RRCA Awards Spotlight
2011 RRCA Award Winners By Jean Knaack, RRCA Executive Director
Memphis Runners Track Club
Memphis Runners Track Club
Memphis Runners Track Club
In 1971, the RRCA initiated the RRCA National Running Awards to acknowledge the service and dedication of outstanding volunteers to the running community. Each year, club and event leaders around the United States are encouraged to nominate outstanding individuals for an RRCA National Running Award. We featured some of our 2011 award winners in the Spring 2012 issue of Club Running, and we are happy to feature the remaining 2011 award winners in this issue. Learn more about the RRCA National Running Award categories and nominate a deserving individual to be considered for the 2012 RRCA National Running Awards at www.rrca.org/services/national-running-awards/
Outstanding Volunteer of the Year
Outstanding Club President
Outstanding State Representative
Calumet Region Striders of Northwest Indiana Calumet, IN
Alpine Runners of Lake Zurich Lake Zurich, IL
Louisiana
Mary Zemansky of Michigan City, IN was the Calumet Region Striders competitive race series chair and board member. In 2011, there were 30+ Gold Cup races, and 15+ sponsored race events. Mary’s integrity as a board member is like no other. She routinely attends board meetings and provides valuable input and follow-up; she meets and presides at her committee meetings of approximately eight members. She developed a system for obtaining and tracking participant and board member race evaluations electronically and was instrumental in making sure the event directors receive this important feedback and critique. Her recruitment of new sponsored races is an avenue for the board to recruit future Gold Cup events. In the process, she has become a valuable resource and mentor for event directors. She also authors articles for and contributes to the club’s monthly newsletter columns. Mary Zemansky fits all the criteria for the RRCA Outstanding Volunteer Award. She is a dedicated club volunteer and contributor to races not only in the community, but also in the region. She has been the committee’s chair for her club and a board member for 6 years. She is also a strong, spirited race competitor among her peers. Although not known to enjoy long-distance racing, she completed her first marathon in 2011 at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
Beth Onines has been running since 1981 and served as president of the Alpine Runners for 10 years. She has run over 100 marathons and several ultras. She was the program director of CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) for several years and helped thousands of runners reach their goals of running their first marathon. She brought those skills to the Alpine Runners and started marathon, half marathon, and beginning running training programs. Under her tutelage, the club also started a kids’ running program that prepares participants to run the Alpine Races in the Youth Mile. Because of these programs and her enthusiasm for running, the club has grown to be one of the largest and best-organized running clubs in Illinois. Beth has always been an advocate of the RRCA. She has been the Illinois state representative and regional director for RRCA and attends the conventions. She also organized the RRCA convention in Chicago in 2007, which was a resounding success for both the RRCA and the Alpine Runners. Through example and countless hours of work, Beth has been an advocate of the sport of running, the RRCA, the Alpine Runners, and living a healthy lifestyle.
Louisiana state rep Betsy Boudreaux is always willing to go the extra mile to serve the RRCA and her clubs. She provides extra “goodies” at her championship races through her personal donations to support the event series at the state level. For example, she purchased RRCA merchandise for the winners of the Cajun Cup 10K, an RRCA Southern Region Championship. National Running Award nominees in her state got framed certificates, which Betsy presented to them in a ceremony at a state championship race. Betsy attended all state and regional championships in Louisiana during 2011. For the Cajun Cup 10K, she booked the RRCA tent and other promotional materials, and manned the RRCA booth at the Expo. After the event, she posted pictures and a video on Facebook. Betsy never misses an RRCA convention, and she is a major contributor to the State Reps Silent Auction. In 2010, she secured a week at a Mammoth Lakes condo for the auction. In addition to serving the RRCA, Betsy is a frequent and appreciated volunteer on the New Orleans running scene, and one of only two course measurers in the state.
Mary Zemanski
18 • ClubRunning S u m m e r 2 0 1 2
Beth Onines
Betsy Boudreaux
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