Trouble Afoot!: Swartzman and Miller make it a Chiles sweep at the Run For Ansley

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Swartzman and Miller make it a Chiles sweep at the Run For Ansley

Florida's 102nd annual state track and field championships for high schools was held on 6-7 May 2016. After that the season was over, meaning that high school distance runners were free to race on the roads. As a consequence, in Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday morning, 14 May 2016, Chiles High athletes swept the titles at the second annual Run For Ansley 5K. Graduating senior Trevor Swartzman took the men's title in 20:17, while rising sophomore Olivia Miller topped the women's standings in 25:12.

Trevor Swartzman

The winners may have just finished their track season, but the Run For Ansley course didn't have the topography of a track. The 3.1-mile loop through the Summerbrooke community was hilly, a roller coaster without rails. It was the kind of up and down you'd see in a cross country race, and both Swartzman and Miller had run cross country for Chiles.

"It was fun," said Swartzman. "I ran here last year, but more casually."

John Bikowitz

There was nothing casual about Swartzman's 2016 race. The tall runner moved into the lead before the end of the first mile, then started to open a gap on the field. By the time he crossed the finish line in a winning 20:17, that gap had grown to nearly 300 meters. John Bikowitz had moved into second right after Swartzman took the lead, but late in the race Chiles High junior Clayton Neville challenged Bikowitz for the runner-up spot. Bikowitz held off Neville to take second, 21:30 to 21:31. Kevin Brumfield was the fastest master runner in the race, placing fourth overall in 22:01.

Lexi Hart and Olivia Miller

Ella Hodges, a Montford Middle School cross country runner, set the pace for the women's field during the first half of the race. During the second half, though, Olivia Miller and Lexi Hart took over. A pair of Chiles High athletes, frosh Miller and sophomore Hart ran together throughout the race. At the finish line Miller got the nod, 25:12 to 25:13. Lyssa Oberkreser was the first woman master and third female finisher, placing 27th overall in 25:32. Hodges was the fourth female finisher, 31st overall in 25:57.

"I'm supposed to be on break right now because I just ran in the state track meet," said Miller. "But this was a local race and I wanted to run. I'll start my summer training for cross country next week."

Lyssa Oberkreser

Miller didn't mention that at the state meet she took seventh in the girls' 800 meter run, running 2:18.61.

The Run For Ansley benefits the Ansley Rayborn Scholarship Fund.