Matt Choquette of Butte and Nicole Hunt from Deer Lodge were the overall winners in the 75th running of Montana’s oldest road race, the American Legion Veterans Day race.
The diamond anniversary race saw Choquette breeze to an easy win with a time 29:59 on a slippery, icy 5.2-mile course with temperatures in the lower teens at race time. Choquette easily beat a four-time champion of this event Thomas Jodoin of Helena by almost two minutes. David Lawson was third, followed by former winner Dan Sullivan and Ozzie Rosenleaf of Butte who placed fifth.
Choquette became the first male runner from Butte to win Montana’s oldest race in seven years. The event has been dominated by Helena runners the last six years. The last Butte winner prior to Choquette was Ryan Kearney in 2005.
Nicole Hunt’s performance was the ninth time she has won the race. Hunt’s winning effort of 27:23 was over three minutes better than Susan Kaluza of Butte. Charissa Bish was third, followed by Jennifer Buszka and Pam Hanson-Deich.
Hunt’s ninth overall win ties her with Susan Kaluza who has also won the American Legion Veterans’ Day race nine times.
In the shorter 2.5-mile race for kids fourteen and younger Joby Rosenleaf of Butte was the overall winner with a time of 20:56. She beat second place Abby McGee. The winner of the boys event was Jerek Rosenleaf who came in with a clocking of 42:24.
The frigid conditions with temperatures in the lower teens with icy streets kept this year’s turnout down to only 46 competitors. It’s the lowest turnout for this event since 1996.
The event was started back in 1934 by two World War I veterans, C. Owen Smithers and Charlie McAuliffe. The race has taken place every year since then except during the World War II years of 1942-45.
5.2 mile top five male runners
Matt Choquette 29:59
Tom Jodoin 31:44
David Lawson 33:43
Dan Sullivan 34:10
Ozzie Rosenleaf 34:40
5.2 mile top five female runners
Nicole Hunt 37:23
Susan Kaluza 40:28
Charissa Bish 42:05
Jennifer Buszka 47:34
Pam Hanson-Deich 50:40
Race results by age group
5.2 mile
boys 15-18
Connor McGee 35:40
Clayton Stillwagon 45:19
Sean Cooney 51:22
male 19-29
Matt Choquette 29:59
David Lawson 33:43
male 30-39
Tom Jodoin 31:44
Ozzie Rosenleaf 34:40
female 30-39
Charissa Bish 42:05
Jennifer Buszka 47:34
male 40-49
Dan Sullivan 34:10
Don Foley 36:11
Ray Hunt 38:12
Joe Stimatz 38:37
Greg Campbell 39:58
Mark Peterson 40:09
Dan McGee 40:12
Mike Real 42:24
Mike Sulzbach 54:26
female 40-49
Nicole Hunt 37:23
Pam Hanson-Deich 50:40
male 50-59
Bill Kearney 47:33
Jim Ryan 48:32
Scott Frisch 48:49
Leonard Baluski 52:10
Pat Kearney 54:12
Dan Harrington 62:26
female 50-59
Susan Kaluza 40:28
Karla Pomrenke 50:55
Eddi Walker 52:23
Ann Wayrynen 53:28
Alice Davis 75:53
male 60-69
Fred Jozovich 43:04
Tim Johnston 45:35
Joe Griffin 47:39
Dave Mueller 52:24
Mike Patterson 54:05
Don Wood 54:16
Leon Shearman 58:58
Female 60-69
Sheila Franey 84:00
Claudia Micone 84:00
5.2 mile male 70 +
Dean Hershey 46:05
Bruce Robinson 51:42
Jim Lester 76:32
2.5 mile
boys 14 and under
Jerek Rosenleaf 42:29
Girls 14 and under
Joby Rosenleaf 20:56
Abby McGee 24:04
