Jamesport Sound-to-Bay grows; first-time 5K proves a huge draw

The Jamesport Fire Department’s Sound-to-Bay race expanded with the addition of a 5K run this year, and that more than doubled the number of runners in the popular annual event.

A tidal wave of last-minute pre-registrations and race-day walkups  for the new 5K race nearly overwhelmed race organizers. More than 200 runners showed up this morning without pre-registering.

“We only had four of five people pre-registered for the 5K as of two weeks ago,” organizer Bob Sikora said. “In the past week there was an explosion.” There were just four buses to transport runners from the registration area to the two starting lines — Iron Pier Beach for the 10K and Jamesport Fire Department for the 5 K. That delayed the start of the races, Sikora said. “Live and learn,” Sikora said. “It should be bigger and better next year,” he said.

Gerry O’Hara, 48, of East Rockaway won the 10K with an unofficial time of 36:27. He accompanied his children and their track teams from Bishop Kellenburg High School. His personal best time in a 10K was 31:30 in the Shelter Island race a few years ago, he said. That earned him 16th place in that race, he said.

Riverhead High School senior Anthony Galvan, 18, a member of the Blue Waves boys track team, came in second at 36:49. It was the second time in a row Galvan’s finished second in the Jamesport race.

Maria Pavkovitch, 28, of Union City, N.J. was the first woman to cross the finish line in the 10K, with an unofficial time of 39:15. Pavkovitch, who said she was training for a marathon this fall —”I haven’t decided which one yet” — said the Sound-to-Bay course was “pretty rough” with its incline in the beginning and rolling hills throughout much of the race, as well as lots of turns along the way.

Patrick McCabe, 23, of Garden City Park won the 5K with an 18:43 finish. Second place went to a 14-year-old boy from Great Neck, Jacob Rigos, who finished in 19:28.

Patricia Alcivar, 33, of Forest Hills, was the female winner of the 5K at 20:36. She was locked in a battle with McCabe’s girlfriend, Shannen Fuertes, 21, of Levittown, who finished second at 20:42.

“She gave me a run for my money,” Alcivar said. “We were back and forth and in the end she was right on my heels,” Alcivar said. She said she was determined to win. “I told myself, I’m just not going to lose this race,” she said.

“I got the ability to dig down deep within from my experience as a professional boxer,” Alcivar said. An EMT, personal trainer and translator, the Colombian-born woman grew up in Queens and started boxing to burn up some energy. “I was diagnosed with ADD and the doctor told my mother to try getting me involved in sports in lieu of putting me on medication.” She tried gymnastics and martial arts, but got bored. “I took a boxing workshop class in 1996 and I hit the instructor with a right jab to the solar plexus that knocked the wind out of him, and he’s 6-5 and 250 pounds,” she said. “He’s been my trainer ever since.”

Boxing professionally for two-and-a-half years now, Alcivar, who goes by the name Patty Boom-Boom, is a two-time NYC Golden Glove champion, was the first-ever women’s national amateur boxing champion in 1997. She was the first female boxer to be voted athlete of the year by the U.S. Olympic Committee. Her record stands at 6-1, with three KOs.

A set of 10-year-old twins from Stony Brook placed first and second in the 5K under-12 division. Sarah Thornton came in first of the U-12 girls in the race and Jack Thornton came in second of the U-12 boys.

RiverheadLOCAL photos by Denise Civiletti.

Photo captions:

Top: From left, crossing the finish line are 10K winner Gerry O’Hara; 10K top female Maria Pavkovitch; 5K winner Patrick McCabe; 5K top female Patricia Alcivar.

Second: Riverhead H.S. runner Anthony Galvan, who came in second in the 10K, crossing the finish line.

Third: The two top women in the 5K, Patricia Alcivar, right, and Shannen Fuertes.

Bottom: Twins Sarah and Jack Thornton, who finished first and second in girls and boys under-12 classification.

RiverheadLOCAL slideshow by Peter Blasl

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