Showing posts with label Alyson Churchill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alyson Churchill. Show all posts

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Alyson Churchill posts a swift homecoming win at the Tannenbaum 6K

Saturday, 21 December 2024 was the first day of winter in the northern hemisphere. So although it was sunny and bright in Tallahassee, Florida that morning, the Capital City was experiencing its version of winter temperatures, dipping below 40 °F. At Apalachee Regional Park Championship Cross-Country Course, the athletes gathered for Gulf Winds Track Club's twelfth annual Tannenbaum Trail 6K were so bundled up because of the chill that it was hard to recognize anyone. One runner, though, was clearly identifiable by her stride--springy and energetic, even while warming up before the race. It was Alyson Churchill, whose distinctive stride carried her over the course in 21:46, good for first place overall. Master runner and triathlete Charlie Johnson was the top male finisher, placing runner-up to Churchill in 22:00.

Alyson Churchill
Alyson Churchill

Master runner Bryan Hendricks was the early pacesetter in the race, charging into the lead just after the 8:00 AM start. Two kilometers in, Hendricks had 50 meters on the field, with Alyson Churchill and Leonardo Canete leading the pursuit. The two-kilometer mark was on the Shell Bridge, the lowest point on the two-loop course. During the next kilometer, the runners would climb to regain the elevation they had lost on the way to the Shell Bridge; that climb would include ARPXC's notorious hill--the Wall.


"It was just after the wall where I passed Bryan Hendricks," recalled Churchill. "We ran together up the wall and then I passed him coming up behind the fence area."

Charlie Johnson
Charlie Johnson

By the three-kilometer mark, Churchill had opened a 40-meter gap. Master runners Canete and Charlie Johnson had caught up with Hendricks. Canaan Ponce, a harrier for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, was a few more steps back. Churchill, though, was widening the gap.


She doubled her lead during the second half of the race, going on to win in 21:46, the fastest Tannenbaum by a woman in the twelve-year history of the race, beating the old mark of 21:56 run by Stefanie Slekis in 2012. It was Churchill's third time as first female at the Tannenbaum; she had also led the women's standings in 2016 and 2019. This time Churchill led everyone.

Leonardo Canete
Leonardo Canete

Charlie Johnson was the first male finisher, coming in second overall in 22:00. Leonard Canete took second in the men's standings, placing third overall in 22:20. Canaan Ponce was the first Junior (U19) in the race, the third male and fourth overall in 22:29. At 23:02, Bryan Hendricks was the third master runner, the fourth male finisher, and fifth overall.


The first woman master was Florida State professor Dr. Katie Sherron, coming in eighth overall iin 23:32. Second in women's division in 2024, Sherron had previously won four Tannenbaum titles, having been first female in 2011, 2015, 2017, and 2022. Master runner Amy Hines took third in the women's ranks, finishing tenth overall in 23:41. Flagler University alum Megan Churchill was the fourth female finisher and fifteenth overall in 24:44.

Katie Sherron
Katie Sherron

143 athletes finished the 2024 Tannenbaum Trail 6K. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed the race. Look for the thirteenth annual Tannenbaum Trail 6K on Saturday morning, 20 December 2025.


Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2024 Tannenbaum Trail Cross-Country Race
  1. 21:46, Alyson Churchill (F, 22) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 23:32, Katie Sherron (F, 43) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 23:41, Amy Hines (F, 44) Tallahassee, FL
  4. 24:44, Megan Churchill (F, 22) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 25:41, Stephanie Liles-Weyant (F, 52) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 27:54, Rebekah Mills (F, 27) Camden Wyoming, DE
  7. 29:33, Signe Ulsamer (F, 47) Tallahassee, FL
  8. 29:34, Megan Orcutt (F, 39) Tallahassee, FL
  9. 29:44, Angela Dempsey (F, 56) Tallahassee, FL
  10. 30:14, Georgina Hernandez (F, 34) Quincy, FL

Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2024 Tannenbaum Trail Cross-Country Race
  1. 22:00, Charlie Johnson (M, 45) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 22:20, Leonardo Canete (M, 46) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 22:29, Canaan Ponce (M, 19) Adel, GA
  4. 23:02, Bryan Hendricks (M, 44) Defuniak Springs, FL
  5. 23:20, Ryan Truchelut (M, 39) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 23:21, Alexander Ayala (M, 20) Adel, GA
  7. 23:35, Hong-Guo Yu (M, 56) Tallahassee, FL
  8. 24:02, Ryan Kunz (M, 42) Tallahassee, FL
  9. 24:38, Jonathan Kiros (M, 16) Tallahassee, FL
  10. 24:39, Tony Guillen (M, 56) Tallahassee, FL

Tannenbaum Trail 6K Champions, 2011 - 2024
DateMenWomenFinishers
17 December 201119:49, Chris Lake25:33, Katie Showman173
15 December 201219:35, Kevin Sullivan21:56, Stefanie Slekis182
21 December 201320:51, Bryan Koon22:30, Jodie McGuff76
20 December 201420:17, Kyle Harris25:21, Jillian Heddaeus149
19 December 201520:36, Joseph Garcia23:30, Katie Sherron192
17 December 201620:30, Josh Andrews22:33, Alyson Churchill87
16 December 201720:19, Charlie Johnson22:46, Katie Sherron112
15 December 201818:03*, Charlie Kline22:29*, Michelle Allen136
21 December 201922:16, Filippo Aldrovandi-Reina24:30, Alyson Churchill105
19 December 2020No Race
18 December 2021No Race
17 December 202221:45, Leonardo Canete22:16, Katie Sherron129
16 December 202320:42, Jonah Berry26:18, Alexis Mayfield98
21 December 202422:00, Charlie Johnson21:46, Alyson Churchill143
* The 2018 race was shortened to 5,500 meters because of course conditions.


