There is nothing like the Siberian Express

There is nothing like it.

That's how Deb Studniarz describes the annual Siberian Express Trail Run held at Kickapoo State Park for almost four decades. The 7.45 mile trail race, the first on this side of Illinois every calendar year, will run this Saturday at its usual location.

The 36th installment is scheduled to start at 11 am.

Last year, just over 300 runners turned out to race thanks unseasonably warm weather.

"You never know what Illinois weather will be like," said Studniarz, who is also this year's race director. "Last year we had record turnout because the weather was exceptional. The year before was record cold."

Corey Plotner, who finished 19th at last year's race, has run the Siberian Express in nearly every form of manic January weather that Mother Nature has offered.

"The challenging part is the weather. I have run it in shorts, and I have run it in 6 plus inches of snow," Plotner said. "You never know what you are going to get until you get out on the course."

Plotner, one of 11 Sentinel area runners, clocked in last January at 55:07.5.

"It’s a challenge to run trail and a greater challenge in the winter," Studniarz said referencing the years the race was ran despite knee high snow or sub-zero temperatures. "You never know what Illinois weather will be like."

Since 2012 Plotner has only missed running the annual race twice. In his opinion, having a solid game plan is key to running a good race.

"The real fun is when the course is sloppy though. It really makes for some interesting turns and strategy really comes into play then," he said. "This makes the experience so much fun because you go and run the course in the chilly temps and snow and slush, then you get to go back in the fall and run it faster on the dry course.

Another area resident and veteran runner, Mike Tankersley is intimately familiar with both the demands of the course and unpredictable race-day weather.

This course is tough when it is warm and dry," he said. Last year, the St. Joseph resident finished 29th overall with a time of 57:21.4 seconds. "When it is cold and snowing it is very challenging But, a huge accomplishment just to finish!"

Tankersley's fondest Siberian Express memory is finishing the race two years ago in 1 degree temperatures without any signs of frostbite.

Other area runners competing in last year's race included three women; Kati Seeley, Melissa Swanson and Johanna Mayer. Seeley finished the course in one hour, eight minutes and 27 seconds for 13th place in her division and 94th overall. Swanson clocked in 183th and Mayer persevered to cross the finish line after 2:03:17.4 elapsed from the time she started.

Plotner and Tankersley were not the only men from St. Joseph who competed in 2019. Cory Swanson, Bryan Johnson, John North, Scott Hendren, Levi Marriott and Jonathan Mayer all finished the 2019 running of the Siberian Express.

Haven't signed up for this year's race yet?

Race day registration opens at 9:30am. Runners signing up at the last minute should head to the Kickapoo Park Maintenance Garage.

The top 175 finishers will receive what the official race website calls a "Super Cool" medal. Participation awards will be distributed to runners finishing under the two hour mark.

For what it is worth, Saturday's forecast calls for cloudy conditions and the high hovering around 32º.

24 area runners compete at Siberian Express

OAKWOOD - It was 33.8º when the starter's gun signaled the start of the 36th installment of the Siberian Express trail race at Kickapoo Park on Saturday. Running across lightly snow-covered ground and through muddy ruts, 146 runners finished this 7.45 mile race.

The Sentinel's top area finisher was St. Joseph's Justin Jones. Finishing first in the 30-39 year-old division, he was the third runner out of the field to cross the finish line, turning in a sub-hour time of 51 minutes.

Justin Jones, right, and Jolee Paden, on the left, pose for a photo after receiving their awards at the 2009 St. Joseph Community Festival 5k, the name of the race before becoming the SJO 5K. Jones was the third runner to cross the finish line at Saturday's Siberian Express.

PhotoNews File Photo

The top womens' competitor was Sarka Petrickova, from Urbana, who took first in the Womens 30 - 39 group and 29th overall. She completed the course 1 hour, six minutes, and 45 seconds.

Other area runners included Jared Chenoweth, finishing third in the Mens 40 - 49 group and 13th overall. Luke Morrison crossed the line second in the Mens 20 - 29 group and 25th overall. Scott Tess finished seventh in the Mens 40 - 49 group and 32th overall. Chenoweth finish the race at 1:01:52, Morrison at 1:05:41, and Tess clocked in 1:07:57.

