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OLD GOATS RUN (2007) - JOHN FRY WINS AGAIN Another Annapolis 10-Mile Run is history and, courtesy of the Annapolis Striders, more than 70 Naval Academy "Old Goats" (runners graduating at least 20 years ago) vied for bragging rights among the more than 130 alumni registered in the nationally acclaimed road race Aug. 27. This year's run was a replay of last year. The Class of 1973 earned a fourth consecutive award for most runners from a single class (10). Steve Dietz '82 was again the fastest Old Goat with a 1:01:59 clocking (and 16th place overall in the race). Veteran winner John Fry '48 logged a 2:22:18 to repeat as the "fastest oldest goat," also for a fourth straight year. Dietz had more than one reason to be pleased. "From a personal perspective, one of the the best things about the day was that my oldest daughter, Jenn, ran as well and finished as the third woman overall in 1:07:28--not that far back from me," he said. Last year's Old Goats Run led to a new friendship between "SOPA" Fry and Dietz. The share a common professional experience in that Fry was a foreign service officer following his naval service, and Dietz now works in the State Department. "We got together for lunch there after the race last year," Fry related. Fry also described a touching example of the bond between alumni displayed at the post-run award presentations. "Sitting between two Class of 73 runners and admiring their 'Old Goat' running shirts," Fry related, "their President surprisingly said 'Come with me.' We walked across the stadium to one of the representation rooms to join their families. There they presented me with one of their shirts, which they told me I can wear while running around the Academy, provided I never reveal my age!" Other runners encouraged Fry to claim he was one of the more youthful members of '73! By Gordo "Old Goat" Peterson '68 |