Munger and Griffin each make a happy return to Valdosta's Memorial Day 5K

At Valdosta, Georgia's 2017 Memorial Day 5K, neither Alec Munger nor Sandra Griffin cracked the top twenty. Griffin finished the race 22nd and third in the women's standings with a 22:09, while Munger was 24th in 22:28. But at Valdosta's tenth annual Memorial Day 5K on Saturday morning, 28 May 2018, Munger and Griffin were through with middle-of-the-pack running. Munger won the race by well over a hundred meters, running 18:11, and Griffin took the women's title, placing eleventh overall in 21:51.


Munger is a rising sophomore on the Lowndes High cross-country team, with personal bests on the track of 4:51.54 in the 1600 and 10:29.81 in the 3200. Another high school cross-country runner, Berrien County rising junior Morgan Bolmer, took second in the Memorial Day 5K at 18:35.03. Hahira, Georgia athlete Nick Rosatti was third in 18:43. The next four places belonged to Lowndes High cross-country runners, with Gerardo Olivera fourth in 19:12, David Shrier fifth in 19:49, Andrew Caruana sixth in 20:27, and Caleb Starling seventh in 20:33. Rick Mazurkiewicz of Valdosta was the top master runner in the race, placing eighth overall in 20:38.


Sandra Griffin was not only the top woman in the race, the Valdosta runner was also the first woman master in the 5K for a second year in a row. Ali Thornhill of Valdosta was second in the women's standings and fourteenth overall in 22:55. Tallahassee, Florida master runner Paula O'Neill was the third woman and sixteenth overall in 23:50. O'Neill had been the fifth woman finisher in the 2017 Memorial Day 5K. Valdosta master runner Martha Mazurkiewicz was the fourth woman and 23rd overall in 25:11, while Tallahassee master runner Debbie Peters was the fifth woman and 27th overall in 25:58.


To the southwest, subtropical storm Alberto was churning in the Gulf of Mexico, but no rain fell on the runners. The race had a new title sponsor in 2018, United Country Real Estate, and a new race director, Rob McGhin. 83 athletes finished the 5K.


Top Ten Men, Valdosta's 2018 Memorial Day 5K

1. 18:10:47, Alec Munger (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
2. 18:35:03, Morgan Bolmer (M, 16) Nashville, GA
3. 18:42:56, Nick Rosatti (M, 21) Hahira, GA
4. 19:11:59, Gerardo Olivera (M, 17) Valdosta, GA
5. 19:48:06, David Shrier (M, 17) Valdosta, GA
6. 20:26:50, Andrew Caruana (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
7. 20:32:12, Caleb Starling (M, 16) Valdosta, GA
8. 20:37:03, Rick Mazurkiewicz (M, 51) Valdosta, GA
9. 20:49:31, Cavan Fulp (M, 16) Hahira, GA
10. 20:54:15, Daniel Carver (M, 33) Hahira, GA

Top Ten Women, Valdosta's 2018 Memorial Day 5K

1. 21:50:59, Sandra Griffin (F, 51) Valdosta, GA
2. 22:54:59, Ali Thornhill (F, 38) Valdosta, GA
3. 23:49:56, Paula O'Neill (F, 56) Tallahassee, FL
4. 25:10:59, Martha Mazurkiewicz (F, 49) Valdosta, GA
5. 25:57:50, Debbie Peters (F, 57) Tallahassee, FL
6. 26:03:50, Daun Caruana (F, 16) Valdosta, GA
7. 27:15:25, Carragen Young (F, 16) Valdosta, GA
8. 27:28:00, Lina Smidt (F, 54) Naylor, GA
9. 27:42:59, Terry Cooper (F, 60) Valdosta, GA
10. 24:40:59, Karina Amundson (F, 48) Valdosta, GA

Valdosta Memorial Day 5K Champions, 2009 - 2018
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
25 May 2009	16:34, Chris Rice	20:47, Ashley McGee	86
31 May 2010	16:50, Chris Rice	21:38, Jordan Helton	79
30 May 2011	17:10, Chris Rice	21:06, Alice Smoot	102
28 May 2012	18:33, Masked Avenger	21:38, Alison Peters	53
27 May 2013	18:05, Ryan Kelly	23:21, Debbie Green	87
26 May 2014	17:26, Dylan Rogers	22:01, Makenzee Page	92
25 May 2015	17:54, Ryan Kelly	22:44, Debbie Green	73
30 May 2016	18:05, Matthew Baun	22:25, Debbie Green	99
29 May 2017	17:31, Andrew Elam	20:23, Rebecca Chandler	136
28 May 2018	18:11, Alec Munger	21:51, Sandra Griffin	83

Links

• Complete results of Valdosta's 2018 Memorial Day 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTNSYZ93Taydf69vJH6yAFOcLgx4gHM04njahwEBJPIMmVAGJLzLYx3nqUcwAwMx0IZYGMfg2CXBkA8/pubhtml
  
  
• 2017 story, “Elam, Chandler race to victory in Valdosta on Memorial Day”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/05/valdosta-memorial-day-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Baun and Green are swift in the streets on Memorial Day”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/05/valdosta-memorial-day-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Kelly and Green deserve decoration at Valdosta's Memorial Day 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/05/valdosta-memorial-day-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Rogers and Page rule the roads in Valdosta on Memorial Day”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/05/valdosta-memorial-day-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Kelly and Green lead the charge at Valdosta's Memorial Day 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/06/valdosta-memorial-day-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Avenger and Peters mark Memorial Day with wins”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/05/valdosta-memorial-day-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Memorial Day three-peat for Rice in Valdosta”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/05/valdosta-memorial-day-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Blazers Rice and Helton race to victory in Valdosta”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/06/valdosta-memorial-day-5k-2010.html
  
  
• Upcoming races in Valdosta and other cities in the Trouble Afoot! region
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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