Four runners from The Sentinel area competed in the Womens 30 - 39 age group. Nicole Olson finished in second place and was 35th overall. She crossed the finish line at 1:09:06. Urbana's Olga Makarova finished the course at 1:24:37, good for fifth place in the division and 70th overall. Ellen Vore, also from Urbana, finished eighth and 128th overall with a time of 1:52:23. Coming in ninth was Nikki Campbell at 1:55:57 for a 141th overall.

There were five area runners in the Womens 40 - 49 division. Kaura Owen, from Sadorus, finished 13th and 120th overall at 1:44:07. Shonda Barto finished 14th in the Womens 40 - 49 group and 134th overall. The Philo resident clocked in at 1:53:43.

Jennifer White, from Savoy, and Sidney's Brooke DiBello finished seventh and tenth, respectively. White finish the race at 1:11:19, 46th overall. DiBello was 59th overall after crossing the line at 1 hour, 19 minutes and 09 seconds. Urbana's Anne Sickles completed the run 1:33:47. She finished 101th overall and 12th.

Brian Barto, from Philo, ran the course under two hours, finishing at 1:53:46. He was 17th in the Mens 40 - 49 group and 136th overall.

Mark Dixon led the 50-59 men to the finish line, running a 1:11:12 to finish sixth in the group. He was 45th overall. Following the Urbana resident over the line almost 20 minutes later, Steve Darling, from Oakwood, finished 16th in the division and 93th overall with a time of 1:31:41. Christopher Korose finished 97th overall at 1:32:11. He carved out a 17th place in the divison.

Savoy's Nancy Roth also braved the chilly running conditions, turning in a time under the two hour mark. She finished fifth in the Womens 60 & up division and 119th overall at 1:44:06.

Robert Ogden completed the course 1:19:38. The Sidney resident finished eighth in the Mens 40 - 49 group and 61st overall.

Urbana's Brenda Straka finished first in the Womens 20 - 29 group and 73th overall. She stop the clock at 1:24:50.

Elizabeth Withers-Sickles ran the course in 1 hour, 24 minutes, and 54 seconds. She came in fourth in the Womens 19 & under and 74th overall.

Hugh Bowman rounded the list of area runners. He finished 16th in the Mens 30 - 39 group and 71th overall at 1:24:38.

The Siberian Express is the first race each year in the Kennekuk Road Runners annual race series.

Village Crier: January 4, 2021

Local confectioner taking orders for Valentine's Day

It is not too early to start thinking about Valentine's Day. Danielle Howard, a confectioner and stay-at-home mom from nearby Oakwood, is taking orders for her increasingly popular hot chocolate bombs.

"Hot chocolate bombs are amazing," she said. "They are a thin layer of chocolate filled with hot chocolate mix and marshmallows. You put the hot chocolate bomb into a mug and pour hot water, or milk over the bomb and watch the magic happen!"

In addition to making themed hot chocolate bombs for the most romantic day of the year, she is also creating breakable chocolate smash hearts and chocolate covered strawberries.

"We already have orders for Valentine's day in our books!"

Each bomb cost $5 a piece and orders can be placed via her Facebook page Dani Jo's Creations or message her Facebook.

COVID-19 cases on the decline again

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District reports just one new COVID-19 case for our area. There are now 62 active cases spanning the six villages.

According to the latest figures from the CUPHD today, Ogden has 3 active cases, Philo 15, Royal 3, Sidney 3, St. Joseph 17 and Tolono 20.

Champaign County has reported fewer than 700 cases for 13 consecutive days.

Runners finish their first race of the year, Plotner comes in 5th

Five area runners, all from St. Joseph, have tucked their first race of 2021 into their belts on January 2 at the 37th annual Siberian Express trail race. The group made up 125 that finished this year's installment.

To make the race safe to run during pandemic this year, runners competed against each in one of six waves and the field was limited to only 150 individuals. Competitors in each wave had a two-hour time limit to run the course through Kickapoo Park.

The local contingent of runners was led by veteran harrier Corey Plotner who finished the 7.45 mile course in fifth place overall in 58 minutes and six seconds. The top area female runner, Amy Bailey, ran the same trail in 1 hour, 23 minutes and .51 seconds. She was the 19th woman competitor to cross the finish line and was 60th overall.

Other finishers from our area included John North (24 overall, 1:10:25), Scott Hendren (68, 1:25:25) and Linda Berry (110, 1:51:05) who gave a high-five to a finish line worker as she crossed the finish line at 39th in women's division.

Ribs and brisket in Tolono

How do mouthwatering ribs sound for dinner this weekend? Traxside at 4 East Holden in Tolono is now taking orders for carryout of their smoked Brisket, pulled pork and pork spare ribs pickup on Friday.

