SARANAC LAKE - Neal Campbell and Alex Benway crossed the finish line together to win the 8-kilometer race of the Spring Sprint running race on a cold morning Saturday, April 28 at North Country Community College.
Campbell and Benway, both students at Clarkson University, recorded a time of 28 minutes, 25 seconds to top the field of 18 runners in the 8k. Joni Gerken, a 29-year-old student at North Country, was the women's 8k winner in 38:19. Gerken recently completed the Boston Marathon in 3:48:21.
Micah Long, a NCCC student and cross-country runner from Tully, won the 5k race in 21:32. Judy Rush, a 46-year-old from Saranac Lake, was second overall and the top women's finisher in the 5k with a time of 23:13.
Article Photos

Photo by Phil Ryan
Joni Lundin Gerken of Lake Placid closes in on the finish line to win the 8-kilometer women’s race of the NCCC Spring Sprint on Saturday, April 28 in Saranac Lake.
It was the second running of the Spring Sprint, which is a fundraiser for the NCCC cross country program. The course traveled through the village of Saranac Lake, starting and finishing on the college campus.
---
NCCC Spring Sprint
Results
8K
NAME | AGE | TIME |
Neal Campbell | 22 | 28:25 |
Alex Benway | 21 | 28:25 |
Josh Cook | 19 | 29:42 |
Joe Merrihew | 25 | 31:03 |
Alex Kelcher | 20 | 33:17 |
Pat Carroll | 20 | 33:22 |
Eric Kawalik | 21 | 33:22 |
Josh Buchanan | 19 | 34:11 |
Matt Cook | 34 | 34:42 |
Peter Jones | 50+ | 35:10 |
Joni Gerken | 29 | 38:19 |
Morgan Ryan | 37 | 38:41 |
Jim Ohlston | 48 | 41:35 |
Kaylan Short | 19 | 46:50 |
Addie Desmarais | 23 | 47:07 |
Scott Spillane | 53 | 47:46 |
Andrea Gerstenberger | 32 | 49:26 |
Rachel Gnann | 26 | 55:11 |
5K | ||
Micah Long | 20 | 21:32 |
Judy Rush | 46 | 23:13 |
David Staszak | 65 | 26:25 |
Mark Carter | 45 | 30:02 |
Lidia Kriwox | 60 | 33:36 |
Sarah Shoemaker | 29 | 33:40 |