Isaac a no-show at Madness, Molosky and Johnson dominate

Tropical Storm Isaac was still in the Caribbean Sea on Saturday morning, August 25. That's close to a thousand miles away from Tallahassee, but you could find forecasts that eye of the storm was going to be marching up South Monroe Street shortly. It was enough to remind runners at the Miller Landing Madness cross-country races that four years ago, the 2008 event had to be rescheduled because of Tropical Storm Faye. A severe tropical storm can reduce the race course at Phipps Park to a tangle of fallen trees and mud. The downside is that hardly anyone shows up to run.


That wasn't the case this year; nearly 600 finished one of the three races. 190 of those athletes were in the feature event, the 8K. Vince Molosky, the fourth place finisher in the 2011 Madness 8K, went to the front, leading by over 100 meters after two kilometers. Trailing Molosky was Florida State University School cross-country coach Brian Griffith, moving up to the 8K after having finished runner-up in the 2011 Madness 5K. Behind Griffith, Jasen Fulghum, Gary Droze, and Tony Guillen vied for third. Molosky widened the gap on his way to the finish line, going on to win by over a minute in 27:50. Griffith took second in 28:55. Fulghum pulled away from Droze and Guillen to take third in 29:20. Droze finished as the fastest master runner in the race, placing fourth in 29:32.


Jane Johnson was both the women's champion and the fastest female master in the 8K, finishing 38th overall in 36:36. Like Molosky, Johnson led her race nearly from the start; at two kilometers she was 60 meters ahead of her nearest rival, Florida State University School sophomore Langlee Toothman. Passing the same point on the course, Jill Haglund was fifth in the women's standings. Over the last six kilometers, though, Haglund moved up, passing runners that had started off at a more optimistic pace, including Toothman. Haglund was the second woman across the finish line, 44th overall in 38:09. Urska Dobersek (47th, 39:02) was the third female finisher, and Toothman (50th, 39:08) was fourth.


Top Ten Males, 2012 Miller Landing Madness 8K

1. 27:50 ~ Vince Molosky (M, 33)
2. 28:55 ~ Brian Griffith (M, 27)
3. 29:20 ~ Jasen Fulghum (M, 29)
4. 29:32 ~ Gary Droze (M, 51)
5. 30:36 ~ Tony Guillen (M, 43)
6. 31:26 ~ Peter Kaus (M, 28)
7. 31:39 ~ Geb Kiros (M, 45)
8. 31:49 ~ Brian Molen (M, 36)
9. 31:59 ~ Austin Todd (M, 27)
10. 32:10 ~ Paul Guyas (M, 34)

Top Ten Females, 2012 Miller Landing Madness 8K

1. 36:36 ~ Jane Johnson (F, 53)
2. 38:09 ~ Jill Haglund (F, 27)
3. 39:02 ~ Urska Dobersek (F, 29)
4. 39:08 ~ Langlee Toothman (F, 15)
5. 40:14 ~ Lisa Rutledge (F, 51)
6. 40:58 ~ Jamie Harris (F, 35)
7. 41:34 ~ Jane Skalski (F, 27)
8. 42:09 ~ Kristin Parsley (F, 41)
9. 43:01 ~ Karima Anderson (F, 26)
10. 43:03 ~ Joti Keshay (F, 36)

Concurrent with the 8K, 258 athletes ran the 5K. The Miller Landing Madness is a highly-unofficial don't-tell-the-FHSAA pre-season high school cross-country meet, so much of the field in the 5K consisted of high school runners, including the entire top ten. The fastest was Florida State University School senior Joseph Garcia. In the early going Garcia had company from Maclay School's Travis Covert, but the FSUS senior broke away, building up a formidable lead while setting an event record of 16:32. Covert was second in 17:02, while Lincoln High sophomore Hunter Scott ran 17:25 for third. Maclay senior Stefanie Kurgatt was the first female in the 5K for the third year in a row, placing sixth overall in 19:12.


Top Ten Males, 2012 Miller Landing Madness 5K

1. 16:32 ~ Joseph Garcia (M, 17)
2. 17:02 ~ Travis Covert (M, 17)
3. 17:25 ~ Hunter Scott (M, 16)
4. 17:30 ~ Alexander Jared Artecona (M, 17)
5. 17:33 ~ Jack Rutledge (M, 17)
6. 19:16 ~ Jonathan Grisiaffi (M, 17)
7. 19:34 ~ J P Piotrowski (M, 15)
8. 19:37 ~ George Gwynn (M, 14)
9. 19:37 ~ Matthew Martin (M, 15)
10. 19:38 ~ Luke Parsley (M, 15)

Top Ten Females, 2012 Miller Landing Madness 5K

1. 19:12 ~ Stefanie Kurgatt (F, 17)
2. 19:41 ~ Kristin Sweeney (F, 17)
3. 21:24 ~ Meagan Giddens (F, 14)
4. 21:50 ~ Elizabeth Santoro (F, 18)
5. 22:28 ~ Margaret Wiedeman (F, 17)
6. 22:28 ~ Claire Fruchtnicht (F, 30)
7. 22:47 ~ Kerry Heinz (F, 24)
8. 22:50 ~ Raychel Gray (F, 17)
9. 22:52 ~ Stephanie Liles- Weyant (F, 40)
10. 22:59 ~ Lindsey Poole (F, 16)

