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Close Finish in the 15th Annual Kessler Foundation Wheelchair 10K

 

The morning of Memorial Day was perfect—cool, with very little wind, and excitement in the air. It was the ideal setting for the kick off the 15th Annual Kessler Foundation Wheelchair 10K, the wheelchair division of the Fred d’Elia Ridgewood Run. Representing the US, Spain, and Costa Rica, 29 racers competed for a total purse of $15,000. The race saw close finishes, new victors, and returning athletes.

Laurens Molina, 36, from Costa Rica, edged crossed the finish line just a second before James Senbeta, 28, from Illinois, to secure the top spot in the Men's Open with a time of 22.11 minutes. Born without bone below the knees, he has been racing since he was 19. "Competing helped me overcome my depression and made me strong," Molina said. "Now, it's my job. Winning today feels very good because it shows me that all of my hard work has been worth it."

Laurens and James at the finish line

(Laurens Molina, on the right, crossed the finish just a second before James Senbeta, on the left)

Kelsey LeFevour, 25, from the University of Illinois, clinched the Women’s Open in 29.17 minutes. Racing since 2007 as a freshman in college, she is now a PhD student and continuing her athletics. “I love this sport,” LeFevour said. “Each course is different. You meet fellow athletes from all backgrounds. It never gets old.”

Kelsey LeFevour 2015

Raymond Martin, 21, also from the University of Illinois, beat five-time winner Santiago Sanz from Spain, in the Open Quad division and set a course record with a time of 24.41 minutes. Martin is a former member of the North Jersey Navigators—an adaptive sports team for junior athletes with disabilities, funded by Kessler Foundation. “I’ve been racing for 15 years and even still, when I’m at the starting line, I still get butterflies in my stomach,” said Martin. “You can’t beat the feeling of winning.” It was a busy weekend for Martin. On Saturday, he set a world record at the Tri-State Regional Wheelchair Games in the 5,000 meter. Martin is now the T52 world record holder in the 200, 400, 1,500, and 5,000 meter. Immediately following the Kessler Foundation Wheelchair 10K, he left for Switzerland to compete in the Swiss Open.

Raymond Martin 2015


Antonio Noguiera, 47, from New Jersey, won the Male Masters division—for ages 40 and over—for the second year in a row, with a time of 23.37 minutes. Noguiera has participated in the 10K since its inception. He is also an artist, art teacher, and father of two sons.

Tony Noguiera 2015

Ulysses Elijah, 58, from Georgia, was the victor in the Grandmasters division—for ages 50 and over—with a time of 29.17 minutes.  He is a member of the Shepherd Center’s wheelchair racing team. 

Ulysses Elijah 2015

 

The day was a very successful one for the North Jersey Navigators, with members of their team taking the top spots in all of the younger athlete divisions. Jerson Calderon, 20, from New Jersey, earned the top spot for the second consecutive year in the E*Athlete Male division—for racers ages 19 to 21—as he completed the course in 28.53 minutes.

Jerson Calderon 2015

 

In his first Kessler Foundation Wheelchair 10K appearance, Matthew Gibbs, 18, from Florida, clinched the Male Junior division—for athletes under 19 years of age—in 29.59 minutes.



Matthew Gibbs 2015

For the second year in a row, Elisabet Ruiz-Torres, 16, from New Jersey, secured the top spot in the Female Junior division in 42.08 minutes.

Elisabet Ruiz-Torres 2015

The Kessler Foundation Wheelchair 10K is one of the largest integrated races in the country as runners and wheelchair athletes compete on the same course at the same time. Like Kessler Foundation on Facebook to see the 2015 Wheelchair 10K photos. View the complete results.