Wyatt Stafford and Brooke Hawkins pluck victory at Monticello's Melon Run

Wyatt Stafford is from Jefferson County, Florida, and the Melon Run 5K is held in the county seat, Monticello. So it's no surprise that Stafford has raced every Melon Run since 2017, even before he took up cross-country at Aucilla Christian Academy. His first sub-20:00 Melon Run was in 2021. Then on Saturday morning, 18 June 2022, nineteen-year-old Stafford won the 43rd annual Monticello Kiwanis 5K Melon Run, racing the 3.1 miles in 17:51. Another nineteen-year-old, Brooke Hawkins, was the first woman in the race, placing thirteenth overall in 22:44.

Start of the 2021 Melon Run

Stafford's 17:51 put him more than 200 meters ahead of the next runner in the field. Behind him, Daniel Cook edged Mickey Moore for the runner-up spot, 18:42 to 18:48. Moore was the first master runner in the race. Cadden Maxwell, a rising sophomore on the Leon High cross-country team, finished fourth in 19:22.


Stacie Taylor was runner-up to Hawkins in the women's standings, placing sixteenth overall in 23:57. Nancy Stedman was the first woman master in the race and the third female finisher, 22nd overall in 24:24.


151 athletes finished the Monticello Kiwanis' 2022 Melon Run 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee chip-timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2022 Melon Run 5K

1. 17:51, Wyatt Stafford (M, 19)
2. 18:42, Daniel Cook (M, 33)
3. 18:48, Mickey Moore (M, 52)
4. 19:22, Cadden Maxwell (M, 15)
5. 19:39, Michael Rhodes (M, 53)
6. 19:50, Camden Rodrigues (M, 14)
7. 20:37, Joal Nash (M, 42)
8. 21:10, Chad Northcutt (M, 38)
9. 22:12, William Mrazek (M, 37)
10. 22:17, Noah Parker (M, 15)

Top Ten Women, 2022 Melon Run 5K

1. 22:44, Brooke Hawkins (F, 19)
2. 23:57, Stacie Taylor (F, 39)
3. 24:24, Nancy Stedman (F, 60)
4. 24:36, Monica Toth (F, 33)
5. 24:41, Kory Skrob (F, 51)
6. 25:50, Ana Garcia (F, 29)
7. 26:13, Kathy Bateman (F, 65)
8. 26:14, Nancy Proctor (F, 61)
9. 26:31, Meagan Nixon (F, 33)
10. 26:55, Emily Ponson (F, 26)

Known winners of the Monticello Melon Run 5K, 1979 - 2022
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
23 June 1979	15:39, Gary Slayton	20:36, Carolyn Crochet
28 June 1980	15:28, Gary Slayton	19:49, Debbie Dickson
1981
19 June 1982	15:10, Andy Whitener	17:38, Laura Ledbetter
18 June 1983
23 June 1984	15:37, Gary Slayton	19:45, Cindy Walker
22 June 1985	16:09, Felton Wright	19:12, Barbara Balzer
21 June 1986	15:55, Bill Crooks	18:32, Karen MacHarg
20 June 1987	16:14, Bill Crooks	19:33, Peggy Johnson	257
25 June 1988	15:47, Bill Crooks	18:18, Karen MacHarg	324
24 June 1989	15:02, Jeff Pigg	19:05, Vikki Saga
23 June 1990	15:20, Jessie Close	18:06, Karen MacHarg
22 June 1991	15:23, Phillip Rowan	19:34, Vikki Saga
20 June 1992	15:10, Jessie Close	18:35, Lynda Nilges	386
26 June 1993	16:07, Bill Crooks	19:37, Sue Kany
29 June 1994	16:13, Gary Droze	18:49, Sarah Heeb
24 June 1995	14:57, John Charlton	19:54, Sissi Carroll
22 June 1996
28 June 1997
27 June 1998	16:33, Tommy Kunish	17:51, Sarah Docter-Williams
26 June 1999	16:23, Tommy Kunish	21:05, Peggy Simpson	193
17 June 2000	17:08, Tim Simpkins	18:32, Kim Winn	141
16 June 2001	16:29, Ryan Deak	17:54, Sarah Docter-Williams	238
22 June 2002	17:54, Doug Gorton	21:41, Laura Atlee	139
21 June 2003
19 June 2004	17:18, Tim Unger	20:30, Kate Remillard	121
18 June 2005	18:31, Jack McDermott	18:07, Sarah Docter-Williams	123
17 June 2006	17:36, Nathan Haskins	22:35, Loranne Ausley	170
16 June 2007	16:28, Nathan Haskins	18:50, Sarah Docter-Williams	261
21 June 2008	16:08, Nathan Haskins	20:16, Deb Jones	194
20 June 2009	16:54, Charlie Johnson	23:49, Sandy Holt	267
19 June 2010	18:07, Gabriel Leitz	19:59, Micah Adriani	283
18 June 2011	16:38, Sammy Palmer	19:28, Katie Showman	258
16 June 2012	16:28, Stephen Cox	18:59, Seeley Gutierrez	379
15 June 2013	16:42, Stanley Linton	18:49, Sheryl Rosen	284
21 June 2014	16:17, Chris Lake	19:08, Seeley Gutierrez	244
20 June 2015	18:03, Roger Schmidt	20:49, Teresa Ristow	232
18 June 2016	15:50, Stanley Linton	19:44, Brittney Skiles	212
17 June 2017	16:55, Charlie Johnson	19:13, Katie Sherron	326
16 June 2018	19:15, Elvis Maradzike	19:40, Sheryl Rosen	202
15 June 2019	18:39, Scott Lloyd	20:27, Alyssa Terry	194
19 June 2021	18:06, Leonardo Canete	20:53, Mia Wiederkehr	232
18 June 2022	17:51, Wyatt Stafford	22:44, Brooke Hawkins	151
Thank you to Pat Dugan for providing information about the 1987 race.

Links

• Complete results of the 2022 Monticello Melon Run 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vR-9Hy1jtncigBkq1LMrWAoi1DlhqZmk9rZiZbRmQMIOkZr9u-Un9lnjOWYBRW9AMSsj594lQN0uAny/pubhtml
  
  
• 2021 story, “At the Melon Run, first time out means first place for Leonardo Canete, Mia Wiederkehr”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/06/melon-2021.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Sweet, juicy victory for Scott Lloyd and Alyssa Terry at the Melon Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/06/melon-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Elvis Maradzike and Sheryl Rosen go one-two at Monticello's Melon Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/06/melon-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Johnson and Sherron each collect a second Melon Run title”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/06/melon-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Linton and Skiles are masters of the melon in Monticello”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/06/melon-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Schmidt and Ristow shine in Melon Run debut”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/06/melon-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Lake and Gutierrez lead the 2014 Melon Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/06/melon-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Young runners, old race; Linton and Rosen win in Monticello”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/06/melon-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Cox and Gutierrez grab the biggest slices at Monticello's 34th Melon Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/06/melon-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Sweet victories for Palmer and Showman at Melon Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/06/melon-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Leitz and Adriani watermelon winners in Monticello”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/06/melon-run-2010.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map of the Monticello Melon Run 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL06044DL
  
  
• Find an upcoming produce-themed race in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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