Teams from Farmingdale High School and Howitt Middle School were out in force close out the Long Island cross country season in style at Rob's Run, a 5 Kilometer Cross Country race held at the Town of Oyster Bay's Stillwell Woods Park in Syosset on Nov. 28. Lots of other local runners from Farmingdale and the Massapequas were among the 564 finishers.

The Farmingdale High School girls team of Jennifer Campbell, Lex Smoczkiewicz, Carly Shanon and Sabrina Gershen turned in an extra strong performance to take first place honors in the Girls High School Division. Jennifer led the Daler Girls with a 21:57 finish, taking second place among the high school girls, a stride ahead of Alex in 3rd place. The Farmingdale Girls "B" team of Rehana Sukdeo, Angela Lopez, Melinda Mantooth and Jackie Marcel was the third place finisher.

The Farmingdale Boys team of Juan Nunez, Carlos Hoyas, Lee Rodenthal and Sean Marcel finished in 2nd place behind a strong team from Chaminade. Juan led the local youngsters with a 17:39 time. The Farmingdale Boys "B" team of Steve Bauer, Joe Guidire, Tim Keogh and Steve Bambinelli took 6th place honors among the boys teams.

In the Middle School Division, the Farmingdale boys team of Roy Seter, Matthew Fortunato, Mario Laber and Timmy Scharf finished in 6th place.

Teams representing the Farmingdale-based Runner's Edge team took first place honors in the Male Masters and Female Open Divisions.

This was the 7th annual edition of Rob's Run, which is sponsored by Long Island Blood Services and conducted under the auspices of the Greater Long Island Running Club, with a big boost from the Town of Oyster Bay and its Department of Recreation and Parks. GLIRC's Ed Melnik and Steve Klemes served as the co-race directors. The entire net proceeds of Rob's Run are turned over to ASPIRE, the Long Island-based program that provides prosthetic devices, physical therapy, and intensive rehabilitation through exercise to young amputees, victims of bone cancer and traumatic amputations.

Rob's Run is staged by the Running Club in memory of Rob Lauterborn, an outstanding athlete and good friend who was taken from us at the untimely age of 28. "It is altogether fitting that we should perpetuate Rob's memory in an event that helps young amputees through athletics at the same time as it promotes and fosters cross country running here on Long Island," observed Co-Race Director Ed Melnik. "Our congratulations and thanks to the teams from Farmingdale and all the other great folks who joined us on this special day."

Rob's Run was the final event of the KeySpan/Long Island Track & Field Grand Prix of Long Island Road Races, and KeySpan's Phil Maroney was on hand to present a $1,000 check to ASPIRE, as it did for the charities that benefit from each of the other 20 races in the 1999 Grand Prix Series.