BOCA RATON — Temperatures had reached the 80s at the start of the women’s race at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and were in the mid-80s for the men’s start 45 minutes later at the 2023 USATF Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships. Euleen Josiah-Tanner, a decorated track athlete in both national and international competition out of Georgia, enjoyed her first national masters overall cross country championship. Clocking 19:59, Josiah-Tanner finished a half minute before her closest pursuers, the Florida Track Club-Southeast duo, Sonja Friend-Uhl and Jennifer Sober in 20:30 and 20:33. Christopher Miller, running for the University of Miami club, was the hometown hero in the men’s race. Running in the lead most of the way, Miller pulled away for the win in 16:12 ahead of Team Run Flagstaff teammates, Dirk de Heer and Jesse Chettle. Masters distance events use an age grading system to identify the athletes who ran the top times adjusted for their age. In the men’s race, it was a solid win for three-time Masters Harrier of the Year, Rick Becker, 68. Flying in from Selah, Washington, his 18:57 earned a 90.02% age grade. Steve Schmidt, 63, out of Michigan, claimed second with an age grade of 88.4%, ahead of the overall winner, Miller, 47, in third at 88.08%. Mary Cass, 62, from Massachusetts, who was top five at the USATF Club Cross Country Championships last December, took top age grade honors in the women’s race with a 90.63% from her 20:55. Suzanne La Burt, 60, from New Jersey, was second with an 88.71%, ahead of Atlanta’s Patrice Combs, 66, at 85.04%. Women’s age division winners: 40-44 Samantha Gerrits 21:41; 45-49 Josiah-Tanner; 50-54 Friend-Uhl; 55-59 Brenda Osovski 25:49; 60-64 La Burt 20:51; 65-69 Combs 23:28; 70-74 Victoria Crisp 26:03; 75-79 Sharon Gerl 30:02; 80-84 Marie-Louise Michelsohn 41:39; 85-89 Joyce Hodges-Hite 55:32. Men’s age division winners: 40-44 de Heer 16:33; 45-49 Miller; 50-54 Gregory Putnam 17:17; 55-59 Mark Callon 18:06; 60-64 Mark Zamek 18:13; 65-69 Becker; 70-74 Robert Qualls 20:28; 75-79 Richard Katz 24:48; 80-84 Doug Goodhue 26:48; 85-89 Adrian Craven 44:42; 90-94 Eric Seiff 58:15. Men’s team titles were earned by Team Run Flagstaff in 40+, with an average time of 17:18. The Atlanta Track Club took top honors in both 50+, 18:31, and 60+, 19:30. The Boulder Road Runners enjoyed the 70+ win, 23:15. Shore Athletic Club was the second-place finisher in 50+ and 70+, with the Ann Arbor Track Club second in 60+. Women’s team trophies were won by Shore AC in the 40+ award with an average time of 24:27. The Genesee Valley Harriers claimed first in 50+, 24:31. In 60+ the win went to the Atlanta Track Club, 25:39 while Team Red Lizard ran an average of 29:14, for the win in 70+. Contributed by Paul Carlin