Andrew Mascio was looking to build publicity for his new running club.

Mission accomplished.

Mascio, 21, of Cranberry Township won the 2K portion of Saturday’s Butler Road Race. He completed the course in six minutes, 35 seconds — nine seconds in front of runner-up Eric Thompson of Gibsonia.

“This is the first time I’ve ever done this race,” the Seneca Valley graduate said. “It was a nice day to run and this is a well-run event.”

Mascio recently formed the Wolf Creek Track Club, which has seven members and is looking to expand. That club put on the Restore the Shore 5K at Moraine State Park earlier this year, where more than 100 runners competed.

“We want to raise money for causes and benefit people, just like this race does,” Mascio said.

Proceeds from the Butler Road Race go toward a scholarship program for high school cross country runners in Butler County.

Mascio is entering his senior year at Grove City College, where he runs cross country and track.

“This win feels nice,” he said of the BRR 2K. “It starts out well with a downhill run, but coming back up at the end was pretty tough.

“We put a relay team in the Pittsburgh Marathon and finished first there, so this was a nice follow-up to that.”

Moniteau graduate and Ursinus College heptathlete Krista Snyder produced a pretty good follow-up of her own Saturday.

After becoming her college’s first female athlete to compete in multiple events at Division III Nationals this spring, Snyder won the women’s portion of Saturday’s 2K. She beat out runner-up Tabitha Donaldson of Butler by 56 seconds.

“I finished third in the 2K here last year and I felt like I could get it this time,” Snyder said. “I’ve been running the 800 meters and middle distances in school, so the 2K is the right race for me.”

Now that she’s through with collegiate competition, Snyder is far from through with competing.

“I’m working on strengthening my speed work and improving my jumping,” she said. “Being a heptathlete, I’ll be looking for more multi-event competitions to take part in. I love that sort of challenge.”

There were 179 runners who finished the 2K portion of the Butler Road Race.

BUTLER ROAD RACE

2K

Top Ten Overall

1. Andrew Mascio, 21 (Cranberry Twp) 6:35, 2. Eric Thompson, 37 (Gibsonia) 6:44, 3. Andrew Maxwell, 14 (Slippery Rock) 6:46 4. Gar Bercury, 42 (Slippery Rock) 6:51, 5. Ethan Depew, 15 (town NA) 7:23, 6. Samuel Gross, 17 (Butler) 7:29, 7. Tim Patterson, 14 (Butler) 7:39, 8. Jeff Bennett, 17 (Harrisville) 7:41, 9. Daniel Deal Jr., 13 (Butler), 10. Krista Snyder, 22 (West Sunbury) 8:01

Top 5 Women

1. Krista Snyder, 22 (West Sunbury) 8:01. 2. Tabitha Donaldson, 17 (Butler) 8:57, 3. Heather Porter, 21 (West Sunbury) 9:18, 4. Christina Perry, 21 (White Haven) 9:23, 5. Samantha Hall, 17 (West Sunbury) 9:27

Age Division Winners

Men Under 12 — Drew Griffith, 10 (Butler) 8:17

Men 12-15 — Ethan Depew, 15 (town NA) 7:23

Men 16-19 — Samuel Gross, 17 (Butler) 7:29

Men 20-29 — Benjamin Swigart, 26 (Butler) 9:06

Men 30-39 —Tommy Bayne, 36 (Brooklyn, NY) 8:30

Men 40-49 — Gar Bercury, 42 (Slippery Rock) 6:51

Men 50-59 — Derrick Henderson, 59 (Emlenton) 9:24

Men 60-69 — Joseph Mascari, 63, (town NA) 10:27

Men 70-Over — Robert Sands, 73 (Butler) 11:20

Women Under 12 — Sam Cornell, 11 (Chicora) 9:42

Women 12-15 — Kerstyn Pomfret, 14 (Sarver) 11:13

Women 16-19 — Samantha Hall, 17 (West Sunbury) 9:27

Women 20-29 — Christina Perry, 21 (White Haven) 9:23

Women 30-39 — Kristine Donaldson, 39 (Butler) 12:54

Women 40-49 — Maureen Gross, 49 (Butler) 11:18

Women 50-59 — Lisa Moss, 52 (Pittsburgh) 12:29

Women 60-69 — Ann Cheman, 65 (Harmony) 13:57

Women 70-Over — Valerie Sands, 71 (Butler) 15:25