Dipsea notes: MacLean the head of the class

Redwood High grad Audrey MacLean caught a few people by surprise with her sprint to victory at Sunday’s Dipsea, and earned her several new admirers.

“Audrey is a beast,” said Dipsea veteran Clara Peterson, who placed fourth overall.

Those who ran with and against MacLean in high school were ready to congratulate her.

“Audrey is amazing,” said Tam High grad Emma Dunmire, one of MacLean’s former rivals. Dunmire, now a junior at UC San Diego, placed 29th Sunday in 52:53, just ahead of her father, Erik, who placed 35th in 53:18.

MacLean received the Hauke Memorial Scholarship in 2023 before heading to Middlebury College. This year’s Hauke honoree, Redwood’s Marley Nacco, placed 150th (1:01:18).

“Seeing all these runners from Redwood, Tam, Branson, Marin Catholic, it’s like all of us from the MCAL are all part of a community here, part of a team,” said Nacco, who is heading to Santa Barbara City College in the fall.

Nacco earned some bragging rights as “the first Nacco across the finish line.” Her father, Greg, and older brother, Ziggy, crossed the finish line together in 1:02:34 in 184th and 185th.

Branson School sophomore Farah Allen placed 21st in 52:15, her best finish in her third consecutive Dipsea. Teammate Hailey Sellers finished 41st (53:56). Branson’s Paige Macy placed 594th (1:12:49).

Redwood’s Rose Mueller finished 591st in 1:27:43 and Tam High senior Estella Wong took 707th place in 1:35:45.

Redwood’s Sean Gunnar Niemi took 39th place in 53:51, which earned him the award for the fastest high school boy.

“I paced myself on Panoramic and I was feeling good on Dynamite,” said Niemi, who felt a stitch in his side during the race that slowed him only slightly.

Setting the bar high

Clara Peterson, who has eight black shirts in nine Dipsea races, is still looking for her first win.

“It wasn’t my best day today,” said Peterson, sounding dissatisfied after her fourth-place finish Sunday. “I know I’m in a lot better shape. I just forgot to breathe after. I got this crazy side stitch at Hog’s Back. I definitely could have run faster, although I don’t know if I would have been able to catch Audrey (MacLean). I just have to come back to prove that I have more in me.”

Team win

With its members clad in black shirts, the Pelican Inn Track Club took home the team award Sunday. Second-place finisher Mark Tatum set the pace for his teammates in 46 minutes, 48 seconds. Alex Varner took seventh (49:42), followed by eighth-place Dominic Vogl (49:57), 11th-place Vince D’Onofrio (50:51) and 12th-place Jack Gifford (51:02).

“The race was good. I wasn’t injured for the first time in a couple of years,” Varner said. “It was nice to be at the start line and feel healthy.”

Varner thought there was nobody chasing him when he approached the home stretch as “I turned around after the Stile and didn’t see anybody coming down behind me. I thought ‘All right, I can kind of enjoy this.’ But Dom (Vogl) was there on the finish after me. Thank goodness I didn’t slow down too much.”

Chasing the Demon

Lloyd Kahn, returning to the Dipsea at age 90, wanted to best legendary “Dipsea Demon” Jack Kirk’s time when he was the same age.

Mission accomplished: Kahn crossed the finish line in 1:50:16 to place 1,051st. Kahn also took home the Jack Kirk “Dipsea Demon” Award for determination, perseverance and performance over time.

“I am inspired now to train before next year’s race,” Kahn said.

Kirk ran an actual time of 2:16:49 (1:54:49 handicap time) in 1997 at age 90. Kirk ran his last Dipsea at age 97 in 2004.