Annual Awards

Annual Awards

Criteria for Club Awards

History: The first annual award presented by the club was the Outstanding Club Member Award in 1991. That year an award was also presented to Lew Gibb for his myriad of contributions to our sport. The concept of this latter award led to the Lew Gibb Award. At that time it was also felt that there should be various awards presented by our club to recognize both club members and others involved in the sport for their contributions and/or achievements.

Criteria: Listed below are the criteria that have been developed for the various awards. In order to retain the integrity and prominence of these awards, we should utilize the criteria developed and avoid politics and personal prejudices.

The Awards Selection Committee shall be formed of the Banquet Director(s), President of RVRR and the Team Captains. Membership will nominate individuals for consideration through an open poll. The Awards Selection Committee will select award winners with upmost regard for the award criteria. There is no requirement that an award be given every year.

It is recommended that recognition order is as follows: Board Recognition, Newsletter/Web Master recognition, Race Directors recognition, Team Captains and Award recognition and then individual recognition

2020 -2022 Award Winners*

* Due to COVID-19, no RVRR Awards Banquets occurred in 2021 or 2022. Winners received Awards for 2020 -2022 at the RVRR Banquet on February 4, 2023.  

Award Recipient

Most Outstanding Runner Award: RJ Palladino

Most Outstanding Runner Award: Taylor Rehe

Multi-Sport/Ultra Award: Nicole Prorock

Comeback of the Year Award: Jessi Clark

Volunteer Award: Kelly O'Neill

President's Citation Award: Matthew Geibel

President's Citation Award: Marc Alterman

Most Improved Runner: Alan Matusiewicz

Rookie of the Year: Bryan Llumiquinga

Club Spirit Award: Lauren Horvath

Outstanding Club Member: RJ Palladino

Allen Paul Award: Wendy Rieger (Reed)

Lew Gibb Award: Staci Siconolfi Lymperopoulos

Most Valuable Recruit: Josh Peterson

Humble Hero Award: Mengmeng Yu

Host with the Most: Bhalchandra Bhosale

Historic Award Winners By Category

Most Outstanding Runner Award (club member)

Recognizes a club member who has shown or maintained great success in running competitions over a number of years.

2003 – Greg Mullins

2005 – Roger Price

2006 – Rich Myers

2008 – Mike Dixon

2009 – Imme Dyson

2010 – Mike Dixon

2011 – Doug Brown

2012 – Kavitha Manley & Michael Anis

2013 – Elaine Acosta

2014 – Jo Ann Coffee

2015 – Kathy Rocker

2016 – Ken Ellis

2017 – Drew Pennyfeather

2018 - Wendy Reed

2019 - Michael Carr

Multi-Sport/Ultra Award (club member)

Recognizes a club member for marked success or contributions to competition outside long-distance running, including but not limited to triathalons, duathalons, and ultramarathons.

2001 – Mike Czech

2002 – Bob Townley

2003 – Kathy Rocker

2004 – Amy Rappaport

2005 – Jen Davis

2006 – Herm Richards

2008 – Sherrie Felton

2009 – Kristin Althausen

2010 – Rosemarie Strawn; David Allara

2011 – Jay Kolb; Mike Dixon

2012 – Laura Swift (ultra); Tom

Yakawenko (multi)

2013 – Peter Priolo

2014 – Gail Komm (multi);

David Allara (ultra)

2015 – Elaine Acosta

2016 – Lorraine McPhillips

(multi); Ron Russo (ultra)

2017 - Lauren Santonastasso

2018 - Gene Gugliotta

2019 - Glenn Brinks

Comeback of the Year Award (club member)

Recognizes a club member for success and dedication to the sport of running despite recent setbacks, obstacles, or hardship.

2001 – Ken Vercammen

2002 – Doug Brown

2003 – Mark Zamek

2005 – Chris Lehman

2006 – Patricia O’Hanlon

2007 – Annette Johnson

2008 – Tara Zimlicki

2009 – Roger Price

2010 – Kathy Rocker

2011 – Lesley Wassef

2012 – Mike Carr

2014 – Eric Saurer

2015 -Marcia Hodulik

2016 – Alex Clark

2017 – Marcia Hodulik

2018 - Chris Lehman

2019 - Mike Durning

Volunteer Award (club member)

You can count on this club member to do any task. Special consideration will go to those who organize a major event and additional individuals who show exemplary participation and enthusiasm. Will exclude all current board members.

