McKenna Breaks Three-Hour Mark At Boston Marathon

Former UW-Oshkosh national champion Tiffany (Speckman) Ebensperger was the top finisher among Wisconsin women at the 116th Boston Marathon held Monday (April 16) in Boston, Mass.

Ebensperger finished with a time of 3 hours, 24 minutes and 29 seconds in the 26.2-mile challenge. That performance placed her 228th in the overall women’s standings. The race featured 80-degree temperatures and a total of 22,426 participants.

Ebensperger competed for the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country and track and field teams from 1994-98. The Juda High School graduate took first place at the 1997 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship, while winning the 5,000-meter run at the 1998 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championship.

In addition to Ebensperger, UW-Oshkosh cross country and track and field alumnae Rachel (Milligan) Paape and Stephanie (Speckman) Ross also completed the Boston Marathon. Paape took 354th place with a time of 3:28.27, while Ross finished 7,006th in 4:59.05.

Three men with UW-Oshkosh ties were in the field as well. Former cross country and track and field athletes Eamon McKenna placed 339th with a time of 2:55.17 and Ted Shue 3,419th in 3:37.34. Former UW-Oshkosh head men's cross country and track and field coach John Zupanc finished 9,941st in 4:46.28.

Wesley Koirr of Kenya crossed the finish line first with a time of 2:12.40. The women's title went to Sharon Cherop of Kenya after she finished in 2:31.50.