Alberto Mena and Jennifer Lima notch their first Springtime 10K wins

If you're thinking about running a summer road race in Tallahassee, Florida, you're probably thinking about running the Firecracker 5K. Considering a Fall race in Tallahassee? The Turkey Trot is probably the event you're considering. Spring? The Springtime Road Race, of course. It even has the season in it's name.

William Whelan and Alberto Mena

Just over a thousand athletes were at the 46th annual Springtime on Saturday morning, 1 April 2023. Alberto Mena, formerly a Fordham University cross-country runner, won the main event, the 10K, crossing the finish line just ahead of William Whelan, both athletes clocked in 34:32. Florida State University alum Jennifer Lima was the women's champ, coming in fifth overall in 36:41.


Mena and Whelan were already in front seconds after the race started on Suwannee Street. They were still sharing the lead two kilometers later when they turned off of Franklin Avenue to head towards the hills of Myers Park. After a kilometer of climbing, Whelan had opened a gap on Mena.

Kevin Chin Shue

But by the second half of the race, Mena had closed the gap. The two ran side by side the rest of the way, arriving together at the homestretch back on Suwannee Street. Mena finished first by the smallest of margins in 34:32. Whelan took second, also in 34:32.


Ann Centner, the women's champ in the previous two Springtime 10K races, was on the starting line for the 46th race. So was Katie Sherron, who had outkicked Centner to win the 2018 Springtime. Joining them was Jennifer Lima. Lima was racing her first Springtime 10K, but was hardly a distance running neophyte. She had run cross-country at East Lake High in Tarpon Springs from 2014 to 2016, then continued her career as a harrier at Florida State University from 2017 to 2021. Less than a year after running her last race as a Seminole, Lima was ready to try the Springtime.

Jennifer Lima

Centner, the defending champ, set the early pace, reaching the two kilometer mark eight seconds before anyone else in the women's field. Sherron and Lima closed that gap in Myers Park. Just past halfway, Centner began to fall behind. The race was between Lima and Sherron now.


With a kilometer to go, Sherron was four seconds ahead of Lima. Then Lima closed. Then Lima moved ahead. The former Seminole charged across the finish line with an eight-second lead, winning her first Springtime 10K in 36:41. At 36:49 Sherron was the women's runner-up and sixth overall. Centner took third in the women's standings, placing seventh overall in 37:32.

Katie Sherron

Sherron was also the first master runner in the race. The first male master runner was Thomas Parker, sixth in the men's standings and ninth overall in 38:29.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2023 Springtime 10K

1. 34:32, Alberto Mena (M, 24)
2. 34:32, William Whelan (M, 24)
3. 35:48, Kevin Chin Shue (M, 30)
4. 36:16, Hawthorne Hay (M, 21)
5. 37:49, Ryan Bausback (M, 24)
6. 38:29, Thomas Parker (M, 40)
7. 38:52, Mickey Moore (M, 53)
8. 39:08, Chris Scheideman (M, 33)
9. 39:09, Brad Busboom (M, 35)
10. 39:20, Hong-Guo Yu (M, 54)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2023 Springtime 10K

1. 36:41, Jennifer Lima (F, 24)
2. 36:49, Katie Sherron (F, 41)
3. 37:32, Ann Centner (F, 31)
4. 44:14, Brittney Barnes (F, 35)
5. 44:48, Jillian Heddaeus (F, 39)
6. 45:00, Averi Lewis (F, 25)
7. 45:22, Madeleine Keenan (F, 26)
8. 46:39, Alyssa Terry (F, 29)
9. 47:05, Jenny Early (F, 39)
10. 47:32, Melanie Leitman (F, 38)

The Springtime 5K was run concurrently with the 10K, sharing a starting line, a finish line, and more than two kilometers of the course. Ryan Ziskinder took the junior race, finishing nearly half a kilometer ahead. A cross-country runner at Martin County High from 2017 to 2020, Ziskinder ran the 3.1-mile course in 16:09, the fastest since the 5K was added to Springtime in 2008. Brian Erb was the first master runner in the 5K, placing second overall in 17:49. Master runner Gregory Noonan took third with a 19:24.


Amelia Bryant was the first woman in the shorter event, finishing twelfth overall in 21:40, At 22:15, Megan Noonan was second in the women's standings and sixteenth overall. Kyla Shillington was the third woman and twentieth overall in 23:02. Vicky Droze was the first woman master and fifth female finisher, 22nd overall in 23:08.


