Juggler's World: Vol. 38, No. 3

Joggling Races

Jogglers Topple All Records

by Tom Sparough

Beginning of 5k event. #3, Owen Morse, won 100 m. #9, Kirk Swenson, won the mile and 5k. All winning times were new records.

Kirk Swenson and Owen Morse led a pack of 12 IJA jogglers by setting three records at the San Jose State University Bud Winter Track on July 24.

Swenson, the reigning mile joggling champion and recent graduate of Swarthmore College, set a new IJA mile record of 4:43.8. Marty Gardella at 5:44 and Mickey Campaniello at 5:48 were far behind in second and third.

A drop on his last lap as he prepared to pass another runner may have caused Swenson to not break the Guinness Book's unofficial mile joggling record of 4:38. In the 5-kilometer event Swenson also had a drop, but he again set an IJA record with a time of 16:55.8.

Swenson said it was his first time at the distance and he wasn't sure how he would feel after racing in the mile. However, "It felt good," he said heading for the Gatoraid.

Mickey Campaniello, an ultramarathoner who usually races 50 miles or more, took second with 19:20.8, followed by Owen Morse at 20:27.4.

Morse, a track man at the University of California-Irvine, took the IJA record and Guinness records away from Albert Lucas in the 100-meter joggle, reaching the finish line in 12.3 seconds. Just behind him was Jerome Ellis at 13.0 seconds, with Bill Giduz (last year's winner) finishing third in 16.1.

Although Morse practiced the sprint joggle for a few days before the race, he said he spent weeks preparing through regular running and combat juggling. He also felt he cut his time by clawing the bags as he crossed the finish line.

After the competitions there were exhibition relays run in the mile and 440 meters. Runners held two balls and were passed a designated third ball by the approaching runner to simulate the passing of the baton. The team of Campaniello, Gardella, Giduz and Swenson posted a 4:56 mile. Giduz, Morse, Lars Rohrbach and Mike Vondruska ran 440 meters in 1:05.

On the way back to the convention gym, the world record for most jogglers in a van was set at about a dozen!

Joggling Results

    100 Meter
    1.  Owen Morse              12.3 *
    2.  Jerome Ellis            13.0
    3.  Bill Giduz              16.1

    Mile
    1.  Kirk Swenson          4:43.8 *
    2.  Marty Gardella        5:44
    3.  Mickey Campaniello    5:48

    Five Kilometers
    1.  Kirk Swenson         16:58.8 *
    2.  Mickey Campaniello   19:20.8
    3.  Owen Morse           20:27.4

    * new IJA record