Koon and Cox fly to Fishnet 5K firsts

Labor Day weekend has always been the time for sports, running included. Last year Tallahassee's Labor Day weekend racing calendar included the Terry Massa Memorial 5K on Saturday and the Red Cross's Robin Lotane Hurricane 5K on Monday. But this year, the Terry Massa race migrated to September 21 and the Hurricane 5K moved to October. That meant that a first-year race, the Fishnet 5K on Saturday, Aug. 31, was all but alone on Tallahassee's Labor Day weekend running calendar.


The Fishnet 5K was a benefit for cervical cancer awareness hosted by the Tallahassee Rollergirls, a roller derby club. Not everyone is an expert on roller derby, but most people at least know that it's a game played on roller skates by strong women with names like "Mimi Massacre" and "Hilda Harpy". In that spirit, let's say that Bryan "Master of Disaster" Koon, Florida's Head of Distaster Management, won the race, running 17:32.


The race started on the FSU campus at the Integration Statue near Union Green, heading south on Woodward Avenue. A group of four runners moved out into the lead--Mike Martinez, Anthony Kuchera, Bryan Koon, and Jeff Hoh. The four stayed together though the first mile, but on the second mile Koon made his move, breaking away from Martinez, Hoh, and Kuchera. Hoh and Martinez gave chase, dropping Kuchera, but Koon continued to open a gap. The third mile was more of the same, and Bryan Koon was the first back to the Integration Statue and the finish line, recording a winning time of 17:32. Michael Martinez got away from Jeff Hoh late in the race to take second in 17:58. Hoh was third in 18:22, and Anthony Kuchera fourth in 18:51.


Renee Cox didn't share the lead with anyone in the women's competition. At the start Cox went right to the front of the women's field, determined to stay there till the end of the race. Jamie Schindewolf led the pursuit early but was overtaken by Michelle Perry less than a kilometer into the race. Perry was overtaken in turn by Grace Jackson and Urska Dobersek. Indifferent to who was in second, Cox continued to run away from the competition, reaching the finish line in 20:20 with a 500 meter lead. Jackson and Dobersek were left to fight for the runner up spot, a fight where Jackson prevailed, 22:38 to 22:43.


Top Ten Men, Tallahassee Rollergirls' 2013 Fishnet 5K

1. 17:32 ~ Bryan Koon (M, 41) Tallahassee, FL
2. 17:58 ~ Michael Martinez (M, 47) Tallahassee, FL
3. 18:22 ~ Jeff Hoh (M, 31) Tallahassee, FL
4. 18:51 ~ Anthony Kuchera (M, 27) Tallahassee, FL
5. 19:16 ~ Reikan Lin (M, 23) Tallahassee, FL
6. 19:50 ~ Donald Kunish (M, 37) Tallahassee, FL
7. 20:08 ~ Mike LaBossiere (M, 47) Tallahassee, FL
8. 21:13 ~ Zechariah Lange
9. 21:27 ~ Daniel Santiago
10. 22:23 ~ John Parlses

Top Ten Women, Tallahassee Rollergirls' 2013 Fishnet 5K

1. 20:20 ~ Renee Cox (F, 26) Tallahassee, FL
2. 22:38 ~ Grace Jackson (F, 13) Tallahassee, FL
3. 22:43 ~ Urska Dobersek (F, 30) Tallahassee, FL
4. 23:38 ~ Michelle Perry (F, 28) Tallahassee, FL
5. 23:49 ~ Jennifer Shafer (F, 45) Tallahassee, FL
6. 24:30 ~ Julie Clark (F, 51) Tallahassee, FL
7. 25:04 ~ Paige Dillard
8. 25:39 ~ Ashley Bell (F, 24)
9. 25:43 ~ Melina Avila
10. 26:09 ~ Jamie Schindewolf (F, 23)

Links

• Complete results of the Tallahassee Rollergirls' 2013 Fishnet 5K at gulfwinds.org
  [ Coming soon? Please check back! ]
  
  
• More photos of the Tallahassee Rollergirls' 2013 Fishnet 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10103487581201163.1073741886.5215641&l=b1765e72b5
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of the Tallahassee Rollergirls' 2013 Fishnet 5K
  https://picasaweb.google.com/Freddecka/Fishnet5K_1302
  
  
• "Bonnie N. Collide," a roller-derby comic strip
  http://eatyourlipstick.com/comic/bonnie-n-collide-1/