What does Olympic gold medal cyclist Kristin Armstrong do for an encore?
Well, on Saturday, she took a quick hike up Baldy with 76 other finishers as the annual "Shop to the Top" climbing event returned, sponsored by The Elephant's Perch.
Boise resident and former Boise Family YMCA director of aquatics Armstrong, 35, won the Olympic women's road race time trial gold medal Aug. 13 in China and returned to Boise Aug. 16 to a triumphant "Victory Ride," with fellow bicyclists in downtown Boise.
One week later, last Saturday, she climbed up Baldy with her husband, 43-year-old Joe Savola, the winner of "Shop to the Top" when it was last staged in 2006. The event was canceled last August because of the Castle Rock fire in the Sun Valley area.
Savola won the ascent in 57 minutes and 36 seconds two years ago, and managed a very respectable 1.00:26 fourth-place time Saturday after his trip to China to support his wife and all the hubbub surrounding her triumphant return to Boise.
The men's winner Saturday was New Jersey native Bernie Boettcher, 45, the 5-11, 150-pound trail runner from Silt, Colo. His time was 58 minutes and 9 seconds. An accomplished snowshoer, Boettcher was the USA Track and Field Masters Mountain Runner of the Year in 2003.
Women's winner on the six-mile "Race Class" course Saturday was Jenny Tobin, 39, of Boise in 1.06:10.
Hailey's Jennifer Schwartz led the five-mile "Sport Class" finishers in 1.14:29, ahead of runner-up Jason Vontver, 40, of Ketchum, 1.16:53.
Cyclist Kristin Armstrong was the fifth female in the "Sport Class," and 14th overall, in 1.36:37.
There were 77 climbers making the 3,200-foot ascent Saturday. Awards were presented to the fastest man and woman in each class. There were prize drawings for everyone.
Shop to the Top results
August 23, 2008, the annual 6-mile run and 5-mile walk from Ketchum to the top of Baldy sponsored by The Elephant's Perch. There were 77 finishers—43 "Race Class" runners (31 male and 12 female), plus 34 "Sport Class" walkers (20 men and 14 women). Finishing times for both classes are listed in hours, minutes and seconds, with age and class finish listed after name. Participants ranged in age from 20-68 for the "Race Class," and 12-71 for "Sport Class."
6-MILE "RACE CLASS"
PLACE, NAME TIME
1—Bernie Boettcher, 45 (1) 58:09
2—Michael Selig, 30 (1) 58:42
3—Michael Tobin, 44 (1) 58:58
4—Joe Savola, 43 (2) 1.00:26
5—Wray Landon, 28 (1) 1.01:11
6—Miles Fink-Debray, 20 (2) 1.02:38
7—Whit Albright, 38 (1) 1.03:08
8—Tom Borschel, 50 (1) 1.03:18
9—Jenny Tobin, 39 (1) 1.06:10
10—Hannes Achhorner, 29 (3) 1.07:08
11—Drew Michener, 28 (4) 1.07:15
12—Jeffery Roth, 43 (3) 1.07:20
13—Buzz Burrell, 56 (1) 1.09:21
14—Matt Hansen, 22 (5) 1.09:33
15—Chard Berndt, 40 (4) 1.09:41
16—Chris Mallory, 26 (6) 1.10:32
17—Espen Haugen, 23 (7) 1.14:13
18—Cameron Lloyd, 27 (8) 1.15:12
19—Cameron Lawler (9) 1.16:38
20—Jon Holmquist, 55 (2) 1.16:59
21—Nicole DeYong, 25 (1) 1.17:15
22—Kathy Morell, 47 (1) 1.17:55
23—Bill Briggs, 59 (3) 1.18:17
24—Daryl Fauth, 38 (2) 1.18:43
25—Abbie Harris, 26 (2) 1.20:46
26—Richard Giudicelli, 46 (2) 1.21:54
27—Tizz Miller, 40 (1) 1.24:14
28—Jared Bissen, 31 (2) 1.26:34
29—Dan Young, 46 (3) 1.28:20
30—Jeanne Blatter, 51 (1) 1.28:26
31—Tess O'Sullivan, 34 (1) 1.29:38
32—Pat Simpson, 57 (4) 1.30:26
33—Jeff Ealey, 46 (4) 1.30:53
34—Susan Crist, 53 (2) 1.32:32
35—Rick Roudabush, 54 (2) 1.33:31
36—Stacey Monson, 44 (2) 1.33:42
37—John Swyers, 68 (1) 1.35:57
38—Hoyt Michener, 41 (5) 1.38:10
39—Jana Flinn, 45 (2) 1.39:34
40—Danna Cox, 32 (2) 1.42:02
41—Norah Selig, 27 (3) 1.46:16
42—Dave Miller, 60 (1) 1.47:46
43—Harry Wyeth, 67 (2) 1.51:58
Top female runners
1—Jenny Tobin, Boise (9th) 1.06:10
2—Nicole DeYong, Ket. (21st) 1.17:15
3—Kathy Morell, Ket. (22nd) 1.17:55
4—Abbie Harris, Ket. (25th) 1.20:46
5—Tizz Miller, Bellevue (27th) 1.24:14
5-MILE "SPORT CLASS"
1—Jennifer Schwartz, 38 (1) 1.14:29
2—Jason Vontver, 40 (1) 1.16:53
3—Sandy Solomon, 42 (1) 1.18:33
4—Geoff Wells, 45 (1) 1.20:26
5—Jim Field, 54 (1) 1.21:33
6—Hector Ocampo, 30 (1) 1.23:46
7—Phillip Usher, 66 (1) 1.24:50
8—Dale Closner, 64 (1) 1.27:34
9—John Sofro, 53 (2) 1.28:01
10—Alex Higgins, 63 (2) 1.28:25
11—Donald Ebbs, 54 (3) 1.29:39
12—Kristen Morton, 42 (2) 1.30:03
13—Twila Moon, 26 (1) 1.36:26
14—Kristin Armstrong, 35 (2) 1.36:37
15—John Matteson, 56 (1) 1.36:38
16—Jed Gray, 59 (2) 1.41:35
17—Karen Simpson, 56 (1) 1.41:40
18—Barbie Crandlemire, 66 (1) 1.45:35
19—Robert Kayyem, 70 (2) 1.46:37
20—Joanne Davis, 71 (1) 1.47:50
21—Andy Parnes, 62 (3) 1.48:09
22—Alicia Sanders, 33 (1) 1.50:03
23—Jennifer Byington, 33 (2) 1.50:50
24—Elisa Deveraux, 42 (3) 2.04:28
25—Mike Morrier, 40 (2) 2.04:30
26—Ben Weil, 12 (1) 2.06:07
27—Bob Weil, 43 (3) 2.06:14
28—Darrin Class, 42 (4) 2.08:37
29—Corey Bresina, 30 (3) 2.10:21
30—Karey Class, 41 (4) 2.14:42
31—John Colwell, 30 (4) 2.19:42
32—Chrystal Hoke, 24 (2) 2.19:45
33—Kathy Lynn, 63 (1) 3.09:47
34—Vicki Browne, 56 (2) 3.09:58
TIME IMPROVEMENTS OVER 2006
6-mile run: Hoyt Michener 5:36, Susan Crist 4:36, Drew Michener 4:34, Stacey Monson 3:54, Jon Holmquist 3:08, Dan Young 1:17 and Whit Albright 0:33.
5-mile walk: John Sofro 2:07.
"Sport Class" winner Jennifer Schwartz (left) and Geoff Wells, both of Hailey, show the way up the hill, starting from the bottom of River Run Saturday during the "Shop to the Top" Photo by David N. Seelig