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Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Tristan Cravello and Alyson Churchill were on fire at Firecracker

On Sunday, 4 July 2021, Tristan Cravello made his first appearance in the Capital City Kiwanis' Firecracker 5K. It was a fine debut for the Florida State University grad. Cravello ran 16:56 in the 3.1-mile run around Tallahassee, Florida's Cascades Park, winning by nearly 300 meters. On the women's side, Alyson Churchill was already a veteran of the annual race, with four Firecrackers to her credit. Churchill's fifth Firecracker marked her second women's title in the event, as she placed fifth overall in 18:36.

The start of the 2019 Firecracker 5K

Wyatt Beck finished runner-up to Cravello in 17:50. Beck is a rising senior on the Austin High cross-country team. Thomas Parker was third in 18:04. Dr. Hong-Guo Yu was the first master runner in the Firecracker, the Florida State University biology professor placed fourth overall in 18:32.


Alyson Churchill won her first Firecracker title in 2015, back when she was a middle school cross-country runner. Since then, Churchill became a high school cross-country state champion and a NCAA Indoor Track All-American on the Florida State University women's team. At the 2021 Firecracker, Churchill led the women's field the entire way, but not by much. Florida State economics professor Dr. Katie Sherron kept it close, just over 30 meters behind Churchill at the finish line. Sherron was the second woman and sixth overall in 18:44. Like Churchill, Sherron has a winning history at Firecracker, having taken the women's title in 2013, 2017, and 2018.


Deirdre Baldwin was the first woman master and third female finisher, tenth overall in 19:20. Megan Churchill, a cross-country runner at Flagler College, was fourth in the women's division and nineteenth overall in 21:11.


329 athletes finished the Capital City Kiwanis' 2021 Firecracker 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2021 Capital City Kiwanis Firecracker 5K
  1. 16:56, Tristan Cravello (M, 22)
  2. 17:50, Wyatt Beck (M, 17)
  3. 18:04, Thomas Parker (M, 38)
  4. 18:32, Hong-Guo Yu (M, 52)
  5. 18:46, Jonathan Stern (M, 25)
  6. 19:14, Chance Logan (M, 24)
  7. 19:18, Jeffrey Rubel (M, 28)
  8. 19:20, Tony Guillen (M, 52
  9. 19:51, Michael Niezgoda Jr (M, 32)
  10. 20:25, Drayden Reams (M, 15)

Top Ten Women, 2021 Capital City Kiwanis Firecracker 5K
  1. 18:36, Alyson Churchill (F, 19)
  2. 18:44, Katie Sherron (F, 39)
  3. 19:20, Deirdre Baldwin (F, 46)
  4. 21:11, Megan Churchill (F, 19)
  5. 21:28, Melanie Castro (F, 19)
  6. 21:51, Elyse Gallegos (F, 33)
  7. 21:54, Nicole McConnel (F, 99)
  8. 22:18, Deanna McVay (F, 38)
  9. 22:55, Annalise Maillet (F, 25)
  10. 22:57, Payton Thumm (F, 14)

Recent winners of the Firecracker 5000m
DateMenWomenFinishers
4 July 202116:56, Tristan Cravello18:36, Alyson Churchill329
4 July 201917:43, Michael Niezgoda18:03, Ann Centner521
4 July 201815:34, Ricardo Estremera19:12, Katie Sherron479
4 July 201716:48, Charlie Johnson19:42, Katie Sherron520
4 July 201616:06, Stanley Linton20:35, Brittney Barnes399
4 July 201517:00, Michael Potter19:23, Alyson Churchill370
4 July 201417:06, Joseph Garcia18:58, Katie Slater431
4 July 201318:22, Roger Schmidt20:53, Katie Showman180
4 July 201216:14, Stanley Linton22:36, Nancy Stedman128
4 July 201117:20, Joel Piotrowski21:35, Stephanie Stout73
3 July 201018:45, Cliff Skelton22:29, Nancy Stedman87
4 July 200916:46, Daniel Lee19:26, Emily Ness78
4 July 2008
4 July 200718:05, Tony Guillen21:51, Julie Clark88
4 July 200617:40, James Cook20:03, Julia Vola76
4 July 200516:44, Jeff Dubias20:30, Heather Bailey56
3 July 200415:48, Caleb Carmichael18:39, Kara Newell127
4 July 2003
4 July 200216:57, Jason Fulghum22:07, Janice Hochstein80
4 July 200117:22, Paul Hoover17:53, Sarah Docter-Williams94
4 July 200015:57, Gary Droze18:10, Sarah Docter-Williams155
4 July 199916:37, Tim Simpkins17:56, Sarah Docter-Williams
4 July 199816:05, Damian Wilson17:35, Sarah Docter-Williams
4 July 1997
4 July 199615:45, Gary Droze19:13, Carrie Weyant
4 July 199416:07, Gary Droze18:19, Lisa Herman
4 July 199016:55, Bill Crooks19:10, Vikki Saga
4 July 198916:47, Paul Hoover20:27, Mae Cleveland
4 July 198817:02, Paul Hoover
From 1983 to 2012 the Firecracker 5000 was run in Gadsden County from
Sycamore to Greensboro.
In 2013 the Firecracker 5000 was run in Tallahassee on trails in Phipps
Park.
In 2014 the Firecracker 5000 was run in Tallahassee from Cascades Park
on USATF Certified Course FL14067EBM.
In 2015 the Firecracker 5000 was run in Tallahassee from Cascades Park
on USATF Certified Course FL15071EBM.
In 2016 the Firecracker 5000 was run in Tallahassee from Cascades Park
on USATF Certified Course FL14149EBM.