515 athletes finished the 2023 Springtime 10K, while 484 completed the 5K. Yet another 96 ran a one-mile fun run. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed the races.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2023 Springtime 5K

1. 16:09, Ryan Ziskinder (M, 20)
2. 17:49, Brian Erb (M, 52)
3. 19:24, Gregory Noonan (M, 40)
4. 19:28, Kyle Olson (M, 26)
5. 19:30, Mike Martinez (M, 57)
6. 19:57, Michael Niezgoda (M, 34)
7. 20:29, Landon Reeves (M, 12)
8. 20:35, Matt Vermeer (M, 36)
9. 20:48, Sam Edwards (M, 15)
10. 20:51, Gary Droze (M, 61)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2023 Springtime 5K

1. 21:40, Amelia Bryant (F, 34)
2. 22:15, Megan Noonan (F, 39)
3. 23:02, Kyla Shillington (F, 30)
4. 23:07, Arielle Valdes (F, 20)
5. 23:08, Vicky Droze (F, 47)
6. 24:25, Brittany Vermeer (F, 37)
7. 24:31, Emily Yu (F, 13)
8. 24:39, Clare Fullerton (F, 36)
9. 25:15, Crystal Anderson (F, 37)
10. 25:34, Madeline Brockmeier (F, 13)

Springtime 10K Champions, 1976 - 2023
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
24 April 1976*	4 miles	20:30, George West,Donnie Cook	25:27, Janice Gage	106
1977	10K	31:24, Morrison Reid	40:57, Nancy McCormac	205
1 April 1978	10K	31:43, George West	38:03, Laura Ledbetter	468
7 April 1979	10K	33:10, David Ferrell	37:14, Janice Gage	658
29 March 1980	10K	32:35, Rick Swiderski	40:02, Lisa Kinch
4 April 1981	10K	32:06, Mabry McCray	37:14, Janice Gage	683
3 April 1982	10K	32:11, George West	39:56, Pam Ledbetter
9 April 1983	10K	31:21, Noel Shumann	38:15, Janice Hochstein
7 April 1984	10K	30:03, Larry Greene	35:57, Carla Borovicka	917
30 March 1985	10K	30:30, Paul Waldron	35:32, Carole Rouillard
22 March 1986	10K	31:15, Dennis Rice	37:16, Karen MacHarg
5 March 1987	10K	31:52, Jessie Close	35:30, Carla Borovicka	757
26 March 1988	10K	31:22, Paul Waldron	38:18, Karen MacHarg	760
8 April 1989	10K	30:49, Paul Waldron	37:54, Janice Hochstein	827
1990	10K	31:48, Jessie Close	38:16, Vikki Saga	913
1991	10K	32:02, Jessie Close	38:29, Paula Johnson
1992	10K	32:09, Jessie Close	37:38, Paula Johnson
1993	10K	33:11, Andy Palmer	36:54, Paula Johnson
1994	10K	32:17, Matthew Dobson	37:37, Lisa Herman	692
1 April 1995	10K	31:43, Matthew Dobson	37:27, Jane Johnson
13 April 1996	10K	32:21, Jessie Close	37:11, Jane Johnson	610
12 April 1997	10K	31:12, Juri Punda	35:30, Tamara Karloukova	847
4 April 1998	10K	31:07, Randy Hollinger	34:09, Breeda Dennehy	789
27 March 1999	10K	30:56, Muchapiwa Mazano	37:01, Sarah Docter-Williams	681
1 April 2000	10K	32:28, Muchapiwa Mazano	36:05, Anna Pichrtova	770
31 March 2001	10K	32:18, Muchapiwa Mazano	34:46, Tatyana Maslova	717
6 April 2002	10K	31:18, Conor Holt	36:40, Larisa Timchina	732
5 April 2003	10K	30:56, Joseph Zepherinus	34:52, Larisa Timchina	634
3 April 2004	10K	33:22, Caleb Carmichael	37:03, Sarah Docter-Williams	694
2 April 2005	10K	32:43, Joey Zins	36:51, Sarah Docter-Williams	758
1 April 2006	10K	33:25, Joey Zins	34:36, Vicky Gill	663
31 March 2007	10K	33:27, Matthew Dobson	37:23, Lara Shaw	867
29 March 2008	10K	31:59, Joey Zins	38:16, Sarah Docter-Williams	820
	5K	17:58, Cray Peron	23:17, Angela Gibbs	423
28 March 2009	10K	35:00, David Altmaier	38:34, Lisa Johnson	658
	5K	16:44, Daniel Lee	18:48, Allison Eagen	409
27 March 2010	10K	33:09, Chris Lake	38:23, Sheryl Rosen	850
	5K	19:14, Etienne Mazimpaka	21:58, Katherine Lindsay	686
2 April 2011	10K	32:34, Chris Lake	34:52, Pasca Cheruiyot	934
	5K	19:10, Etienne Mazimpaka	18:18, Lisa Johnson	731
31 March 2012	10K	33:29, Chris Lake	37:33, Lindsay Zeiler	905
	5K	19:02, David Witman	18:24, Lisa Johnson	809
6 April 2013	10K	31:42, Kevin Sullivan	36:05, Stefanie Slekis	993
	5K	16:48, Alex Smyth	19:24, Lisa Johnson	788
29 March 2014	10K	32:03, Kevin Sullivan	38:09, Seeley Gutierrez	716
	5K	17:50, Adam Greenstein	18:17, Amy Hines	443
28 March 2015	10K	32:59, Stephen Cox	37:30, Sheryl Rosen	986
	5K	17:31, Adam Greenstein	19:44, Alyson Churchill	709
2 April 2016	10K	34:06, Roger Schmidt	39:09, Adriana Piekarewicz	942
	5K	18:42, Nicholas Loffer	21:53, Megan Churchill	426
1 April 2017	10K	32:51, Christopher Haynes	37:21, Ani Veltcheva	909
	5K	18:36, Nick Loffer	20:53, Shannon Turner	582
7 April 2018	10K	32:31, Christopher Haynes	38:57, Katie Sherron	776
	5K	18:00, Mark Zamani	19:19, Lucy Baird	511
30 March 2019	10K	32:39, Christopher Haynes	37:10, Ann Centner	792
	5K	17:29, Jake Poore	19:57, Grace Koeppel	620
28 March 2020	Race canceled, COVID-19
27 March 2021	No race, COVID-19
2 April 2022	10K	31:23, Christopher Haynes	34:58, Ann Centner	455
	5K	16:33, Jacob Stamm	21:12, Annabelle Wiktorski	442
1 April 2023	10K	34:32, Alberto Mena	36:41, Jennifer Lima	515
	5K	16:09, Ryan Ziskinder	21:40, Amelia Bryant	484
* The 1976 race was a four-mile run on the FSU campus.

