Shamrock'n 5K F75-79: Tellefson dominates with a commanding wire-to-wire victory

• Nancy Tellefson won the F75-79 age group in 42:21 at 13:38/mi — nearly 10 minutes clear of the field.
• Mary Del Monte, 79, edged Sandra Jochim for 2nd: 52:28 vs. 53:12 — just 44 seconds apart.
• Francie Rupert finished 4th in 55:22, with Helen Duncan 5th in 59:35 and Jeannine Sheridan rounding out the six in 1:04:26.

Six women aged 75–79 toed the line in West Sacramento on a crisp, clear March morning — 54°F with a light breeze at 8 mph — and Nancy Tellefson of Auburn made her intentions clear from the start. Her 42:21 finish at a 13:38/mi pace was nearly ten minutes faster than the next finisher, a margin that speaks for itself in a group where simply showing up and competing at this level is its own statement.

The real drama in the F75-79 age group played out in the battle for 2nd. Mary Del Monte, the eldest in the field at 79 and making the trip down from Healdsburg, crossed in 52:28 at a 16:54/mi pace to claim the silver. Sandra Jochim of Sacramento gave chase and finished just 44 seconds behind in 53:12 at 17:08/mi — close enough to keep things interesting but not quite enough to close the gap.

Francie Rupert, also of Sacramento, settled into 4th place in 55:22 at 17:50/mi, while hometown runner Helen Duncan of West Sacramento brought the crowd something to cheer for, finishing 5th in 59:35 at 19:11/mi. Jeannine Sheridan of Stockton closed out the age group in 1:04:26 at 20:45/mi — six finishers, all of them on the right side of the finish line on St. Patrick's Day weekend.