By Kim J. Harmon

A little over 15 minutes into the 26th Annual Rockin’ Rooster Run on Saturday the first runner appeared on Queen Street, heading for the home stretch, and there were few people on hand – if any – who thought that first runner would be someone other than Sergio Ribeiro.

Oh, it was Ribeiro alright and it was Ribeiro who crossed the finish line at the Newtown Middle School in 16:10.56, capturing first place in the Rockin’ Rooster Run – sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department – for the third time.

Despite the three-peat, Ribeiro said the race isn’t getting any easier.

“It was tough,” he admitted. “The whole course seems even longer. I did my best time on the hills, but I didn’t have any time goals. I was just looking to come in first.”

Ribeiro did get a bit of a challenge from 1998 Newtown High School graduate Todd Burns, who finished second at 16:57.

Burns just finished his sophomore year at the University of New Hampshire (where he recorded a 4.0 GPA as a political science major) and recently finished eighth in the mile for the UNH swim team at the America East Conference championship.

“He’s amazing,” Burns said of Ribeiro. “I didn’t really try to hang with him, because I didn’t want to burn myself out. If I was going to take him, I thought I’d have to take him on the hills. It’s a good race, but it seems long.”

Laura Helmig was the first female finisher, 18th overall at 21.15.

Other top finishers included Dave Foss (8th overall, 19:04), the Newtown High School assistant girls’ track and field coach and head indoor track and field coach; and Joe Blanchard (11th overall, 19:57), a NHS senior who was tri-captain of the boy’s track and field team, which recently finished third at the South-West Conference championships.

Lance Panigutti, a Newtown High senior who is forging a nice career for himself on the triathlon circuit, came in 15th overall at 20:43 in his first try at the Rooster Run.

“It’s a good track,” said Panigutti. “Good uphills and downhills.”

And proving that one can get better as he gets old, Ken Sullivan came in 77th overall in 26:16.

“I was happy,” Sullivan said. “I took three minutes off my time from last year.”

There were 135 finishers and other than first- and second-place prizes awarded in several different divisions, the Parks and Recreation Department also held a raffle – awarding many different prizes from water bottles to tickets to the New York Yankees.

The results:

OVERALL

1. Sergio Ribeiro, Danbury, 16:17; 2. Todd Burns, Sandy Hook, 16:57; 3. Alan Macdougall, Branford, 17:30, 4. Kenneth Rodbell, Sandy Hook, 18:07; 5. Joe Cistelli, Sandy Hook, 18:14, 6. Patrick Quinn, Sandy Hook, 18:42; 7. Brian Hennessey, Newtown, 18:57; 8. David Foss, Sandy Hook, 19:04, 9. Mark Dennen, Sandy Hook, 19:22; 10. Robert Davis, Naugatuck, 19:43.

11. Joe Blanchard, Newtown, 19:57, 12. Bruce Mathers, Woodbury, 20:06; 13. Fred Pazona, North Salem, 20:08; 14. Donald Smith, Watertown, 20:10; 15. Lance Panigutti, Newtown, 20:43; 16. John Sweat, Newtown, 20:47; 17. Mark Cinquegrana, Newtown, 21:12; 18. Laura Helmig, Newtown, 21:15; 19. Anthony Pecoraro, Bethel, 21:22.; 20. Hugh Fullman, Sandy Hook, 21:27.

21. Joseph Clement, Fairfield, 21:46; 22. Ryan Shanley, Newtown, 21:49; 23. William Korth, Newtown, 21:52; 24. Jessica Snow, Sandy Hook, 22:01; 25. Bernie Yemc, Newtown, 22:10; 26. Vincent Melita, Southbury, 22:15; 27. Tim Northrop, Sandy Hook, 22:16; 28. Karen Finlayson, Sandy Hook, 22:21; 29. Ted Ruddock, Newtown, 22:22; 30. Frank Long, Seymour, 22:22.

31. Darlene Gillotti, Danbury, 22:29, 32. Mark Cinquegrana, Newtown, 22:29; 33. Rocco Guerrera, Waterbury, 22:30; 34. Alek Iljin, Orange, 22:33; 35. Aram Nahabedian, Sandy Hook, 22:56; 36. Katy Blackburn, Georgetown, 22:59; 37. Thomas Tella, Sandy Hook, 23:01; 38. Johan Velthuizen, Newtown, 23:04; 39. Victoria Beauchamp, Sandy Hook, 23:14; 40. Brian Fagan, Sandy Hook, 23:23.

41. Maureen Consiglio, New Fairfield, 23:40, 42. Jack Weber, Newtown, 23:41; 43. Christine Manfredonia, Sandy Hook, 23:43; 44. Linda Rubby, Sandy Hook, 23:47; 45. Michael Floros, Newtown, 23:60; 46. Jackson Blawie, Sandy Hook, 24:07; 47. Graham Ingels, Newtown, 24:10; 48. John Clement, New Fairfield, 24:11; 49. Brad Martin, Newtown, 24:15; 50. Jim Solomon, Newtown, 24:33.