Links:

• Complete results of the 2023 Springtime Road Race
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRUNtlREb_wanApe7L872Q5O1vpTA57b7K0-PfrLixVfGSBpSjr3AIShPAfZABf55CC2DBsrBlI1O9k/pubhtml
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! photos of Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Springtime 10K
  
  • Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10120672749695743
  • Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10120673043437083
  
  
• Trouble Afoot! coverage of past Springtime 10K Road Races
  
  
  • 2019 story, “32:39 for Chris Haynes and 37:10 for Ann Centner in the 44th annual Springtime 10K”
    https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/03/springtime-2019.html
    
    
  • 2018 story, “Haynes and Sherron outrun April showers to win the Springtime 10K”
    https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/04/springtime-2018.html
    
    
  • 2017 story, “Haynes and Veltcheva are the young winners of an old race, the Springtime 10K”
    https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/04/springtime-2017.html
    
    
  • 2016 story, “Schmidt and Piekarewicz score come-from-behind victories at Springtime”
    https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/04/springtime-2016.html
    
    
  • 2015 story, “Cox and Rosen conquer Springtime”
    https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/03/springtime-2015.html
    
    
  • 2014 story, “Sullivan and Gutierrez win at a soaked Springtime”
    https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/03/springtime-2014.html
    
    
  • 2013 story, “Kevin Sullivan is man of the season at the Springtime 10K”
    https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/04/springtime-2013.html
    
    
  • 2012 story, “Lake owns Springtime, makes it three wins in a row”
    https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/03/springtime-2012.html
    
    
  • 2011 story, “Laurels, not florals, for Lake and Cheruiyot at Springtime 10K”
    https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/04/springtime-2011.html
    
    
  • 2010 story, “Springtime and everything is coming up Rosen and Lake”
    https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-springtime-10k.html
    
    
  • 2009 story, “2009 Springtime 10K, Tallahassee, Florida”
    https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/03/2009-springtime-10k-tallahassee-florida.html
    
    
• A dozen years of Springtime 10K winners, 2007 to 2018
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/03/springtime-winners-2007-2018.html
  
  
• In the 1980s, Springtime was Paul Waldron time
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/04/paul-waldron-springtime.html
  
  
• 2018 Springtime 10K USATF course certification map (FL11044EBM)
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL11044EBM
  
  
• 2018 Springtime 5K USATF course certification map (FL11045EBM)
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL11045EBM
  
  
• Springtime 10K / 5K / One mile website
  http://springtime10k.com/
  
  
• Find your next seasonal race by consulting the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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