Abeja and Hill win Kickin' It In The Sticks 5K

I was once told that Crawfordville, Florida, was unusual because it was a county seat, yet it was unincorporated. However exclusive that fraternity is, it has another member less than a hundred miles away--unincorporated Statenville, Georgia, is the county seat of Echols County. You'd only expect such a situation in a rural county, and that's certainly what Echols County is. Folks speeding to and from Disney World on Interstate 75 are probably blissfully unaware that they missed Echols County by just a couple of miles, let alone that they missed seeing Statenville. Statenvillains are neither unaware nor ashamed of their town's backwater status. Why else would they call the local road race the "Kickin' It In The Sticks 5K"?


Statenville's own Andres Abeja won the inaugural Kickin It In The Sticks 5K on Saturday morning, 7 February 2015. The Echols County High junior covered the 3.1 miles in 20:16, finishing about 50 meters ahead of runner-up Clint Watkins, the top master runner in the race. Echols County High frosh Morgan Hill finished first in the women's standings, placing 16th overall in 28:30. Right behind Hill, Kathy Lloyd of St. Marys, Georgia, was the top woman master, coming in 17th overall in 28:38.


46 athletes finished the first-year race. The Kickin' It In The Sticks 5K was a benefit for the Echols County High School / Middle School baseball programs. No word yet on whether there will be a baseball tournament to raise money for the track team.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Kickin' It In The Sticks 5K

1. 20:15.3 ~ Andres Abeja (M, 16) Statenville, GA
2. 20:28.7 ~ Clint Watkins (M, 46) Madison, FL
3. 21:29.8 ~ James Morgan (M, 53) Ormond Beach, FL
4. 22:36.1 ~ Rob McGhin (M, 35) Valdosta, GA
5. 22:47.7 ~ Rick Register (M, 51) Lake Park, GA
6. 25:39.2 ~ Matt Crowder (M, 40) Atlanta, GA
7. 25:52.2 ~ George Galindo (M, 11) Statenville, GA
8. 26:28.1 ~ Dave Rosser (M, 41) Jennings, FL
9. 26:59.6 ~ Zach Jones (M, 8) Lake Park, GA
10. 27:23.5 ~ Jacob Roger (M, 13) Lake Park, GA

Top Ten Women, 2015 Kickin' It In The Sticks 5K

1. 28:29.5 ~ Morgan Hill (F, 14) Lake Park, GA
2. 28:37.2 ~ Kathy Lloyd (F, 56) St Marys, GA
3. 29:59.9 ~ Sandy Register (F, 44) Lake Park, GA
4. 30:14.4 ~ Ali Coleman (F, 24) Hazelhurst, GA
5. 31:39.8 ~ Susan Morgan (F, 49) Ormond Beach, FL
6. 33:05.9 ~ Maria Garner (F, 41) Valdosta, GA
7. 33:11.5 ~ Tonya Stalvey (F, 48) Du Pont, GA
8. 33:50.4 ~ Kyndall Spivey (F, 18) Lake Park, GA
9. 35:39.2 ~ Tonya Davis (F, 33) Valdosta, GA
10. 35:46.6 ~ Elizabeth Rowe (F, 39) Valdosta, GA

Links

• Complete results of the 2015 Kickin' It In The Sticks 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vqOSNc0P8ryyujXRSaBL6FthIL9moYOWY9Ul6ePWszs/pubhtml
  
  
• Upcoming races, urban and rural, on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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