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Male winner Powers and female victor Matthews Lada had to catch leaders to win.

Jill Matthews-Lada was the top female finisher.

Aimee Dilger/The Times Leader

Tom Powers finished first in the Kings 5K.

WILKES-BARRE – Tom Powers and Jill Matthews Lada scored come-from-behind victories in the King’s College 5K Run Saturday in Kirby Park.

Powers broke the tape in 19 minutes and 26 seconds. The 43-year-old from Kensington, Md., outran second-place finisher, George Watson, 25, of Dickson City, by 1:01. King’s senior Robert Santopietro, 21, of Creamridge, N.J., finished third, 22 seconds behind Watson.

“I caught and passed the leader (Watson) just after the first mile,” said Powers. “I’m not a surge kind of a guy. So I basically just tried to keep up a nice pace the rest of the way.”

After relinquishing the lead, Watson tried catching Powers.

“I tried to get a rope on him,” said Watson. “But I couldn’t lasso him. Once he took the lead, he just kept increasing the distance between us.”

Matthews Lada won top female honors, finishing sixth-overall in 21:24. The 31-year-old from Wilkes-Barre outdistanced the second-place female (7th-place overall), Erin Moreck, 30, of Forty Fort, by seven seconds. Emily Demko, a 13-year-old from Huntington Mills, finished third among the females in 23:55.

“(Moreck) stayed with me the entire way,” said Matthews Lada, who ran cross country for Hanover Area High School and played the outfield in Women’s softball for Iona College. “(Moreck) pulled ahead of me on the dike over the last mile. But I caught and passed her on the downhill (coming off the dike) with about 200 meters to go. After taking the lead, I tried to open up my stride and stay strong to the finish, because I knew she was right behind me.”

The King’s 5K is sponsored by the college’s International Business & Economics Club and by the King’s College Campus Ministry. A portion of the proceeds from the race will be sent to Holy Cross Social Centers throughout the world. Some of the proceeds will be used to help set up scholarships for Business School students at King’s.

King’s College 5K Run results

Top 5

Tom Powers, 43, Kensington, Md, 19:26

George Watson, 25, Dickson City, 20:27

Robert Santopietro, 21, Creamridge, N.J., 20:49

Connor Murphy, 18, Mountain Top, 21:07

Brandon McNulty, 21, Wilkes-Barre, 21:22

Male award winners: Overall: Powers. Age group winners: 10 & under: None. 11-15: Doug Haines. 16-19: Connor Murphy. 20-29: Brandon McNulty. 30-39: Paul Manley. Masters division: 40-44: Brian Curley. 45-49: Bob Billow. 50-54: Mike Palermo. 55-59: Chris Belleman. 60 & over: Robert Miller.

Top 3 females

Jill Matthews Lada, 31, Wilkes-Barre, 21:24

Erin Moreck, 30, Forty Fort, 21:31

Emily Demko, 13, Huntington Mills, 23:55

Female award winners: Overall: Matthews Lada. Age group winners: 10 & under: None. 11-15: Emily Demko. 16-19: Susanna Haines. 20-29: Catarino Manney. 30-39: Erin Moreck. Masters division: 40-44: Angie Hughes. 45-49: Cathy Haines. 50-54: Gloria Rawls. 55-59: None. 60 & over: Irene Adams.

Special awards: First King’s alumnus to finish: George Watson. First King’s student to finish: Santopietro. First King’s staff member to finish: Thomas Mike.

Field: 52 finishers. Official starter: Omar Tasgin, King’s College International Business Economics Club president. Timing: Jeff Gaval (Insta Results). Results: King’s volunteers. Race director: Dr. Bindu Vyas.

Schedule

Today: Jewish Community Center of Wyoming Valley’s Benjamin August Memorial 3 Mile Run/Walk at 10:30 a.m. at the JCC, River Street, Wilkes-Barre. Info: Bill Buzza, 824-4646, ext. 232.

Sunday, Oct. 30: Wyoming Valley Striders’ Fall Trail (5.5 mile) Run at 1 p.m. at the pavilion, near the boat launch area, of Frances Slocum State Park, Kingston Twp. Info: Vince Wojnar, 474-5363.

Thursday, Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving): Berwick Marathon Association’s (9 mile) Run for the Diamonds at 10:30 a.m. at Market and Second streets, Berwick. Info: Margaret Livsey, 759-1300.