Cravello and Sherron duel at the Sickle Cell 5K

Tallahassee, Florida's 36th annual Sickle Cell 5K was one of those races you wish you could see on television. There was close competition, lead changes, and a dramatic kick at the end. And at the end, it was Tristan Cravello taking first just ahead of Katie Sherron, 17:38 to 17:43.

Tristan Cravello

On the morning of the race, Saturday, 9 September 2017, thoughts in Tallahassee were turned to Hurricane Irma. True, the storm was still hundreds of miles away in Cuba. Local conditions were far from ominious--clear skies, a pleasant breeze, and mild temperatures. But Irma's winds were blowing at 130 mph, the storm was expected to strengthen, and the National Hurricane Center was predicting a track that could well take Irma through town on Monday, right up Monroe Street. Football games and cross-country meets, sporting events involving travel, had been canceled. But if you weren't evacuating Tallahassee, and your bathtub was full and your generator was fueled, why not take a break from worrying about the storm walk or run at the Sickle Cell race? Nearly 200 athletes did.


Among those athletes were several past winners of the event. Tim Unger, Sickle Cell champion in 2000, was on the starting line. So was 2002 winner Mike LaBossiere and 2012 winner Paul Guyas. Brittney Barnes, women's champ in 2015 and 2016, was racing that morning, and so was were former women's winners Sheryl Rosen (2008) and Paula O'Neill (2014).

Katie Sherron

But it was Tristan Cravello, not any of the prior winners, who dashed out into the lead when the race started at 8:30 AM. Kurt Dietrich trailed in second during the early going, but Katie Sherron overtook Dietrich after the first kilometer.


"I've never done this one before," said Sherron. "I didn't know the course! We were supposed to be out of town. This was a last-minute decision to run this race."


It was also Cravello's first trip around the Sickle Cell 5K course, and near the mile mark, at the north end of Wahnish Way, Sherron saved him from going astray.

Paul Guyas

"Tristan wanted to turn right at Orange Avenue," recalled Sherron. "I yelled, 'Turn left!' And he veered back onto the course."


Cravello continued to lead after the misstep, with the field getting farther and farther behind except for Sherron. Sherron was gaining on Cravello.


"I thought it was going to be an easy race until the two-mile mark," said Cravello. "Katie and I had a battle after that."

Zach DeVeau

Just past the two-mile mark, Sherron passed Cravello, taking over the lead.


"Going through the last mile I tried to stay in contact," said Cravello. "On the final straight I kicked and passed her."


With a fast finish on Tanner Drive, Cravello regained the lead, and crossed the finish line in a winning 17:38. Sherron, the first woman in the race, was second in 17:43.

Sheryl Rosen

"I used to run track and cross-country in high school," said Cravello. "As a college freshman I just run for fun now."


Cravello studies at Florida State University, the same school where Sherron is a professor of economics.


If the race for first wasn't drama enough, there was a tense struggle for third as well, with three runners each clocked in the same time of 18:09. Paul Guyas inched ahead for third, with Zach DeVeau taking fourth and Kurt Dietrich fifth.

Brittney Barnes

Sheryl Rosen was second in the women's standings, placing sixth overall in 19:57. Brittney Barnes was the third woman in the race and seventh overall in 19:57. Tim Unger was the fastest master runner and eighth male finisher, twelfth overall in 21:55. Paula O'Neill was the first woman master and sixth female finisher, 21st overall in 24:14.


90 athlete finished the 2017 Sickle Cell 5K, with another 68 completing a 5K walk and 23 more the Tim Simpkins Mile. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee chip-timed the races.


Top Ten Men, 2017 Sickle Cell 5K

1. 17:38, Tristan Cravello (M, 18)
2. 18:09, Paul Guyas (M, 39)
3. 18:09, Zach DeVeau (M, 29)
4. 18:09, Kurt Dietrich (M, 26)
5. 20:44, Erik Andersen (M, 34)
6. 21:28, Giovanni Wolmers (M, 32)
7. 21:44, Tarak Shisode (M, 25)
8. 21:55, Tim Unger (M, 58)
9. 22:16, Micah Wells (M, 20)
10. 22:19, John Gray (M, 25)

