Sunday, July 12, 2015

Gibson and Winkler repeat at Crowdis

Myles GibsonIn Blakely, Georgia, about 1400 meters into the 2015 Dr. James H. Crowdis 5K, there was a water table set up on Wyatt Jarrett Street. The race is out and back, so the athletes got to visit the table twice. Well after the leaders had gone by for the first time, one of the runners called out to the volunteers staffing the water stop.


"Those boys got out fast today!" he said.


"One of them did, anyway," was the response.


That one was Patrick Whitehead, who was leading by almost half a minute going by the water station. At the end of the race, though, it was Donalsonville, Georgia, master runner Myles Gibson who crossed finish line first, running 18:10 and winning the race for the second year in a row.


"I wasn't supposed to win today," said Gibson. "The guy in front of me was way ahead."


Arnoldo DeJesusNevertheless, win Gibson did. On the women's side master runner Margaret Winkler of Blakely was also a repeat winner, taking the women's title in 23:02.


The 19th Crowdis 5K started on River Street in front of Blakely First United Methodist Church Just after 8:15 AM. There was no sign that there would be a repeat of the rainstorm during the 2014 race; the sky was clear and the day promised to be hot. Patrick Whitehead, wearing the colors of the Albany, Georgia, Good Life City Runners, took the lead almost immediately. Bainbridge High freshman Caleb Harris trailed in second, followed by Good Life City Runner Arnoldo DeJesus and Crowdis 5K defending champion Myles Gibson.


"I didn't start racing till after the first mile," explained Gibson. "I felt really good after that."


There was a big surprise in the race just past the mile mark as Gibson started to close on Harris and DeJesus just past the mile mark. Whitehead dropped out.


Caleb Harris"He stopped and took his shoe off," recalled Gibson.


A foot injury had sidelined the leader. DeJesus passed Harris, becoming the new pacemaker. Gibson shadowed DeJesus. At the halfway point and turnaround on Westview Drive, Gibson moved into the lead. DeJesus steadily lost ground on Gibson until the runners turned back onto College Street. There, with over 600 meters from the finish line back at the Church, DeJesus began to close. But ultimately Gibson held on the last three seconds of his lead, enough to beat DeJesus's charge and win the race in 18:10.


"It's my best time in three years, so I'm really happy," said Gibson.


DeJesus was second in 18:13. Caleb Harris placed third in 18:48, while Bainbridge master runner Greg Waddell was fourth in 19:50.


Margaret WinklerIn addition to running his fastest 5K time since 2012, Gibson also ran two seconds faster than his winning time in the 2014 Crowdis 5K. Women's winner Margaret Winkler also bettered her Crowdis Run time from a year ago. In successfully defending her title, Winkler finished 19th overall in 23:02, significantly faster than her winning time of 23:24 in the previous year's race. Truett-McConnell College cross-country runner Lauren Tosky was second in the women's standings, placing 24th overall in 24:35. Megan Helms of Headland, Alabama, was the third female finisher, 28th overall in 25:17. Enterprise High cross country runner Annabelle Warner edged master runner Jill Wofsey for the fourth women's spot, 26:09 to 26:10.


107 athletes finished the 19th Crowdis 5K, the most since the race was revived in 2012. You'd have to go back to 1991 to find a larger Crowdis Run. Another throwback to the race's original years of 1981 to 1995 was USATF course certification. The Crowdis 5K course had been certified as accurate in 1988; 2015 was the first year that the new course was also certified. Look for another Crowdis 5K on the USATF certified course #GA15001WC in July of 2016.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Dr. James H. Crowdis 5K
  1. 18:09.5 ~ Myles Gibson (M, 49) Donalsonville, GAGreg Waddell
  2. 18:12.2 ~ Arnoldo DeJesus (M, 29) Albany, GA
  3. 18:47.2 ~ Caleb Harris (M, 14) Bainbridge, GA
  4. 19:49.8 ~ Greg Waddell (M, 49) Bainbridge, GA
  5. 20:17.2 ~ Perry Waddell (M, 17) Bainbridge, GA
  6. 20:21.4 ~ Dale Thomas (M, 52) Taylor, AL
  7. 20:24.9 ~ David Helms (M, 31) Headland, AL
  8. 20:25.7 ~ Cole Farrington (M, 22) Bainbridge, GA
  9. 20:33.2 ~ Austin Lambert (M, 18) Colquitt, GA
  10. 21:08.8 ~ Mark McCarra (M, 50) Grand Ridge, FL

Top Ten Women, 2015 Dr. James H. Crowdis 5K
  1. 23:01.3 ~ Margaret Winkler (F, 41) Blakely, GALauren Tosky
  2. 24:34.3 ~ Lauren Tosky (F, 21) Leesburg, GA
  3. 25:16.2 ~ Megan Helms (F, 27) Headland, AL
  4. 26:08.2 ~ Annabelle Warner (F, 13) Enterprise, AL
  5. 26:09.4 ~ Jill Wofsey (F, 52) Alford, FL
  6. 27:21.8 ~ Natalie Warner (F, 11) Enterprise, AL
  7. 27:41.4 ~ Julie Harris (F, 49) Bainbridge, GA
  8. 28:14.5 ~ Tara Whaley (F, 40) Dothan, AL
  9. 28:19.0 ~ Jennifer Bramlett (F, 42) Albany, GA
  10. 28:22.7 ~ Suzanne Angell (F, 49) Bainbridge, GA

James H. Crowdis Run 5K Champions, 1981 - 2015
DateMenWomenFinishers
28 March 198117:14, Tony Gilbert21:09, Connie Cullifer
27 March 198217:20, Brian Doby, Connie Cullifer108
12 March 198316:19, Kirk Thomas20:10, Maurine Farley143
10 March 198415:50, Louis Floyd21:16, Ann Lee139
9 March 198515:46, Mike Mead19:54, Donna Duty179
9 March 198615:31, Mike Mead19:36, Donna Duty198
14 March 198715:20, Lee Fidler19:36, Donna Duty158
12 March 198815:53, John Devine18:59, Janice Hochstein151
11 March 198914:59, Matt Parker17:03, Kim Byrd178
10 March 199015:05, Matt Parker19:47, Donna Duty152
9 March 199115:36, Matt Parker18:29, Connie Robertson130
14 March 199214:52, Paul Waldron20:09, Janice Hochstein102
15 May 1993*16:54, Myles Gibson20:22, Donna Duty65
12 March 199416:51, Scott Hoxie18:32, Connie Robertson97
11 March 199516:54, Dale Thomas19:19, Connie Robertson105
No race held, 1996-2011
3 September 201218:27, Jonathon Davison23:13, Debra Hunter87
13 July 201317:34, Chase Harris21:14, Paige Braswell88
19 July 201418:12, Myles Gibson23:24, Margaret Winkler103
11 July 201518:10, Myles Gibson23:02, Margaret Winkler107

* The 1993 race was originally scheduled for March 13, but was one of several
races in the region that day postponed by a severe winter storm.

A huge "thank you" to Larry Dykes of the Dothan Runners for his help in
filling many blanks in the above history.



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