WASHINGTON TWP. - Eric Ackerman and Ben Gilliken battled each other daily when they ran for West Morris Central High School a couple of years ago. Eric Ackerman, a former West Morris Central runner, who now runs for Stockton University is the winner of the West M Championships last week, finished with a time of 16:21.33.
There were no surprises this year when they both decided separately to run in this year’s West Morris Central Memorial 5K Turkey Trot. Ackerman, who ran collegiately for Stockton University in Division III Championships the week before, emerged victorious with a time of 16:21.33 in the race that was held on Thanksgiving Day. The women’s victor was Victoria Polk who lives in Orlando, Fla., and was visiting cousins locally, finished with a time of 21:02. There were 434 runners registered in the competition that also included a fun run. The contest is just as much a social event as a physical one. The annual event is run by Washington Township Recreation but uses the high school grounds as its course. It raises money for the $1,000 scholarship funds established in memory of former West Morris Central students Kyleigh D’Alessio, Tanner Birch, Stephen Berstler and Paul Heembrock D’Alessio and Birch died in 2006 as a result of a car accident. In later years, Berstler and Heembrock were added. They were alumni when they died. Berstler was 22 years old when he died in 2011. He was a junior studying Health and Physical Education at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Md. Heembrock, a sophomore at Slippery Rock University in Butler County, Pa., was a Parks and Recreation student. He died in 2004 at the age of 19. It was D’Alessio’s death which helped prompt Kyleigh’s Law in the State of New Jersey. The law requires teens holding a probationary license to display red decals on the front and rear license plates of their vehicle when behind the wheel. The decal is intended to identify the young driver’s provisional license status to law enforcement to assist them in enforcing curfews, passenger limits, and other restrictions. Proceeds also benefit other scholarships, West Morris Central’s Project Graduation and other recreation endeavors such as the rock climbing wall used at Washington Township’s Community Night Out. “It’s just a great event,’’ Recreation Committee member Walt Cullen. “I am pleasantly surprised when we first started this seven, eight years ago, who is going to come out on Thanksgiving Day and run. Now there is over 400 people. All the other family members come down. It’s a great day.’’ Ackerman ran in the race last year but said he didn’t take it quite as seriously. It certainly wasn’t as competitive as last week’s Division III Championships which were held in Carlisle, Pa. He finished 217 in a field of 294 but coming off a good collegiate season he said he is just running better overall. “All my high school friends are here so I decided to run and have a good time,’’ Ackerman said. “I think I improved my time. I did it for fun last year but I’m a year better so I’m a little faster.’’ Not only did he best his 2021 classmate Benjamin Gilliken who clocked a time of 16:59.01 but he also topped West Morris Central Cross Country coach Chris Johnson, who decided to run in the race for the first time. Johnson finished just behind Gilliken at 17:02.60. “I out kicked my coach at the end there but he could have got me,’’ said Gilliken who runs collegiately for Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, a Division III school which is also known for its harriers. “I always follow Eric’s results,’’ Gilliken said. “It’s just fun to see everybody back from college.’’ The social aspect was also the reason Johnson ran. He has been coaching cross country at West Morris Central for the last seven years and it was an opportunity for the 32-year-old coach to visit some of his former students and get in a good run. “We have a lot of alumni back so it is good to see them. I’ve seen everybody from my first class to current members of the team,’’ said Johnson who lives in Morristown. “It’s a great event. It’s always fun seeing people on Thanksgiving morning running. For me, it’s extra special to see current and former runners come back together and see each other.’’ Polk, who is from Orlando, Fla., is a mother of four, who came up to visit cousins in Califon. She decided to run and ended up leading the female field. “This was really hard. I’m used to running on the road,’’ Polk said. “My cousin said ‘sign up and run with us’ and I said ‘OK.’ This was really fun.’’ Jaidyn Young, who runs in Randolph, finished second in the women’s division with a clocking of 21:36.90. Her 10-year-old sister, Joy, was the top juvenile female with a time of 22:59.87. Alex Grivas, of River Edge, who runs collegiately for The College of New Jersey placed third with a time of 21:39.97. Some runners lingered for more than an hour after they finished catching up with old friends and talking over good times. Then the crowd broke up after working so hard to build up an appetite for the upcoming meal. “When we started this we were thinking 100 runners would be good. It’s grown into a monster,’’ organizer Tim Roth said. “It’s a big Thanksgiving Day tradition. Families come out. Kids who went to high school, like my sons, come out and see old friends. Neighbors come together. Originally when we decided to do it Thanksgiving morning. I said, ‘who is going to come out Thanksgiving morning?’ Everyone is getting their turkey ready. But it worked, and it’s become a tradition.’’