Saturday, April 2, 2016

Schmidt and Piekarewicz score come-from-behind victories at Springtime

Schmidt versus Kaiser. It sounds like a pairing in the German national championships. Instead it was the match-up on the streets of Tallahassee, Florida as Roger Schmidt and Nate Kaiser battled down to the wire for first place in the 41st annual Springtime 10K. In the end Schmidt pulled ahead to get the win, 34:06 to 34:16. On the women's side Adriana Piekarewicz got the win, placing fifteenth overall in 39:09.


Roger Schmidt, Nate Kaiser
Roger Schmidt and Nate Kaiser


The race started at 8:15 AM on Saturday morning, 2 April 2016, on Monroe Street in front of the Leon County Courthouse. Matt Mizereck of Capital City Runners charged to the front. A three-time state cross-country champion when he ran for Leon High School, Mizereck was seven seconds ahead of the rest of the field at the two-kilometer mark where the race turned east onto Lafayette Street. Mizereck's closest pursuers at that point were Roger Schmidt, Nate Kaiser, and three-time Springtime 10K champion Chris Lake. In Myers Park, Lake fell back, leaving the chase to Kaiser and Schmidt. Sometimes Kaiser led Schmidt, other times Schmidt led Kaiser, but they always trailed Mizereck. At the halfway point on Golf Terrace Drive Mizereck's lead was longer than ever. During the second half of the race, though, the story changed.


"When Matt took it out I thought he looked so at ease," said Schmidt. "But then later in the race I saw him look back. I told Nate, 'I think he's fading.'"


Matt Mizereck
Matt Mizereck


Schmidt and Kaiser started to close on Mizereck. Near the Old Fort, just past the six kilometer mark, they caught him, then left him behind. The race was now between Kaiser and Schmidt.


Just past eight kilometers Schmidt pushed a few steps ahead of Kaiser. By nine kilometers Schmidt's lead was five seconds and growing. Schmidt was first over the finish line in 34:06; Kaiser followed in 34:16. Mizereck was third in 35:09. Charlie Johnson took fourth in 35:30, and Chris Lake was fifth in 35:59. Gary Droze, Maclay School's head track coach, was the top master runner in the race, placing ninth overall in 37:06.


Alyson Churchill, a distance runner on the Swift Creek Middle School track team, hadn't planned to run the Springtime 10K. Just three weeks earlier she had raced her first 10K ever at the Thomasville Road Baptist Church Road Race, winning the women's title in 40:16. However, Churchill was scheduled to play in a Jacksonville soccer tournament on the day of Springtime. When the tournament was canceled due to bad weather, plans changed, and Churchill was on the starting line on Monroe Street. She was also fast off that starting line, leading the women's field early in the race. But Adriana Piekarewicz overtook Churchill as they turned onto Myers Park Drive, about two-and-a-half kilometers into the race. For the next three kilometers Piekarewicz felt somewhat insecure about her lead.


Adriana Piekarewicz
Adriana Piekarewicz


"You never know who's behind you, and I kept hearing footsteps and thinking it was her," said Piekarewicz. "Then around four miles someone called out, 'You're the first woman. By a lot!'"


After that Piekarewicz raced confidently home to the women's title.


Meanwhile, two-time Springtime women's champ Sheryl Rosen had set her sights on Churchill.


"I just slowly gained on her," said Rosen. "I passed her right at the turn onto Lafayette."


Alyson Churchill, Sheryl Rosen
Alyson Churchill and Sheryl Rosen


That was 600 meters from the finish line. Rosen made the most of that remaining distance, placing second in the women's standings and 25th overall in 40:30. Churchill was the third female finisher, 29th overall in 40:38.


Charlie JohnsonTop Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Springtime 10K
  1. 34:06 ~ Roger Schmidt (M, 24)
  2. 34:16 ~ Nate Kaiser (M, 36)
  3. 35:09 ~ Matt Mizereck (M, 24)
  4. 35:30 ~ Charlie Johnson (M, 36)
  5. 35:59 ~ Chris Lake (M, 28)
  6. 36:18 ~ Zach Deveau (M, 28)
  7. 36:44 ~ Ryon Courtoy (M, 28)
  8. 36:57 ~ Trevor Sununu (M, 20)
  9. 37:06 ~ Gary Droze (M, 54)
  10. 37:20 ~ Geb Kiros (M, 49)

Anna BusbyTop Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Springtime 10K
  1. 39:09 ~ Adriana Piekarewicz (F, 27)
  2. 40:30 ~ Sheryl Rosen (F, 31)
  3. 40:38 ~ Alyson Churchill (F, 13)
  4. 41:51 ~ Anna Busby (F, 25)
  5. 42:53 ~ Jillian Heddaeus (F, 32)
  6. 43:29 ~ Brittney Barnes (F, 28)
  7. 44:10 ~ Katie Sack (F, 24)
  8. 45:22 ~ Katie Sherron (F, 34)
  9. 46:07 ~ Darby Scott (F, 34)
  10. 46:12 ~ Alison Thumm (F, 38)

Nicholas Loffer won the Springtime 5K in 18:42, finishing almost 170 meters ahead of runner-up Josh Cartwright. Cartwright's time was 19:21. Donald Kunish was the fastest master runner in the 5K, placing third overall in 19:26.


