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 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

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

"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 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.


Top 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)

Top 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

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.


Top 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)

Top 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
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
2 April 2016	34:06, Roger Schmidt	39:09, Adriana Piekarewicz	942
28 March 2015	32:59, Stephen Cox	37:30, Sheryl Rosen
29 March 2014	32:03, Kevin Sullivan	38:09, Seeley Gutierrez
6 April 2013	31:42, Kevin Sullivan	36:05, Stefanie Slekis
31 March 2012	33:29, Chris Lake	37:33, Lindsay Zeiler
2 April 2011	32:34, Chris Lake	34:52, Pasca Cheruiyot
27 March 2010	33:09, Chris Lake	38:23, Sheryl Rosen
28 March 2009	35:00, David Altmaier	38:34, Lisa Johnson
29 March 2008	31:59, Joey Zins	38:16, Sarah Docter-Williams
31 March 2007	33:27, Matthew Dobson	37:23, Lara Shaw
1 April 2006	33:25, Joey Zins	34:36, Vicky Gill
2 April 2005	32:43, Joey Zins	36:51, Sarah Docter-Williams
3 April 2004	33:22, Caleb Carmichael	37:03, Sarah Docter-Williams
5 April 2003	30:56, Joseph Zepherinus	34:52, Larisa Timchina
6 April 2002	31:18, Conor Holt	36:40, Larisa Timchina
31 March 2001	32:18, Muchapiwa Mazano	34:46, Tatyana Maslova
1 April 2000	32:28, Muchapiwa Mazano	36:05, Anna Pichrtova
27 March 1999	30:56, Muchapiwa Mazano	37:01, Sarah Docter-Williams
4 April 1998	31:07, Randy Hollinger	34:09, Breeda Dennehy
12 April 1997	31:12, Juri Punda	35:30, Tamara Karloukova
13 April 1996	32:21, Jessie Close	37:11, Jane Johnson
1 April 1995	31:43, Matthew Dobson	37:27, Jane Johnson
1994	32:17, Matthew Dobson	37:37, Lisa Herman
1993	33:11, Andy Palmer	36:54, Paula Johnson
1992	32:09, Jessie Close	37:38, Paula Johnson
1991	32:02, Jessie Close	38:29, Paula Johnson
1990	31:48, Jessie Close	38:16, Vikki Saga
1989	30:49, Paul Waldron	37:54, Janice Hochstein
1988	31:22, Paul Waldron	38:18, Karen MacHarg
5 March 1987	31:52, Jessie Close	35:30, Carla Borovicka
22 March 1986	31:15, Dennis Rice	37:16, Karen MacHarg
30 March 1985	30:30, Paul Waldron	35:32, Carole Rouillard
7 April 1984	30:03, Larry Greene	35:57, Carla Borovicka
9 April 1983	31:21, Noel Shumann	38:15, Janice Hochstein
3 April 1982	32:11, George West	39:56, Pam Ledbetter
4 April 1981	32:06, Mabry McCray	37:14, Janice Gage
29 March 1980	32:35, Rick Swiderski	40:02, Lisa Kinch
7 April 1979	33:10, David Ferrell	37:14, Janice Gage
1 April 1978	31:43, George West	38:03, Laura Ledbetter
1977	31:24, Morrison Reid	40:57, Nancy McCormac
24 April 1976*	20:30, George West,Donnie Cook	25:27, Janice Gage
* The 1976 race was a four-mile run on the FSU campus.

Links:

• Complete results of the 2016 Springtime 10K at gulfwinds.org
  http://gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2016/Springtime%202016.asp
  
  
• More photos of Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Springtime 10K
  
  • Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10107444500972223.1073742178.5215641&l=24142d0fdb
  • Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10107448971233783.1073742179.5215641&l=fc329c1fd9
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Springtime 10K
  
  • 5K: https://picasaweb.google.com/112560881455823075870/Springtime5K_16
  • Part A: https://picasaweb.google.com/112560881455823075870/Springtime10K_A_16
  • Part B: https://picasaweb.google.com/112560881455823075870/Springtime10K_B_16
  
  
• 2015 story, “Cox and Rosen conquer Springtime”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/03/springtime-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Sullivan and Gutierrez win at a soaked Springtime”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/03/springtime-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Kevin Sullivan is man of the season at the Springtime 10K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/04/springtime-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Lake owns Springtime, makes it three wins in a row”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/03/springtime-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Laurels, not florals, for Lake and Cheruiyot at Springtime 10K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/04/springtime-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Springtime and everything is coming up Rosen and Lake”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-springtime-10k.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “2009 Springtime 10K, Tallahassee, Florida”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/03/2009-springtime-10k-tallahassee-florida.html
  
  
• 2015 Springtime 10K USATF course certification map (FL11044EBM)
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL11044EBM
  
  
• 2015 Springtime 5K USATF course certification map (FL11045EBM)
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL11045EBM
  
  
• Springtime 10K / 5K / One mile website
  http://springtime10k.com/
  
  
• Find your next seasonal race by consulting the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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