Monday, July 23, 2018

Brad Busboom and Kat Sack win a steamy trail race in Maclay Gardens

On Saturday morning, 21 July 2018, the air in Tallahassee’s Maclay Gardens State Park seemed humid enough to drink. It wasn’t quite humid enough to drown the mosquitoes, though. Nor was it humid enough to put the damper on the competition in the third race of Gulf Winds Track Club’s 2018 Summer Trail Series. On the men’s side, Brad Busboom and Jim Schafer battled for four of the five miles before Busboom broke away to win in 38:26. On the women's side, the race came down to a final kick, with Kat Sack prevailing over Emily Molen 44:39 to 44:40.

Brad Busboom
Brad Busboom

GWTC’s Summer Trail Series has been around since 2013. Before the Maclay Gardens event, there had been 22 series races. During that history, the circuit had taken runners to a variety of Tallahassee trails, but never to the paths in Maclay Gardens. Before 1994, you might have seen a wedding in the Gardens, but not much in the way of places to hike, bike, or run. That year, though, the state park acquired the Lake Overstreet tract, adding a trail system.


Next door to the Lake Overstreet tract is Maclay School, where Gary Droze has been coaching cross-country and track longer than the tract has been part of Maclay Gardens. If anyone knows the Overstreet trails, it’s Coach Droze. At Saturday’s trail race, Droze bolted out into the lead, making it to the narrow South Bike Extension Trail before the rest of the field. As difficult as passing could be on the single-track path, though, Brad Busboom and Jim Schafer were able to get around Droze. Busboom took over the lead, with Schafer a few steps behind. With just over a mile to go, Busboom started to pull away from Schafer.

Jim Schafer
Jim Schafer

“He started to take off right at the last water station,” said Schafer. “I think he had a lot left in the tank. He’s a good runner.”


The last mile included a lot of downhill and Busboom expanded his lead on the descent, going on to win in 38:26. Schafer was second in 39:02. Droze was the first master runner in the race and third overall in 40:18.


Emily Molen, a rising junior on the Chiles High cross-country team, had taken the women’s title on 23 June 2018 at Munson Hills in the first trail series race. But on 7 July 2018 at Phipps Park in the second race of the circuit, Kat Sack had been first woman. At Maclay Gardens, Molen set the early pace for the women’s field, leaving Sack well behind.

Emily Molen
Emily Molen

“The first mile of the race, being uphill, my quads were already burning,” said Sack.


Despite muscle pain, Sack made up the ground, overtaking Molen about four miles into the race. Molen hung on, remaining only steps behind. Sack was able to maintain her slim lead, though, crossing the finish line in 44:39 to Molen’s 44:40. Sack and Molen were eleventh and twelfth overall. Lourena Maxwell was the first woman master and third female finisher, 26th overall in 48:54.


Maclay Gardens Five-Mile Trail Race
Top Ten Women

110 athletes finished the Maclay Gardens Five-Mile Trail Race. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed the event. The 2018 Summer Trail Series concludes on Saturday morning, 4 August 2018, with a race in Tom Brown Park.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2018 Maclay Gardens 5-Mile Trail Race
  1. 38:26, Brad Busboom (M, 30)
  2. 39:02, Jim Schafer (M, 30)
  3. 40:18, Gary Droze (M, 57)
  4. 42:11, Steven Wilson (M, 37)
  5. 42:23, Eric Godin (M, 34)
  6. 42:49, John Schwenkler (M, 36)
  7. 42:54, Jordan Cooper (M, 31)
  8. 43:05, Brian Molen (M, 42)
  9. 43:35, Ryan Baumbach (M, 38)
  10. 44:17, James Wilkinson (M, 35)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2018 Maclay Gardens 5-Mile Trail Race
  1. 44:39, Kat Sack (F, 26)
  2. 44:40, Emily Molen (F, 16)
  3. 48:54, Lourena Maxwell (F, 43)
  4. 49:57, Monica Judd (F, 44)
  5. 50:20, Marien Dimacali (F, 56)
  6. 51:15, Amanda Giesige (F, 25)
  7. 52:18, Laura Sellati (F, 39)
  8. 52:31, Becky Leckinger (F, 55)
  9. 53:22, Mary Jane Hayden (F, 38)
  10. 53:37, Deirdre McCarthy (F, 38)

Gulf Winds Track Club's Summer Trail Series race winners, 2013 - 2018
YearDateRaceTop MaleTop FemaleFinishers
2013June 22Cadillac Trail 5½M37:38, Kevin Sullivan45:07, Stephanie Liles-Weyant121
July 13Swamp Forest Trail 4½M30:19, Kevin Sullivan34:12, Micah Adriani124
July 27Magnolia Trail 3½M21:44, Kevin Sullivan24:45, Stephanie Liles-Weyant114
August 3Red Bug Trail 4½M33:31, Bryce Van Dam43:46, Stephanie Liles-Weyant92
2014June 21Red Bug Trail 4½M38:30, Charn McAllister42:02, Brook Pace114
July 12Swamp Forest Trail 4½M29:06, Charn McAllister33:13, Brook Pace109
July 26Magnolia Trail 3½M26:03, Charn McAllister30:16, Emily Molen108
August 2Cadillac Trail 5½M41:38, Brian Molen48:25, Emily Molen88
2015May 30Cadillac Trail 5½M39:15, Zach Deveau42:51, Alyson Churchill158
June 13Oak Hammock Trail 5M32:59, Zach Deveau35:10, Alyson Churchill129
July 18Coon Bottom Trail 4M28:42, Zach Deveau29:14, Alyson Churchill112
August 1Red Bug Trail 4½M35:14, Greg Bargo35:24, Alyson Churchill112
2016May 21Magnolia Trail 3½M25:18, Dan Baur27:05, Katie Gorman133
June 4Oak Hammock Trail 5½M42:53, Eric Godin45:24, Katie Gorman123
July 9Red Bug Trail 4½M33:14, Dan Baur35:04, Katie Gorman130
July 30Cadillac Trail 5½M43:06, Paul Guyas42:29, Alyson Churchill95
2017June 10Munson Hills 6M36:45, Chris O'Kelley46:34, Emily Molen87
July 1Red Bug Trail 4½M37:34, Chris O'Kelley48:24, Emily Molen90
July 15Oak Hammock/Swamp Forest 5M33:35, Charles Biberg39:36, Kat Sack89
August 5Tom Brown Park 4½M32:40, Chris O'Kelley36:36, Jennifer Bayliss71
2018June 23Munson Hills 6M38:02, Vince Molosky45:10, Emily Molen124
July 7Phipps Park 4M30:49, Jim Schafer33:39, Kat Sack127
July 21Maclay Gardens 5M38:26, Brad Busboom44:39, Kat Sack110
August 4Tom Brown Park 4½M


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Posted by Herb Wills at 5:11 PM
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