Steak and baby back ribs are available Saturday nights, and regular menu items are available Fridays as well as throughout the week.

"I recommend you pre-order beginning at 10 am on Friday mornings because we sell out fast," guest pitmaster Sean Talbott, who fell in love with cooking at the age of 5, told The Sentinel. "I smoke locally raised meat ... with locally harvested hickory and cherry wood, and allow the meat to smoke for 12 to 15 hours until fully cooked to the perfect temp. I strive to produce the best tasting and tender smoked meat around."

Call (217) 485-1016 to place orders for Friday evening.

A call to all local artists

Last spring, The Sentinel had the pleasure of publishing spotlight on several seniors in the Class of 2020 from St. Joseph-Ogden high school. It was then we discovered the amazing artistic talent of senior Carson Mills, one of three in a set of triplets, while writing dozens of stories in April and May. I was struck by her attention to detail and realism.

Back in January of 2004, while taking pictures for The Leader back when it was owned by St. Joseph resident and founder Scott Hunter, this publisher, then a photographer, made a handful of images of author, artist and retired farmer Alvin Decker of Philo.

We know there are more artists in our area. We just haven't met you yet but would enjoy seeing fruits of your creativity. If you paint, draw, sculpt or do metal work, The Sentinel would love to feature your work and share your artistic talent. Do you spend hours at the potter's wheel, dabble in mixed-media, do glass-work or design jewelry pieces? We'd like to hear from you.

Have you been more creative or had more time to focus on your art? One upcoming story idea we are working on ruual art and the pandemic. We are looking artists who have created unique art pieces over the past nine months that reflects life and living during the COVID outbreak.

If you are interested in having your work featured in a story, please send a brief bio in an email with a link to your website or a online gallery featuring your work to editor@oursentinel.com. We very much look forward to sharing your passion and vision with our readers.

Send your business, social or community organization's press release or event information to The Sentinel at editor@oursentinel.com.

Area runners finished in the top spots at the Mountain Goat race

OAKWOOD - One hundred and thirty-nine runners took part in this year's KRR Mountain Goat trail race last Saturday. The 37th installment of the race featured three separate events. Runners could choose to run a 15K (3 loops), 10K (2 loops), or 5K (1 loop) race.

Daniel Chen runs down Washington Ave in Urbana during the 2023 Illinois Half Marathon. Chen finished in 39th place overall at the Mountain Goat 15K race on Saturday, completing the course at 1:40:48.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Justin Jones of St. Joseph won the 15K run, finishing his three laps in 54 minutes and 21 seconds. The win comes on the heels of a third-place overall finish at Siberian Express held in January Kennukuk State Park.

The Mountain Goat is one of 24 races in the East Central Illinois annual race circuit. The next race in the series is the Clinton Trails Ultra on March 30. Organizers will host two events this year for long-distance runners, a 30-miler, which starts at 7 am, and a 10-miler starts at 8 am.

Our list of area finishers is below.

Men 5K ~

1. Rowan Denmark-Collins (Homer) 0:17:54; 2. Isaias Diaz (Hoopeston) 0:19:19; 4. Jace Jones (Saint Joseph) 0:25:41; 6. Greg Denman (Danville) 0:27:41; 7. Walter Smith (Gifford) 0:29:08; 9. Marshall Quick (Rantoul) 0:29:42; 13. Jason Colwell (Champaign) 0:31:47; 16. Zachary Ruhter (Sidney) 0:33:17; 19. Nick Farmer (Champaign) 0:35:35; 23. Jeremy Ruhter (Sidney) 0:37:11; 26. Stephen Johnson (Sadorus) 0:39:25; 27. Richard Roth (Champaign) 0:39:43; 28. Brian Barto (Philo) 0:39:48; 29. Thiago Lopes (Champaign) 0:40:19; 32. Sean O’Callaghan (Oakwood) 0:42:47; 36. Steven Wayne (Champaign) 0:48:09; and 39. Jason Asaad (Catlin) 0:50:30.

Women 5K ~

8. Samantha Smith (Gifford) 0:29:17; 10. Stacy Wells (Tilton) 0:29:50; 15. Deanna Hines (Danville) 0:32:56; 17. Amy Carley (Danville) 0:33:23; 18. Lorri Howes (Bement) 0:34:54; 22. Abilene Ruhter (Sidney) 0:36:54; 24. Amber Plotner (Fairmount) 0:37:47; 25. Sarah Colwell (Champaign) 0:38:11; 30. Kathy Wicks (Homer) 0:41:02; 38. Sue Wantland (Catlin) 0:50:26; and 40. Ramona Rollins (Danville) 1:00:14.

