Harris and Thompson have their day at Gnat Days

In 2012 Chase Harris came to Camilla, Georgia for the annual Gnat Days 5K. Harris had just finished his frosh year track season at Bainbridge High, and he placed second behind Stephen Robbins, another high school runner. After that Harris didn't return to the race for four years, by which time he had logged a season of track at Maryville University. This time around, no high school runner finished ahead of Harris. No one did. On Friday evening, 13 May 2016, Chase Harris won Camilla's 29th annual Gnat Days 5K in 17:04. Thomasville, Georgia athlete Melissa Thompson was the first woman, coming in sixth overall in 20:32.


If Harris had been out on the course longer, he might have gotten lonely from being so far away from the other runners; he finished almost half a kilometer ahead of the next runner. Behind him, though, Trevor Cleveland and Chad Johnson ended the race in a close fight for second. Cleveland, a a rising junior on the Lee County High cross country team, prevailed in that battle, 19:43 to 19:44. Taking third, Thomasville's Johnson was the top master runner in the race. Another Lee County High harrier, incoming frosh Ben Phillips, was fourth in 20:02.


Camilla's Jessica Potkovac edged Lee County High rising junior Ramsay Miller for the runner-up spot in the women's standings, 23:33 to 23:35, the two runners placing eighteenth and nineteenth overall. Close behind them, Karen McNally was the top woman master and fourth female finisher, twentieth overall in 23:37. McNally was just a few strides ahead of the fifth woman in the race, Thomasville's Beverly Johnson. Johnson was 21st overall in 23:38.


157 athletes finished the 2016 Gnat Days 5K. RANREB Timing Services of Cordele, Georgia timed the race. Gnat Days came a little later than usual this year, so I wouldn't make a guess at the date of the 2017 race. I'm reasonably sure that it will be in May, though, and completely certain that the gnats will be there.



Top Ten Men, 2016 Gnat Days 5K

1. 17:03.48 ~ Chase Harris (M, 19) Bainbridge, GA
2. 19:42.27 ~ Trevor Cleveland (M, 16) Leesburg, GA
3. 19:43.79 ~ Chad Johnson (M, 45) Thomasville, GA
4. 20:01.62 ~ Ben Phillips (M, 14) Leesburg, GA
5. 20:20.55 ~ Phillip Morris (M, 50) Camilla, GA
6. 20:56.72 ~ Jason Stojka (M, 39) Albany, GA
7. 21:11.21 ~ Brandon Butler (M, 19) Camilla, GA
8. 21:21.61 ~ Jeff Royer (M, 55) Perry, GA
9. 21:24.65 ~ Walt Cochran (M, 14) Camilla, GA
10. 21:47.32 ~ Mitchell Sinyard (M, 55) Hawkinsville, GA

Top Ten Women, 2016 Gnat Days 5K

1. 20:31.99 ~ Melissa Thompson (F, 31) Thomasville, GA
2. 23:32.64 ~ Jessica Potkovac (F, 22) Camilla, GA
3. 23:34.36 ~ Ramsay Miller (F, 16) Leesburg, GA
4. 23:36.14 ~ Karen McNally (F, 52) Albany, GA
5. 23:37.12 ~ Beverly Johnson (F, 38) Thomasville, GA
6. 23:55.92 ~ Emily Phillips (F, 11) Leesburg, GA
7. 24:42.46 ~ Jill Hope (F, 35) Camilla, GA
8. 25:11.66 ~ Lacey Allen (F, 32) Leesburg, GA
9. 25:29.62 ~ Donica Williams (F, 36) Camilla, GA
10. 25:36.77 ~ Ashley Maxwell (F, 34) Leesburg, GA

Gnat Days 5K Champions, 2005 - 2016
Date	Men	Women
13 May 2016	17:04, Chase Harris	20:32, Melissa Thompson
1 May 2015	16:11, Patrick Whitehead	22:13, Beverly Hamilton
2 May 2014	18:32, Arnoldo DeJesus	18:50, Elena Oslund
3 May 2013	19:06, James Taylor	24:33, Ashtin Banks
4 May 2012	17:51, Stephen Robbins	19:47, Mary Anne Grayson
6 May 2011	17:35, Masked Avenger	23:53, Jenna Willingham
30 April 2010	17:36, Kyle Harris	19:59, Mary Anne Grayson
1 May 2009	17:39, Nathan Norton	19:51, Mary Anne Grayson
2 May 2008	18:12, Todd Smoot	22:35, Diane Johnson
4 May 2007	16:59, Todd Smoot	22:49, Diane Johnson
5 May 2006	17:27, Clint Watkins	22:02, Lori Rawlings
6 May 2005	17:06, Dr. Robert Feldman	21:12, Debbie Wittmer
1 May 2004
3 May 2003
14 May 1994
12 June 1993
13 June 1992
8 June 1991	15:33, Louis Floyd	18:20, Vikki Saga
9 June 1990
10 June 1989*
11 June 1988**	14:14.7, John Tuttle	16:28, Carla Borovicka

Links

• Complete results of the 2016 Gnat Days 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FbqsBdhNeNJq8cotMwyc8PC5kZgcJCcfvwextVdOrCM/pubhtml
  
  
• 2015 story, “Whitehead and Hamilton outrun everyone but the gnats in Camilla”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/05/gnat-days-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “De Jesus and Oslund flit through Gnat Days 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/05/gnat-days-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “No flies on Taylor or Banks in Camilla”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/05/gnat-days-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Robbins and Grayson beat the swarm in Camilla”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/05/gnat-days-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Avenger and Willingham in a cloud of...gnats”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/05/gnat-2011.html
  
  
• Find races not requiring insect repellent on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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