Seasoned athletes Kelly and Spry win the Cast Iron 5K

By Saturday morning, 21 October 2017, the high school cross-country season was winding down in Georgia. For some schools, the State Championship Series was already under way. The Valdosta High cross-country team was looking forward to the Region 1-6A Meet in Leesburg, Georgia on 26 October 2017, the qualifier for the State Final. However, that was still five days away. That left plenty of time for Ryan Kelly, Valdosta High's coach, to head over to Quitman, Georgia for the seventh annual Cast Iron 5K. Kelly ran 18:35 on the streets of Quitman, winning the race for the second year in a row. Vanessa Spry of Valdosta, Georgia was the first woman in the race, placing fifth overall in 23:45. 43 athletes won the seventh annual race.


Kelly wasn't the only athlete in the Cast Iron 5K with a Region Meet on the schedule. Berrien County High sophomore Morgan Bolmer was headed to the Region 1-2A Meet in Thomasville, Georgia on 26 October 2017. In Quitman, Bolmer finished second to Kelly in 18:57. Norman Park, Georgia's Yotzen Bruno was third in 19:51. Billy Taylor of Valdosta was the first master runner in the race, sixth overall in 25:58.


Valdsta's Lauren Bewley was second in the women's standings and seventh overall in 26:44. Stephanie Hurt of Greenville, Florida was the top woman master and third female finisher, eighth overall in 26:59.


43 athletes finished the 2017 Cast Iron 5K. A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2017 Cast Iron 5K

1. 18:34.2, Ryan Kelly (M, 38) Lake Park, GA
2. 18:56.8, Morgan Bolmer (M, 15) Nashville, GA
3. 19:50.2, Yotzen Bruno (M, 25) Norman Park, GA
4. 19:56.7, Dan Butzin (M, 32) Valdosta, GA
5. 25:57.8, Billy Taylor (M, 68) Valdosta, GA
6. 27:17.5, Dean Surgeon (M, 51) Hahira, GA
7. 27:57.9, Casey Cheshire (M, 33) Adel, GA
8. 30:47.9, Chad Northcutt (M, 33) Quitman, GA
9. 31:45.5, Jacob Dukes (M, 17) Quitman, GA
10. 32:03.4, Aultin Terrell (M, 10) Adel, GA

Top Ten Women, 2017 Cast Iron 5K

1. 23:44.2, Vanessa Spry (F, 32) Valdosta, GA
2. 26:44.0, Lauren Bewley (F, 36) Valdosta, GA
3. 26:58.1, Stephanie Hurt (F, 65) Greenville, FL
4. 28:11.8, Amy Bradshaw (F, 27) Valdosta, GA
5. 30:41.0, Barbara Bradshaw (F, 59) Lawrenceville, GA
6. 30:59.9, Courtney Wilcox (F, 31) Valdosta, GA
7. 31:20.6, Delleese Collins (F, 40) Valdosta, GA
8. 33:45.5, Kim Souther (F, 57) Hahira, GA
9. 34:05.1, Galen Mirate (F, 62) Valdosta, GA
10. 36:28.4, Heather Kelly (F, 39) Lake Park, GA

Cast Iron 5K winners, 2011 - 2017
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
17 September 2011	17:51, Masked Avenger	22:08, Gretchen Bielmyer	101
15 September 2012	18:30, Masked Avenger	24:22, Rebecca Meindl	55
19 October 2013	20:48, Gareth Pyle	22:18, Makenzee Page	86
18 October 2014	20:16, Gareth Pyle	21:36, Elizabeth Smith	59
17 October 2015	18:17, Michael Martinez	22:25, Beverly Hamilton	74
15 October 2016	18:37, Ryan Kelly	21:33, Elizabeth Smith	68
21 October 2017	18:35, Ryan Kelly	23:45, Vanessa Spry	43
The historic predecessor of the Cast Iron 5K was an 8K race that was held annually in Quitman from 2007 to 2010.

Links

• Complete results of the 2017 Quitman, Georgia, Cast Iron 5K, courtesy of A Course/Line, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTPYeGfku9Lb0QgAMfIN1uaOijCScdxNSMSSLpaX6aYiQbot_PAPawdJcQ4J-xouWeJ7D1P1RFRtemo/pubhtml
  
  
• 2016 story, “Kelly and Smith forge wins at the Cast Iron 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/10/cast-iron-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “No rust on Martinez or Hamilton at the Cast Iron 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/10/cast-iron-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Pyle, Smith prove no flash-in-the-pan at Skillet Festival's Cast Iron 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/10/cast-iron-2014.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Avenger and Bielmyer show their mettle at Cast-Iron Man 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/09/cast-iron-2011.html
  
  
• Find more ferrous races on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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