By The TimesLedger
Jackson Heights resident Yorki Munoz was named Runner of the Year for 2001 by the College Point Road Runners Track Club at its annual Holiday Party. This is the highest honor a CPRRTC member can receive and the second straight year Munoz took home the distinction.
The 32-year-old Munoz, a member of the club for five years, competed in races up to and including The New York City Marathon, which he finished in a time of 2:58:42.
“I’m so excited and feel very proud to accept this award.” he said. “It gives me more power and makes me stronger.”
Munoz has had top finishes in almost all of his races and on numerous occasions was the first member of the club to finish. He won the Pipers Pursuit 5K in 16:37 and JFK Airport 10K in 34:09.
In the Bronx Half Marathon Munoz was timed in 1:14:43. He did not compete in the Queens Half Marathon because he helped his club in staging the event, along with the New York Road Runners Club.
Munoz will start his long races off for 2002 by competing in the Brooklyn Half Marathon in mid-March and would like to compete in the five-race 13.1 mile series put on by the NYRRC. He will run the Queens Half Marathon if he doesn’t volunteer his services again.
His goal is to turn in personal best times for himself.
Other award winners were Chris Yepez for the Leo Nicholas Azimuth Force Award, as the outstanding youth of the organization. Yepez is currently on the track team at Queensborough Community College. Marco Bravo, most improved runner (men) Miriam Teran (women) Indine Sotomayor, female runner of the year, Volunteer of the Year Diana Leifels, Ramiro Munoz, Presidents Award (all-around commitment to the sport) and Julio Augirre as the Master Runner (40 and over) of the year.
The latter ran the New Year City Marathon in 3:14 and Long Island Marathon in 3:04 and finished first in his age group in numerous races at different distances, including a 1:25:43 for a Half Marathon.
The 55-year-old residents of Corona placed first in his age group in 15 races, ran at least one race every weekend and also earned MAC (Metropolitan Athletics Congress) runner-of-the-year honors in his age group for the second straight year and won the Grand Prix half-Marathon series in his age group.
Ramiro Munoz ran 212 miles in NYRRC races and more than 80 miles in Long Island races at different distances.
“My goal is to be number one in the world in my age group in the marathon,” Aguirre said.
