Elite Wheelchair Field

2019 Bloomsday Wheelchair Division

Perspective and Athlete Biographies
(Current as of 4/30/19)
 

• Division Started in 1982
• Record Times:
  Men 25:24/ Women 30:42 / Quad 32:43 
• Top Speed ~ 40+ mph

Last Year’s Winners
Open: Daniel Romanchuk -26:04
Women: Tatyana McFadden -32:51
Quad 52: Isaiah Rigo -33:16
Quad 51: Ernesto Fonseca -1:27:48
Junior Male: Phillip Croft -32:19
Junior Female: Hannah Dederick 37:27
Masters: Juan Rios -35:22

$17,200 in Prize Money awarded in 2018

This Year

• 32 Racers
• Oldest Competitor ~ 63 yrs old
• Youngest Competitor ~ 10 yrs old

Paralympians

• Schabort
  ’92/’96/’00/’04/ ’12/’16
• Pike ‘12/‘14/’16/’18
• Botsyo ‘08/’12/’16
• Scaroni ‘12/’16
• Byers ‘04/’08
• Torres ‘16
• Zaragoza ‘08
• Bermudez ‘88

2019 is highlighted with a number of world class athletes including Washington’s own Susannah Scaroni, placing 5^th in Boston this year and just coming off of a tough London Marathon where a flat tire took her out of contention. Young ParaSport Spokane Sprinter, Hannah Dederick will look to best her time in her 3^rd Bloomsday. Aaron Pike returns as the open men’s favorite with the absence of Daniel Romanchuk (who just won Boston and London Marathons). Joining Pike is Krige Shabort and Jose Polido, but watch out for the young ParaSport Spokane racers Jackson Atwood and Phillip Croft who are gunning to crack the top three. The hottest race of the weekend could be the 52-Quad division where Cheney’s own Isaiah Rigo, now training at the University of Illinois is the returning champion. Cristian Torres from Columbia returns with a bit more confidence on this technical course looking to upset the local favorite. 

Susannah Scaroni -Women’s Division -#250

• Won Bloomsday in 2017/16/14/13
• Master’s Student at University of Illinois
• From Tekoa, WA
• 28 years old
• 2x Paralympian – London 2012 / Rio 2016
• 5^th in Boston 2019 – 1:42:34
• 14^th Bloomsday
• Best time 30:51 ‘15

Aaron Pike -Open Division -#201

• From Park Rapids, MN
• Age 36
• Dual Sport Paralympian
• 2012 London & 2016 Rio
• 2014 Sochi & 2018 PyeongChang in Nordic & Biathlon
• 8^th Bloomsday
• Best Finish 2^nd in 2014 & 2012
• Best Time 29.12

Krige Schabort -Open Division -#202

• Born & Raised in South Africa, Resides in Georgia
• 53 yrs old
• 6x Paralympian (‘92, ‘96, ‘00, ‘04, ‘12, ’16)
• Over 100 Marathons
• 1:35:38 at the LA Marathon
• Won Bloomsday in 2009 with a time of 27:06
• 7^th Bloomsday
• Best time: 27:06

Isaiah Rigo-52-Quad Division -#270

• First Bloomsday as a University of Illinois Fighting Ilini
• Returning Quad T2 Division Champion
• Freshman at University of Illinois
• Age 20
• World Champs Team Member Lyon, FR 2013 / Qatar, UAE 2015
• Ranked #2 (200/800m), #3 (400/1500m)
• 9^th Bloomsday
• Best time: 33:16
  
  

Cristian Torres -52-Quad Division -#271

• 2^nd Bloomsday
• Age 38
• From Columbia
• Paralympian -Rio ‘16
• Best time: 35:17 in ‘18
  
  

Fidel Aguilar -Open Division -#203

• From Chandler, AZ
• Age 41
• 3^nd Bloomsday
• 3^rd at 2017 LA Marathon (1:39:22)
• Best time: 31:39         

Jose Pulido -Open Division -#207

• From Clarkesville, GA
• Age 38
• 7^th Bloomsday
• Best time: 31:12

Jackson Atwood -Junior & Open Division -#210

• Freshman at C.V.
• Age 15
• 3^rd Bloomsday!
• Plays wheelchair basketball with Parasport Spokane
• Best Time: 33:42

Philip Croft -Open Division -#215

• Age 19
• From Spokane Valley
• Junior at Valley Christian
• World Jr Silver Medalist in 2017
• Plays wheelchair basketball with Parasport Spokane
• 4^th Bloomsday
• Best time 32:19

 

