Mission accomplished for Ryan Kelly and Audrey Williams

The metric system has been part of athletics for over a century, and distances in running are almost exclusively metric nowadays. But it wasn't that many decades ago that in the United States, metric races were the exception. It wasn't until 1976, for instance, that the NCAA cross-country distance changed from six miles to 10,000 meters. In fact, prior to 1965 the collegiate championship cross-country distance was a modest four miles. That same non-metric four-mile distance is what Valdosta State University's Baptist Campus Ministry chose for its Run 4 Missions Road Race.


100 athletes finished the second annual edition of the non-metric Run 4 Missions on Saturday morning, 19 January 2013. Valdosta Middle School cross-country coach Ryan Kelly was the fastest in that field, running 23:48 for the win. Peter Akiti, a VSU freshman, finished runner-up in 24:31. Tyler Thurman of Lowndes County High School outdueled Matthew Baun of St John Catholic for third place, 24:53 to 24:59. Valdosta's Rick Mazurkiewicz was the top master of the morning, finishing eighth overall in 27:16.


Valdosta State University undergraduate Audrey Williams finished first among the women with a 31:08. The next female finisher was Martha Mazurkiewicz at 31:34. She was also the first female master, completing a Mazurkiewicz sweep of top master honors at the Run 4 Missions.


Top Ten Males

1. 23:48.0 ~ Ryan Kelly (M, 34) Lake Park, GA
2. 24:30.3 ~ Peter Akiti (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
3. 24:52.5 ~ Tyler Thurman (M, 17) Valdosta, GA
4. 24:58.2 ~ Matthew Baun (M, 13) Valdosta, GA
5. 25:23.3 ~ Elijah Gilmore (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
6. 26:58.3 ~ Nathan Crews (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
7. 27:12.4 ~ Justin Brownridge (M, 21) Valdosta, GA
8. 27:15.9 ~ Rick Mazurkiewicz (M, 45) Valdosta, GA
9. 27:27.7 ~ Jacob Bearrentine (M, 20) Valdosta, GA
10. 29:28.1 ~ Steven Watts (M, 19) Hahira, GA

Top Ten Females

1. 31:07.7 ~ Audrey Williams (F, 22) Valdosta, GA
2. 31:33.5 ~ Martha Mazurkiewicz (F, 45) Valdosta, GA
3. 31:42.9 ~ Debbie Green (F, 46) Valdosta, GA
4. 33:04.4 ~ Erin Wilkey (F, 10) Valdosta, GA
5. 33:23.9 ~ Misty Watkins (F, 30) Valdosta, GA
6. 33:35.0 ~ Angel Godwin (F, 39) Valdosta, GA
7. 34:34.9 ~ Alison Thornhill (F, 32) Valdosta, GA
8. 35:35.3 ~ Madeline Posse (F, 12) Valdosta, GA
9. 35:43.3 ~ Heather Kelly (F, 34) Lake Park, GA
10. 35:56.1 ~ Ashley Valerio (F, 21) Valdosta, GA

Links

• Complete results of the 2013 Run 4 Missions four-mile road race
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AuBsYKIIn3TCdGNXbmdvbmZxVFVfZ2ZaTEtWZERqdXc
  
  
• Tom Durham's photos of the 2013 Run 4 Missions four-mile road race
  http://tdurham.zenfolio.com/p35275035
  
  
• Find your next Valdosta road race on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

Bearrentine and Williams wing their way to wins at Butterfly 5K

Lowndes High alumnus (c/o 2010) Jacob Bearrentine won Valdosta's first road race of the year, putting up a 22:48 to outrun 56 other athletes at Camp Cocoon's Butterfly 5K on a cool Saturday morning, 5 January 2013. Behind Bearrentine, a battle was brewing for best woman between Valdosta State student Audrey Williams and soccer coach Erin Foote. It came down to the finish line, but Williams prevailed over Foote 23:49.5 to 23:49.9, the two runners taking second and third place overall respectively. Kevin Langley (5th, 24:24) of Adel, Georgia was the fastest master in the race and Tifton's Gina Purvis (11th, 27:55) was the first female master.


Proceeds from the first year event went to benefit United Hospice Foundation's Camp Cocoon, a camp for children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 who have experienced the death of a loved one. The camp has been located in Toccoa, Georgia for ten years, but a Valdosta branch is planned for March, 2013.


Top Ten Males, 2013 Butterfly 5K

1. 22:48 ~ Jacob Bearrentine (M, 20) Valdosta, GA
2. 24:01 ~ Carl LaRocque (M, 32) Valdosta, GA
3. 24:24 ~ Kevin Langley (M, 42) Adel, GA
4. 26:37 ~ Matt Harrell (M, 29) Valdosta, GA
5. 28:58 ~ Greg Fowler (M, 41) Tifton, GA
6. 29:05 ~ Jammie Metts (M, 35) Ray City, GA
7. 29:43 ~ Wingate Whitley (M, 37) Tifton, GA
8. 32:07 ~ Phillip Whitley (M, 32) Naylor, GA
9. 32:28 ~ Ronnie Metts (M, 68) Hahira, GA
10. 33:12 ~ Joe Christian (M, 74) Naylor, GA

Top Ten Females, 2013 Butterfly 5K

1. 23:49 ~ Audrey Williams (F, 22) Valdosta, GA
2. 23:49 ~ Erin Foote (F, 26) Valdosta, GA
3. 25:19 ~ Tiffany Music (F, 37) Crestview, FL
4. 26:07 ~ Ali Thornhill (F, 32) Valdosta, GA
5. 26:30 ~ Melanie Hall (F, 39) Tifton, GA
6. 27:50 ~ India Music (F, 30) Nicholls, GA
7. 27:55 ~ Gina Purvis (F, 53) Tifton, GA
8. 28:34 ~ Janis Lee (F, 58) Hahira, GA
9. 29:09 ~ Rachel Roberts (F, 38) Naylor, GA
10. 29:49 ~ Dana Spurlin (F, 43) Tifton, GA

Links

• Complete results of Camp Cocoon's 2013 Butterfly 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AuBsYKIIn3TCdDRNWW5nNGZibHdvdFpCaXdrTjd4dVE
  
  
• Upcoming races in Valdosta and other cities in the Tallahassee region
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1