Oldham and Martin dash with the Bulldogs

My apologies to Savannah State, Berry, Georgia Southwestern State, and a host of other institutions of higher learning, but it has always seemed to me that the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech were the two most prominent universities in the Peach State. Maybe I'm just fooled by the fact that their football teams occasionally show up in post-season bowl games. Those teams are of course the Bulldogs and the Yellow Jackets. It's interesting, and probably not entirely coincidental, that in Thomas County, Georgia, Thomasville High and Thomas County Central High are also the Bulldogs and the Yellow Jackets.


There's no shortage of Bulldogs among school sports mascots, though. Even in Thomas County, MacIntyre Park Middle School's teams are also Bulldogs. And it was the Bulldogs of MacIntyre Park who hosted the inaugural Bulldog Dash 5K in Thomasville on Saturday morning, 9 May 2015.


Thomasville athlete Daniel Oldham won that first Bulldog Dash 5K, finishing the race in 17:25. Another Thomasville runner, Todd Hanscom, was runner-up in 17:43. Chad Johnson of the Rose City Tri Club was the fastest master runner in the race, placing third overall in 17:58. MacIntyre Park Bulldog cross-country runner Baylen Young finished fourth in 18:05.


It was two weeks since Haleigh Martin had finished her track season at the FHSAA 2A Region 1 Meet, but the Wakulla High sophomore was still racing at the Bulldog Dash 5K. Martin won the women's title in 19:03, placing ninth overall. Beverly Hamilton of Thomasville, Georgia, was second in the women's standings, finishing twelfth overall in 19:57. Emmy Kyllonen of Tallahassee, Florida, was the third woman finisher, coming in 16th overall in 20:38. Thomasville's Emily Eckels was the top woman master and sixth female finisher; Eckels placed 32nd overall in 23:56.


93 athletes finished the first year race, with another 74 completing a Bulldog Dash one-mile fun run.


Top Ten Men, 9 May 2015 Bulldog Dash 5K

1. 17:24.63 ~ Daniel Oldham (M, 37) Thomasville, GA
2. 17:42.33 ~ Todd Hanscom (M, 36)
3. 17:57.48 ~ Chad Johnson (M, 44)
4. 18:04.96 ~ Baylen Young (M, 11)
5. 18:50.51 ~ Luke Allegood (M, 18)
6. 18:55.69 ~ Lawson Brinkley (M, 12)
7. 19:00.29 ~ John West (M, 15)
8. 19:02.16 ~ Matthew Lewis (M, 10)
9. 19:10.93 ~ Jason Jacobs (M, 39)
10. 19:12.91 ~ Chris Holt (M, 33)

Top Ten Women, 9 May 2015 Bulldog Dash 5K

1. 19:02.43 ~ Haleigh Martin (F, 15) Crawfordville, FL
2. 19:56.65 ~ Beverly Hamilton (F, 37)
3. 20:37.60 ~ Emmy Kyllonen (F, 25)
4. 22:19.72 ~ Rosalie White (F, 20)
5. 23:39.91 ~ Rebecca Jane White (F, 16)
6. 23:55.17 ~ Emily Eckels (F, 42)
7. 24:02.18 ~ Cindy Lewis (F, 39)
8. 24:48.24 ~ Emma Yale (F, 26)
9. 25:36.51 ~ Faye Smith (F, 55)
10. 25:45.44 ~ Sherrie Jones (F, 43)

Links

• Complete results of
  http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2015/Bulldog%20Dash%202015.asp
  
  
• Bulldog Dash 5K
  http://www.bulldogdash5k.com/
  
  
• Find upcoming races for a variety of dog breeds on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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