Hermin Garic – Open Division - #204

• From Utica, NY
• Age 29
• 1^st at Twin Cities Marathon 1:53:00
• 2^nd at Falmout 7mile 28:41
• 4^th Bloomsday
• Best time: 32:23

 

Hannah Dederick -Women’s & Junior Division -#252

• Sophomore at C.V.
• From Spokane Valley
• Age 16
• 4x World Jr Champion in 2017
• #10 fastest women’s wheelchair 100m in 2018
• Plays wheelchair basketball with Parasport Spokane
• 3^rd Bloomsday
• Best time: 37:27

Elizabeth Floch -Women’s & Junior Division -#251

• 8^th grader Valley Christian
• Age 16
• From Spokane Valley
• 2017 World Jr Silver Medalist
• Plays wheelchair basketball with Parasport Spokane
• 4^th Bloomsday
• Best time: 41:52

Ernesto Fonseca -51-Quad Division -#280

• 2^nd Bloomsday
• Age 37
• From Costa Rica
• Best time 1:27:48 in ‘18

Tyler Byers -Open Division -#205

• Spokane, WA
• Age 36
• 2004, 2008 Paralympian
• 24^th Bloomsday -was 11 when he first raced Bloomsday
• Highest Placing: 2^nd -2006
• Best Time: 29:08

 

Bob Hunt -Open Division -#220

• Bloomsday Veteran, has not raced since ‘16
• Age 29
• 16^th Bloomsday
• Was 11 when he first raced Bloomsday
• Best time: 35:21 in ‘13

 

Maclean Dzidzienyo -Open Division -#213

• 6^th Bloomsday
• Age 31
• From Ghana
• Member of Go Get Dem Racing Team
• Best time: 34:37 in ‘16

 

Raphael Botsyo -Open Division -#214

• 5^th Bloomsday
• Age 39
• From Ghana
• 3x Paralympian –‘08/’12/’16
• Best time: 39:01 in ‘17
• Founder of Go Get Dem Racing Team

 

Marcelo Cruz – Open Division -#212

• From Morristown, TN
• Age 39
• 13^th Bloomsday
• Best time: 41:17

 

Kipp Wesslen -Open Division -#211

• From Milwaukie, OR
• Age 39
• 3^rd Bloomsday
• Multi-Sport athlete
• Best Time 47:41

 

Alphonzo Zaragoza -Master’s Division -#241

• 7^th Bloomsday
• Age 42
• From Mexico
• Parlympian ‘08
• Best Time 29:37 in ‘07

 

Ramiro Bermudez -Master’s Division -#236

• From Houston,TX
• Age 60
• 2015 Para Pan Am
• 1988 Paralympian for Columbia
• 13^th Bloomsday
• Best time: 32:42

 

Edwin Figueroa – Master’s Division -#238

• From Commerce, CA
• Age 48
• 19^th Bloomsday
• Best time: 35:27

Ulysses Elijah -Master’s Division -#237

• From Decatur, GA
• Age 63
• 7^th Bloomsday
• Best time: 38:04

Dan Molitor -Master’s Division -#239

• Ephrata, WA
• Age 42
• 5^th Bloomsday
• Best time: 45:50

Luis Betts -Master’s Division -#235

• From Medical Lake
• Age 47
• 32^nd Bloomsday
• Best time 30:09

Jim Hudec -Master’s Division -#240

• From Salmo, Canada
• Age 62
• 23^rd Bloomsday
• Best time: 36:43

Jordan Clyburn -52-Quad Division -#272

• Age 29
• From Spokane
• 17^th Bloomsday!
• Plays wheelchair basketball with Parasport Spokane
• Best time: 57:24

John David Duran -52-Quad Division -#273

• From Portland, OR
• Age 24
• 2^nd Bloomsday

Mike Lucas -Junior Division -#216

• Freshman at CV
• Age 15
• 3^rd Bloomsday
• Loves wheelchair basketball
• Best time: 57:56 in ‘16

Aiden Youngblood -Junior Division -#218

• From Spokane
• Age 10
• Rookie Bloomie!
• Has been racing since 3 years old
• Plays wheelchair basketball with ParaSport Spokane

 

Levi Jackson -Junior Division -#217

• From Spokane
• Age 14
• Rookie Bloomie!
• Races on his middle school track team -East Valley!
• Plays wheelchair bball with ParaSport Spokane

 

Darren Ugolini -Junior Division -#219

• From Spokane
• Age 10
• Rookie Bloomie!
• Loves to go fast!
• Plays wheelchair bball with ParaSport Spokane