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Jackie Baumgartner says she hasn't race in about six months. Her return to racing was a smashing success.
Baumgartner, 26, of New Haven ran away with a resounding victory Sunday in the women's division of the Christine's Run It While You Can five-kilometer race in Fairfield. Baumgartner cruised across the finish line in 18:54, over a minute ahead of runner-up Kimberly Driscoll of Fairfield. Driscoll took second in 20:09 and Rowayton's Leif-Ann Reilly was third in 20:28.
Baumgartner, a Ohio native, said her training has been sporadic lately as she juggles training with classwork. She was surprised she ran as quickly as she did on the fast, flat course. "I thought I'd be around 19:30,'' she says. "I had no idea what I would run."
She entered the race after receiving information on it in the mail. "I thought it was for a good cause,'' she says. "I was a swimmer in high school." The race is run in remembrance of Chrstine Morandi, the aquatics director at the Bridgeport YMCA who died last year. Baumgartner finished 12th overall in a field of 324 runners. Complete results are available here.
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