Delightful debut
Scottdale’s Sebek earns title in running his 1st John Woodruff 5K
CONNELLSVILLE — Dylan Sebek didn’t compete in distance running in high school or college, but the Scottdale resident was active in sports at Greensburg Central Catholic High School.
Despite the 23-year-old taking up the sport two years ago, Sebek set a pace of 5:19 per mile through the streets of South Connellsville before finishing on the track at the 50-yard line inside Connellsville Stadium to win the 44th edition of the John Woodruff 5K Run & Walk.
Sebek crossed the finish line in a time of 16:31.51.
Fellow Scottdale resident Brandon Melillo, who earned his first victory in the Woodruff last year, was second in 17:20.14. Soon-to-be Connellsville sophomore Ellic Pritts, who was the runner-up to Uniontown’s Ethan Syner in the Fayette County Coaches Association (FCCA) Cross Country Championships last year in the boys varsity race, rounded out the top three in a time of 17:45.85.
Carl Kondrach of Barnesville, Ohio, won the 5K walk for the eighth time in the last decade in a time of 30:22.61. Youngwood’s Jason Lohr was second in 33:21.14 and Jacynth Drumhiller was third in 34:39.89. Drumhiller won the women’s division for the fourth straight time.
Sarah Donley of Barnesville, Ohio, who Kondrach called his “racing wife,” was second in the women’s walk with a time of 34:51.27. Connellsville’s Dawn McCoy was third in 40:19.99.
Lohr’s uncle, Jim Downey of Connellsville, was third overall in the men’s walk in a time of 36:20.50.
Ebensburg’s Amy O’Donnell put on a late charge on the track to get the best of last year’s winner, Addison Farrah, of Irwin, in the women’s run. Recent Southmoreland graduate Megan Mehall, who was second in the 800-meter run and fourth in the 1,600 at the PIAA Track & Field Individual Championships in late May, was third overall. Mehall, who didn’t run cross country in high school as she was a member of the Scotties’ soccer team, will continue her academic and running careers at West Virginia University.
O’Donnell had a winning time of 20:18.47, Farrah clocked in at 20:26.77 and Mehall finished in 21:07.67.
The race is held each year in honor of Woodruff, a Connellsville native who won the gold medal in the 800-meter run at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. Woodruff, who passed away on Oct. 30, 2007, would have celebrated his 111th birthday on July 5.
Sebek ran a race that would have made Woodruff proud, as he took control early in the race. He passed the oak tree that was planted in the northwest corner of the stadium upon Woodruff’s return from Berlin and sprinted to the finish line for the victory.
“I took over the lead about four to five minutes into the race,” Sebek said. “He (Melillo) started to drift back, and just coming up that hill, I accelerated a little bit and kind of took it off the gas on the downhill. You know you can save a lot of energy rolling down that hill on the backside.”
Although they reside in the same town, Sebek and Melillo haven’t raced each other.
“Brandon is a little bit older than me, so I haven’t competed much against him,” Sebek said. “This is a great event here. I’m glad I had the opportunity to compete in it.”
Kondrach almost appreciates the camaraderie of the race as he does winning it, which he has made a habit of in the last 10 years. The 54-year-old fell as he entered the stadium, but was otherwise unscathed.
“There are a lot of good people here and the race is well put together,” Kondrach said. “They always have nice awards and refreshments after the race. I mention it every year, but the mug that you get to fill with beer and the good food at Bud Murphy’s is a reason to come. We appreciate their support.”
Kondrach was quick to point out Lee Stough, and admitted that he knows he has his work cut out for him if Stough is in a race. Kondrach also wore a shirt in honor of legendary distance runner and walker Don Slusser, who died in a kayak accident last year.
“Don was a world class runner and walker back in the day, and a good friend and mentor, so I wore this for him,” Kondrach said. “Lee is beyond me now. I think my days of beating him are gone. I can hang with him for a mile. We used to battle back in the day.”
Donley made Drumhiller work for her victory, but the Mount Pleasant resident who coaches cross country at Mt. Carmel Christian School was able to grind out the last 300 meters once she entered the track.
Sarah Donley of Barnesville, Ohio, who Kondrach stated is his “racing wife,” was second in the women’s walk with a time of 34:51.27. Connellsville’s Dawn McCoy was third in 40:19.99.
“I let Sarah set the pace for a little bit because she is really fast and really talented,” Drumhiller said. “I get excited on hills, so I just gun it. I ran cross country in college and hurt my knees really badly, so walking is a way to still be competitive without hurting my knees a lot.”
O’Donnell’s race strategy was to stick to her pace and not let the other runners influence how she ran in winning her second Woodruff. She won her first in 2022.
“I just do my own thing,” O’Donnell said. “I ran into second place just before the two-mile mark and passed the lead girl (Farrah) with about 200 meters to the finish. It was a little hot and humid, but that is the way the weather is this time of year.”
Mike Parlak, who retired on June 30 as Connellsville Area School District’s director of security, fired the starting pistol.
For the first time in race history, Gingerbread Man Running Company provided the timing and results, which can be found online using the link https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/Overview/184458 and clicking on the “View Full Individual Results” tab.
There was an increase in finishers this year, as 306 runners completed the course and 138. A total of 377 participants (275 runners and 102 walkers) crossed the finish line last year.
The dulcet tones of Kevin Harrison could be heard throughout the stadium from the public address system, while the awards and postrace party were held at Bud Murphy’s.