Justin Watson and Bree Ponchak were first to the Beach at Bushwacker

In summer, people drive to the beach on the weekend. But in the Pensacola, Florida area on Saturday morning, hundreds of athletes ran to the beach. Specifically, they ran 3.1 miles from Gulf Breeze to Pensacola Beach. It was the 31st Bushwacker 5K, and Justin Watson was the fastest of those hundreds headed for the beach, winning the race in 16:13. Bree Ponchak was the first woman in the race, placing twelfth overall in 19:31.


Not quite a year ago, Watson had been racing in the ASUN Conference with the cross-country team of the University of North Alabama. In 2017, though, the North Alabama Lions had been in the Gulf South Conference with Pensacola's University of West Florida. There weren't any West Florida harriers racing against Watson in the Bushwacker, but he did have to outrun their coach, Caleb Carmichael. Carmichael took second with a 16:21. Phillip Gindl, a rising senior on the West Florida Tech High cross-country team, placed third in 16:49. Yancey Ream of Miramar Beach, Florida was the fastest master runner in the Bushwacker, coming in thirteenth overall in 19:39.


Women's champ Bree Ponchak is a sophmore on the cross-country team of Libertyville High in Illinois, making it the second year in a row that a prep runner took the Bushwacker women's title. Saint James High's Presley Miles won in 2018. Pensacola's Kerry Kelley placed runner-up to Ponchak in the 2019 women's standings, finishing fifteenth overall in 19:54. Laura Bennett, another alum of North Alabama cross-country, was the third woman and 22nd overall in 21:10. Heather Maguire of Gulf Breeze was the top woman master and fourth female finisher, 33rd overall in 22:41.


353 athletes finished the 2019 Bushwacker 5K. Results Event Timing, LLC, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Bushwacker 5K

1. 16:13, Justin Watson (M, 23) Pensacola, FL
2. 16:21, Caleb Carmichael (M, 35) Pensacola, FL
3. 16:49, Phillip Gindl (M, 17) Cantonment, FL
4. 17:35, Jared Macari (M, 35) Bradley, IL
5. 17:37, Ryan Von Brock (M, 19) Gulf Breeze, FL
6. 17:52, Luke Schwartzenburg (M, 15) Houston, TX
7. 18:16, Casey Delong (M, 19) Milton, FL
8. 18:29, Daniel Sanderson (M, 15) Clarksville, AR
9. 18:38, Steve Harris (M, 39) Pensacola, FL
10. 18:49, Derek Wood (M, 28) Pensacola, FL

Top Ten Women, 2019 Bushwacker 5K

1. 19:31, Bree Ponchak (F, 15) Libertyville, IL
2. 19:54, Kerry Kelley (F, 28) Pensacola, FL
3. 21:10, Laura Bennett (F, 23) Pensacola, FL
4. 22:41, Heather Maguire (F, 47) Gulf Breeze, FL
5. 22:57, Taylor Gallagher (F, 33) Gulf Breeze, FL
6. 23:48, Joanna Shellenbarger (F, 34) Pensacola, FL
7. 24:13, Donna Harris (F, 50) Fort Walton Beach, FL
8. 25:07, Corie Hebert (F, 52) Baton Rouge, LA
9. 25:22, Jennifer Brown (F, 52) Pensacola, FL
10. 25:24, Amber Smith (F, 26) Staunton, VA

Bushwacker 5K winners, 1987 - 2019
Date	Men	Women	Runners
August 1987
August 1988
August 1989
August 1990
August 1991
August 1992
August 1993
August 1994
August 1995
3 August 1996	15:15, Everett Whiteside	17:49, Jennifer McGranahan	950
2 August 1997	15:46, Eddie Terrell	18:57, Jennifer Hanley	859
1998	No Race Held
1999	No Race Held
5 August 2000	15:23, Justin Insco	18:20, Sarah Kramer	769
4 August 2001	15:46, Ryan Albertson	18:17, Ann McGranahan	730
3 August 2002	16:09, Ryan Albertson	19:07, Anna Greskovich	922
2 August 2003	15:41, Michael Padilla	17:30, Jenny Ledford	1046
7 August 2004	15:30, Michael Padilla	18:25, Anna Greslovich	1093
6 August 2005	16:03, Samson Kipchirchir	19:23, Anna Greskovich	661
5 August 2006	16:16, Michael Padilla	19:49, Jennifer McGranahan
4 August 2007	15:51, Eric Larson	18:57, Farrah Stewart	1016
2 August 2008	15:19, Bud Galloway	17:57, Anna Hallex	1220
1 August 2009	16:09, Bud Galloway	19:04, Anna Hallex
August 2010	15:41, Everett Whiteside	19:33, Rebecca Jordan
6 August 2011	16:16, Eric Larson	19:12, Johanna Gretschel
4 August 2012	15:51, Ian Bordelon	19:30, Jackie Kosakowski	1138
3 August 2013	15:43, Alan Ash	19:30, Rosalie Teeuwen	1223
2 August 2014	16:05, Alan Ash	19:58, Bridget Bann	912
1 August 2015	16:08, Brent Schneider	19:00, Maria Sandström	926
6 August 2016	15:59, Alan Ash	18:53, Fiana Kumm	884
5 August 2017	16:13, Alan Ash	18:24, Katie Nelson	674
4 August 2018	16:15, Micah Kemp	19:09, Presley Miles	561
3 August 2019	16:13, Justin Watson	19:31, Bree Ponchak	353
I'm still filling blanks in this table. Any leads on past results would be greatly appreciated!

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 Bushwacker 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRdbdQH01r9-1NJbExFgATND3uuDDULHokN_6m3Kc2S2Y3jw_SAXUInaTPFzur0nin1zYAGC_3_h4EC/pubhtml
  
  
• 2017 story, “The Bushwacker belongs to Ash and Nelson”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/08/bushwacker-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Ash and Kumm lead a pack of Bushwackers”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/08/bushwacker-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Schneider and Sandström beat 'em all at Bushwacker”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/08/bushwacker-2015.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map FL10048EBM for the 2019 Bushwacker 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL10048EBM
  
  
• Capt'n Fun Runners
  http://www.captnfun.net/
  
  
• Find future races, large and small, on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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