With the scent of snow in the air, but fortunately several hours before it hit the ground in the big Dec. 19 snowstorm, 21-year old Austin Huminski of Oyster Bay created a storm of his own by winning the 22nd annual Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt Ho Ho Ho Holiday 5 Kilometer Run through the streets of Bethpage.
Huminski crossed the finish line at the John F. Kennedy Middle School in Bethpage in 17 minutes, 20 seconds, 8 seconds in front of runner up 18-year-old Dylan Denuzzo of Melville, with 25-year old hometown Bethpage speedster Daniel Kant third in 17:56. A total of 1014 runners, walkers and wheelchair athletes made it to the finish line.
Huminski was a 2006 graduate of Oyster Bay High School where he was one of the leading lights on the track team, and is currently a senior at Bryant University. His big win in the December 19th Ho Ho Ho 5K Run comes exactly one week after he ran a nice 4:41 for Bryant in the Harvard Open meet.
Also coming home from the Run with a trophy was 31-year-old Gregory Tchabousky of Oyster Bay, who finished in 31st place overall and 2nd in the 30-34 Age Group with a time of 20:18.
The Ho Ho Ho Run was conducted under the auspices of the Greater Long Island Running Club, with GLIRC’s Ric Diveglio serving as the Race Director. The Melville Intellectual Property Law Firm of Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt was the title sponsor, with Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW also providing a big financial boost.
Proceeds from the event will be turned over to The Opening Word, an education program conducted by the Dominican Sisters for poor and uneducated Long Island women to give them the tools they need to become productive members of society.
“It’s great to see a young gun like Austin Huminski winning the run this year, and so may fine young runners scoring towards the front of the pack, observed Race Director Ric Diveglio. “Although we are proud and happy to see lots of veteran runners crossing the finish line well up there, fine young athletes like Oyster Bay’s Austin Huminski are the future of our sport here on Long Island.”
The 23rd annual Carter, DeLuca, Farrell & Schmidt Ho Ho Ho Holiday 5 Kilometer Run will be held on Saturday, December 18th, 2010, so mark your calendars now.
