Whitehead and Rittenhouse ring the bell a second time at the Jingle Bell Jog

On Saturday morning, 5 December 2015, defending champions owned the 10K at Albany, Georgia's 28th annual Jingle Bell Jog. Darton State College professor Patrick Whitehead won the race for the second year in a row, posting a 36:15. Julia Rittenhouse repeated as women's champ, placing eighth overall in 45:52, more than half a minute faster than her winning time in 2014. 154 athletes finished the 6.2-mile road race.


Behind Whitehead, Albany's Corey Barthelmy took second in 37:37, while Albany distance runner Arnoldo DeJesus was third in 40:36. Fitzgerald, Georgia athlete Lucas Trejo edged Robert Nolasco of Albany for fourth place and top master honors, 41:57 to 42:02.


Meghan Pate placed second in the women's standings, finishing eleventh overall in 47:10. Angela Gattie of Leesburg, Georgia, was third on the women's side, twentieth overall in 50:23. Leesburg's Ildiko Babka was the first woman master and eighth female finisher, 32nd overall in 52:39.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Jingle Bell Jog 10K

1. 36:14.61 ~ Patrick Whitehead (M, 29) Albany, GA
2. 37:36.01 ~ Corey Barthelemy (M, 28) Albany, GA
3. 40:35.65 ~ Arnoldo Dejesus (M, 29) Albany, GA
4. 41:56.17 ~ Lucas Trejo (M, 43) Fitzgerald, GA
5. 42:01.92 ~ Robert Nolasco (M, 40) Albany, GA
6. 44:06.66 ~ Chris Phillips (M, 36) Leesburg, GA
7. 45:48.89 ~ Shawn Smith (M, 46) Boonville, IN
8. 46:49.13 ~ Mcbride Eddie (M, 36) Albany, GA
9. 47:07.68 ~ Richard Mayorga (M, 27) Leesburg, GA
10. 47:22.05 ~ Mike Salame (M, 26) Albany, GA

Top Ten Women, 2015 Jingle Bell Jog 10K

1. 45:51.37 ~ Julia Rittenhouse (F, 30) Atlanta, GA
2. 47:09.82 ~ Meghan Pate (F, 29) Albany, GA
3. 50:22.73 ~ Angela Gattie (F, 34) Leesburg, GA
4. 51:07.95 ~ Caitlin Mixon (F, 26) Vienna, GA
5. 51:20.85 ~ Ansley Cain (F, 16) Leesburg, GA
6. 51:21.20 ~ Ramsay Miller (F, 15) Marietta, GA
7. 52:26.87 ~ Terrell Hoffman (F, 28) Americus, GA
8. 52:38.83 ~ Ildiko Babka (F, 48) Leesburg, Ga, 31763, GA
9. 53:25.37 ~ Cherie McDoanld (F, 49) Sylvester, GA
10. 53:27.09 ~ Donna Butler (F, 44) Albany, GA

There was no repeat winner in the Jingle Bell Jog 5K. Ethan Merritt, a sophomore on the Deerfield-Windsor School cross country team, won the race for the first time, covering the 3.1-mile course in 18:05. It was over a minute faster than the 19:10 that Merritt had run at the 2014 Jingle Bell Jog, a race where he had finished fourth. On the women's side, however, Brittney Skiles won the title for the third year in a row. This time around the Georgia Southwestern State cross country coach ran 19:47.


Westover Middle School harrier Henry Plowden finished second behind Merritt in 18:05. Third in the men's standings went to Samuel Orr, a junior on the Sherwood Christian cross country squad. Orr was fourth overall in 19:48.


Deerfield-Windsor sophmore cross-country runner Camryn Bridges was the women's runner-up, fifth overall in 20:25. Amanda Miller of Leesburg was the third woman, coming in 17th overall in 22:19.


Carl Plowden of Albany was the fastest master runner in the 5K, placing eighth overall in 20:51. Americus, Georgia's Deann Reid was the top woman master and eleventh female finisher, 43rd overall in 24:50.