Just as the 5K was effectively a high school race, the 3K was a middle school race. Jake Mazziotta of Maclay School took the title in 10:57, well ahead of the runner up, Raa Middle School's Matthew Cashin (2nd, 11:27). In the female competition, Zoe Sheldon of Swift Creek, the 2011 Leon County middle school cross-country champion, was leading with 400 meters to go. But in that last 400 meters, Raa's Audrey Dogan flashed by Sheldon, taking the title 12:16 to 12:25.


Top Ten Males, 2012 Miller Landing Madness 3K

1. 10:57 ~ Jake Mazziotta (M, 14)
2. 11:27 ~ Matthew Cashin (M, 13)
3. 11:43 ~ Jacob Dodson (M, 12)
4. 11:45 ~ Stephen Veliz (M, 13)
5. 11:50 ~ Caleb Harris (M, 11)
6. 12:14 ~ Shane Suchocki (M, 13)
7. 12:31 ~ Zach Smith (M, 13)
8. 12:35 ~ Joshua Liles (M, 13)
9. 12:36 ~ Donovan Duchene (M, 12)
10. 12:38 ~ Zachary Jackson (M, 13)

Top Ten Females, 2012 Miller Landing Madness 3K

1. 12:16 ~ Adrianna Dugan (F, 13)
2. 12:25 ~ Zoe Sheldon (F, 13)
3. 12:55 ~ Katherine Resavage (F, 11)
4. 12:55 ~ Molly Mccann (F, 13)
5. 13:32 ~ Julia Rose Travis (F, 14)
6. 13:35 ~ Arianna Neely (F, 12)
7. 13:41 ~ Gray Kinch (F, 13)
8. 13:49 ~ Bridget Isenberg (F, 13)
9. 13:51 ~ Olivia Ooten (F, 16)
10. 14:14 ~ Clare Keenan (F, 11)

Miller Landing Madness Winners, 2008-2012
Date	Race	Men	Women
30 August 2008	8K	28:57 David Altmaier	32:49 Sheryl Rosen
	5K	17:12 Austin Stevens	18:46 Jana Stolting
	3K	11:21 Will Henderson	13:14 Autumn Wable
29 August 2009	8K	28:05 Chris Lake	33:03 Sarah Docter-Williams
	5K	18:17 Austin Stevens	18:17 Jana Stolting
	3K	11:26 Chase Harris	12:04 Cecelia Williams
28 August 2010	8K	26:28 Kevin Cook	33:29 Sheryl Rosen
	5K	17:15 Patrick Swain	19:22 Stefanie Kurgatt
	3K	11:14 Wil Luca	13:30 Madeline Horgan
27 August 2011	8K	25:54 Kevin Sullivan	32:17 Sheryl Rosen
	5K	16:59 Jacob Slupecki	20:14 Stefanie Kurgatt
	3K	11:08 Evan Francis	12:59 Cheyenne Hildinger
25 August 2012	8K	27:50 Vince Molosky	36:36 Jane Johnson
	5K	16:32 Joseph Garcia	19:12 Stefanie Kurgatt
	3K	10:57 Jake Mazziotta	12:16 Adrianna Dugan
The Miller Landing Madness was preceded in history by the Miccosukee Madness (2004-2007) and the Tom Brown Bash (1977-2003) races.

Links:

• Complete results of the 2012 Miller Landing Madness at gulfwinds.org
  http://gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2012/MLM%202012.asp
  
  
• More photos of the 2012 Miller Landing Madness 8K (Part 1)
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102222340019633.3383012.5215641&l=90e2fddd62
  
  
• More photos of the 2012 Miller Landing Madness 8K (Part 2)
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102222390957553.3383018.5215641&l=16dec710e6
  
  
• More photos of the 2012 Miller Landing Madness 3K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102222461176833.3383030.5215641&l=2f6e5ababe
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of the 2012 Miller Landing Madness
  https://picasaweb.google.com/Freddecka/MLM12
  
  
• Doug Covert's photos of the 2012 Miller Landing Madness 5K
  http://dugco.smugmug.com/MaclayCrossCountry/2012-XC/2012-XC-Miller-Madness-5K/
  
  
• Doug Covert's photos of the 2012 Miller Landing Madness 3K
  http://dugco.smugmug.com/MaclayCrossCountry/2012-XC/2012-XC-Miller-Madness-3K/
  
  
• 2011 story, "Sullivan and Rosen run like mad in Miller Landing 8K"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/08/madness-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, "Cook and Rosen lead the Madness"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/08/madness-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, "Chris Lake wins Miller Landing Madness 2009"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/08/chris-lake-wins-miller-landing-madness.html
  
  
• Lots of upcoming races, some with sanity
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1