(EDITOR’S NOTE: Since May of 1999, the Times News Sports Department has featured an On This Date practically every day, highlighting an event that happened in the past. With the coronavirus putting a halt to sports locally and nationally, the On This Dates have been expanded to the stories that actually ran in the next day’s newspaper. Today’s On This Date story is from June 19, 1994).

By Steve Stallone

TIMES NEWS Staff

The husband and wife tandem of Fran and Maura Gough celebrated their first anniversary a few days early on Sunday, emerging as the overall winners of the Wrecker 5K Run, held on Father’s Day in Weatherly.

The Lehighton duo battled the early-morning heat and some stiff competition in the race’s early stages to claim victory in the men’s and women’s divisions.

Fran outdueled New Jersey’s Tom Morpeth to take the men’s race in 16:30, while his wife overtook runner-up Kim Gasper of Hazleton midway through to win the women’s title in 20:03.

“It was hot, but it went pretty good,” said Fran, who crossed the finish line 19 seconds ahead of Morpeth. “I thought he was going to catch me pretty much the whole way. We went out together and he looked strong.”

Gough held a five-second lead over Morpeth by the midway point of the race, and extended it gradually as the runners made their way back to the finish line at Eurana Park.

“As we got out there I got a little bit ahead of him,” Gough said. “I was trying to figure out if he was saving something for the turnaround.”

Gough, who has run several Boston Marathons as well as many of the area’s 5Ks, pulled away over the second half and was never seriously challenged. Morpeth ran a 16:49, while Hazleton’s Steve Mardyniak came in third overall at 17:45.

Weatherly High School cross country runners Brandon Pugh (17:51) and Jared Ross (19:20) were fourth and sixth, respectively, while Beaver Meadows’ Justin Pugliese placed fifth overall in 18:27.

In the women’s race, Gasper led early on, only to see Gough overtake her and cruise to a 22-second win.

“It was a last-minute decision to run,” admitted Maura, who ran 12 miles during a benefit run in Bethlehem the day before.

“I felt like I didn’t have too much today,” she said. It was the first time she had defeated Gasper after several meetings.

Gough finished in 20:03 and Gasper in 20:25. Third place in the women’s division went to 15-year-old Lauren Young of Wernerville in 22:35.

A total of 38 runners braved the scorching heat and humidity to participate in the Father’s Day event.