Toshiya Bass and Emma Burnett made it a prep sweep at Valdosta's Independence Day 5K

In Georgia, high school cross-country season start in August and continues till the end of October. During that period, you're not likely to see high school runners in a road race; they're too busy racing on the turf to also be mixing it up on the pavement. But July isn't part of cross-country season, so the preps were prominent at the thirteenth annual Independence Day 5K in Valdosta, Georgia on 4 July 2022. Toshiya Bass, a rising junior at Lowndes High, won the race by well over 100 meters, running 18:50. Another rising junior, Emma Burnett of Valwood School, took the women's title, placing thirteenth overall in 23:02.


Bass and Burnett weren't the only high school harriers in the field. At least half of the top ten athletes were schoolboys, including the runner-up, Jonathan Grindstaff. A rising senior on the Lowndes High cross-country squad, Grindstaff ran 19:16 in the fourth of July race. Chad Northcutt of Quitman, Georgia took third in 20:21. David Burnett of Valdosta was the fastest master runner in the race, placing fifth overall in 20:47.


Valdosta's Kelly Lunceford finished second to Emma Burnett in the women's standings, coming in sixteenth overall in 23:38. Lunceford was twice the women's champ at the Independence Day 5K, with wins in 2018 and 2019. Ella Burnett, a rising junior at Valwood, took third in the women's division and eighteenth overall in 23:55. Katie Adams of Lake Park, Georgia was the first woman master and sixth female finisher, placing 31st overall in 27:05.


86 athletes finished the 2022 Valdosta Independence Day 5K. A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2022 Valdosta Independence Day 5K

1. 18:49.8, Toshiya Bass (M, 16) Valdosta, GA
2. 19:15.6, Jonathan Grindstaff (M, 16) Hahira, GA
3. 20:20.9, Chad Northcutt (M, 38) Quitman, GA
4. 20:29.2, Jacob Howington (M, 15) Hahira, GA
5. 20:46.9, David Burnett (M, 46) Valdosta, GA
6. 20:55.0, Blake Jaramillo (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
7. 22:05.8, Jack Sorensen (M, 14) Valdosta, GA
8. 22:07.1, Noah Howington (M, 14) Hahira, GA
9. 22:08.3, Joe Sorensen (M, 47) Valdosta, GA
10. 22:45.2, William Rhoades (M, 13) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Females, 2022 Valdosta Independence Day 5K

1. 23:02.0, Emma Burnett (F, 16) Valdosta, GA
2. 23:37.1, Kelly Lunceford (F, 32) Valdosta, GA
3. 23:54.4, Ella Burnett (F, 16) Valdosta, GA
4. 24:43.5, Bella Weyand (F, 13) Valdosta, GA
5. 24:55.8, Lillie Rohrbach (F, 15) Hahira, GA
6. 27:05.0, Katie Adams (F, 48) Lake Park, GA
7. 27:08.8, Audrey Adams (F, 15) Valdosta, GA
8. 27:32.8, Guna Gunawan (F, 50) Tifton, GA
9. 27:33.2, Angela Burnett (F, 43) Valdosta, GA
10. 27:34.3, Lily Charlene Cox (F, 16) Hahira, GA

Champions of the Valdosta Independence Day 5K, 2009 - 2022
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
4 July 2006*	32:33, Dave Bernacki	35:28, Susan Fischer	144
4 July 2007*	28:16, John Seppala	37:47, Beth DeLoach	181
4 July 2008*	28:42, John Seppala	33:15, Kelly Fleming	193
4 July 2009	16:38, Alan McGough	20:32, Ashley McGee	228
4 July 2010	16:32, Chris Rice	20:26, Angelina Horne	215
4 July 2011	16:15, Jeff Powers	20:16, Jordanne Helton	123
4 July 2012	16:57, Chris Rice	20:18, Christine Shattles	192
4 July 2013	17:28, Wright Calhoun	20:13, Mary Alice Smoot	163
4 July 2014	17:38, Chance Roe	21:04, Makenzee Page	124
4 July 2015	16:36, Roberto Bonilla, Jr	22:26, Debbie Green	128
4 July 2016	16:28, Kaleb Wolfenden	22:37, Brianna Prinsloo	119
4 July 2017	17:49, Brishen House	21:46, Brianna Prinsloo	126
4 July 2018	18:00, Alec Munger	21:25, Kelly Lunceford	91
4 July 2019	17:22, Alec Munger	21:19, Kelly Lunceford	91
3 July 2021	17:46, Aaron Munger	22:50, Alice Smoot	39
4 July 2022	18:50, Toshiya Bass	23:02, Emma Burnett	86
* The predecessor of the Valdosta Independence Day 5K was the Baytree 8K, run in the streets of Valdosta on Independence Day from 2006 to 2008.

Links

• Complete results of Valdosta's 2022 Independence Day 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTEUTg9-IuS8oS0ycuwmOeAa87xndl8T9PaBEMIG82r3CfQuZ7H-RnbA9nv8UaFveqF1saYf8Wmv9GP/pubhtml
  
  
• Independence Day 2022 racing coverage on Trouble Afoot!
  • Gainesville FL: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/07/ftc-melon-2022.html
  • Tallahassee FL: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/07/firecracker-2022.html
    
  • Valdosta GA: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/07/valdosta-independence-2022.html
  
  
• 2021 story, “Happy returns to the Valdosta Independence Day 5K for Aaron Munger and Alice Smoot”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/07/happy-returns-to-valdosta-independence.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Alec Munger and Kelly Lunceford repeat in Valdosta's Independence Day 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/07/valdosta-independence-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Alec Munger and Kelly Lunceford were first on the Fourth in Valdosta”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/07/valdosta-independence-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “In Valdosta, House and Prinsloo lead the Independence Day 5K fireworks”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/07/valdosta-independence-2017.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Bonilla and Green keep 'em flying in Valdosta”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/07/valdosta-independence-2015.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Calhoun wins and Smoot sets record on Independence Day in Valdosta”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/07/valdosta-independence-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Rice and Shattles celebrate America's birthday with Valdosta 5K wins”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/07/valdosta-independence-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Powers and Helton make the records fall in Valdosta”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/07/valdosta-independence-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “2010 story, "Rice and Horne rock the Fourth in Valdosta”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/07/2010-valdosta-independence-day-5k.html
  
  
• Find a race to run on the next patriotic holiday using the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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