378 athletes finished the 5K. The 2015 Jingle Bell Jog was a benefit for the Children's Miracle Network.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Jingle Bell Jog 5K

1. 18:04.05 ~ Ethan Merritt (M, 15) Leesburg, GA
2. 18:55.16 ~ Henry Plowden (M, 13) Albany, GA
3. 19:47.31 ~ Samuel Orr (M, 16) Albany, GA
4. 20:44.37 ~ Brooks Mitchell (M, 26) Atlanta, GA
5. 20:49.84 ~ Hunter Hatfield (M, 16) Leesburg, GA
6. 20:50.52 ~ Carl Plowden (M, 46) Albany, GA
7. 20:52.16 ~ Ben Phillips (M, 13) Leesburg, GA
8. 20:52.22 ~ Drew Griffin (M, 14) Albany, GA
9. 21:45.18 ~ Taylor Sokolowski (M, 12) Albany, GA
10. 21:56.90 ~ Tayshaun Shipp (M, 12) Poulan, GA

Top Ten Women, 2015 Jingle Bell Jog 5K

1. 19:46.31 ~ Brittney Skiles (F, 26) Dawson, GA
2. 20:24.42 ~ Camryn Bridges (F, 15) Leesburg, GA
3. 22:18.18 ~ Amanda Miller (F, 19) Leesburg, GA
4. 22:25.53 ~ Ryleigh Bell (F, 13) Americus, GA
5. 22:56.90 ~ Gail Morris (F, 34) Newton, GA
6. 23:27.97 ~ Sarah Katherine Harris (F, 13) Albany, GA
7. 23:33.67 ~ Jadie Burrell (F, 11) Parrott, GA
8. 24:09.83 ~ Emily Phillips (F, 11) Leesburg, GA
9. 24:33.91 ~ Caroline Taylor (F, 14) Leesburg, GA
10. 24:36.54 ~ Katie Harrell (F, 30) Albany, GA

Winners of the Albany Jingle Bell Jog, 2004 - 2014
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
4 December 2004	10K
	5K	18:40, Warren Juster	20:37, Wendy Donnan	311
3 December 2005	10K	37:25, Robert Feldman	43:34, Ashley Elam	104
	5K	18:06, Cooper Browning	19:47, Brittney Skiles	236
2 December 2006	10K	37:42, Brandon Skiles	45:45, Wendy Donnan	155
	5K	16:43, Bruce Skiles	21:06, Kelly Conway	241
1 December 2007	10K	*26:00, Roman Drankin	*35:13, Jennifer Pollock	132
	5K	16:19, David Marley	19:22, Brittney Skiles	332
6 December 2008	10K	35:54, Josh Fix	46:14, Andrean Edwards	160
	5K	15:52, David Marley	20:11, Brittney Skiles	325
5 December 2009	10K	36:12, Adam Ross	47:03, Brenna Waack	149
	5K	16:59, Brandon Skiles	19:07, Brittney Skiles	242
4 December 2010	10K	35:51, Adam Ross	45:23, Karen Hamby	194
	5K	19:57, Will Howell	22:49, Katherine McGarr	351
3 December 2011	10K	36:24, Nathan Norton	43:50, Jane Spetoskey	229
	5K	17:06, Heath Lamb	21:28, Beth Young	485
1 December 2012	10K	37:28, Josh Fix	46:30, Anne Cheek	271
	5K	17:49, Wright Calhoun	23:00, Charlene Pennymon	616
7 December 2013	10K	41:22, Duncan Moore	47:15, Heidi Taylor	217
	5K	17:12, Austin Stewart	19:23, Brittney Skiles	590
6 December 2014	10K	34:35, Patrick Whitehead	46:35, Julia Rittenhouse	206
	5K	16:45, David Thornton	19:35, Brittney Skiles	452
5 December 2015	10K	36:15, Patrick Whitehead	45:52, Julia Rittenhouse	154
	5K	18:05, Ethan Merritt	19:47, Brittney Skiles	378

Links

• Complete results of the 2015 Albany Jingle Bell Jog at active.com
  https://results.active.com/events/jingle-bell-jog-2015
  
  
• 2014 story, “Whitehead and Rittenhouse jingle all the way to victory”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/12/albany-jingle-2014.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Mathematician Fix adds a Jingle Bell Jog title to his resumé”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/12/albany-jingle-2012.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Ross and Hamby ring up wins at Albany's Jingle Bell 10K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/12/albany-jingle-2010.html
  
  
• Find more races in Albany or other cities within 100 miles of Tallahassee!
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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