By JUDY SHERARD

jsherard@dailynews.net

Dressed in aprons running the gamut from granny's calico to dad's barbecue, Holy Family Elementary School students, parents and faculty competed in their annual pancake race Tuesday.

Brandishing skillets, the fourth-grade students ran first in heats of four or five girls then boys.

The school has had the competition for 23 years, said Teresa Schrant, the event organizer and a fourth-grade teacher.

The race has taken place in the gym and cafeteria, but this year, the weather cooperated and it was on the playground east of the school.

"We love it when it's outside," said Shirley Dinkel, sixth-grade teacher.

Dinkel arrived at the race being pulled in a wagon by Karen Bieker, the school's preschool director.

Bieker wore a red velvet robe and puppy slippers, and Dinkel sported a comical nose and curlers in her hair.

"I think next year this will be the style," Dinkel said, patting her curlers.

The pair arrive in costume every year.

"We're not very serious," Dinkel said.

Even though parent-teacher conferences were scheduled later in the day, Bieker joked she didn't plan to change.

"You can get away with it in preschool, but they might wonder in sixth grade," Dinkel said.

Schrant prepares the thick round pancakes the competitors "flip" as they speed down the raceway.

They didn't look appetizing when the race was finished, but none are wasted.

"I take them home to my chickens," Dinkel said. "They lay good eggs for two days."

After the youngsters competed, it was the parents' turn as first the females, and then the males competed.

Jennifer Johnson has won the ladies' race for the last two years, but the third time wasn't the charm.

She didn't mind the passing the "spatula" to a new winner, though. Johnson hadn't planned to compete this year until her kids said, "You gotta do it, Mom."

It was clear who the favorite was in the faculty and staff race as the children cheered for Father Kevin Weber. And he didn't disappoint, winning handily.

This year's winners were Sophie Humphrey, girls; Tanner Diehl, boys; Jessica Speno, ladies; Steve Brummer, gentlemen; Father Kevin Weber, faculty and staff; and Scott Manhart, overall.