| |  |  |  | June 27, 2003 - Cape Ann's Mr. Elite... |  |
Cape Ann's Mr. Elite; McGrane wins another road race; He's done it again; Soon-to-be local wins Fiesta Five
By Dom Nicastro
Staff writer
Gloucester Times- June 27, 2003
Newton's Michael McGrane has found a home in Rockport, but he won't officially move in until July 1. He's already established himself as an elite member of the Cape Ann running community.
McGrane, 33, cemented his status by winning his second straight Gloucester road race last night in the St. Peter's Fiesta and Cape Ann YMCA 5k Road Race. McGrane won with a time of 16:07 on the 3.1-mile course, which starts at St. Peter's Square, runs through Rogers Street and onto the state fish pier before finishing where it starts. He nipped Gloucester native and former Gloucester High School cross country and track state champion Josh Palazola by six seconds.
McGrane won last month's Cape Ann YMCA Back Shore Five-Mile Road Race and finished second at the Rockport Father's Day Race for Wellspring earlier this month in a time of 16:40.
"It's a good course, and we had a good pack right from the beginning," said McGrane. "We stayed pretty close to each other. I stretched it out for the last mile -- that's when you have to do it. It was pretty good weather (mid-70s to high 80s)."
Gloucester native Regina Randazza, who lives in St. John's of the U.S. Virgin Islands, defended her women's title and was 15th overall in a time of 19:17. That's an improvement of 32 seconds from one year ago. It may have helped she was pushed by Gloucester's Jenn Lassen, 24, who finished second (19:39) out of females and 17th overall. Lassen won the Back Shore race last month.
Another local woman who had a strong showing was Gloucester's Layce Alves, who finished 32nd overall (20:43).
"That girl (Lassen) was incredible," Randazza said. "She set a really quick pace. She was ahead of me all the way until Gepetto's (about one mile in)."
In the race's undercard -- the battle of Gloucester 225-pound heavyweights Joe Iacono, 37, and Scott Phinney, 43 -- Iacono bested Phinney by nearly two minutes in a time of 20:58 for 38th place. Phinney, running his first official road race, finished 61st in a time of 22:50. Both rowed (and lost) in the seine boat elimination races a day earlier.
Yesterday, Phinney went on record saying it was a "guarantee" he would beat long-time friend Iacono, who is considered one of Cape Ann's best 220-pound-plus runners. The two wagered a friendly bet of $25 for charity, and Phinney will now pay the fee to Cape Ann's animal shelter.
"Never underestimate the heart of a champion," said Iacono, a former baseball and basketball player and member of the Gloucester High School Hall of Fame. "There are no guarantees in life except death and taxes."
Phinney, a former All-New England tight end at Boston University, bowed his head in defeat.
"Reality set in," Phinney said. "The will was there, but I learned a big lesson. My legs couldn't respond. I lost sight of Joe and gave it a burst but...I'm gonna stay with it until I beat him, and I will beat Joe Iacono. But he was a better runner than me. They'll be better days. He's a great runner. I thought he would bring out the best in me, but he taught me a lesson."
One runner locals perhaps should watch in the near future is Gloucester's Liam Anastasia-Murphy. The 13-year-old finished 11th in a time of 18:58.
Another youngster making his mark was Gloucester's Nick Paige, 9, who finished 144th in a time of 29:18. He ran most of the race with his mom, Amy, 33, who finished 145th, one place and five seconds behind her son.
"It's pretty tough, but you gotta get by it," said Nick Paige. "I beat Mom."
As for the winner, McGrane, he seems to be on a local road racing tour -- a winning tour, that is. He's contemplating running the next two Gloucester races -- the Magnolia Five-Mile Classic and the Around the Cape 25k.
"I have a love-hate relationship with the Cape race," said McGrane. "But Magnolia is really one of my favorite races."
There were 179 finishers yesterday. Last year, there were 166. Gloucester's Tristan Colangelo won last year's in a time of 16:48.
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