRC, ARK, and WRR. The Conway women were also 2nd at Hogeye, followed by WRR and ARK.

Overall, Grand Prix participation at the Hogeye Half is way up from 2005. Last year saw 27 total GP runners at Hogeye; 57 competed this year. In 2005, three total teams earned points, whereas 9 did so this year.

Race #5 - Capital City Classic 10K

Mays and Olney Top Grand Prix Runners at Capital City

Little Rock - Glen Mays saw his first Grand Prix action of the year Saturday in Little Rock at the Capital City Classic 10K, earning top points at the race and leading the LRRC men's team to victory. Brian Bariola was 2nd among GP runners, holding off James Bresette at the finish line. Bresette was the top Masters runner on the day and earned enough points to maintain his leads on the Overall and Masters Grand Prix Leaderboards. David Williams was the 1st Grand Master runner at the CCC, while Rick Richardson took the Seniors top spot.

On the women's side, Sarah Olney was the top GP overall finisher for the 2nd time in 6 days. Olney was top scorer at the Hogeye Half Marathon last weekend and has been the first GP female finisher at all four races she has run this year. Tina Coutu once again finished 2nd overall and top in Masters to maintain her lead on both the Overall and Masters GP Leaderboards. Virginia Anderson of CARK was first GP Grand Masters at CCC, a victory which places her atop the season's Grand Masters Leaderboard. In the Seniors division, Joan Scarlata won her third race of the year, posting a 54:18.

Home team LRRC swept the male and female Capital City Classic titles. The LRRC men had a staggering 13 of the top 20 runners including 3 of the top 4. The RVR men placed 2nd, the first time this year they have not taken first place at a race. Close behind RVR was CARK, followed by CRC, ARK, and WRR. The LRRC women's team continued their undefeated start to the season, having won each of the five races thus far. CARK was next, followed by CCC in their best finish of the season, ARK, and WRR. The WRR women had a huge showing with 11 runners completing the race.

Overall participation at the Capital City Classic was up this year by almost 60 people to 305 total runners; 247 completed the CCC in 2005. Grand Prix competitors accounted for 103 runners this year, up from 67 in 2005.

Race #6 - Toad Suck 10K

Mays and Olney are 2006 10K Champs

Conway - Glen Mays and Sarah Olney were the overall winners at the Toad Suck 2006 State Championship 10K in Conway. The victory moved Olney into first place on the 2006 Grand Prix Leaderboard. Olney has now been the top GP female finisher at all 5 races she has entered in 2006. Cindy Knott's 2nd place finish among GP women moved her into 2nd place on the overall leaderboard and first among Masters women. Bernita Lovelace was 3rd overall GP and 1st in the Grand Masters while Joan Scarlata was first Seniors GP female for the 4th time this year.

Mays earned the top overall GP points for the men for the second race in a row. He is now 6th on the overall Leaderboard. John Lagunas placed 2nd overall among GP runners at Toad Suck. With two 2nd place finishes at Grand Prix Championship events in 2006, Lagunas is now 5th overall on the season's Leaderboard. Karl Lenser edged out Keith Francis for the 10K Master's title, while David Williams held off Keith Willsey in the Grand Masters competition. Maurice Robinson of SCS ran to his third GP Seniors victory on the season.

The CARK men won the Toad Suck team competition by placing 4 runners among the top 8 GP finishers. This marks CARK's first victory on the season and moves them into 4th place on the Team Leaderboard. LRRC was 2nd, followed by RVR, CRC, WRR, and ARK. In the Women's team competition, CRC upset the heavily favored LRRC women to take first place in front of their hometown fans. LRRC had won the previous 5 races in the women's team competition and still maintains the top spot on the season leaderboard. The CARK women were 3rd, followed by CCC, ARK, and WRR.

Overall participation at the Toad Suck 10K was up this year by 50 people to 380 runners, following a season-long trend of increased race enrollments at Arkansas Grand Prix races.

