Alums Return to Keene to Run in Alumni Race

Owls runners past and present ran side by side at the annual Keene State Alumni race held on Saturday, September 5, at the teams' home course at Owl Athletic Complex. Though some admitted they might not be in the best of shape, many alums came out to support the program and recall races past.

            "I'm in somewhat shape, and it's a nice day to run," said Troy Patoine '92, who ran and also played baseball at KSC. "It's great to come back. We didn't have alumni races when I ran. It's nice that Coach Thomas has a course and this response," he said. "I better look at the course or I'm going to get lost, because it's going to be hard to keep up with these young studs." Patoine, who coached at Brady and Concord High, has worked for the phone company the last 12 years. He also wrote a book entitled Red Moon.

Although he was battling some injuries, Ray Dahlin '84 came out for the event. "Pete put out an e-mail looking for old people to jog in the back, and I said, ‘I can do that.'"

The race had a different twist this season. In addition to current and alumni runners, Thomas also invited teams from UMass-Lowell, Babson, and Fitchburg State to the race.

The head coach at UMass-Lowell, Gary Gardner '94, was happy to bring his team to Keene. "We talked about it a few years back, but couldn't work out the scheduling," said Gardner. "The race will give me an early indication of how my team is doing."

            Over the years, the alums have given the current team members a run for their money, and this season was no different. Dave Bridgewater '07, an eight-time All-American, was the first alum to the cross the finish line, clocking a time of 16:08. "It's always fun to come back to run," said Bridgewater. "I've won the last two years, so I have to defend my title."

            Currently completing last semester of grad school at Quinnipiac University, Bridgewater, from Unionville, Conn., says running helps him with his studies. "I'm a pretty high-strung person, so running calms me down and helps me stay focused on what I need to do."

            Fellow alums Josh Ferenc '05, Patrick Ard '06, and Ryan Gough '07 also took part in the race.

            Shannon O'Brien '06 was the lone alum in the women's race. The Tilton, N.H. native has been staying in shape by attending running camps. "I feel confident in the fact that I was the first alumni to cross the line," said O'Brien, who finished in 38th place with a time of 14:13. "I was hurting a little bit coming down the stretch, but I have a lot of memories running on this course. I was here six years ago in better shape. It was a lot of fun, and I'm glad I came."