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Monday, December 23, 2019

Chiles harriers Filippo Aldrovandi-Reina and Alyson Churchill sweep the Tannenbaum 6K

East of Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday morning, 21 December 2019, a herd of deer grazed along the Apalachee Regional Park Championship Cross-Country Course in Field Four. Feral hogs also occasionally browse in Field Four, as well as smaller creatures. All the wildlife had moved on by 9:00 AM though, when the athletes in Gulf Winds Track Club's ninth annual Tannenbaum Trail 6K Cross-Country Race charged through Field Four. First to the deer meadow and first to the finish line was a sophomore from the Chiles High cross-country team, Filippo Aldrovandi-Reina, the overall winner in 22:16. Another Chiles harrier, senior Alyson Churchill, took first in the women's standings, placing seventh overall in 24:30.

Filippo Aldrovandi-Reina
Filippo Aldrovandi-Reina

Reina was already half a minute ahead of the rest of the field at the two-kilometer mark of the six-kilometer race, a lead that had stretched to nearly a minute by the halfway point. Tallahassee master runner Tony Guillen and Noah Deem, a seventh-grader at Community Leadership Academy, shared the second position during the first half of the race, chasing Aldrovandi-Reina. They were in turn stalked by James Sands. While Aldrovandi-Reina went on to win the race in 22:16, Deem faded and was overtaken by Sands. With 200 meters to go, Sands had nearly pulled even with Guillen. Sands passed Guillen on the homestretch to take second in 23:32. Third overall in 23:36, Guillen was the first master runner in the race. Deem finished fourth in 24:08.

James Sands, Tony Guillen
James Sands & Tony Guillen

Filippo Aldrovandi-Reina was already quite familiar with Apalachee Regional Park. He had not only raced there several times during his first two years with the Chiles High cross-country team, but he had also run at ARPXC during 2017 with the Deerlake Middle School cross-country squad. When it comes to experience with the Apalachee Regional Park Cross-Country Course, though, it would be hard to beat Alyson Churchill, the Tannenbaum women's champ. Churchill first raced at ARPXC in 2014 as a seventh-grader on the Swift Creek Middle School cross-country team. After two years of racing for Swift Creek, she ran cross-country on Lincoln High's team for a year, during which she won the FHSAA class 3A girls' cross-country state championship race on the Apalachee Regional Park course. She followed that up with three years of racing at ARPXC with the Chiles High team, and recently signed to run women's cross-country with the Florida State University Seminoles, who use Apalachee Regional Park as their home course. Churchill had also raced the Tannenbaum before, winning the women's title at the race in 2016.


"I love this race," said Churchill. "It has been a long time since I've been able to run it. I just started training for track and last night I just decided to race."

Alyson Churchill
Alyson Churchill

So Churchill raced. For the first half of the 6K, Leon junior Lilli Unger led the women's field. During the second half, Churchill took over, taking the top women's spot in 24:30. Unger was the women's runner-up, placing twelfth overall in 25:27.


"I think I actually ran even splits," said Churchill. "I felt really good."


Amy Horst was the third woman in the race and eighteenth overall in 26:46. Laura Reina was the first woman master and seventh female finisher, 27th overall in 29:22.

Lilli Unger
Lilli Unger

105 athletes finished the 2019 Tannenbaum 6K. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed the race.


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Tannenbaum Trail Cross-Country Race
  1. 22:16, Filippo Aldrovandi-Reina (M, 15)
  2. 23:32, James Sands (M, 35)
  3. 23:36, Tony Guillen (M, 51)
  4. 24:08, Noah Deem (M, 12)
  5. 24:24, Jack McDermott (M, 50)
  6. 24:27, Paul Guyas (M, 42)
  7. 24:38, Dillon Garrett (M, 20)
  8. 24:45, Matthias Laywell (M, 21)
  9. 25:18, Andrew Wilber (M, 30)
  10. 25:20, Duane Evans (M, 52)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2019 Tannenbaum Trail Cross-Country Race
  1. 24:30, Alyson Churchill (F, 17)
  2. 25:27, Lilli Unger (F, 17)
  3. 26:46, Amy Horst (F, 39)
  4. 27:53, Morgan Wilson (F, 15)
  5. 28:44, Megan Churchill (F, 17)
  6. 29:11, Kaley Ford (F, 25)
  7. 29:22, Laura Reina (F, 55)
  8. 29:31, Jillian Heddaeus (F, 36)
  9. 30:21, Nikky Manausa (F, 38)
  10. 30:29, Kelly Whalon (F, 47)

Tannenbaum Trail 6K Champions, 2011 - 2019
DateMenWomenFinishers
17 December 201119:49, Chris Lake25:33, Katie Showman173
15 December 201219:35, Kevin Sullivan21:56, Stefanie Slekis182
21 December 201320:51, Bryan Koon22:30, Jodie McGuff76
20 December 201420:17, Kyle Harris25:21, Jillian Heddaeus149
19 December 201520:36, Joseph Garcia23:30, Katie Sherron192
17 December 201620:30, Josh Andrews22:33, Alyson Churchill87
16 December 201720:19, Charlie Johnson22:46, Katie Sherron112
15 December 201818:03*, Charlie Kline22:29*, Michelle Allen136
21 December 201922:16, Filippo Aldrovandi-Reina24:30, Alyson Churchill105
* The 2018 race was shortened to 5,500 meters because of course conditions.