Race #7 - Heat in the Street 2M

Walther, Mays are 2006 Two Mile State Champions

Arkadelphia - Tammy Walther continued her winning ways from last year, taking 1st place in her first Grand Prix race of the year. Walther, the 2005 female Grand Prix Champion, previously scored points at the Little Rock Half Marathon in March based on her full marathon time. The inaugural Heat in the Street 2 Mile was the first race in which she directly competed, and she won easily. The victory was made easier by the absence of Sarah Olney, winner of 5 of the first 6 Grand Prix races this year. Olney's absence actually dropped her to 2nd place on the season's standings. Cindy Knott took over the top spot by picking up 18 overall points for her 5th place showing at the 2 miler. Sunnie Butcher and Barbie Hildebrand round out the top three overall female finishers with Hildebrand also taking the top Masters and Grandmasters points on the day. Joan Scarlata notched her 5th Seniors win on the year.

On the men's side, Glen Mays took the top Grand Prix points for the 3rd race in a row. Mark Hamiter and Ethan Blakely claimed 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the first Grand Prix action for both runners this year. James Bresette lead the overall Grand Prix standing heading into the race, but has missed the last two races and has dropped to 3rd overall on the season for now. Michael Weller's 4th place showing at the 2 miler vaulted him into the vacated top spot, but Mays is streaking up the charts, now moving into 4th place overall. John Pankey, the 1998 overall Grand Prix Champion, was the top Master runner in his first GP race of 2006. Keith Willsey netted the top Grandmasters spot, while Maurice Robinson was the first male Senior.

The CARK men won the Heat in the Street team competition, lead by Hamiter, Blakely, and Pankey. Keith Francis filled the crucial fourth spot for CARK, coming in 7th overall. LRRC took 2nd, followed by the Conway Running Club and ARK. The RVR men failed to field a team for the first time this season, allowing LRRC to move into 1st place in the men's team standings. In the women's team competition, LRRC won their 6th race of the year, edging out host CARK. CCC had a great showing to finish 3rd followed by ARK and WRR.

The first year of the Heat in the Street 2 Mile State Championship was dominated by Arkansas Grand Prix runners. Nearly 2/3rds of all runners were Grand Prix members, including the top 26 male finishers.

Race #8 - Brickfest 5K

Sieczkowski, Hildebrand earn top Grand Prix points in Malvern

Malvern - Barbie Hildebrand was the top female GP finisher at Brickfest, earning first place points in the Overall, Masters, and Grandmasters divisions. IronWoman candidate Erin Combs was 2nd overall, narrowly defeating Melanie Baden-Kuhn. The 2006 Grand Prix leaderboards reflected little change as the top three runners were all idle. Joan Scarlata continued her dominance in the Seniors division as she picked up her 6th victory on the year.

On the men's side, Brian Sieczkowski took 1st among GP runners for the 2nd time this year. Michael Weller was 2nd GP to stay atop the 2006 leaderboard. Clint Daniels is back after a brief hiatus, claiming 3rd overall GP and first Masters. David Williams was the top Grandmasters runner and now leads both the Grandmasters and Masters divisions for the season. Maurice Robinson once again was tops among Seniors runners.

The LRRC swept the team races Saturday, with easy wins in both the male and female divisions. The LRRC men's scorers were Sieczkowski, Williams, Bill Diamond and Brian Wagner. RVR took second with Weller, Daniels, Chris Harper and Tom Aspel. RVR was followed by CARK and ARK. CARK took 2nd in the women's competition, placing ahead of ARK and WRR. The Spa Pacers fielded a women's team for the first team in 2006! Lisa Reilly, Mary Erdman and Jean Schooler got the Spa team onto the 2006 scoreboard. The Cabot Country Cruisers couldn't capitalize on Raquel Dufrene's 4th place finish as they failed to field a full squad. CRC also hurt their rankings by not having a male or female team at Brickfest. Conway's team guru, Karl Lenser, has vowed to get his squads back on track after admittedly lapsing due to his running of Grandma's Marathon last weekend.

