No fiddlin' around for Joseph Wiedeman or Sheryl Rosen at the Worm Gruntin' 5K

The annual Worm Gruntin' Festival returned to Sopchoppy, Florida on 9 April 2022. Capturing earthworms with vibrations, known as worm grunting or worm fiddling, may not be something that you find exciting, but there is no denying that there was an exciting finish at the 2022 Worm Gruntin' 5K Road Race. Joseph Wiedeman won in 18:49, crossing the finish line just a second ahead of Jacob Langston, the runner-up. Tallahassee, Florida lawyer Sheryl Rosen had an easier time of it in the women's division--she was the first female finisher by 60 meters, placing seventh overall in 19:05.


Wiedeman and Langston, the actors in that 18:49 to 18:50 finish, are both cross-country runners on the team at nearby Wakulla High. Just twenty meters behind them, Mike Martinez of Tallahassee outkicked another Wakulla harrier, Isaac Peck, for third place, 18:55 to 18:56. Martinez was the top master runner in the race, but he was surrounded by Wakulla High athletes. After Peck, Wakulla High's Andrew Nix was fifth in 19:59, and Henry Lewis of Wakulla Middle School was sixth in 19:02.


Wakulla High was also well-represented in the women's standings. Sheryl Rosen of Tallahassee was first among the women with her 19:05, but the next five female finishers were all Wakulla High cross-country runners--frosh Isabella Laughton (8th, 19:19), sophomore Liliana Lewis (13th, 20:25), senior Marina Whitsell (18th, 21:54), sophomore Taylor Pfeifer (19th, 21:56), and sophomore Analecia Ferrell (24th, 22:54). Deborah Rayburn of Crawfordville, Florida was the first woman master and eighth female finisher, 30th overall in 24:12.


The Worm Gruntin' Festival is traditionally held on the second Saturday in April, but the 2020 and 2021 Festivals (and 5K races) were canceled due to COVID-19. The 2022 race was therefore the first Worm Gruntin' 5K since 2019. In spite of the hiatus, the 2022 event was also the largest Worm Gruntin' 5K in over a decade, with 271 athletes finishing the race. Five Star NTP of Dawsonville, Georgia timed and scored the event.


Top Ten Men, 2022 Worm Gruntin' Festival 5K

1. 18:48.56, Joseph Wiedeman (M, 17) Crawfordville, FL
2. 18:49.56, Jacob Langston (M, 16) Crawfordville, FL
3. 18:54.56, Mike Martinez (M, 56) Tallahassee, FL
4. 18:55.60, Isaac Peck (M, 16) Crawfordville, FL
5. 18:58.56, Andrew Nix (M, 16) Crawfordville, FL
6. 19:01.56, Henry Lewis (M, 14) Crawfordville, FL
7. 19:26.44, Christopher Caravello (M, 39) Santa Rosa Beach, FL
8. 19:40.24, Duane Evans (M, 54) Crawfordville, FL
9. 19:54.98, Logan Kilpatrick (M, 18) Crawfordville, FL
10. 20:13.59, Isaac Avello (M, 15) Crawfordville, FL

Top Ten Women, 2022 Worm Gruntin' Festival 5K

1. 19:04.56, Sheryl Rosen (F, 37) Tallahassee, FL
2. 19:18.74, Isabella Laughton (F, 14) Panacea, FL
3. 20:24.63, Liliana Lewis (F, 15) Crawfordville, FL
4. 21:53.48, Marina Whitsell (F, 18) Crawfordville, FL
5. 21:55.93, Taylor Pfeifer (F, 16) Saint Marks, FL
6. 22:50.07, Analecia Ferrell (F, 17) Crawfordville, FL
7. 23:49.49, Caliana Caravello (F, 14) Santa Rosa Beach, FL
8. 24:11.63, Deborah Rayburn (F, 54) Crawfordville, FL
9. 24:16.34, Chelsea Newson (F, 28) Casselberry, FL
10. 24:25.00, Crystal Chadwell (F, 30) Crawfordville, FL

Known winners of the Sopchoppy, Florida, Worm Grunting Festival 5K, 2003 - 2022
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
12 April 2003
10 April 2004
9 April 2005	18:36, Mackey Tyndall	20:57, Julie Clark	59
8 April 2006	Karl Hempel	Karmen Duchon	55
14 April 2007	20:11, Brett Templeton	Sydney Nutting	56
14 April 2012	17:27, Stanley Linton	23:00, Julie Rose Travis	111
13 April 2013	15:56, Stanley Linton	21:46, Emily Smith	139
12 April 2014	20:48, Travis Parks	21:20, Kayla Webbe	140
11 April 2015	17:45, Chase Savary	22:05, Hannah Wheatcraft	153
9 April 2016	17:22, Matthew Phillips	20:22, Mariah Tinger	154
8 April 2017	17:49, Stanley Linton	21:18, Alyssa Terry	146
14 April 2018	19:04, Paul Hodge	19:43, Rory Claussen	155
13 April 2019	19:20, Michael Bennett	20:44, Rory Claussen	154
9 April 2022	18:49, Joseph Wiedeman	19:05, Sheryl Rosen	271

Links

• Complete results of the 2022 Worm Gruntin' Festival 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vT6MqU05qsgJDfVOfnkRic5PaG3_YYFdK0wdbv7vxF2brjjvply-XMs7bEd4pwPLFrnxbfCQNBY3vU5/pubhtml
  
  
• 2019 story, “No wrigglin', no squirmin', just runnin' for Michael Bennett and Rory Claussen at the Worm Gruntin' 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/04/worm-grunt-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Paul Hodge and Rory Claussen were the early birds at the Worm Gruntin' 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/04/worm-grunt-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Linton and Terry wriggle out victories at the Worm Gruntin' 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/04/worm-grunt-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Phillips and Tinger win the Worm Gruntin' 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/04/worm-grunt-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Savary and Wheatcraft take their turn with the worms”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/04/worm-grunt-2015.html
  
  
• Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin' Festival
  http://www.wormgruntinfestival.com/
  
  
• If there's a festival, there's a 5K, and the 5K is on the Trouble Afoot! race calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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