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Monday, August 26, 2019

Jackson Yarbrough and Alyson Churchill were the winning duo at Dueling Summits

Tallahassee, Florida's 2019 high school cross-country season opened in Phipps Park on Saturday morning, 24 August 2019, with the Dueling Summits Cross-country Meet. And in the first race of that first meet, the Chiles High girls put up a winning 39 points behind the first-place, 18:52 performance of Chiles senior Alyson Churchill. In the boys' 5K Leon sophomore Jackson Yarbrough took first with a 17:11, leading his team to a score of 28 points and victory.

Alyson Churchill

Dueling Summits was an old meet with a new name. From 2006 to 2018, the event had been known as the Cougar Cross-Country Challenge after the host school, the Godby Cougars. Maclay School was the new host, but not much else had changed. The courses, for instance, were still the same tough tours of Phipps Park. The high school 5K route still featured two precipitous climbs, the "Dueling Summits" that the meet was named for. And when the first race of the morning, the high school girls' 5K, started at 8:00 AM, the Chiles Timberwolves were still the team to beat. The meet champs in 2016, 2017, and 2018, this would be their first race as a class 4A school.


Up front, it looked a lot like the 2016 race, with Alyson Churchill setting a punishing early pace and leaving the rest of the field far behind. In 2016, though, Churchill had been a Lincoln High frosh. In 2019 she was senior wearing Chiles colors. She also put the race away earlier than she had three years before. Churchill finished the first two kilometers more than a minute before any other runner in the race. Maclay frosh Ella Porcher was leading the pursuit at that point, but Porcher herself was being stalked by Leon junior Avery Calabro and Tift County senior Emily Golden. Calabro and Golden caught Porcher early in the fourth kilometer, but no one was making any ground on Churchill, home first in 18:52. Calabro grabbed second in 20:47 and Golden third in 20:39. Porcher, Florida's 2018 middle school cross-country state champion, took fourth in 20:52.

Avery Calabro

Chiles, Leon, and Maclay each put three runners in the top ten. For Chiles, Alyson Churchill was joined by seniors Megan Churchill (5th, 21:14) and Emily Molen (6th, 21:38). Maclay's Porcher had eighth-grader Gracie Koeppel (7th, 21:14) and senior Rachael Stockel (8th, 21:48) for company in the top ten. In addition to Calabro, Leon had frosh Lily Moore (9th, 22:03) and junior Lily Unger (10th 22:11).

Emily Golden

But Chiles put sophomore Kendall Meyer (13th, 22:40) and senior Ashley Murphy (14th, 22:48) across the finish line before Maclay's fifth runner and Leon's fourth runner. With that, Chiles had 39 points and first in a field of nineteen teams. While the Maclay girls waited for their fifth runner, the Leon girls complete their scoring with 73 points, earning second. Maclay was third with 81.


Team Standings, High School Girls, 2019 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet
  1. Chiles, 39
  2. Leon, 73
  3. Maclay, 81
  4. Wakulla, 109
  5. Community Christian, 216
  6. Lowndes, 221
  7. Lincoln, 223
  8. Tift County, 225
  9. Jefferson County, 262
  10. Brookwood, 301
  11. Florida State University, 336
  12. Suwannee, 360
  13. Thomas County Central,
  14. Valdosta, 360
  15. Mosley, 370
  16. Aucilla Christian, 402
  17. Franklin County, 472
  18. Bainbridge, 501
  19. Blountstown, 506

Top Ten High School Girls, 2019 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet
  1. 18:51.19, Alyson Churchill (Chiles) 12
  2. 20:26.48, Avery Calabro (Leon) 11
  3. 20:38.22, Emily Golden (Tift County) 12
  4. 20:51.58, Ella Porcher (Maclay) 9
  5. 21:13.51, Megan Churchill (Chiles) 12
  6. 21:37.84, Emily Molen (Chiles) 12
  7. 21:38.95, Gracie Koeppel (Maclay) 8
  8. 21:47.34, Rachael Stockel (Maclay) 12
  9. 22:02.75, Lily Moore (Leon) 9
  10. 22:10.74, Lillian Unger (Leon) 11

The Chiles girls had extended their streak at Dueling Summits (nee Cougar Challenge) to four years of wins. The Chiles boys had their own streak going, having won both team and individual honors each year since 2016. When the boys' 5K started at 8:40 AM, the Timberwolves had ambitions of adding the 2019 titles to their history.

Nathan Reffitt and Jackson Yarbrough

Chiles junior Nathan Reffitt set the early pace, leading the field through the first two kilometers. There were more than a few athletes right with him, though, including Leon's Jackson Yarbrough. If anyone in the race knew Dueling Summits, it was Yarbrough, who had been racing on the course at Phipps Park since 2015, when he was a sixth-grader competing for Holy Comforter Episcopal School. Yarbrough knew the hills, and he knew about the fist-sized gravel on the course.


"That's why I decided to wear flats instead of spikes," said Yarbrough.

Nathan Reffitt and Jackson Yarbrough

Over the next kilometer, Reffitt dropped the rest of the field, but not Yarbrough. And then Yarbrough dropped Reffitt.