Attendance was up big at the Brickfest 5K this year. 2006 saw 269 total finishers, compared to 201 at the 2005 race. The Grand Prix now enters its mid-term break with no Series race until The Dam Night Run on July 29th.

Race #9 - Dam Night Run 5K

Mays and Hildebrand Surge Up the Overall Leaderboards with Top Grand Prix Finishes at the Dam

Lake DeGray - Glen Mays placed first among Grand Prix runners at the Dam Night Run, earning 20 points and vaulting him up to third on the 2006 Overall Leaderboard. Clint Daniels took the top Masters points, while James Bresette's 2nd Masters showing was enough to return him to the top of the Masters Leaderboard. Keith Willsey was the top Grand Master for the 4th time this season, while Maurice Robinson claimed his 6th Seniors win on the year, widening his season lead in that category.

On the women's side, Barbie Hildebrand took the top GP points in the Overall, Masters, and Grand Masters divisions for the second straight race. Hildebrand ran 20 minutes flat to break her own age group course record. Sunnie Butcher placed second in the GP competition, followed by Tina Coutu in 3rd. The 2006 Overall Female Scoreboard is now wide open with the top 4 runners all within 5 points of each other. Joan Scarlata won the Seniors race at the Dam Night Run for her seventh victory on the year and is inching closer to the top spot in that division.

Todd Hink lead the River Valley Runners to the men's team title, beating CARK on their home course. LRRC was third, followed by a resurgent CRC, then WRR, and ARK. Hildebrand, Coutu, and Qualls continued the LRRC women's almost perfect season by winning the female team competition. LRRC has won 8 of the 9 races thus far in 2006. CARK and CRC were second and third, followed by a strong showings for both CCC in fourth, and WRR in fifth. ARK held onto the 3rd overall rank for the season by placing sixth, while the Spa Pacers got on the board again in seventh. CRC and CCC are now neck and neck for the all important fifth position in the 2006 standings.

Race #10 - HealthSouth 4 Mile Classic

Olney and Sieczkowski Move Atop 2006 Overall Grand Prix Leaderboards with 4 Mile Runs

Batesville - Sarah Olney won the HealthSouth 4 Mile Classic to leap to the top of the Overall Female Scoreboard. Olney, a HealthSouth employee, has now been the top GP finisher at each of the 6 races she has run this year. Tina Coutu was 2nd overall GP and 1st Masters to move into 2nd and 1st on those respective scoreboards. Joan Scarlata took top GP points in both the Grand Masters and Seniors categories.

On the men's side, Brian Sieczkowski placed 2nd in the race, but 1st among GP runners to move past Michael Weller into the top spot on the Overall Male Scoreboard. James Bresette won the Masters competition to solidify his lead in that category. Keith Willsey lead the Grand Masters men to inch closer to David Williams in the season's standings. Maurice Robinson won the Seniors title once again and can officially clinch the division at the Clear Mountain 5K in September.

The LRRC men got their first state championship team title of the year with a narrow victory over RVR. CARK was third, followed by CRC, ARK, and WRR. The LRRC women won again, their 9th win on the year. CARK held off WRR by one point to finish second. The CCC women came in 4th to move past idle CRC into the crucial 5th spot in the season's standings.

Attendance was up big in Batesville this year. 2006 saw 169 total finishers, compared to 142 at the 2005 race. Grand Prix runners accounted for 70 finishers this year, ahead of the 63 GP finishers in 2005.

Race #11 - Watermelon 5K

Hildebrand and Blakely Rule the 'Melon

Hope - Barbie Hildebrand was the top female finisher at the Watermelon 5K to move into third place on the Overall Female GP scoreboard. This marks the 4th race on the year in which Hildebrand has taken top GP honors. Tina Coutu's 2nd place finish was enough to vault her back into the top spot in the Overall standings. Bernita Lovelace placed third GP at the 'Melon to complete a top three sweep by Masters runners. Carole Nash ran 45:17 to pick up her 2nd victory of 2006 in the Seniors GP race.