Nicholas Loffer
Nicholas Loffer


Megan Churchill outkicked Kristy Kalich 21:53 to 21:54 for the 5K women's title, the two runners placing twelfth and thirteenth overall. Paige Churchill was the third female finisher, coming in sixteenth overall in 23:00.


In spite of a spring storm that drenched the city the night before the race, 942 athletes showed up Saturday morning to finish the Springtime 10K. 426 finished the 5K race, and another 58 completed the kids' mile. All three races were chip-timed by Gulf Winds Track Club.


Josh CartwrightTop Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Springtime 5K
  1. 18:42 ~ Nicholas Loffer (M, 32)
  2. 19:21 ~ Josh Cartwright (M, 20)
  3. 19:26 ~ Donald Kunish (M, 40)
  4. 19:42 ~ Hawthorne Hay (M, 14)
  5. 20:28 ~ Stephen Freeman (M, 24)
  6. 20:31 ~ Ryan Muller (M, 25)
  7. 20:54 ~ Scott Arnold (M, 46)
  8. 20:57 ~ Mike Weyant (M, 50)
  9. 21:17 ~ Eric Houge (M, 35)
  10. 21:32 ~ Justin Siderfin (M, 43)

Megan Churchill, Kristy KalichTop Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Springtime 5K
  1. 21:53 ~ Megan Churchill (F, 13)
  2. 21:54 ~ Kristy Kalich (F, 22)
  3. 23:00 ~ Paige Churchill (F, 11)
  4. 23:25 ~ Crystal Anderson (F, 30)
  5. 23:38 ~ Mercedes Puig (F, 31)
  6. 23:44 ~ Mary Vancore (F, 52)
  7. 23:45 ~ Caitlin Kleefeld (F, 20)
  8. 25:05 ~ Dorothy Thames (F, 34)
  9. 25:20 ~ Victoria Convey (F, 20)
  10. 25:38 ~ Brook Pace (F, 36)

Springtime 10K Champions, 1976 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
2 April 201634:06, Roger Schmidt39:09, Adriana Piekarewicz942
28 March 201532:59, Stephen Cox37:30, Sheryl Rosen
29 March 201432:03, Kevin Sullivan38:09, Seeley Gutierrez
6 April 201331:42, Kevin Sullivan36:05, Stefanie Slekis
31 March 201233:29, Chris Lake37:33, Lindsay Zeiler
2 April 201132:34, Chris Lake34:52, Pasca Cheruiyot
27 March 201033:09, Chris Lake38:23, Sheryl Rosen
28 March 200935:00, David Altmaier38:34, Lisa Johnson
29 March 200831:59, Joey Zins38:16, Sarah Docter-Williams
31 March 200733:27, Matthew Dobson37:23, Lara Shaw
1 April 200633:25, Joey Zins34:36, Vicky Gill
2 April 200532:43, Joey Zins36:51, Sarah Docter-Williams
3 April 200433:22, Caleb Carmichael37:03, Sarah Docter-Williams
5 April 200330:56, Joseph Zepherinus34:52, Larisa Timchina
6 April 200231:18, Conor Holt36:40, Larisa Timchina
31 March 200132:18, Muchapiwa Mazano34:46, Tatyana Maslova
1 April 200032:28, Muchapiwa Mazano36:05, Anna Pichrtova
27 March 199930:56, Muchapiwa Mazano37:01, Sarah Docter-Williams
4 April 199831:07, Randy Hollinger34:09, Breeda Dennehy
12 April 199731:12, Juri Punda35:30, Tamara Karloukova
13 April 199632:21, Jessie Close37:11, Jane Johnson
1 April 199531:43, Matthew Dobson37:27, Jane Johnson
199432:17, Matthew Dobson37:37, Lisa Herman
199333:11, Andy Palmer36:54, Paula Johnson
199232:09, Jessie Close37:38, Paula Johnson
199132:02, Jessie Close38:29, Paula Johnson
199031:48, Jessie Close38:16, Vikki Saga
198930:49, Paul Waldron37:54, Janice Hochstein
198831:22, Paul Waldron38:18, Karen MacHarg
5 March 198731:52, Jessie Close35:30, Carla Borovicka
22 March 198631:15, Dennis Rice37:16, Karen MacHarg
30 March 198530:30, Paul Waldron35:32, Carole Rouillard
7 April 198430:03, Larry Greene35:57, Carla Borovicka
9 April 198331:21, Noel Shumann38:15, Janice Hochstein
3 April 198232:11, George West39:56, Pam Ledbetter
4 April 198132:06, Mabry McCray37:14, Janice Gage
29 March 198032:35, Rick Swiderski40:02, Lisa Kinch
7 April 197933:10, David Ferrell37:14, Janice Gage
1 April 197831:43, George West38:03, Laura Ledbetter
197731:24, Morrison Reid40:57, Nancy McCormac
24 April 1976*20:30, George West,Donnie Cook25:27, Janice Gage
* The 1976 race was a four-mile run on the FSU campus.


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