"I was just feeling really good, so I decided to push it around the two-mile mark," said Yarbrough. "I was feeling especially good on the hills."


By the top of the last hill, Yarbrough had 50 meters on Reffitt. That lead held to the finish line, where Yarbrough crossed first in 17:11. Reffitt held off his sophmore teammate, Ben Kirbo, to hang on to second, both runners clocked in 17:21.

Jack Rogers chases Ben Kirbo

Leon runners took the next two places, with Lion frosh Jake Rogers fourth in 17:26 and senior Jackson Roberts fifth in 17:35. The Timberwolves answered with senior Spencer Amsellem taking sixth in 17:47 and frosh Wyatt Townsend seventh in 17:47. But the Lions had a rejoinder when sophomore Leo Kelly finished eighth in 17:57. And the last word came when Leon senior Joseph Ashebo took tenth in 18:06. That gave the Lions five scorers in the top ten, 28 points, and the 2019 Dueling Summits team title--their school's first since the 2015 meet.


Chiles placed second among the 22 boys' teams with 31 points. Led by senior Joey Jung (12th, 18:13), Lincoln was third with 106 points.


Chiles and Leon, along with Yarbrough and Reffitt, are slated to meet again seven days after the Dueling Summits in the Big Bend Cross-Country Invitational, held on the state championship course at Apalachee Regional Park--a break from the rigors of Dueling Summits.


"I'm really excited for that, to see what I can do on a normal course," said Yarbrough.


Team Standings, High School Boys, 2019 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet
  1. Leon, 28
  2. Chiles, 31
  3. Lincoln, 106
  4. Lowndes, 142
  5. Wakulla, 181
  6. Maclay, 190
  7. Bainbridge, 274
  8. Mosley, 299
  9. Community Christian, 302
  10. Thomasville, 341
  11. Aucilla Christian, 358
  12. Valdosta, 360
  13. Tift County, 371
  14. Thomas County Central, 374
  15. Blountstown, 395
  16. Suwannee, 409
  17. Florida State University, 430
  18. Jefferson County, 481
  19. Cairo, 490
  20. Grace Christian, 498
  21. Saint John Paul II Catholic, 557
  22. Franklin County, 593

Top Ten High School Boys, 2019 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet
  1. 17:10.23, Jackson Yarbrough (Leon) 10
  2. 17:20.26, Nathan Reffitt (Chiles) 11
  3. 17:20.61, Ben Kirbo (Chiles) 10
  4. 17:25.97, Jake Rogers (Leon) 9
  5. 17:34.26, Jackson Roberts (Leon) 12
  6. 17:38.70, Spencer Amsellem (Chiles) 12
  7. 17:46.06, Wyatt Townsend (Chiles) 9
  8. 17:56.14, Leo Kelly (Leon) 10
  9. 17:58.04, Alec Munger (Lowndes) 11
  10. 18:05.93, Joseph Ashebo (Leon) 12


Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet High School Winners
2006 - 2019

Girls
DateTeam ChampIndividual Champ
16 September 2006Maclay, 2320:44, Laura Hempel (Rickards)
10 September 2007Maclay, 1820:36, Jana Stolting (Maclay)
15 September 2008Maclay, 3920:18, Jana Stolting (Maclay)
14 September 2009Maclay, 4321:05, Stefanie Kurgatt (Maclay)
2 October 2010West Florida Tech, 2719:23, Stefanie Kurgatt (Maclay)
8 October 2011Lincoln, 4921:16, Savana Osterbye (FSUS)
2012No meet held in 2012
31 August 2013Leon, 2720:35, Madison Harris (Wakulla)
6 September 2014Leon, 4421:09, Haleigh Martin (Wakulla)
29 August 2015Fort Walton Beach, 2421:16, Caroline Willis (Maclay)
27 August 2016Chiles, 4018:47, Alyson Churchill (Lincoln)
26 August 2017Chiles, 8018:29, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County)
25 August 2018Chiles, 2719:42, Abigail Schrobilgen (Chiles) 12
24 August 2019Chiles, 3918:52, Alyson Churchill (Chiles) 12
Boys
DateTeam ChampIndividual Champ
16 September 2006Lincoln, 4216:56, Joseph Franklin (Godby)
10 September 2007Maclay, 2317:18, Whitney Strickland (NFCS)
15 September 2008Niceville, 3617:02, Whitney Strickland (NFCS)
14 September 2009Maclay, 4717:27, Patrick Swain (Maclay)
2 October 2010Lincoln, 5216:10, Jacob Slupecki (Lincoln)
8 October 2011Lincoln, 6316:55, Stanley Linton (Wakulla)
2012No meet held in 2012
31 August 2013Leon, 3416:47, Sukhi Khosla (Leon)
6 September 2014Leon, 1516:42, Sukhi Khosla (Leon)
29 August 2015Leon, 5216:38, Adam Wallenfelsz (Leon)
27 August 2016Chiles, 3216:44, Michael Phillips (Chiles)
26 August 2017Chiles, 2316:42, Michael Phillips (Chiles)
25 August 2018Chiles, 3217:01, Connor Phillips (Chiles) 12
24 August 2019Leon, 2817:11, Jackson Yarbrough (Leon) 10

The middle school girls ran a 3K course that included only one of the "dueling summits." Lillian Koeppel, a Maclay sixth-grader, had the fastest performance of the girls on that route, closing fast late in the race to post a winning 13:32. Cadence Curnalia, a Thomas County seventh-grader, took second in 10:37. Wakulla High eight-grader Liliana Lewis, the defending champion in the race, placed third in 13:39.