Mens 10K ~

2. Aaron Miller (Champaign) 0:49:28; 4. Tim Shelton (Danville) 0:53:30; 5. Cody Marsh (Catlin) 0:55:22; 10. Robert Ogden (Sidney) 0:58:59; 12. Jay Hoeflinger (Urbana) 1:01:43; 14. Nathan Parsons (Savoy) 1:04:56; 26. Teresa Cronk (Danville) 1:27:51; and 27. Shane Rowe (Danville) 1:27:52.

Womens 10K ~

6. Paula Tankersley (St. Joseph) 0:56:54; 11. Mara Thacker (Urbana) 1:00:26; 15. Jennifer Russell (Mahomet) 1:05:41; 17. Liz Paunicka (Champaign) 1:07:00; 18. Karen Roth (Danville) 1:07:53; 19. MinJee Lee (Savoy) 1:08:19; 21. Kate Fair (Champaign) 1:12:06; and 24. Nancy Boose (Georgetown) 1:19:14.

Mens 15K ~

1. Justin Jones (St. Joseph) 0:54:21; 2. Charles Fogelman (Champaign) 1:02:23; 3. Luke Morrison (Urbana) 1:03:13; 4. Michael Burk (Champaign) 1:06:17; 5. Justin Seno (Champaign) 1:07:53; 7. Ryan Anderson (St. Joseph) 1:11:39; 8. Timothy Merrell (Bismarck) 1:12:24; 9. Michael Tankersley (St. Joseph) 1:12:36; 10. Paul O’Neil (Urbana) 1:16:23; 12. Richard Mann (Urbana) 1:18:26; 15. Scott Olthoff (Savoy) 1:19:34; 16. Mark Dixon (Urbana) 1:20:05; 20. Patrick Carley (Danville) 1:23:04; 25. Brad Giffel (Urbana) 1:29:51; 28. Jim Fair III (Champaign) 1:31:29; 29. Thomas Corda (Anderson) 1:31:58; 31. Nikita Borisov (Urbana) 1:33:14; 33. Joe Grosso (Fisher) 1:34:39; 35. Brock Gale (Danville) 1:38:09; 36. Devin Rittenhouse (Champaign) 1:39:03; 38. Christopher Korose (Urbana) 1:40:05; 39. Daniel Chen (Champaign) 1:40:48; 46. Steve Darling (Oakwood) 1:43:30; 49. Joe Barnes (Mahomet) 1:46:13; and 51. Jarrod Scheunemann (Champaign) 1:46:28.

Womens 15K ~

17. Jennifer White (Danville) 1:20:22; 19. Nicole Olson (St. Joseph) 1:22:33; 22. Brooke DiBello (Sidney) 1:28:37; 23. Brittany Cain (Danville) 1:28:50; 26. Nicole Lake Olmo (Savoy) 1:30:40; 27. Whitney Patel (Savoy) 1:30:40; 30. Megan Parsons (Savoy) 1:32:46; 34. Sarah Lipps (Champaign) 1:37:41; 37. Brenda Straka (Urbana) 1:39:35; 40. Alison Ball (Champaign) 1:41:24; 44. Lynne Hoveln (Sidney) 1:43:21; 45. Tina Holley (Danville) 1:43:30; 48. Amy Bailey (St. Joseph) 1:46:05; 50. Jessie Scheunemann (Champaign) 1:46:27; 52. Giang Lam (Champaign) 1:49:57; 53. Laura Owen (Sadorus) 1:55:06; 54. Leslie Hammersmith (Sadorus) 1:55:07; 55. Rebecca Reck (Urbana) 1:57:39; 56. Adrianne Thompson (Danville) 1:57:49; 57. Debra Studniarz (Champaign) 1:58:05; 58. Haley Speciale (Champaign) 1:58:55; 59. Alyssa Guzman (Champaign) 1:59:01; 60. Nancy McCarty (Champaign) 1:59:35; 61. Ellen Vore (Urbana) 2:00:02; 64. Caroline Tonozzi (Savoy) 2:01:24; and 65. Nikki Campbell (St. Joseph) 2:06:36.