On the men's side, Ethan Blakely picked up his first Grand Prix win of the season, taking the race in 16:33. James Bresette was 3rd Overall and 1st Masters, while Keith Willsey earned his 3rd straight Grand Masters win. The male Seniors division was won once again by Maurice Robinson of the Saline County Striders.

The LRRC women continued their 2006 dominance taking the team win at the Melon. The CARK women finished 2nd to LRRC for the eighth time this year, while CRC claimed third place to draw closer in the season's standings to CCC, which did not field the necessary 3 runners to earn team points. WRR beat ARK for the fourth place. WRR is now within just 4 points of ARK for third place in the female team race. Fueled by Blakely's win and a strong showing out of Caleb Mays, CARK took first place in the men's team competition. RVR just edged LRRC for second while the WRR men earn 14 points for their fourth place showing.

Race #12 - ARK Riverfront 5K

Olney & Kaley are 2006 5K State Champs

North Little Rock - Sarah Olney was victorious at the ARK Clear Mountain 5K in North Little, her 7th Grand Prix win of the season. Barbie Hildebrand was 2nd Overall, 1st Masters, 1st Grand Masters, while her LRRC teammate Tammy Walther came in third overall. Joan Scarlata took home top honors in the Seniors division for the 9th time this year, and can officially clinch the Grand Prix 60+ title with a top showing at the Celebrity Classic later this month.

On the men's side, Sean Kaley took first place in his first Grand Prix action of the season. Michael Weller edged out Brian Sieczkowski for 2nd place, while Chuck Campbell was fifth overall and 1st place Masters. Campbell now sits in fifth place on the season's Masters leaderboard. Keith Willsey defeated David Williams in a close race to leap to the top of the Grandmasters division. Willsey now leads Williams by 6 points with just 5 races to go. Maurice Robinson took first in the Seniors race to officially clinch the season title.

The LRRC women had their most impressive showing on the year, claiming the 4 of the top five overall runners. CARK once again finished strong for 2nd place and CCC continued an impressive streak to finish 3rd. CRC, ARK, and WRR rounded out the female team scoring. LRRC got a big win in the Men's Team Competition, placing 5 runners in the top 10. CARK edged RVR for 2nd place to pull closer to River Valley for 2nd place on the season's standings. Conway was able to hold off ARK and WRR to claim 4th for the race.

Attendance was up big at the race this year, as nearly 70 more runners completed in the race in 2006 compared to 2005.

Race #13 - Orange Crush XC

Bresette & Olney Win Orange Crush Open Titles

Conway - Sarah Olney catapulted herself back into the Overall Female lead in the 2006 Grand Prix competition, taking top points at the Orange Crush XC Festival. Olney has won top GP honors at each of the 8 races she has run so far this year, and now only needs wins at the Celebrity Classic 5K and Spa 10K to complete the perfect season. The Masters and Grand Masters divsions were once again won by Barbie Hildebrand. Hildebrand was also 2nd Overall, while Sunnie Butcher earned 24 overall points for third to move up to 6th on the overall leaderboard. Butcher missed several races earlier this year with injury and will not likely be able to crack into one of the 3 overall spots. Virginia Anderson moved into third place in the Masters division and could claim that season title should Hildebrand and Tina Coutu remain in the top three overall at the end of the year.

On the men's side, James Bresette was the top open runner to earn 30 GP points in both the Overall and Masters divisions. Brian Sieczkowski placed 2nd to solidify his lead on the Overall Scoreboard, while Michael Weller was 3rd. David Williams was the top Grand Master at the Orange Crush to reignite his once fading chance of claiming the season's Grand Masters title. Keith Willsey, 2nd Grand Master at OC, still holds the lead, but will need at least one more victory over Williams to officially clinch. Both Williams and Willsey are also in play in the Masters division after each beat Chuck Campbell at the Orange Crush and Bill Diamond DNF'ed. These four men should battle down to the wire for the Masters crown as James Bresette, the current Masters leader, is likely to place in the top three overall.