Cadence Curnalia

Seventh-grader Lauren Guyer also finished in the top ten for Maclay, running 14:11 for eighth. Seventh-graders Kassidy Moninger (12th, 14:22) and Payton Thumm (13th, 14:26) also scored for Maclay, as did eighth-grader Haley Weil (17th, 14:35). Their performances gave Maclay 45 points and first place among twelve middle school girls' teams.


Holy Comforter eighth-grader Maddie Manausa placed fifth in 13:41, leading her team, the defending champions, to a second-place score of 86 points. Curnalia's Thomas County Yellow Jackets scored 109 points, placing third.


Team Standings, Middle School Girls, 2019 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet
  1. Maclay, 45
  2. Holy Comforter Episcopal, 86
  3. Thomas County, 109
  4. Valwood, 130
  5. Raa, 138
  6. Tift, 162
  7. Trinity Catholic, 163
  8. Wakulla, 184
  9. Bainbridge, 233
  10. Whigham, 237
  11. Community Leadership, 257
  12. Valdosta, 260

Top Ten Middle School Girls, 2019 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet
  1. 13:31.83, Lillian Koeppel (Maclay) 6
  2. 13:36.60, Cadence Curnalia (Thomas County) 7
  3. 13:38.67, Liliana Lewis (Wakulla) 8
  4. 13:39.41, Emma Burnett (Valwood) 8
  5. 13:40.65, Maddie Manausa (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 8
  6. 14:04.86, Kennedy Bell (Raa)
  7. 14:10.52, Ava Griffiths (Trinity Catholic) 7
  8. 14:10.94, Lauren Guyer (Maclay) 7
  9. 14:16.40, Madi Sims (Unattached) 7
  10. 14:16.89, Kate Reichelderfer (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 7

Middle school is three years, grades six, seven, and eight. So the greatest number of middle school wins anyone can collect at an annual meet, like Dueling Summits, is three. And three wins is Patrick Koon's legacy in the Dueling Summits middle school boys' 3K, where he took first in 2017, 2018, and finally in 2019. In the latter race, the Fairview eighth-grader ran a winning 10:35, his first sub-11:00 performance at Dueling Summits. Nicolas Waddell, an eighth-grader at Mowat in Lynn Haven, Florida, took second in 10:49. Montford eighth-grader Jackson Rowe also cracked 11:00, coming in third in 10:55.

Patrick Koon

The Holy Comforter boys were defending champs in the middle school boys' 3K, but Fairview came out on top in 2019. Led by Koon, the Falcons scored 51 points to take the team title. Holy Comforter was a close second with 60 points, led by eighth-grader Will Springer (5th, 11:22). Maclay and Trinity Catholic each tallied 133 points, but Macaly took third on the tie-breaker.


Team Standings, Middle School Boys, 2019 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet
  1. Fairview, 51
  2. Holy Comforter Episcopal, 60
  3. Maclay, 133
  4. Trinity Catholic, 133
  5. Thomas County, 169
  6. Tift, 181
  7. Community Leadership, 227
  8. Montford, 233
  9. Valdosta, 278
  10. Christ Classical, 279
  11. Whigham, 312
  12. Grace Christian, 315
  13. Marianna, 318
  14. Bainbridge, 330
  15. MacIntyre Park, 347
  16. Valwood, 371

Top Ten Middle School Boys, 2019 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet
  1. 10:34.83, Patrick Koon (Fairview) 8
  2. 10:48.39, Nicolas Waddell (Unattached) 8
  3. 10:54.34, Jackson Rowe (Montford) 8
  4. 11:20.41, Noah Deem (Community Leadership) 7
  5. 11:21.04, Will Springer (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 8
  6. 11:29.59, Matthew Wilbourn (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 8
  7. 11:32.23, Enijah Thomas (Fairview) 8
  8. 11:33.67, Drayden Reams (Raa) 8
  9. 11:35.66, Blair Golden (Tift) 8
  10. 11:39.73, Will Winsor (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 8

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Friday, March 24, 2017

Pottorff turns a US #4 9:03.44 and Churchill a US #1 10:23.81 at the FSU Relays

Florida State University RelaysMaking eight swift circuits of the Mike Long Track on the Tallahassee campus of Florida State University, Caleb Pottorff blasted a 9:03.44 to win the high school boys' 3200 at the Florida State University Relays--a US#4 time for the Lincoln Park senior. Then, while lane one was still smoking from Pottorff's performance, Lincoln frosh Alyson Churchill scorched the track with a US#1 10:23.81 in the high school girls' 3200. The two 24 March 2017 races accented the Relays' reputation for fast 3200 competition on Friday evenings.


There were three sections of the boys' 3200. Seeding had relegated the 2016 state cross-country champions in class 1A and class 4A, Mount Dora Christian sophomore Gabriel Curtis and Winter Springs senior Matt Doyle, to section two. Two other 2016 cross-country champs, Pottorff of class 2A and Chiles junior Michael Phillips of class 3A, were in section three with the top seeds. It didn't necessarily look like the fast section during the first half of the race. The pace started out ambitiously enough, with the leaders running the first 400 in under 67 seconds. The next three laps, though, averaged a sluggish 70 seconds each, bringing the field through 1600 around 4:37.


Then they started racing. The pace picked up during the fifth lap as Pottorff dashed out into the lead. Pottorff continued to push through laps six and seven, while the rest of the field backed off, seeming to be gathering strength for the final 400 meters. But when the bell lap opened, Pottorff was more than 30 meters ahead.


