About Us

Steve Knox, Title Sponsor and Organizing Committee Chairman

Steve is the owner of Columbia Funding Mortgage, located in the Mill Creek Town Center. He enjoys recreational running, and actively supports high school running programs as a founding member of the Jackson High School Track and Cross Country Booster Club. He stepped in to organize and sponsor the Run of the Mill in 2006 when the previous organizer was ready to pass the torch. He solicited support from the running community, and with help from some amazing UW student-athletes, the Run of the Mill took on a new life as a charitable event.

Contact: stevek@cfundingmortgage.com

Linda Knox, Development Director

Linda volunteered to join the Run of the Mill organizing committee to honor the memory of her dad, whom she lost to cancer in 1988, and to celebrate and support her brother Jim, a cancer survivor, and her sister Shirley, who is currently battling breast cancer. Steve and Linda reside in Mill Creek and have two children, Caleb, a Jackson High School and University of Washington Student Athlete (Track and Cross Country) alum and Aubrea who attends the University of Oregon.

Contact: lindak@cfundingmortgage.com

Liz Frederickson, Volunteer Coordinator

Liz Frederickson is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Run of the Mill.  Liz teaches middle school, is active in her church and volunteers in the Jackson High School Athletic Booster Club for her son’s track and cross country team.   Liz and her husband Phil have been residents of the Bothell/Mill Creek area for 22 years, along with their children, Connor, a senior at Henry M. Jackson High School, and Kim, a recent graduate of Pacific Lutheran University.  Liz has been a long-time fan of the Run of the Mill.  Now as a cancer survivor, Liz is even more passionate about raising money to help others in the community who are fighting cancer.

Interested in volunteering? Contact Liz at: lizfrederickson@gmail.com

Jon Hickey, Website Manager and Technical Adviser

As a cancer survivor, Jon is dedicated to raising money to help others fighting cancer. He is a graduate student studying Public Administration at the University of Washington and ran Track and Cross Country for the Huskies. To Jon, this race is about more than just raising money. It’s about bringing together a community to offer real support to those battling cancer. He believes the most inspirational people aren’t pro-athletes or Olympic champions . . . they are ordinary people fighting an extraordinary battle.

Mike Sayenko, Graphic Designer

Mike is a graduate of the University of Washington where he competed in Track and Cross Country. He holds the mark of all-time fourth fastest in the 10K distance for the Huskies. One of the nation’s top marathon prospects, Mike was 5th at the US Marathon Championships in 2008, and is ranked 6th Nationally at 10k  in 2009. An Olympic hopeful to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Marathon in London, Mike’s passion for running overlaps his dedication to graphic design. The owner of Sayenko Design, Mike has elevated the brand recognition of the Run of the Mill, producing everything from the logo, t-shirt designs, banners, brochures, posters, and website graphic art.

mike@sayenkodesign.com |  www.sayenkodesign.com

Eric Hruschka, Clerk of the Course

Eric, the 1984 WA high school Cross Country State Champion (Lynnwood High School) and a graduate of the University of Maryland, has been the Jackson High School Cross County and Track coach since the school opened in 1994. Eric teaches physical education at Gateway Middle School. Eric, his wife Allison, and their 3 children reside in Mukilteo, WA. Eric was the 2003 Seattle PI Cross Country Coach of the Year. Among Eric’s passions: love for his family, love of running, and helping kids achieve their potential in athletics, academics, and life.