Nevin Swanson and Tracey Cole were on fire at the Blaze The Day 5K

They came to Valdosta, Georgia. They came from the north, they came from the south. They came on Saturday morning, 24 August 2019, for the fourteenth annual Blaze The Day 5K.


From the north--Douglas, Georgia--Nevin Swanson came to win the race, finishing 200 meters ahead of the next runner in 19:42. From the south--Pinetta, Florida--master runner Tracey Cole came to capture the women's title, placing fifth overall in 23:48.


Only a week before his Blaze The Day win, Swanson, a high school frosh, had finished his first cross-country race as a Coffee High Trojan. Swanson's victory made it the second year in a row that a Coffee harrier had won the race--Trojan sophomore Cameron Watson was the 2018 Blaze The Day champ. Behind Swanson, Valdosta's Quin McGlamery outkicked Chad Northcutt of Quitman, Georgia for the runner-up spot, 20:34 to 20:35. Jim O'Connor of Hahira, Georgia was the fastest master runner in the 5K, placing fourth overall in 21:08.


Tracey Cole, the first overall woman, was also the first woman master. Thomasville, Georgia master runner Catherine Jones took second in the women's standings, placing eleventh overall in 26:51. Master runner Pollyanna Bass of Pavo, Georgia was the third woman and twelfth overall in 26:58.


54 athletes finished the 2019 Blaze The Day 5K. The race was a fundraiser for the Valdosta State University Blazer cross-country teams. Each participating athlete received a Valdosta State Cross-Country bumper sticker, a way for them to display their support for the program. A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Blaze the Day 5K

1. 19:41.2, Nevin Swanson (M, 14) Douglas, GA
2. 20:34.0, Quin McGlamery (M, 19) Valdosta, GA
3. 20:34.3, Chad Northcutt (M, 35) Quitman, GA
4. 21:07.4, Jim O'Connor (M, 56) Hahira, GA
5. 24:33.1, Jackson Dampier (M, 13) Marietta, GA
6. 25:27.6, Zeb Fletcher (M, 16) Valdosta, GA
7. 25:47.6, David Pollock (M, 55) Tifton, GA
8. 26:23.8, Chris Fricks (M, 36) Valdosta, GA
9. 26:47.8, Jim Tully (M, 72) Lamont, FL
10. 26:58.2, Wesley Heruska (M, 43) Hahira, GA

Top Ten Women, 2019 Blaze the Day 5K

1. 23:47.7, Tracey Cole (F, 40) Pinetta, FL
2. 26:50.5, Catherine Jones (F, 60) Thomasville, GA
3. 26:57.3, Pollyanna Bass (F, 47) Pavo, GA
4. 27:41.9, Maggie Gregory (F, 15) Quitman, GA
5. 28:44.6, Kirsten McLean (F, 16) Baxley, GA
6. 29:20.7, Julia Ryan (F, 19) Valdosta, GA
7. 29:32.2, Karina Amundson (F, 49) Valdosta, GA
8. 29:58.3, Nanci Scheetz (F, 71) Madison, FL
9. 31:08.0, Brittney McDaniel (F, 17) Adel, GA
10. 31:21.0, Denise Lomibao (F, 28) Valdosta, GA

Valdosta State University Community 5K champions, 2006 - 2019
Date	Men	Women
19 August 2006	16:54, Derek Storbeck	20:06, Melissa Daugherty
18 August 2007	16:58, John Seppala	20:12, Jana Grygarova
23 August 2008	17:17, Austin McDonald	20:12, Jordanne Helton
22 August 2009	16:15, Christopher Rice	20:03, Ashley McGee
21 August 2010	16:40, Christopher Rice	20:13, Sarah Turner
20 August 2011	17:03, Christopher Rice	20:23, Jordanne Helton
25 August 2012	16:33, Christopher Rice	20:22, Jessie Usry
24 August 2013	20:04, Colin Prinsloo	21:55, Alice Smoot
23 August 2014	20:13, Shaundon Moore	22:33, Carsen Pastirik
29 August 2015	18:22, Greg George	22:04, Anne Price
27 August 2016	18:00, Jackson Green	21:47, Alice Smoot
26 August 2017	19:00, Ryan Kelly	22:22, Vanessa Spry
25 August 2018	17:16, Cameron Watson	18:37, Ann Centner
24 August 2019	19:42, Nevin Swanson	23:48, Tracey Cole

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 Blaze The Day 5K courtesy of A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta, Georgia
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSrsqX3S9QOzGQ_MMqvZUUaszdmh10jKM87b3l-Uk2cfHmABHtQh2jvqanQJbw5_l5geDx24gpL9-Uj/pubhtml
  
  
• 2018 story, “Cameron Watson and Ann Centner scorch the streets at the Blaze The Day 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/08/vsu-community-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Kelly and Spry light up the course at Blaze The Day”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/08/vsu-community-2017.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “George and Price celebrate in a hurry at the Blazer Dash's tenth anniversary”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/08/vsu-community-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Moore and Pastirik are the fastest Blazer Dashers in 2014”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/08/vsu-community-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Prinsloo and Smoot say 'Welcome to VSU!' in the Community 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/08/vsu-community-2013.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Rice goes for three and Helton for two at VSU Community 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/08/vsu-community-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Rice and Turner victorious at VSU Community 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/09/vsu-community-2010.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map GA18010WC for the 2018 Blaze The Day 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=GA18010WC
  
  
• Upcoming races on and off university campuses listed on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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