The RVR men returned to form, winning the team title for their sixth victory of the year, but first since the Dam Night Run in July. LRRC was 2nd followed by CARK, CRC, and ARK. The LRRC women won again, victory #12 in 13 races, and can officially clinch the team title next weekend. CARK was second, followed by CCC, WRR, and ARK. The White River Roadrunners now trail the Arkansas Running Klub by just 3 points for third place on the season's scoreboard.

Race #14 - Celebrity Classic 5K

Sieczkowski & Olney are Tops at the Celebrity

Fort Smith - Sarah Olney has officially taken the drama out of the Overall Female Grand Prix competition. As top female finisher in Fort Smith, Olney earned 20 GP points to put an unsurmountable gap on the rest of the field no matter the outcome of the season's final three races. To complete a perfect 10 win season, Olney must still take the top GP spot at the Spa 10K. Tina Coutu was 2nd GP Overall and top Masters finisher at the Celebrity, while Erin Combs continued her scoring streak by placing 3rd GP. Combs is the only runner to earn overall points at every Grand Prix race thus far in 2006. Ann McCaa and Carole Nash continued their Iron Seasons by taking the top GP spots in the Grand Masters and Seniors divisions, respectively.

Brian Sieczkowski was the first overall finisher to pad his lead in the Overall Male GP competition. Sieczkowski can officially clinch his 2nd Grand Prix title with a strong showing at the Chile Pepper XC Festival. James Bresette was 2nd Overall and first Masters on the day to add to an already impressive season. Bresette is likely to finish as 2006's top Masters runner and placement in the top three overall is a virtual lock. Bresette's probable overall finish creates a wide open race for the Masters award. Keith Willsey, top Grand Master at the Celebrity Classic moves into sole position of the 2nd spot behind Bresette. He is followed closely by David Williams, Bill Diamond, and Chuck Campbell. Roy Hayward picked up his first victory of 2006 in the Seniors division moving him ahead of Wayne Bennett for 2nd place on the season behind Maurice Robinson.

The LRRC women won their 13th race of the year and have now officially clinched the 2006 female Team Title. This will mark their 11th team championship in the Arkansas Grand Prix, but first since 2001. The CARK women were 2nd place at the race and clinched 2nd place for the season as well. WRR was third at the Celebrity and now trail ARK by just 1 point for 3rd place in the season's rankings. In the men's team competition, CARK utilized a youth movement to take the race win. Teenagers Alec Helms and Caleb Mays scored huge performances to complement solid races from Chad Sanders and Keith Willsey to score the victory. LRRC was 2nd to pad their overall lead on RVR, which placed third. ARK rounded out the men's team scoring in 4th.

Race #15 - Chile Pepper XC

Sieczkowski & Coutu Take Pepper Grand Prix Wins

Fayetteville - Brian Sieczkowski was the top male Grand Prix runner at the Chili Pepper to officially lock up his second consecutive Grand Prix Championship. Sieczkowski joins Fred Klinge, David Briggs, and Kevin Mitchell as the only repeat Overall Male Champions in the 25 years of the Arkansas Grand Prix Series. Michael Weller found himself 2nd place behind Sieczkowski for the 3rd time this season and will likely finish as the runner up in the season standings as well. Keith Francis picked up his 1st Masters victory of 2006, while Keith Willsey again defeated David Williams for the Grand Masters win. Willsey has now positioned himself as the season's likely Master's Award Winner should James Bresette maintain his current rank in the Overall top 3. Wayne Bennett took his first race win in the Seniors competition.

