By Peter Day
LVUSD Social Media
LVUSD Social Media
Their number may have been small, but the pioneering runners and walkers who participated in the inaugural Run In The Rocks 5k fundraiser at Lucerne Valley Middle High School on Saturday were excited to kick off the new tradition.
A core group of school district volunteers — with LVMHS counselor/teacher Kevin Barda leading the way — oversaw the event that took participants twice through the school quad, out onto the sports fields, on a desert pathway at the southern perimeter of the campus, down a school roadway on the east end of the campus and back to the quad.
Eighth-grader Dutch Demke, 13, who competed at the 74th Annual Mt. Sac Cross Country Invitational the day before, won the 5k event with a time of 20 minutes, and 6 seconds. The oldest runner, Bob Lien, 74, averaged under 10 minutes a mile for 9th place in 29:25. Walkers Judy Baudoux and her husband Michael Baudoux had a brisk but serene walk until the final stretch when Judy edged out her husband. Both shared the same time: 49:49. Mitsubishi Cement Corporation’s environmental manager David Rib, who has competed as a mountain bicyclist in the event’s previous incarnation, and his wife Sharon walked the event in a time of 51:19.
The following is the complete list of participants:
1. Dutch Demke, 13 M, 20:06; 2. Chuck Medcraft, 63 M, 24:37; 3. Alberto Rendon, 29 M, 25:55; 4. Pamela Preasmeyer, 53 F, 27:26; 5. Patrick DeWittie, 44 M, 27:39; 6. Amy Stephenson, 50 F, 28:41; 7. Jason Hart, 41 M, 28:41; 8. Richard Redding, 71 M, 28:50; 9. Bob Lien, 74 M, 29:25; 10. Deborah Norton, 53 F, 33:03; 11. Carol Jenkins, 56 F, 36:24; 12. Judy Baudoux, 60 F, 49:49; 13. Michael Baudoux, 59 M, 49:49; 14. David Rib, 64 M, 51:19; 15. Sharon Rib, 65 F, 51:19; 16. Deborah Hamilton, 70 F, 58:36; 17. Linda Cossio, 17 F, 1:02:25; 18. Luz Avelar, 54 F, 1:02:26.
Saturday’s event follows the popular Ride In The Rocks bike/run/walk event that took top mountain bike competitors through the rugged hills of Lucerne Valley for more than 20 miles. Organized every year by Millie and David Rader, the event went on a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, and recently the couple moved to Arizona.
The Run in the Rocks event raised several thousand dollars for district students, Superintendent Peter Livingston said.