51. Ed Struski, Bethel, 24:33; 52. Dion Gentry, Newtown, 24:34, 53. Louis Pecoraro, Bethel, 24:34; 54. Skip Faust, Bethel, 24:35; 55. Jean Poodiack, New Fairfield, 24:37; 56. Bryan Fogelstrom, Newtown, 24:40; 57. Diane Petuney, Newtown, 24:43; 58. Eileen Strom, Newtown, 24:44; 59. Jeffrey Snow, Sandy Hook, 24:44; 60. Kate Osborne, Sandy Hook, 25:01.

61. Monica Zigman, Sandy Hook, 25:03; 62. Jessica Marczyszak, Seymour, 25:04; 63, Caroline Korth, Newtown, 25:18; 64. Roger Bennitt, Bethel, 25:22; 65. Megan Ignatius, Newtown, 25:35; 66. Carol Boland, Newtown, 25:47; 67. Ruth Rowe, Sandy Hook, 25:51, 68. Katie Sullivan, Newtown, 25:51; 69. Lauren Elliott, Sandy Hook, 25:53; 70. Diane Van Derkroff, Sandy Hook, 25:55.

71. Bob Pondiak, New Fairfield, 25:57; 72. Wendy Carlson, New Milford, 25:58, 73. Doris Hanley, Newtown, 25:60; 74. Kelly Conte, Sandy Hook, 26:07; 75. Bob Arthur, Cheshire, 26:15; 76. Heather Rodriguez, Newtown, 26:16; 77. Ken Sullivan, Newtown, 26:16; 78. Gretchen Davenson, Southbury, 26:17; 79. Karl Eilers, Danbury, 26:30; 80. Suzanne Nassar, Brookfield, 26:26.

81. Joe Hovious, Sandy Hook, 26:36; 82. Mike Schenk, Newtown, 26:39; 83. Jim McNulty, Bridgeport, 26:50; 84. George Hansen, Sandy Hook, 26:57; 85. Karen Rogers, Chester, 27:09; 86. Dave Urban, Stratford, 27:11; 87. John Drescher, Lakeside, 27:15; 88. Tami Dragon, Prospect, 27:16; 89. Kim Harrison, Newtown, 27:18; 90. Amanda Molden, Newtown, 27:21.

91. John Coyle, Newtown, 27:27; 92. Annette Tibolla, Sandy Hook, 27:31; 93. Edward Marczyszak, Seymour, 27:36; 94. Susan Cinquegrana, Newtown, 27:38; 95. Carl Sylvester, Sharon, 27:40; 96. Jackie Zolda, Watertown, 27:44; 97. Ralph Slater, Ridgefield, 27:44; 98. Ken Zigman, Orange, 27:49; 99. Whitney Blanchard, Newtown, 28:04; 100. Karen Macknight, Newtown, 28:46.

101. Tara Consiglio, New Fairfield, 28:59; 102. Tara Mazza, Danbury, 29:07; 103. Elizabeth Robilotti, New York City, 29:07; 104. Gilbert Fong, Newtown, 29:22; 105. Janet Greiner, Stamford, 29:22; 106. Joanne Keane, Newtown, 29:58; 107. Diane Goodrich, Sandy Hook, 30:20; 108. Joy Kyle, Watertown, 30:23; 109. Lois Snow, Sandy Hook, 30:30; 110. Dan Cohen, Newtown, 30:41.

111. George Cohen, Tuscon, 30:41; 112. Aileen Hopper, Sandy Hook, 31:21; 113. Noreen Guman, Sandy Hook, 31:21; 114. Diane Wallace, Bridgewater, 31:22; 115. Charlene Caladio, Sandy Hook, 31:28; 116. Anne Martin, Sandy Hook, 32:28; 117. Deryl Gaier, Newtown, 32:28; 118. Karen Powell, Sandy Hook, 32:52; 119. Arthur Rowe, Sandy Hook, 34:10; 120. Janet Harious, Sandy Hook, 35:13.

121. Elinor Boyd, Southbury, 36:23; 122. Linda Polke, Southbury, 36:44; 123. Sydney Polke, Southbury, 36:46; 124. Kathryn Wolf, Sandy Hook, 36:55; 125. Michelle Moniz, Southbury, 38:28; 126. Jessica Moniz, Southbury, 38:49; 127. Brian White, Newtown, 39:52; 128. Sandra Zuccarello, Sandy Hook, 43:05; 129. Janet Richardson, Sandy Hook, 43:04; 130. Deborah Osborne, Sandy Hook, 45:30.

131. Karen Murphy, Newtown, 46:29; 132. Kathy McGuire, Sandy Hook, 46:30; 133. Beryl Harrison, Newtown, 47:57; 134. Janet Woycik, Newtown, 47:58; 135. David Minor, Sandy Hook, 47:59.

DIVISION WINNERS

Men

13 And Under – Mark Cinquegrana; High School – Joe Blanchard; Open – Todd Burns; Sub Master – Sergio Ribeiro; Master – Kenneth Rodbell; Veteran– Fred Pazona; Super Veteran – Anthony Pecoraro.

Women

13 And Under – Jessica Marczyszak; High School– Jessica Snow; Open – Kate Osborne; Sub Master – Laura Helmig; Master – Karen Finlayson; Veteran – Maureen Consiglio; Super Veteran – Jean Poodiack.