Tina Coutu added another accomplishment to her already impressive 2006 season: top Grand Prix placing at the Chile Pepper 10K. Coutu is currently second in the Overall season standings and first on the Masters leaderboard. Erin Combs had her best finish of the year, 2nd Overall GP, to continue her campaign for Iron status. Cindy Knott was 3rd OA/2nd Masters with her 2nd straight solid showing. Virginia Anderson was the top Grand Master on the day while Carole Nash was first among female Seniors

The LRRC women failed to win the race for just the 2nd time this season, falling to CARK. WRR placed 3rd to jump ARK into 3rd place on the season's standings. CARK also won the Men's Team competition, followed by LRRC and RVR.

Race #16 - MidSouth Marathon

Ferguson & Coutu Earn Grand Prix Wins in Wynne

Wynne - Stan Ferguson was the top Grand Prix male at the MidSouth Marathon, the fourth straight year he has claimed this honor. Paul Turner, Kim Howard, Mike Banman, and John Perez rounded out the top five as Masters runners dominated the MidSouth Grand Prix competition. Robert Holmes was the first Grand Master across the line, while Dan Belanger took home the top Seniors GP finish.

Tina Coutu was the top female Grand Prix runner for the second consecutive race. Coutu has now clinched second place in the overall competition and will finish the year atop the Masters leaderboard. Bernita Lovelace was third Overall GP and first among Grand Masters. The female Seniors were lead by Carole Nash of ARK.

In the men's team competition, LRRC narrowly edged CRC to win the race and clinch the 2006 Team Title. LRRC becomes the first men's team to repeat as Grand Prix champions since the RVR in 1996. CARK was third at MidSouth to collect 24 points and leap over RVR for 2nd place in the season standings. All placings in the men's team competition are now set, regardless of the overcome of the season's final race, the Spa 10K. On the women's side, the White River Roadrunners scored a huge victory to clinch a top three finish for the season. ARK collected 27 points for 2nd at MidSouth and will finish the year in 4th place overall.

Race #17 - Spa 10K

Sarah Olney Completes Perfect Season with Spa GP Win

Hot Springs - With both the Overall Individual and Team competitions already decided, Sarah Olney's sucessful bid for a perfect Grand Prix season provided the greatest drama at 2006's final race. Olney finished first among female Grand Prix runners at each of the 10 races she competed in this year, 5 Championship and 5 non-championship, for a perfect 250 points on the season. Olney is the first runner to accomplish this feat since Angie Heringer in 2002. Tina Coutu and Ginny Lantz were the 2nd and 3rd Overall GP finishers at the Spa 10K. Coutu finished the year 2nd Overall and 1st in the Masters Division. Barbie Hildebrand follows 2005's 2nd Overall finish with a 3rd place finish for the 2006 Grand Prix Series. The elevation of Coutu and Hildebrand into the Overall Awards caused a ripple effect on the rest on the female divisions. Cindy Knott, Bernita Lovelace and Virginia Anderson moved into the top 3 Masters Awards, opening up the Grand Masters Awards for Joan Scarlata, Ann McCaa, and Carole Nash. Scarlata and Nash's elevation moved Mary Erdman, Frances Barger and Vicki Ingram into the top 3 Senior spots.

On the men's side, John Pankey was the top Grand Prix runner at the Spa, followed closely by James Bresette. Pankey, the 1998 Grand Prix Overall Champion, completed just his second GP race of the year. Earlier Pankey had finished 5th at the Heat in the Street 2 Miler. There was virtually no movement on the season's Grand Prix Male Leaderboards as a result of the Spa results. Bresette's top 3 finish in the Overall competition allows Keith Willsey to take the Masters Division, followed by David Williams and Bill Diamond. Willsey and Williams Master's placement opened up the Grand Masters Awards for Tom Aspel, Larry Graham, and Bill Torrey. Maurice Robinson, Wayne Bennett, and Dan Belanger finish the season in the top 3 Male Seniors spots.

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