Phillips of Chiles kicked hard, trying to chase down Pottorff. Creekside senior Matthew Clark followed in Phillips' wake. Neither, though, could make up the ground they'd given up to Pottorff after the 1600 mark, and Pottorff hung on to win in 9:03.44. Phillips was second in 9:05.22 and Clark third in 9:07.36.


The three section of the high school girls' 3200 followed. Seeding isn't perfect. No one would argue that Winter Park junior Rafaella Gibbons, the two-time defending champion in the event, didn't belong in section three. It was also clear that two-time state cross-country champion Tsion Yared deserved a spot in the third section. Colquitt County junior Elizabeth Funderburk, though, ended up seeded in section two.


Funderburk followed North Fort Myers senior Kayla Easterly through the first 1600, then took over when Easterly started to fade. Finishing strong, Funderburk posted a 10:42.16, a time fast enough to win the girls' 3200 at the Relays in six of the last twelve years. Any athlete in section three was going to have to beat Funderburk's time in order to win.


Alyson Churchill started section three at a pace fast enough to put her well under Funderburk's 10:42.16. Actually, Churchill started off fast enough for a runner headed out to break 10:00. Only East Lake senior Jennifer Lima dared to try to stick with Churchill. But while the Lincoln frosh had slowed by midway through the race, passing the 1600 in 5:03.73, Lima was out of contact and Churchill was still moving faster than the rest of the field. Churchill struggled on the last lap, but the race was over. She crossed the finish line in 10:23.81, the 2017 FSU Relays champion in the 3200 for high school girls. Rafella Gibbons made up some ground on Churchill during the final lap, but not enough to challenge the Lincoln frosh nor enough to better Funderburk's time. Gibbons was third in 10:45.20. Tsion Yared was third in 10:45.48, Jupiter frosh Alexanra Del Re was fourth in 10:46.25, and Jennifer Lima fifth in 10:48.46.


2017 Florida State University Relays high school boys' 3200, top ten
  1. 9:03.44, Caleb Pottorff (Lincoln Park) 12
  2. 9:05.22, Michael Phillips (Chiles) 11
  3. 9:07.36, Matthew Clark (Creekside) 12
  4. 9:12.31, Nicholas Deal (Creekside) 12
  5. 9:13.66, Matthew Newland (Chiles) 11
  6. 9:14.12, Trenton Mandato (Trinity) 12
  7. 9:14.88, Joshua Collins (Belen Jesuit) 11
  8. 9:17.02, Tanner Chada (Hinckley-Big Rock) 12
  9. 9:19.02, Skylar Stidam (Christian Academy of Indiana) 11
  10. 9:21.85, John Cacciatore (Satellite) 12

2017 Florida State University Relays high school girls' 3200, top ten
  1. 10:23.81, Alyson Churchill (Lincoln) 9
  2. 10:42.16, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County) 11
  3. 10:45.20, Rafaella Gibbons (Winter Park) 11
  4. 10:45.48, Tsion Yared (Pine Crest) 9
  5. 10:46.25, Alexandra Del Re (Jupiter) 9
  6. 10:48.46, Jennifer Lima (East Lake) 12
  7. 10:48.54, Hannah Schneidewind (Niceville) 11
  8. 10:50.86, Amanda Beach (Melbourne Central Catholic) 12
  9. 10:53.85, Kaylee DuPont (South Forsyth) 11
  10. 10:54.14, Ana Wallace (Chiles) 11

High School 3200-meter winners, Florida State University Relays, 2006 - 2017
DateMenWomen
24 March 20069:38.76, Daniel Roberts (Crested Butte) 1211:20.32, Alison Babb (Oak Hall) 12
30 March 20079:29.73, Joseph Franklin (Godby) 1111:34.31, Katy Swain (Maclay) 11
28 March 20089:15.18, Joseph Franklin (Godby) 1210:42.71, Kayla Hale (Holy Trinity) 11
27 March 20099:06.78, Derek Wehunt (Sickles) 1111:02.90, Jana Stolting (Maclay) 11
26 March 20109:02.87, Matt Mizereck (Leon) 1210:41.54, Jana Stolting (Maclay) 12
25 March 20119:12.16, Kikanae Punyua (Glenelg) 1210:34.90, Kacy Smith (Estero) 10
23 March 20129:10.37, Andres Arroyo (Colonial) 1110:30.53, Lily Williams (Chiles) 12
22 March 20139:07.38, Mac Macoy (Vestavia Hills) 1110:15.70, Carmen Carlos (McGill-Toole) 12
21 March 20148:59.50, Sukhi Khosla (Leon) 1110:50.94, Emily Edwards (Fort Myers) 12
27 March 20159:03.57, Sukhi Khosla (Leon) 1210:42.20, Rafaella Gibbons (Winter Park) 9
25 March 20169:08.54, Noah Perkins (Seffner Christian) 1210:35.64, Rafaella Gibbons (Winter Park) 10
24 March 20179:03.44, Caleb Pottorff (Lincoln Park) 1210:23.81, Alyson Churchill (Lincoln) 9


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Saturday, December 17, 2016

Tannenbaum Trail titles for Josh Andrews and Alyson Churchill

On Saturday morning, 17 December 2016, Alyson Churchill won the women’s title at Gulf Winds Track Club’s sixth annual Tannenbaum Trail 6K cross-country race, placing fifth overall in 22:33. It was the third time in three years that Churchill had run the 3.7-mile race around Tallahassee, Florida's Apalachee Regional Park. Of those three races, it was also her best performance. It wasn’t her first win at Apalachee Regional Park, though. Churchill had scored her first victory at the park as an eighth-grader at Swift Creek Middle School, winning the 2015 Swift Creek Invitational. As a Lincoln High freshman she had notched further wins at ARPXC during the 2016 cross-country season, first winning the FSU Invitational and then the FHSAA State Cross-Country Championship for class 3A.

