"That was four extra miles," said Wiedeman.
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| Daniel Wiedeman |
Mileage like that goes some way toward explaining why it was Wiedeman who won the 3.1-mile race that Saturday morning, 29 June 2019, running 18:31. Dr. Meg Ogle took the women's title, placing fifteenth overall in 21:18
Since 2013, the Freedom Run 5K has been contested each year on the last Saturday in June at Wakulla Springs State Park, south of Tallahassee, Florida. After the tragic death of Wakulla High cross-country coach Paul Hoover in 2017, his name was added to the race. Some of the athletes Hoover had coached were among the early leaders of the 2019 race, including Daniel Wiedeman.
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| Awaiting the start |
"I started out with Scott Lloyd and Dalton Gray and Travis Parks," said Wiedeman. "Travis led us through two miles. With half a mile left, I had to go."
"It was less than half a mile," said Park, who currently runs for the Truett McConnell University Bears. "I was gaining on him a little on the last stretch."
Wiedeman finished with a 50-meter lead, first in 18:31. Parks took second in 18:42. Stephen Votaw, another rising senior on the Wakulla High team, was third in 18:52. Michael Martinez was the first master runner in the race, fourth overall in 19:06.
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| Travis Parks |
"I've run this race every year I've been in high school and one or two years before that," said Wiedeman.
Wiedeman has in fact raced the Freedom Run four times in the last five years, tallying two top-ten finishes in addition to his 2019 win. He has run the race in rain and shine. In past years he ran it on soft sand. This year he ran it on gravel, newly added to the course by Wakulla Springs State Park.
"The gravel was a lot nicer than the sand," said Wiedeman.
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| Meg Ogle |
The Freedom Run behind him, Wiedeman will be headed into his final cross-country season for Wakulla High. Meg Ogle, the women's champ, also has a cross-country background.
"I ran in college and high school," said Ogle. "The University of Rochester in upstate New York."
However, it was Ogle's high school jersey that she was wearing at the Freedom Run 5K, racing in the colors of the Kittatinny Regional High cross-country team. Ogle did those colors proud that morning, winning the women's division of the five-kilometer race by more than half a kilometer with a 21:18. Emily Smith was second in the women's standings and 27th overall in 23:30. Lilliana Lewis edged Tirzah Votaw for the third woman's spot, 24:16 to 24:17. Lewis and Votaw placed 32nd and 33rd overall. Paula O'Neill was the first woman master and fifth female finisher, 35th overall in 24:29.
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| Emily Smith |
183 athletes finished the 2019 Paul Hoover Memorial Freedom Run 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed the race.
Top Ten Men, 2019 Freedom 5K
- 18:31, Daniel Wiedeman (M, 17)
- 18:42, Travis Parks (M, 23)
- 18:52, Stephen Votaw (M, 18)
- 19:06, Michael Martinez (M, 53)
- 19:24, Noah Deem (M, 12)
- 19:28, Tristan LaNasa (M, 26)
- 19:36, Dalton Gray (M, 19)
- 19:40, Scott Lloyd (M, 19)
- 19:52, Jaquez Jones (M, 16)
- 20:07, Simon Cole (M, 16)
Top Ten Women, 2019 Freedom 5K
- 21:18, Meg Ogle (F, 28)
- 23:30, Emily Smith (F, 34)
- 24:16, Lilliana Lewis (F, 12)
- 24:17, Tirzah Votaw (F, 17)
- 24:29, Paula O'Neill (F, 58)
- 24:54, Nina Prince (F, 17)
- 25:18, Maren Prince (F, 14)
- 25:21, Lauren Guyer (F, 12)
- 25:52, Camryn Deem (F, 15)
- 26:02, Birgit Maier-Katkin (F, 56)
| Paul Hoover Freedom 5K winners, 2013 - 2019 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Men | Women | Finishers |
| 29 June 2013 | 17:33, Stanley Linton | 21:12, Madison Harris | 107 |
| 28 June 2014 | 19:23, Reikan Lin | 20:12, Madison Harris | 82 |
| 27 June 2015 | 17:36, Zack DeVeau | 19:51, Katie Sherron | 173 |
| 25 June 2016 | 17:48, Wright Calhoun | 20:00, Madison Harris | 138 |
| 24 June 2017 | 16:32, Justin Keefe | 21:52, Haleigh Martin | 183 |
| 30 June 2018 | 18:21, Ryan Truchelut | 19:10, Amy Hines | 213 |
| 29 June 2019 | 18:31, Daniel Wiedeman | 21:18, Meg Ogle | 183 |
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Links
- Complete results of the Wakulla HS Cross-Country Boosters' 2019 Paul Hoover Freedom 5K
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQR0e-gaSo_afA-FIqCvCvl89bJ9twE7K6Y17PEvcFjaNh-jbQlLYSpRn_tUq31OXJL4m4Bfjie_iNB/pubhtml
- More photos of the 2019 Paul Hoover Freedom 5K
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10113936525138753
- Fred Deckert's photos of the 2019 Paul Hoover Freedom 5K
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kcA5A7SBmZjBBmC59
- 2018 story, “Ryan Truchelut and Amy Hines were swift on the sand at the Paul Hoover 5K”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/06/freedom-2018.html
- 2017 story, “It's Justin Keefe with a new course record at the Paul Hoover Freedom 5K”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/06/freedom-2017.html
- 2016 story, “Calhoun and Harris are first in the Freedom 5K”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/06/freedom-2016.html
- 2015 story, “A little rain didn't slow down either DeVeau or Sherron at the Freedom Run 5K”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/06/freedom-2015.html
- 2014 story, “Lin and Harris post Freedom 5K wins”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/06/freedom-2014.html
- 2013 story, “Linton and Harris break loose at Freedom 5K”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/06/freedom-2013.html
- Find another upcoming race supporting scholastic cross country on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
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