Top Ten Women, 2017 Sickle Cell 5K

1. 17:43, Katie Sherron (F, 35)
2. 19:57, Sheryl Rosen (F, 33)
3. 20:31, Brittney Barnes (F, 29)
4. 20:48, Alyssa Terry (F, 24)
5. 22:23, Lilli Unger (F, 14)
6. 24:14, Paula O'Neill (F, 56)
7. 24:27, Madison Sims (F, 10)
8. 24:31, Caitlyn Prisco (F, 18)
9. 25:21, Emily Kaiser (F, 25)
10. 25:31, Alex Bramlage (F, 23)

Known Sickle Cell 5K winners, 1982 - 2017
Date	Men	Women
1982
1983
8 September 1984 *
31 August 1985
1986
19 September 1987	15:14.2, Jessie Close	17:31.8, Karen MacHarg
17 September 1988	15:12, Jessie Close	16:40, Carla Borovicka
16 September 1989	15:14, Jessie Close	19:38, Barbara Balzer
15 September 1990	16:04, Bill Crooks	18:23, Karen MacHarg
14 September 1991	15:18, Gary Droze	18:47, Vikki Saga
12 September 1992	15:07, Gary Droze	18:39, Carrie Hunnicutt
11 September 1993	15:50, Peter Kirk	21:06, Leah Bonds
10 September 1994	15:47, Andy Palmer	18:06, Jane Johnson
9 September 1995	15:51, John Otterson	19:00, Carrie Weyant
14 September 1996	15:23, Bryan Erb	17:58, Jane Johnson
13 September 1997	15:23, Gary Droze	17:40, Sara Docter-Williams
12 September 1998	16:26, Tim Simpkins	20:28, Julie Clark
11 September 1999	16:24, Robert Pautienus	19:44, Kingsley Broughton
9 September 2000	16:55, Tim Unger	17:40, Sandra Williams
8 September 2001	17:05, Tony Pearson	19:39, Renata Strakova
14 September 2002	19:15, Michael LaBossiere	24:03, Jane Cormier
13 September 2003	18:24, David Yon	22:25, Kim Likens
11 September 2004	18:32, Scott Ruplinger	22:29, Krista Killius
10 September 2005	18:28, Dan Pick	22:00, Cathleen Willy
9 September 2006	17:36, Chris Gregory	21:05, Summer Shepherd
8 September 2007	16:52, Michael Martinez	20:18, Lindsay Thomas
13 Sepember 2008	16:05, Chris Lake	19:11, Sheryl Rosen
12 September 2009	15:44, Chris Lake	22:27, Julie Clark
11 September 2010	18:36, Trey Edwards	22:13, Nancy Stedman
10 September 2011	16:29, Gary Droze	21:21, Tiffany Barz
8 September 2012	18:18, Paul Guyas	20:06
14 September 2013	?	?
13 September 2014	16:48, Roger Schmidt	22:18, Paula O'Neill
12 September 2015	17:24, Matthew Nazareth	20:10, Brittney Barnes
10 September 2016	17:41, Geb Kiros	20:05, Brittney Barnes
* Four-mile run

Links:

• Complete results of the 2017 Run For Sickle Cell 5K at gulfwinds.org
  http://gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2017/Sickle%20Cell%202017.asp
  
  
• More photos of the 2017 Run For Sickle Cell 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10110564612992723.1073742307.5215641&type=1&l=7cb177542e
  
  
• Fred Deckert's photos of the 2017 Run For Sickle Cell 5K
  https://plus.google.com/photos/112560881455823075870/album/6463851880898818657
  
  
• 2016 story, “Successful Sickle Cell 5K returns for Kiros and Barnes”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/09/sickle-cell-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Speedy Sickle Cell 5K runs for Nazareth and Barnes”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/09/sickle-cell-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Schmidt and O'Neill snatch Sickle Cell 5K wins”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/09/sickle-cell-2014.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Cool air and hot times for Droze and Barz at Sickle Cell 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/09/sickle-cell-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Edwards and Stedman are the 2010 Sickle Cell 5K champions”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/09/sickle-cell-2010.html
  
  
• USATF Course Certification map FL12057EBM for the 2015 Sickle Cell 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL12057EBM
  
  
• Schedule your next race using the Trouble Afoot! calendar of upcoming runs
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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