Alyson Churchill
Alyson Churchill

Churchill may have been a familiar face at ARPXC, but not Josh Andrews. Andrews had run cross-country at Chelmsford High in Massachusetts, going on to compete in the same sport at Stonehill College. He had run 2:41.37 at the Boston Marathon in 2013, finishing just before the bombs exploded on that tragic day. Andrews had never raced at Apalachee Regional Park, though. On the morning of the Tannenbaum 6K, he arrived at the park, filled out a registration form, warmed up, and headed for the starting line.


Then he won the race.


“He was running with the group before the Wall,” recalled Thomas Howell, a distance runner and Florida A & M University student. “After the Wall I looked up and he was 200 meters ahead. It was like he was in a different race.”

Josh Andrews
Josh Andrews

Early in the race Andrews shared the lead with Tallahassee athletes Vince Molosky and Geb Kiros. During the second kilometer Andrews and Molosky dropped Kiros. During the third kilometer came the first of two trips up the short but precipitous hill nicknamed “the Wall.” After that climb Andrews had the lead to himself. He spent the second loop widening the gap on the field, ultimately crossing the finish line first in 20:30. Molosky finished runner-up in 21:47. Jay Wallace was the fastest master runner in the race, overtaking Geb Kiros during the fourth kilometer to finish third overall in 22:03. Kiros was fourth in 22:26.


Alyson Churchill, fifth in 22:33, was never challenged for the top spot in the women’s standings. Second place was a different story. Tallahassee lawyer Sheryl Rosen spent most of the race in the second position, but Katie Sherron was never more than a few seconds back. Sherron, a Florida State University economics professor, was the Tannenbaum 6K women’s champ in 2011 and 2015. Late in the race she overtook Rosen, then moved ahead to take second on the women’s side, placing twelfth overall in 23:57. Rosen was the third woman across the finish line and thirteenth overall in 24:12. At 26:25, Lincoln High freshman cross-country runner Megan Churchill was the fourth woman and 21st overall. Kory Skrob was the top woman master and seventh female finisher, placing 33rd overall in 29:20.

Katie Sherron
Katie Sherron

The Tannenbaum 6K was the last race in a crowded 2016 schedule on the Apalachee Regional Park Cross-Country Course. During that fall, ARPXC had been the host venue for more than half-a-dozen championships at the state, regional, and national level. Some of the athletes in the Tannenbaum had been part of of those championships. For example, Vince Molosky had competed in one of the national championships on the course. Tim Unger had run in two of them. As already noted, Alyson Churchill had won a state title at Apalachee Regional Park.


But for most of the 84 athletes who finished the 6K it was their only chance in 2016 to race on the championship course. With the flags still in place and Florida State’s Seminole logo still painted on the grass, it still felt like a championship course. Think of getting to play a few downs in the Super Bowl stadium while the lines are still on the field, or getting out on the field after the final game of the World Series before the ground crew spreads the tarp over the infield. That’s what everyone in the Tannenbaum 6K got to experience, whether or not they took home a poinsettia plant for winning their age group.

Vince Molosky

Jay WallaceTop Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Tannenbaum Trail 6K
  1. 20:30, Josh Andrews (M, 28) Chelmsford, MA
  2. 21:47, Vince Molosky (M, 37) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 22:03, Jay Wallace (M, 52) Tallahassee, FL
  4. 22:26, Geb Kiros (M, 50) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 22:44, Zach Deveau (M, 29) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 22:46, Connor Stevens (M, 26) Marietta, GA
  7. 22:59, Michael Martinez (M, 50) Tallahassee, FL
  8. 23:14, Paul Guyas (M, 39) Tallahassee, FL
  9. 23:20, Myles Gibson (M, 50) Donalsonville, GA
  10. 23:39, Thomas Howell (M, 20) Blountstown, FL

Sheryl RosenTop Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Tannenbaum Trail 6K
  1. 22:33, Alyson Churchill (F, 14) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 23:57, Katie Sherron (F, 35) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 24:12, Sheryl Rosen (F, 32) Tallahassee, FL
  4. 26:25, Megan Churchill (F, 14) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 27:29, Paige Churchill (F, 11) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 28:37, Marigny Nevitt (F, 21) Tampa, FL
  7. 29:20, Kory Skrob (F, 46) Tallahassee, FL
  8. 29:30, Alyssa Terry (F, 23) Tallahassee, FL
  9. 30:09, Paula O'Neill (F, 55) Tallahassee, FL
  10. 32:27, Patricia Knauf (F, 48) Tallahassee, FL

Tannenbaum Trail 6K Champions, 2011 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
17 December 201119:49, Chris Lake25:33, Katie Showman173
15 December 201219:35, Kevin Sullivan21:56, Stefanie Slekis182
21 December 201320:51, Bryan Koon22:30, Jodie McGuff76
20 December 201420:17, Kyle Harris25:21, Jillian Heddaeus149
19 December 201520:36, Joseph Garcia23:30, Katie Sherron192
17 December 201620:30, Josh Andrews22:33, Alyson Churchill87


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