1992 – Allen Paul & Doug Brown

1993 – Bruce Nadler & Janice Reid

1994 – John McGillivray

1995 – Steve Kornstein

1996 – Peter Fama &

John Pretzell

1996 – Doug Brown, Dave

Hoch, & Roger Price

1997 – Jim Bethea

1998 – Sam Bianca

1999 – Judi Cox & Pete Priolo

2001 – Bob Townley

2002 – Ray Petit

2003 – Doug Brown, Janice Reid, Ed Levy, Ray Petit, Pete Priolo, Cheryl Scher

2007 – Ken Mangin, Stacey Kaplan, Kathy Rocker, John Reickhoff, Ray Petit, Rose Hopkins, Cheryl Scher

2008 – Rosemarie Strawn & Joel Simpson

2009 – Annette Johnson

2010 – Dennis McGale

2011 – Joel Simpson, Kelly DiGian

2012 – Anne McCarthy

2013 – Lester Helfman

2014 – Kay Hallenbeck

2015 – Barney Ward

2016 – Tim Morgan

2017 – Rick Siemon

2018 - Tom O'Reilly

2019 - Matt Reed

President’s Citation Award (club member)

1991 – Lew Gibb

1996 – Rick Boyle

1997 – Gene Gugliotta

1998 – Gene Gugliotta & Chris Lehman

1999 – Sam Bianca, Ed Levy, & Mary Chervenak

2001 – Bob Townley

2002 – Gene Gugliotta

2003 – Peter Onufryk & Peter Priolo

2007 – Ray Petit

2008 – Bill Hulbert

2009 – Erin D’heron Varga & Robert Tona

2012 – Alberto Artasanchez

2013 – Heather Buonocore

2014 – Jayson Kolb

2015 – Christine Prorock-Rogers

2016 – Bonnie Brunish & Wendy Reed

2017 – Jack Livesey

Most Improved Runner (club member)

Recognizes an individual club member’s improvement in the current year over the previous year.

1992 – Marty Dolphin

1993 – Louise Narciso Fama

1994 – Tom Crochunis

1995 – Julian Zammit, Andrea Orlando

1996 – Bob Price, Stacey Graham, Jen Stachula, Russ Lazarek

1997 – Spook Handy

1998 – Rolf Arands

1999 – Myrna Rosel

2001 – Ken Ellis

2002 – Bob Townley, Jill Knorr

2003 – Ken Ellis

2005 – Sergio P. Cano

2006 – Lesley Wassef

2007 – Jody Stevens

2008 – Cheryl Scher

2009 – Laura Swift

2010 – Bob Jorrisen

2011 – Michael Carr

2012 – Lou Piffer

2013 – Bonnie Brunish

2014 – Alex Clark

2015 – Marvin Pilande

2016 – Drew Pennyfeather

2017 – Carol Richiusa

2018 - Female: Taylor Rehe, Male: Kevin Nedza

2019 - Charles Wellman

Rookie of the Year (club member)

Recognizes a club member who recently started running or started running more competitively with RVRR and has increased their speed, race distances and/or frequency of racing. 

2017 – Ann Siglam

2018 - Matthew Reed

2019 - Rachel Engelson

Outstanding Journalistic Service to the Sport of Running (any person)

This is not intended to be an annual award. Rather, it is intended to recognize a public journalist who has consistently covered and publicized the sport of running in our area for several years in a manner beneficial to the sport and our club. Therefore, it should only be given out when there is an individual who has fulfilled the spirit of the award.

1991 – Frank Bourke (The News Tribune)

1994 – Paul Fiorilla (The News Tribune)

1995 – Madeline Bost (Freelance)

2006 – Vera Stek (Home News Tribune)

2009 – Gina Kolata

2010 – Amby Burfoot

2017 – Dave Schatz

Club Spirit Recognition a.k.a. Sunshine Award (club member)

This is intended to recognize a member who has shown a great dedication to improving the morale and spirit of the club, whose efforts have helped make the club more enjoyable for the members who otherwise have not received recognition directly from the club for his/her contributions. It does not have to be an annual award and should be given only when it is truly merited and the individual has not otherwise received a major club award for their efforts. This award is totally at the President’s discretion.

1992 – Mark Zamek

1994 – Steve Kornstein

1995 – Dave & Vivian Hoch

1996 – John Sanzone

1997 – Janice Reid

1999 – Ray Petit

2001 – Pam Huggins

2002 – Patricia O’Hanlon

2003 – Paul Krentar

2005 – John Greico

2006 – Cheryl Scher

2007 – Mike Anis

2008 – Lesley Wassef

2009 – Dennis McGale

2010 – Lianne Price

2011 – Shannon Sweeney

2012 – Bob Tona

2013 – Drew Pennyfeather

2014 – Lauren Clark

2015 – Ray Petit

2016 – Lauren Merenda

2017 – Jennifer Montemurro

2018 - Anne Siglam

2019 - Tom O'Reilly

Outstanding Club Member (club member)

This award is to recognize a club member who has been a consistent and dedicated volunteer to our club and who has had a significant impact on the success of the club. The recipient should be someone who is both currently involved and has been contributing for several years prior and continues to serve a valuable role in the club. In summary, the award is neither intended to solely recognize past achievements nor to recognize a

new comer who has been highly visible.

