Droze and Early grab wins at the FSU Medical Response Unit 5K

"I went over the course," said Gary Droze. "There are marks on both the road and the sidewalks. I think I can run any tangent that I want."


Droze, the cross-country coach at Maclay School, has been running long enough to know that you always check out the course before a race. The Florida State University Medical Response Unit's sixth annual 5K, the Run For Life on 22 February 2015, was no exception. You still scout the course, even though the route is used by dozens of other races on the FSU campus--even though some of the marks that Coach Droze saw were left over from previous events that had followed the same track. You especially make sure that you know where you're going if you have any chance of winning, and Gary Droze did win the 2015 FSU MRU 5K, besting over 70 other athletes with a 17:01. Kaitlin Early of the FSU Triathlon Club was the first female finisher, placing eighth overall in 23:39.


The athletes lined up south of the university's Integration Statue for a 9:00 AM Sunday morning start. Gary Droze set the early pace, but the FSU Triathlon Club's Jimmy Williams was right behind him as the race meandered east toward Copeland Street, where the runners turned south to tackle Gallows Hill. Williams stayed with Droze as they crested Gallows Hill in front of Westcott, but on the downhill Droze started to open a gap. Heading back west on West Jefferson Street, Droze was about 40 meters ahead and going away at the halfway point of the race. The second half of the 5K belonged solely to the master runner, as Droze cruised home to a 17:01 win. Williams was second in 17:47, and another Tri-Nole, Carlo Morante, took third in 21:29. 2014 FSU MRU 5K champ Michael LaBossiere was fourth in 21:29.


Kaitlin Early got ahead of the rest of the women's field at the start of the race and stayed there through the finish line, unchallenged on her way to a 23:39 women's title. Likewise, Alexandra Ciraulo grabbed the second woman's spot early in the race and held it to the end, finishing runner-up in the women's standings in 24:31 and coming in 12th overall. Danielle Burke was the third woman to finish, 14th overall in 25:21. Joy Lloyd-Montgomery was fourth in the women's division, 16th overall in 25:25.


"Well marked and well monitored," was how race winner Gary Droze described the 2015 FSU MRU 5K. "What I like about the course is that it's a standard FSU course. So even if it's not an accurate 5K you can compare times from race to race."


Since 2010, the Florida State University Medical Response Unit has organized the annual Run For Life 5K. Aside from their own race, the Medical Response Unit is at every race on the FSU campus, sometimes two in a weekend, ready to help in an emergency. Their presence isn't just pro forma--the medical response unit has saved the life of at least one athlete at a race in recent years.


Top Ten Men, 2015 FSU Medical Response Unit 5K

1. 17:00.22 ~ Gary Droze (M, 53)
2. 17:46.05 ~ Jimmy Williams (M, 22)
3. 19:37.08 ~ Carlo Morante (M, 22)
4. 21:28.68 ~ Michael LaBossiere (M, 48)
5. 22:20.29 ~ Chace Gordon (M, 21)
6. 22:25.52 ~ Paul Hoover (M, 64)
7. 23:15.53 ~ Thomas Anderson (M, 19)
8. 23:48.60 ~ Andrew Brinsko (M, 22)
9. 24:05.77 ~ Thomas Brinsko (M, 22)
10. 25:05.00 ~ Tien Cao (M, 36)

Top Ten Women, 2015 FSU Medical Response Unit 5K

1. 23:38.77 ~ Kaitlin Early (F, 20)
2. 24:30.59 ~ Alexandra Ciraulo (F, 25)
3. 25:20.78 ~ Danielle Burke (F, 19)
4. 25:24.99 ~ Joy Lloyd-Montgomery (F, 21)
5. 27:15.10 ~ Chanelle Braun (F, 20)
6. 28:26.16 ~ Nicole Thomas (F)
7. 28:29.59 ~ Beth Cao (F)
8. 28:43.86 ~ Abigail Thomas (F)
9. 29:10.30 ~ Jennifer Fredrickson (F, 23)
10. 29:18.67 ~ Lindsey Duncan (F, 22)

FSU Medical Response Unit 5K winners, 2010 - 2015
Date	Men	Women
20 January 2010	17:40, Raley Beggs	19:14, Katherine McMeekin
29 January 2011	17:47, Matt Bulecza	21:54, Kellie Gerbers
21 January 2012	17:53, Connor Stevens	22:53, Kate Harrison
26 January 2013	18:08, Connor Stevens	18:33, Sheryl Rosen
25 January 2014	20:27, Michael LaBossiere	21:36, Sheryl Rosen
22 February 2015	17:01, Gary Droze	23:39, Kaitlin Early

Links

• Complete results of the 2015 FSU Medical Response Unit 5K at gulfwinds.org
  http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2015/FSU%20Medical%20Response%20Unit%202015.asp
  
  
• More photos of the 2015 FSU Medical Response Unit 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105806440353833.1073742072.5215641&l=fad3451c8b
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of the 2015 FSU Medical Response Unit 5K
  https://picasaweb.google.com/112560881455823075870/RunForLife_15
  
  
• 2014 story, “LaBossiere and Rosen reign at Medical Response Unit 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/01/fru-2014.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Stevens and Harrison first at First Responders 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/01/fru-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Bulecza and Gerbers respond well to competition at FRU 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/01/fru-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Victory for Beggs, McMeekin at First Responders 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/01/during-floridas-territorial-period-last.html
  
  
• Keep track of upcoming races in the Tallahassee region at Trouble Afoot!
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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