The women’s field of the Chicago Marathon received a boost Thursday with the commitment of Joan Benoit Samuelson to run in the Oct. 30 race here.
Samuelson, 37, becomes the early favorite along with 1992 Chicago Marathon winner Linda Somers. Somers is the third-ranked American marathoner for 1994 based on a time of 2 hours 33 minutes 42 seconds she posted earlier this year in Duluth, Minn. Samuelson hasn’t run a marathon since the 1993 Boston Marathon, in which she clocked 2:35:43 to place sixth. Her best marathon time of recent years was a fourth-place 2:26:55 in 1991 in Boston.
Nevertheless, she becomes one of the top contenders on a flat and fast Chicago course. The marathon’s winning time last year was 2:33:18.
That’s a far cry from the 2:21:21 Samuelson ran in 1985 to win Chicago, an American record that still stands.
The 1984 Olympic gold medalist may be past her prime. “But she’s in good shape, healthy and fit,” said race director Carey Pinkowski. “She’s coming here to compete.” Now that LaSalle Banks has taken over title sponsorship of the race, Sameulson can expect to pocket at least $30,000 if she wins. Kenya’s Cosmas Ndeti, the 1994 Boston winner and current world’s fastest, committed to the Chicago Marathon two weeks ago.
New assistant: Tina Buonauro, a 1989 graduate of North Central College, has been named assistant volleyball coach at the Naperville school. She will coach the junior varsity team and serve as assistant to Marcy Thurwachter, who is in her 10th season as head coach. Buonauro, who coached high school volleyball at Naperville North and Bolingbrook after graduation, succeeds Lynnea Loudenbeck, who resigned to become freshman volleyball coach at Marengo High School.