1990 – Doug Brown

1991 – Bruce Nadler & Janice Reid

1992 – Louise Fama

1993 – Paul Grassie

1994 – John Pretzell

1995 – Marty Dolphin

1996 – Steve Kornstein

1997 – Yevette Hendler

1998 – Janice Reid, Doug Brown

2002 – Roger Price

2005 – Cheryl Scher

2006 – Ray Petit

2007 – Chris Lehman

2008 – Ken Mangin

2009 – Ed Levy

2010 – Mike Anis

2011 – Bill Hulbert

2012 – Lianne Price

2013 – Eric Sauer

2014 – Gene Gugliotta

2015 – John Kane

2016 – Neil Hume

2017 – Christine Prorock-Rogers

2018 - Jeremy Urbach

2019 - Bob Tona

Allen Paul Award (club/board member)

This award would recognize one board member each year for his/her outstanding contributions to the club as a member of the Board of Directors. It should take into account the level of dedication, commitment, altruism and integrity of the member in furthering the mission and goals of the club. Important aspects of the award would include implementation of new programs that help the club pursue our mission, and promoting an environment conducive to unity and growth of the club. Naming the award after our most worthy founding President and one of our most outstanding past board members is a fitting tribute to a person having the vision, courage and determination to be most responsible for the establishment of the Raritan Valley Road Runners.

Board members receive so little recognition in comparison to the great efforts that most directors give to the club. This would hopefully give the general member a better insight and appreciation to the importance of dedicated board members. In order to maintain objectivity and assure that a truly worthy recipient is chosen, this award would best be administered by the Nominations Committee, with a polling of the current board for their preference.

1995 – Mark Rogalski

1996 – Mark Rogalski

1998 – Ray Petit

1999 – Allen Paul

2000 – Gene Gugliotta

2001 – Dave Hoch

2002 – Gene Gugliotta

2003 – Dana Gross

2005 – Lois Brown-Klein

2006 – Ed Levy

2007 – Mark Strawn

2008 – Gene Gugliotta

2009 – Bill Hulbert

2010 – Laura Swift

2011 – Tom O’Reilly

2012 – Shannon Sweeney

2013 – Angela Hynek

2014 – Mike Carr

2015 – Neil Hume

2016 – Eric Saurer

2017 – Wendy Reed

2019 - Madison Csizmadia

Lew Gibb Award (any person)

This award recognizes an individual who has made a significant and dedicated contribution to the sport of running in New Jersey in the spirit of Lew Gibb. An independent committee selects this award.

Criteria (developed Jan 25, 2004):

1992 – Dean Shonts

1993 – Jeff Decker

1994 – Harry Brown

1995 – John Pretzell

1996 – John Haulenbeek

1997 – Madeline Bost

1998 – Roger Price

1999 – Dave Siconolfi

2000 – Janice Reid

2001 – Dan Brannen

2003 – Larry Baldasari

2004 – Mark Zenobia

2005 – Andy Boyajian

2006 – Amby Burfoot

2008 – Pam Fales

2009 – Ray Petit

2011 – Gene Gugliotta

2014 – Bob Tona

2015 – Tom O’Reilly

2016 – Jane Parks

2017 – Dan Murphy

2019 - Albert Siuta 

Miscellaneous Awards:

Silver Sneaker Award

1998 – Ray Petit

2008 – Jorge Rivera

Golden Penguin Award

1998 – Julian Zammit

Short-Shorts Award

2001 – Graeme Ackland

Outstanding Achievement Award

2008 – Doug Brown, Jorge Rivera

2009 – Patricia O’Hanlon

Philippedes Award

2014 – Marvin Pilande, Christine Appel

Plain Pizza Award

2014 – Drew Pennyfeather

Incredible Feet

2015 – Lauren Santonastaso

Back on the Road

2017 – Chris Lehman

Love of the sport

2018 - Yoi Ohsako 

Hash Award

2018 - Marc Alterman 

IVP Award

2018 - Drew Pennyfeather 

Abs of Steel

2018 - Alex Clark

National Star Award

2019 - Christine Prorock-Rogers

Fearless Award

2019 - Yoshiko Jo

Jack of All Trades

2019 - Mark Hinkeldey

Joe of All Clubs

2019 - Joe Urbanik

Homecoming King

2019 - Mike Loenser