The American Lung Association In Wisconsin advertises its Milwaukee Fight For Air Climb as the most successful of all of the ALA's stair climbing fundraising events in the entire country, both in terms of total participation and money raised for its programs. While this year's climb boasted an event-record 3,100-plus participants and has raised approximately $710,000, success was the name of the game for climbers at the 2015 FFA Climb as well, as one familiar face and one newcomer broke multiple event climb records. Milwaukee-area runner Sal Impellitteri reached the top of the city's 47-story US Bank Center faster than anyone in the six-year history of the Milwaukee FFA Climb. The 5 minutes and 12 seconds he took to reach the top was 11 seconds faster than Alex Docta's 5:23 finish in 2011. It was Impellitteri's third straight win, also an event record. His three wins also tie him with longtime Chicago-area competitive stair climbers Jesse Berg and Eric Leninger for most combined stair race wins in Milwaukee, also including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Climbing For A Cure event, which is held each November at the US Bank Center. Like Impellitteri, Chicago-area climber Liz Ruvalcaba not only won among all female participants, she clocked the fastest time ever by a female participant at the Milwaukee FFA. Her 6:21, which came as the first climb of seven total she completed during the Ultimate Climb "power hour," was 14 seconds faster than Kristin Frey's 6:35 FFA finish in 2011. Ruvalcaba became the sixth person total, the second female, and the fastest person ever -- male or female -- to complete seven climbs at the Milwaukee FFA Ultimate Climb, where participants climb to the top as many times as they can within a one hour time limit. Ruvalcaba's cumulative time of 48:22 was nearly one minute faster than the previous fastest time of anyone to achieve seven trips to the top in an hour. Gustavo Ayres Netto totaled 49:08 in 2013. Ruvalcaba, who made her stair climbing debut with a third-place female finish at SkyRise Chicago last November at the Willis Tower, was not new to the US Bank Center, however. She took home the top finish at last November's CFF Climbing For A Cure with a 6:37 finish. While her FFA finish of 6:21 was the fastest female time in event history, it ranks second in building history to longtime Indianapolis climber Cindy Harris' 5:55 finish at 2011's CFF Climbing For A Cure. Similarly, Impelliterri's 5:12 ranks eighth in overall building history behind various CFF Climb times by Berg, Leninger, and US Bank Center record-holder Justin Stewart, who reached floor 47 in 4:50, also at 2011's CFF Climbing For A Cure. Individual records weren't the only to fall, as the first-ever organized Stair Club Milwaukee team, which competed in the Family & Friends division, and was headed by Impellitteri's 5:12, averaged 7:00-flat. The 2015 FFA Climb reverted to a "top five" format -- where only the top five fastest climb times for a team's total members count for team scoring -- after using a "top four" format the past few years. Even with an additional climb time to average in, Stair Club Milwaukee's team average was faster than any team of any size in any division in building history. The team's top five were rounded out by Josh Jackett (6:55), Justin Cumley (7:23), Baxter White (7:29) and Stephanie Vetter (7:58). The team was also comprised of longtime Milwaukee-area climber and all-around athlete Sheryl Leonard-Schneck (8:25), Kori Cumley (11:16), Paul Gesell (11:51), and Craig Waszak (11:55). Baker Tilly Milwaukee averaged 7:27 to win the corporate division. Baker Tilly's team average ranks second all-time for teams of any size in any division in building history, right behind Stair Club Milwaukee's effort at the same event. Baker Tilly's top five were Chris Hart (6:46), Jared Ward (7:24), Matt Appelt (7:38), Sam Kenseth (7:43), and Doug Obermann (7:43). The previous fastest team time average was 7:44, set by the Northwestern Mutual corporate team at the 2012 FFA Climb. While record-setting performances were the primary theme of the day, the event did encounter one hiccup during the Ultimate Climb, as a temporary elevator malfunction disrupted the flow of participants back to the starting level. The malfunction likely prevented three six-climb finishers from achieving seven climbs: Chicago-area climber Josh Duncan, Minneapolis-area climber Jason Larson, and Milwaukee-area runner Holly LaVesser. Larson had won the Milwaukee FFA Ultimate Climb each of the past two years, achieving seven climbs each time. LaVesser became the first woman in the history of the event to achieve seven climbs last year. This was Duncan's first time participating in the Milwaukee FFA Ultimate Climb, but he achieved the fastest cumulative time of anyone to reach the top six times. Full results can be found HERE. For a list of all US Bank Center stair climbing records and achievements, click HERE.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |