Showing posts with label Blountstown. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blountstown. Show all posts

Monday, November 11, 2024

No one could catch Leonardo Canete or Stephanie Liles-Weyant at the Catfish Crawl

2024 Catfish Crawl 5KExperience must count for something.


It certainly did at the twelfth annual Catfish Crawl 5K in Blountstown, Florida on Saturday morning, 9 November 2024. The first five finishers were all master runners, as were six of the top eight men, eight of the top nine women, and both the overall male and overall female winners. Leading this charge was Leonardo Canete. That Tallahassee, Florida master runner won the annual race for the third year in a row, this time with a winning mark of 17:42. Another Tallahassee master runner, Stephanie Liles-Weyant, won her second straight Catfish Crawl women's title, placing seventh overall in 19:40.


Ryan Kunz, a master runner from Tallahassee, came in runner-up to Canete in 18:43. And Tallahassee master runner Hong-Guo Yu took third in 18:59.


Canete finished with a lead of nearly 300 meters, but the women's race was closer. Just 30 meters behind the winner, Stephanie Liles-Weyant, was Blountstown's Chelsee Carley. Formerly a cross-country runner at Blountstown High and Chipola College, Carley was eighth overall in 19:47. It wasn't Carley's first Catfish Crawl, but it was her fastest. As Chelsee Cook, she had won the 2016 Catfish Crawl women's title in 21:37, and in 2017 she had finished runner-up in 20:01.


Behind Carley, Tallahassee master runner Melanie Leitman was the third woman and seventeenth overall in 21:33.


144 athletes finished the 2024 Catfish Crawl. International Running Company, LLC, chip-timed the race. Look for the thirteenth annual Catfish Crawl in Blountstown on 8 November 2025.


Top Ten Men, 2024 Catfish Crawl 5K
  1. 17:42, Leonardo Canete (M, 46)
  2. 18:43, Ryan Kunz (M, 42)
  3. 18:59, Hong-Guo Yu (M, 56)
  4. 19:20, Camilo Ordonez (M, 45)
  5. 19:27, Jack McDermott (M, 55)
  6. 19:37, Jason Tomlinson (M, 16)
  7. 19:48, Alexander Nandho (M, 18)
  8. 19:57, Fanxiu Zhu (M, 55)
  9. 20:03, Malach Ebersole (M, 12)
  10. 20:26, Chase Sims (M, 12)

Top Ten Women, 2024 Catfish Crawl 5K
  1. 19:40, Stephanie Liles-Weyant (F, 52)
  2. 19:47, Chelsee Carley (F, 25)
  3. 21:33, Melanie Leitman (F, 40)
  4. 23:01, Laura McDermott (F, 45)
  5. 23:25, Sarah Lester (F, 48)
  6. 23:26, Hillary Powell (F, 40)
  7. 23:38, Nancy Proctor (F, 63)
  8. 23:54, Angela Dempsey (F, 56)
  9. 24:28, Melissa Martin (F, 50)
  10. 24:39, Laura Dennis (F, 38)

Blountstown Fire Department Catfish Crawl 5K champions, 2012 - 2024
DateMenWomenFinishers
19 May 201217:45, Billy Naylor21:41, Hannah Plazarin96
18 May 201316:38, Billy Naylor23:45, Hannah Plazarin128
17 May 201417:23, Thomas Howell25:05, Lydia Miles117
16 May 201517:47, Michael Martinez22:41, Kristi Johnson135
21 May 201618:08, Geb Kiros21:37, Chelsee Cook132
20 May 201717:23, Matthew McCurdy19:47, Kat Sack212
19 May 201819:07, Chance Logan20:59, Kat Sack133
18 May 201917:35, Charlie Kline18:08, Ann Centner266
14 November 2020Race Canceled
13 November 202116:26, Micah Kemp19:13, Sheryl Rosen119
12 November 202217:17, Leonardo Canete24:27, Alena Brobst102
11 November 202317:27, Leonardo Canete20:47, Stephanie Liles-Weyant143
9 November 202417:42, Leonardo Canete19:40, Stephanie Liles-Weyant144



 Top ten men's times, Catfish Crawl 5K 
TimeAthleteYear
16:26Micah Kemp2021
16:38Billy Naylor2013
16:59Travis Boltjes2021
17:17Leonardo Canete2022
17:23Thomas Howell2014
17:23Matthew McCurdy2017
17:27Leonardo Canete2023
17:31Chris O'Kelley2017
17:32Leonardo Canete2021
17:35Charlie Kline2019
      
Top ten women's times, Catfish Crawl 5K
TimeAthleteYear
18:08Ann Centner2019
19:13Sheryl Rosen2021
19:40Stephanie Liles-Weyant2024
19:47Kat Sack2017
19:47Chelsee Carley2024
20:01Chelsee Cook2017
20:24Brittney Barnes2019
20:47Stephanie Liles-Weyant2023
20:47Alexis Mayfield2023
20:50Stephanie Liles-Weyant2019


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Thursday, September 28, 2023

Geisha Smith and Josiah Friddle take home wins from the Blountstown Home Meet

TigerLike a mighty cable, Interstate 10 stretches 362 miles across the entire width of North Florida. In comparison, State Road 20 is just a thread, but it's the thread that holds much of the Florida Panhandle together. Blountstown, Florida is one of the cities along Highway 20. You won't see much driving through Blountstown on the highway--a few gas stations, some businesses, a municipal building, the courthouse, and the local Burger King. You have to get off the highway to see places like Sam Atkins Park. So if you were cruising through Blountstown on Wednesday, 27 September 2023, you would have totally missed that there was a high school cross-country meet in Sam Atkins Park--the seventh annual Blountstown Home Meet.


Which is an unassuming name for an event that included 22 teams and 201 athletes representing fifteen different schools. Anywhere else it would have been the River City Invitational or the Tiger Classic or the Apalachee River Valley Cross-Country Spectacular. But Blountstown doesn't put on any airs, nor does Blountstown High. So it was the Blountstown Home Meet.


Geisha Smith won the opening event, the high school girls' 5K, by almost 300 meters. A Seminole County junior, Smith ran the 3.1 mile course in 21:52. Franklin County frosh Addyson Paul edged Port Saint Joe eighth-grader Kate Patrick for the runner-up spot, 23:09 to 23:12.


But Port Saint Joe had two more athletes in the top ten--frosh Molly Martin, ninth in 24:25, and senior Arlena Gleichner, tenth in 24:28. Port Saint Joe's two remaining scorers were eighth-grader Libby White (13th, 24:58) and senior Hannah Dacosta (19th, 26:00), giving the Sharks 38 points and first place among eleven girls' teams.


Liberty County was second with 92 points. Rutherford nipped Altha for third, 108 to 110.


Girls' Team Standings, 2023 Blountstown Home Meet
Port Saint Joe, 38
Liberty County, 92
Rutherford, 108
Altha, 110
Marianna, 123
Malone, 141
Laurel Hill, 168
Seminole County, 171
Wewahitchka, 185
Blountstown, 286
Sneads, 289

Top Ten Girls, 2023 Blountstown Home Meet
21:52.00, Geisha Smith (Seminole County) 11
23:09.00, Addyson Paul (Franklin County) 9
23:11.60, Kate Patrick (Port Saint Joe) 8
23:17.30, Abella Faircloth (Liberty County) 9
23:22.90, Alena Brobst (Altha) 11
23:27.70, Isabella Polous (Franklin County) 8
23:43.00, Addison Cook (Walton) 10
23:59.70, Dixie Gilmore (Altha) 11
24:24.50, Molly Partin (Port Saint Joe) 9
24:27.70, Arlena Gleichner (Port Saint Joe) 12

Franklin County junior Josiah Friddle won the boys' 5K by close to 150 meters, covering the course in 17:41. The race for second was closer--Blountstown senior Hunter Shuler finished just a few steps ahead of Thoren Knispel, a Lincoln sophomore, with Shuler running 18:14 and Knispel 18:16. Marianna frosh Travis Ephriam was a close fourth in 18:21.

Josiah Friddle
Josiah Friddle

Blountstown senior Alexander Nandho took fifth in 18:28. The next three Blountstown Tigers were sophmore Asher Black (20:05), senior Cristian Gonzalez (16th, 20:10), and frosh Diego Nandho (27th, 21:10), giving the team a winning score of 44 points.


Ephriam and Marianna placed second in the eleven-team field with 69 points. Port Saint Joe squeaked by Malone 121 to 122 for third.

Miles and Minutes, LLC, of Tallahassee, Florida timed and scored the 2023 Blountstown Home Meet.


Boys' Team Standings, 2023 Blountstown Home Meet
Blountstown, 44
Marianna, 69
Port Saint Joe, 121
Malone, 122
Bay, 168
Sneads, 175
Seminole County, 176
Walton, 177
Wewahitchka, 182
Altha, 216
Liberty County, 227

Top Ten Boys, 2023 Blountstown Home Meet
17:40.70, Josiah Friddle (Franklin County) 11
18:13.50, Hunter Shuler (Blountstown) 12
18:15.10, Thoren Knispel (Lincoln) 10
18:20.30, Travis Ephriam (Marianna) 9
18:27.30, Alexander Nandho (Blountstown) 12
18:47.40, Maxwell Wester (Marianna) 9
18:53.30, Lundon Faile (Bay) 12
19:03.90, Jude Fosshage (Port Saint Joe) 7
19:07.00, Nathaniel Cabrera (Franklin County) 9
19:21.70, Kingsley Knispel (Lincoln) 10


Blountstown Home Meet winners, 2013 - 2023

Girls
DateTeam ChampIndividual Champ
9 October 2013Blountstown, 30 points22:22, Valerie Sampson (Cottondale)
26 September 2018Port Saint Joe, 3223:00, Jazzmyne Degolyer (Altha) 8
25 September 2019North Bay Haven, 2122:41, Kyla Faint (North Bay Haven) 6
30 September 2020Port Saint Joe, 2224:12, Madelyn Gortermoller (Port Saint Joe) 11
29 September 2021Community Christian, 1522:02, Megan Fajardo (Destin) 10
28 September 2022Paxton, 3621:57, Jersey Bilderback (Paxton) 9
27 September 2023Port Saint Joe, 3821:52, Geisha Smith (Seminole County) 11
Boys
DateTeam ChampIndividual Champ
9 October 2013Blountstown, 32 points17:48, Thomas Howell (Blountstown)
26 September 2018Blountstown, 2817:04, Xander Peacock (Blountstown) 11
25 September 2019Blountstown, 3317:15, Xander Peacock (Blountstown) 12
30 September 2020Blountstown, 4218:14, Eugene Hall (Paxton) 12
29 September 2021Blountstown, 3017:54, Jackson Welch (Malone) 9
28 September 2022Blountstown, 3117:57, Chance Thornton (Jay) 12
27 September 2023Blountstown, 4417:41, Josiah Friddle (Franklin County) 11


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Sunday, May 19, 2019

No fish stories for Charlie Kline and Ann Centner at the Catfish Crawl 5K

Major Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle early in the afternoon of Oct. 10, 2018. A few hours later the center of the storm passed just west of Blountstown, Florida. Half a year after the storm had passed the city on the Apalachicola River was still recovering. There was still an abundance of roofs draped in blue tarps. But on Saturday morning, 18 May 2019, the Blountstown Fire Department was ready to host the eighth annual Catfish Crawl 5K. There were a few trees missing, so that the course was less shady than in past years, but it didn’t seem to affect the runners’ performances, notably Charlie Kline, who won the race in 17:35. A little more than half a minute after Kline, Ann Centner crossed the finish line in 18:08, the first woman and second overall.

Charlie Kline
Charlie Kline

The race got started just after 8:00 AM Central Time. 2018 Catfish Crawl champ Chance Logan tried to hang with Kline early in the race, but by the end of the first mile Kline had broken contact with the field. Behind Kline, Logan, Centner, and Ryan Truchelut were left to fight for second. After the turnaround on the out-and-back course, Centner and Truchelut dropped Logan, then Centner dropped Truchelut. Kline made it home first in 17:35, the fifth-fastest time ever run at the Catfish Crawl. Truchelut was second in the men's standings, placing third overall in 18:12. Logan was the third man and fourth overall in 18:42. A few steps behind Logan, Christian Minor was the fourth male and fifth overall in 18:52.


“It was definitely more humid than I thought it would be. It’s technically a 9:00 start,” said Kline, who woke up in the Eastern Time Zone in Tallahassee. “I wanted to get in this race and the Potluck Four-Mile before my girlfriend and I move back to Philly.”

Duane Evans, Paul Guyas, Philip Sura
Master runners Duane Evans, Paul Guyas, and Philip Sura

One mile into the race, master runners Duane Evans, Paul Guyas, and Philip Sura were setting the pace for the over-40 field, but they were being stalked. Another master runner, Andrew Wills, overtook the group then ran away from them, going on to finish as the top master and sixth overall in 19:01. Evans was seventh overall in 19:31, Sura eighth in 19:40, and Guyas ninth in 19:48.


“Ann Centner had to leave early,” announced race director Ben Hall at the awards. “But we’re going to award her a ride in a fire truck because she set a new course record. The old record was 19:47 and she ran 18:08.”

Ann Centner
Ann Centner

The previous record, run just the year before by Kat Sack, was the first time any woman had gone under 20:00 at the Catfish Crawl. Centner had been both the second woman to break 20:00 and the first woman to go faster than 19:00 at the race, while just missing cracking 18:00 as well.


“I didn't look up the course record ahead of time, but was excited when I learned I broke it by a wide margin,” said Centner. “I planned to go around 18:30, but once I saw I was close to breaking 18:00, I wanted to break 18:00 but it was too late! Overall, I was happy with the race, as my training is just picking up again for my currently planned target races, the Breakfast On The Track Mile and the Sickle Cell 5K.”

Brittney Barnes
Brittney Barnes

Brittney Barnes staked out the spot behind Centner in the women’s field early and held on to it for the rest of the race, finishing as the second woman and eleventh overall in 20:24. Master runner Stephanie Liles-Weyant took third in the women’s standings, placing fourteenth overall in 20:50. During the final half-kilometer of the 5K, Leon sophomore Lilli Unger overtook Deanna McVay to take fourth on the women's side, 20:59 to 21:02. Unger and McVay were fifteenth and seventeenth overall. Master runner Lourena Maxwell was the sixth woman and eighteenth overall in 21:34.


266 athletes finished the 2019 Catfish Crawl, more than in any previous year of the race. International Running Company, LLC, chip-timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Catfish Crawl 5K
  1. 17:35, Charlie Kline (M, 26)
  2. 18:12, Ryan Truchelut (M, 33)
  3. 18:42, Chance Logan (M, 22)
  4. 18:52, Christian Minor (M, 32)
  5. 19:01, Andrew Wills (M, 54)
  6. 19:31, Duane Evans (M, 51)
  7. 19:40, Philip Sura (M, 49)
  8. 19:48, Paul Guyas (M, 41)
  9. 20:04, Tristan LaNasa (M, 26)
  10. 20:37, Enrique Nandho (M, 18)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Catfish Crawl 5K
  1. 18:08, Ann Centner (F, 27)
  2. 20:24, Brittney Barnes (F, 31)
  3. 20:50, Stephanie Liles-Weyant (F, 46)
  4. 20:59, Lilli Unger (F, 16)
  5. 21:02, Deanna McVay (F, 36)
  6. 21:34, Lourena Maxwell (F, 44)
  7. 21:43, Laura McDermott (F, 39)
  8. 22:54, Kendall Meikenhous (F, 31)
  9. 23:02, Nancy Proctor (F, 58)
  10. 23:33, Nancy Stedman (F, 57)

Blountstown Fire Department Catfish Crawl 5K champions, 2012 - 2019
DateMenWomenFinishers
19 May 201217:45, Billy Naylor21:41, Hannah Plazarin96
18 May 201316:38, Billy Naylor23:45, Hannah Plazarin128
17 May 201417:23, Thomas Howell25:05, Lydia Miles117
16 May 201517:47, Michael Martinez22:41, Kristi Johnson135
21 May 201618:08, Geb Kiros21:37, Chelsee Cook132
20 May 201717:23, Matthew McCurdy19:47, Kat Sack212
19 May 201819:07, Chance Logan20:59, Kat Sack133
18 May 201917:35, Charlie Kline18:08, Ann Centner266



 Top ten men's times, Catfish Crawl 5K 
TimeAthleteYear
16:38Billy Naylor2013
17:23Thomas Howell2014
17:23Matthew McCurdy2017
17:31Chris O'Kelley2017
17:35Charlie Kline2019
17:43Geb Kiros2017
17:44David Seymour2014
17:45Billy Naylor2012
17:47Michael Martinez2015
17:48Jesse Boyd2017
      
Top ten women's times, Catfish Crawl 5K
TimeAthleteYear
18:08Ann Centner2019
19:47Kat Sack2017
20:01Chelsee Cook2017
20:24Brittney Barnes2019
20:50Stephanie Liles-Weyant2019
20:59Lilli Unger2019
20:59Kat Sack2018
21:02Deanna McVay2019
21:34Lourena Maxwell2019
21:35Laura McDermott2018


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Thursday, September 27, 2018

Xander Peacock and Jazzmyne Degolyer win at Blountstown

TigerWhen twelve schools, twenty teams, and 184 athletes showed up in Blountstown, Florida's Sam Atkins Park for a high school cross-country meet, you'd think it would have a snappier name than "The Blountstown Home Meet." Couldn't it have been called the Calhoun County Classic? Or the Tiger Trot? The River City Invitational?


Blountstown High certainly earned part of the name in the boys' race. The Blountstown Tigers took the team title in that race, putting four runners in the top ten and scoring 28 points, while Tiger junior Xander Peacock won the 5K in 17:04. Scoring 32 points, Port Saint Joe had the top girls' team, and Altha School eighth-grader Jazzmyne Degolyer was first in the girls' 5K at 23:00.


Competition opened that Wednesday afternoon, 26 September 2018, with the boys' 5K. It wasn't much of a race, thanks to Xander Peacock. The Blountstown ace finished the five-kilometer event more than half a kilometer ahead of the next runner, covering the course in a winning 17:04. Zack McFarland, a Port Saint Joe junior, took second in 19:07. Behind McFarland, North Bay Haven frosh Kaden Passey edged Blountstown senior Enrique Nandho for third, 19:41 to 19:46.


Blountstown next three scorers were juniors Saul Puente (5th, 20:03) and Dartanion Hope (9th, 20:58), and sophomore Elier Pais (11th, 21:17), giving the Tigers 28 points and first place in the field of ten teams. Passey's North Bay Haven team took second with 59 points. Led by junior Grady Escobar (1th, 21:13), Franklin County was third with 71 points.


Boys' Team Standings
  1. Blountstown, 28
  2. North Bay Haven, 59
  3. Franklin County, 71
  4. Port Saint Joe, 139
  5. Altha, 169
  6. Sneads, 172
  7. Malone, 186
  8. Marianna, 186
  9. Bay, 227
  10. Graceville, 251

Top Ten Athletes, High School Boys' 5K
  1. 17:04, Xander Peacock (Blountstown) 11
  2. 19:07, Zack McFarland (Port Saint Joe) 11
  3. 19:41, Kaden Passey (North Bay Haven) 9
  4. 19:46, Enrique Nandho (Blountstown) 12
  5. 20:03, Saul Puente (Blountstown) 11
  6. 20:36, Jonathan Reyes (Chipley) 9
  7. 20:47, Ricky Forbes (Port Saint Joe) 9
  8. 20:48, Seth Pietrowski (North Bay Haven) 11
  9. 20:58, Dartanion Hope (Blountstown) 11
  10. 21:13, Grady Escobar (Franklin County) 11

The girls' 5K followed the boys' race. Jazzmyne Degolyer wasn't as dominating as Xander Peacock had been, but she still won the girls' race by 60 meters with her 23:00. Port Saint Joe runners took the next three places, with sophomore Autumn Kotelman second in 23:17, frosh Zoe Gerlach third in 23:36, and frosh Madelyn Gortermoller fourth in 24:17.


Port Saint Joe frosh Lexis Fountain also cracked the top ten, placing tenth in 26:56. Port Saint Joe junior Jade Cothran was thirteenth in 27:24, completing her team's winning score of 32 points. Sophomore Abby Gregory placed fifth in 25:28, the first of three runners from her school in the top ten, leading her team to second place with 45 points. Led by Degolyer, Altha was third with 129 points.


Girls' Team Standings
  1. Port Saint Joe, 32
  2. North Bay Haven, 45
  3. Altha, 129
  4. Bay, 150
  5. Sneads, 159
  6. Franklin County, 170
  7. Graceville, 172
  8. Blountstown, 176
  9. Cottondale, 199
  10. Marianna, 208

Top Ten Athletes, High School Girls' 5K
  1. 23:00, Jazzmyne Degolyer (Altha) 8
  2. 23:17, Autumn Kotelman (Port Saint Joe) 10
  3. 23:36, Zoe Gerlach (Port Saint Joe) 9
  4. 24:17, Madelyn Gortermoller (Port Saint Joe) 9
  5. 25:28, Abby Gregory (North Bay Haven) 10
  6. 25:29, Diana Compean (Cottondale) 10
  7. 25:44, Taylor Reese Howell (Sneads) 9
  8. 26:14, Madeleine Wilson (North Bay Haven) 9
  9. 26:29, Olivia Dunbar (North Bay Haven) 9
  10. 26:56, Lexis Fountain (Port Saint Joe) 9


Blountstown Home Meet winners

Girls
DateTeam ChampIndividual Champ
9 October 2013Blountstown, 30 points22:22, Valerie Sampson (Cottondale)
26 September 2018Port Saint Joe, 3223:00, Jazzmyne Degolyer (Altha) 8
Boys
DateTeam ChampIndividual Champ
9 October 2013Blountstown, 32 points17:48, Thomas Howell (Blountstown)
26 September 2018Blountstown, 2817:04, Xander Peacock (Blountstown) 11


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Sunday, May 20, 2018

Chance Logan and Kat Sack keep winning in Blountstown at the Catfish Crawl

2018 Catfish Crawl 5KOn Saturday morning, 19 May 2018, Chance Logan was back in competition. Three weeks earlier he had posted a win at the Tate's Hell & Back 5K in Carrabelle, Florida. This time, he was racing closer to home at the seventh annual Catfish Crawl in Blountstown, Florida, a race where he had placed eighth in 2017. But in 2018, there was no one ahead of Logan when he crossed the finish line in 19:07, the new Catfish Crawl champ. Tallahassee, Florida athlete Kat Sack was the first woman in the 5K, successfully defending her 2017 Catfish Crawl women's title and placing fourth overall in 20:59.


Enrique Nandho, a rising senior on the Blountstown High cross-country team, finished runner-up to Logan in 19:31. Laryn Flikkema of Tallahassee was the fastest master runner in the Catfish Crawl and third overall in 20:41.


Tallahassee schoolteacher Laura McDermott placed second in the women's standings, coming in sixth overall in 21:35. Paula O'Neill of Tallahassee was the first woman master and third female finisher, fourteenth overall in 23:53.


133 athletes finished the 2018 Catfish Crawl 5K. The Blountstown Fire Department hosts the race each year on the third Saturday in May, so look for the eighth annual Catfish Crawl on the Blountstown Rail Trail on 18 May 2019.


Top Ten Men, 2018 Catfish Crawl 5K
  1. 19:07, Chance Logan (M, 21)
  2. 19:31, Enrique Nandho, Jr. (M, 17)
  3. 20:41, Laryn Flikkema (M, 42)
  4. 21:24, Devin Ferrell (M, 24)
  5. 21:55, Robert Rosa (M, 15)
  6. 22:10, Carlos Nandho (M, 17)
  7. 22:22, Parker Galloway (M, 24)
  8. 22:54, Chad Northcutt (M, 33)
  9. 23:09, Dixson Thrasher (M, 14)
  10. 23:12, Mark McCarra (M, 53)

Top Ten Women, 2018 Catfish Crawl 5K
  1. 20:59, Kat Sack (F, 26)
  2. 21:35, Laura McDermott (F, 38)
  3. 23:53, Paula O'Neill (F, 56)
  4. 25:58, Carrie Smith (F, 43)
  5. 26:02, Lydia Miles (F, 45)
  6. 26:10, Casey Tozzi (F, 38)
  7. 26:26, Elia Flores Cruz (F, 51)
  8. 26:27, Robyn Griffin (F, 42)
  9. 26:38, Lessa Bates (F, 34)
  10. 26:42, Debbie Peters (F, 57)

Blountstown Fire Department Catfish Crawl 5K champions, 2012 - 2018
DateMenWomenFinishers
19 May 201217:45, Billy Naylor21:41, Hannah Plazarin96
18 May 201316:38, Billy Naylor23:45, Hannah Plazarin128
17 May 201417:23, Thomas Howell25:05, Lydia Miles117
16 May 201517:47, Michael Martinez22:41, Kristi Johnson135
21 May 201618:08, Geb Kiros21:37, Chelsee Cook132
20 May 201717:23, Matthew McCurdy19:47, Kat Sack212
19 May 201819:07, Chance Logan20:59, Kat Sack133


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Friday, December 15, 2017

Jesse Boyd wins the Jingle Bell Run, a postscript to his BHS cross-country career

Jesse Boyd is a senior at Blountstown High School. On 11 November 2017, his high school cross-country career came to a close at Florida's State Cross-Country Championships. Over a month later, though, Boyd was still racing. On Friday evening, 15 December 2017, Boyd won the ninth annual Jingle Bell Run 5K on the streets of Blountstown, Florida, finishing over 400 meters ahead of the next runner in 18:15. Saul Puente, a sophomore on the Blountstown High cross-country team, took second in 20:07. Greg Skinner was the top master runner in the race, placing fourth overall in 22:33. Blountstown Middle School sixth-grader Leyah O'Kelley placed first in the women's standings, finishing thirteenth overall in 26:14.


51 athletes finished the 2017 Jingle Bell Run. The race was hosted by Blountstown Middle School.


Top Twenty Athletes, 2017 Blountstown, Florida, Middle School Jingle Bell Run 5K
  1. 18:15, Jesse Boyd
  2. 20:07, Saul Puente
  3. 22:31, Dixson Thrasher
  4. 22:33, Greg Skinner
  5. 23:01, Mark McCarra
  6. 23:44, Patrick Westman
  7. 24:14, Tom Hackenbracht
  8. 24:27, Dustin Aderholt
  9. 25:07, Justin Mosley
  10. 25:15, Ben Hall
  11. 25:24, Eric Saggars
  12. 26:09, Patrick McGuire
  13. 26:14, Leyah O'Kelley
  14. 27:37, Jordan Christiansen
  15. 27:43, Liliana Vicente
  16. 28:10, Tyra Langley
  17. 28:21, Joe Edgecombe
  18. 28:26, Marty Kirkland
  19. 28:28, Kayla Edwards
  20. 28:29, Taylor Roberts

Blountstown Jingle Bell 5K Champions, 2009 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
4 December 200919:07, Devin Ferrell23:19, Mary Sewell
3 December 201018:17, Devin Ferrell22:18, Judy Alexander53
2 December 201118:12, Thomas Howell23:21, Judy Alexander62
30 November 201218:16, Thomas Howell21:34, Hannah Plazarin75
12 December 201317:15, Thomas Howell24:06, Hannah Plazarin109
5 December 201417:28, Kevin Potts24:00, Kristi Johnson71
4 December 201516:55, Thomas Howell22:00, Lydia Miles76
9 December 201616:53, Thomas Howell22:09, Becky Cahill47
15 December 201618:15, Jesse Boyd26:14, Leyah O'Kelley51


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Sunday, May 21, 2017

McCurdy and Sack land victories in the Catfish Crawl 5K

Just before Blountstown, Florida’s sixth annual Catfish Crawl 5K on Saturday morning, 20 May 2017, Matt McCurdy and Kat Sack had in common that they had both been winners the previous week at the Run For Ansley 5K in Tallahassee. McCurdy had carried away the men’s title and Sack the women’s. After a morning in Blountstown, McCurdy and Sack also had Catfish Crawl wins in common. McCurdy took the 3.1-mile race in 17:23, and Sack finished atop the women’s field in 19:47.

2017 Catfish Crawl 5K
The leaders after 1500 meters

In each of the last four years, the race at the Catfish Crawl 5K has developed like a race on the track, with a large group of leaders being gradually whittled down to a few contenders, and finally a single winner. Perhaps it’s because the out-and-back course on the Blountstown Greenway Rail Trail is as flat as any track. Or perhaps it’s just coincidence. Whatever the reason, the 2016 race followed the same script. One mile into the race there was a lead pack of five, with Tallahassee runners Matt McCurdy and Chris O’Kelley setting the pace for Elijah Sarmiento of Wewahitchka, Jesse Boyd of Blountstown, and Geb Kiros of Tallahassee. At that point, one of the athletes threw in a bit of improvisation.


“He wasn’t wearing a watch, and he asked us for the mile time,” recalled O’Kelley. “After we told him he took off.”

Chris O'Kelley, Matt McCurdy
Chris O'Kelley and Matt McCurdy

The surge was short-lived. After the turn-around halfway through the race, McCurdy and O’Kelley were in command. With a quarter mile to go they were still running side by side. After that?


“I just started sprinting,” said McCurdy.

Geb Kiros
Geb Kiros

O’Kelley had no response. McCurdy dashed ahead to win in 17:23 while O’Kelley was second in 17:31. Geb Kiros was the fastest master runner in the race, placing third overall in 17:43. Boyd edged Sarmiento for fourth, 17:48 to 17:50.

Chelsee Cook, Kat Sack
Chelsee Cook and Kat Sack

Kat Sack may have been coming off of a win, but Blountstown High graduating senior Chelsee Cook was the defending women’s champ of the Catfish Crawl. Cook was also the women’s course record holder, having run 21:37 in the 2016 race. During the first mile she was actually half a step ahead of Sack. The two raced closely until Sack made a break half a mile from the finish line.


“I started to pull away about a minute before the bridge,” said Sack. “She kept me on my toes. She definitely kept me on my toes.”

Kat Sack
Kat Sack

It took a new women’s course record for Sack to beat Cook. Sack ran 19:47, finishing fourteenth overall and becoming the only woman to ever run under 20:00 at the Catfish Crawl. Cook also clocked under the previous women’s record, running 20:01 for second in the women's standings and sixteenth overall. Tallahassee schoolteacher Laura McDermott was the third woman and 23rd overall in 21:45. Tsige Tadesse of Tallahassee was the top woman master and fourth female finisher, 27th overall in 22:18.


A record field of 212 athletes finished the Blountstown Fire Department’s 2017 Catfish Crawl 5K. Another seven participated in the event as race walkers, and 22 others completed a one-mile fun run.

Chelsee Cook
Chelsee Cook

Top Ten Men, 2017 Catfish Crawl 5K
  1. 17:23, Matthew McCurdy (M, 24) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 17:31, Chris O'Kelley (M, 24) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 17:43, Geb Kiros (M, 50) Blountstown, FL
  4. 17:48, Jesse Boyd (M, 17) Blountstown, FL
  5. 17:50, Elijah Sarmiento (M, 18) Wewahitchka, FL
  6. 18:10, Mickey Moore (M, 47) Tallahassee, FL
  7. 18:17, Jim Halley (M, 37) Blountstown, FL
  8. 18:32, Chance Logan (M, 20) Blountstown, FL
  9. 18:38, Paul Guyas (M, 39) Tallahassee, FL
  10. 18:53, Blayton See (M, 16) Blountstown, FL

Top Ten Women, 2017 Catfish Crawl 5K
  1. 19:47, Kat Sack (F, 25) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 20:01, Chelsee Cook (F, 18) Blountstown, FL
  3. 21:45, Laura McDermott (F, 37) Blountstown, FL
  4. 22:18, Tsige Tadesse (F, 44) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 22:56, Paula O'Neill (F, 55) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 23:27, Kory Skrob (F, 46) Tallahassee, FL
  7. 23:27, Nazarae Rodriguez (F, 27) Tallahassee, FL
  8. 23:44, Monica Judd (F, 43) Tallahassee, FL
  9. 23:51, Kristin Halley (F, 35) Tallahassee, FL
  10. 23:57, Nancy Proctor (F, 56) Tallahassee, FL

Blountstown Fire Department Catfish Crawl 5K champions, 2012 - 2017
DateMenWomenFinishers
19 May 201217:45, Billy Naylor21:41, Hannah Plazarin96
18 May 201316:38, Billy Naylor23:45, Hannah Plazarin128
17 May 201417:23, Thomas Howell25:05, Lydia Miles117
16 May 201517:47, Michael Martinez22:41, Kristi Johnson135
21 May 201618:08, Geb Kiros21:37, Chelsee Cook132
20 May 201717:23, Matthew McCurdy19:47, Kat Sack212


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Friday, December 9, 2016

Howell rings a 16:53 at Blountstown's Jingle Bell Run

Blountown Middle School's eighth annual Jingle Bell RunBlountstown Middle School's 2016 Jingle Bell Run 5K wasn't the largest race in the eight-year history of the event, but Thomas Howell made it the fastest. At that Friday evening, 9 December 2016, race, Howell broke his own course record, running the 3.1 miles through the streets of Blountstown, Florida in 16:53. Tallahassee distance runner Becky Cahill won the women's title in 22:09, placing sixth overall. 47 athletes finished the race.


Howell is an alumnus of the Blountstown High School cross-country team, but he wasn't the only athlete doing the Tigers proud that evening. Jesse Boyd and Weston Schrock, juniors on the Blountstown High cross-country squad, were the next two finishers after Howell. Boyd took second in 17:02 and Schrock third in 17:26. The Tigers' across-the-river rival, Liberty County High, was represented by alumnus Chance Logan. Logan was fourth in 17:46. Mark McCarra was the top master runner in the race and fifth overall in 21:56.


Becky Cahill had finished third in the women's standings of the 2015 Jingle Bell Run; she improved to first in 2016 by lowering her time nearly two minutes. Robin Haussmann took second in the 2016 race, placing ninth overall in 24:20. Carla Elliott of Chattahoochee, Florida was the top woman master and third female finisher, tenth overall in 24:47.


Top Ten Men, 2016 Blountstown, Florida, Middle School Jingle Bell Run 5K
  1. 16:53, Thomas Howell (M, 20) Blountstown, FL
  2. 17:02, Jesse Boyd
  3. 17:26, Weston Schrock
  4. 17:46, Chance Logan
  5. 21:56, Mark McCarra
  6. 23:08, Dylan Thrasher
  7. 24:17, Dixson Thrasher
  8. 26:06, Tony Reed
  9. 26:45, Jay Edyabsky
  10. 28:17, Mark Collier

Top Ten Women, 2016 Blountstown, Florida, Middle School Jingle Bell Run 5K
  1. 22:09, Becky Cahill (F, 34) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 24:20, Robin Haussmann
  3. 24:47, Carla Elliott
  4. 24:57, Lessa Bates
  5. 25:42, Trace Home
  6. 26:01, Edna Reed
  7. 26:12, Robin Bennett
  8. 27:16, Ashley McIntosh
  9. 27:17, RuthAnn Eberly
  10. 27:24, Courtney Smith

Blountstown Jingle Bell 5K Champions, 2009 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
4 December 200919:07, Devin Ferrell23:19, Mary Sewell
3 December 201018:17, Devin Ferrell22:18, Judy Alexander53
2 December 201118:12, Thomas Howell23:21, Judy Alexander62
30 November 201218:16, Thomas Howell21:34, Hannah Plazarin75
12 December 201317:15, Thomas Howell24:06, Hannah Plazarin109
5 December 201417:28, Kevin Potts24:00, Kristi Johnson71
4 December 201516:55, Thomas Howell22:00, Lydia Miles76
9 December 201616:53, Thomas Howell22:09, Becky Cahill47


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Saturday, May 21, 2016

Kiros and Cook conquer the Catfish Crawl

When the athletes lined up in Blountstown, Florida on Saturday morning, 21 May 2016, for the fifth annual Catfish Crawl 5K, there were two past champions among them. Florida A & M University distance runner Thomas Howell, who had won the race in 2014, was there, as was the 2015 winner, Michael Martinez of Tallahassee, Florida. At the end of the race, though, it was a newcomer who was first across the finish line. Tallahassee master runner Geb Kiros, in his first time at the Catfish Crawl, won the 5K race in 18:08. On the women's side, Blountstown's Chelsee Cook won for the first time, placing ninth overall in 21:37.


The race started from the Mariana & Blountstown Railroad Park with the runners headed south on the Blountstown Rail Trail. The sky was starting to clear from an overnight rainstorm, but the air was still thick with humidity. A lead group of three runners separated from the field, with Geb Kiros setting the pace and Ryan Truchelut and Thomas Howell following. Jesse Boyd trailed in third a few more meters back while Michael Martinez ran in fifth, out of contact with the leaders.

2016 Catfish Crawl 5K leaders

"I made the mistake of trying to stay with Geb for the first mile," said Truchelut. "He made a move at halfway. The last mile was rough."


The course was out and back, and the halfway point, where Kiros surged, was the turnaround. Kiros almost missed it.


"At the turn I went a little bit further and the other two guys got ahead of me," explained Kiros. "That upset me, so I made a move."


Howell fell back first, and by the two-mile mark Kiros had also dropped Truchelut. After that Kiros sailed to his appointment with the finish line, arriving first in 18:08.


"I just enjoyed it," said Kiros. "I think I left something on the course."

Jesse Boyd
Jesse Boyd

While Kiros was running away from the rest of the field, Jesse Boyd was moving up. A rising junior on the Blountstown High cross country team, Boyd overtook Howell during the last mile. Then, with the finish line in sight, Boyd caught Truchelut.


"He went by me with about a tenth of a mile to go," said Truchelut. "He was blazing! He put a lot of ground on me."


Sprinting to the finish, Boyd was second in 18:22, while Truchelut took third in 18:30. Howell was fourth in 19:04 and Martinez fifth in 19:12.


Tallahassee master runner Nancy Stedman led the women's field on most of the southbound leg of the race. Blountstown's own Chelsee Cook had her eye on the leader, though.

Chelsee Cook
Chelsee Cook

"I saw she was the fastest, so I set my goal to get her," said Cook.


She did. After passing Stedman, Cook opened a gap that had widened to 250 meters by the time she crossed the finish line in 21:37, winning the women's title. Stedman was the first woman master and second female finisher, twelfth overall in 22:46. Wewahitchka, Florida master runner Lydia Miles, the 2014 women's champ, was third in the women's standings and fourteenth overall in 23:28. Paula O'Neill (15th, 23:34) of Tallahassee was the fourth female finisher and Tallahassee's Lyssa Oberkreser (16th, 23:47) was the fifth.


The women's winner, Chelsee Cook, is a rising senior at Blountstown High, where she is looking forward to her final high school cross country season.


"I made it to Regionals last year, so my goal is to make it to State this year--my senior year," said Cook.

Nancy Stedman
Nancy Stedman

132 athletes finished the fifth annual Catfish Crawl. Held each year on the third Saturday in May, proceeds of the race benefit the Blountstown Fire Department's scholarship fund. The fund awards a full scholarship to the Chipola College Fire Academy to a deserving Blountstown High senior each year. Milestone Race Authority of Jacksonville, Florida timed the 2016 race.


Thomas HowellTop Ten Men, 2016 Catfish Crawl 5K
  1. 18:08 ~ Geb Kiros (M, 49)
  2. 18:22 ~ Jesse Boyd (M, 16)
  3. 18:30 ~ Ryan Truchelut (M, 30)
  4. 19:04 ~ Thomas Howell (M, 19)
  5. 19:12 ~ Michael Martinez (M, 50)
  6. 21:03 ~ Ivan Cortes (M, 35)
  7. 21:07 ~ Spencer Amsellem (M, 14)
  8. 21:23 ~ Paul Plazarin (M, 46)
  9. 22:02 ~ Greg Skinner (M, 45)
  10. 22:29 ~ Mark McCarra (M, 51)

Lydia MilesTop Ten Women, 2016 Catfish Crawl 5K
  1. 21:37 ~ Chelsee Cook (F, 17)
  2. 22:46 ~ Nancy Stedman (F, 54)
  3. 23:28 ~ Lydia Miles (F, 43)
  4. 23:34 ~ Paula O'Neill (F, 54)
  5. 23:47 ~ Lyssa Oberkreser (F, 45)
  6. 25:49 ~ Lessa Bates (F, 32)
  7. 26:12 ~ Carla Elliott (F, 54)
  8. 27:39 ~ Debbie Peters (F, 55)
  9. 28:05 ~ Paulette Bryant (F, 43)
  10. 28:07 ~ Shann Layne (F, 33)

Blountstown Fire Department Catfish Crawl 5K champions, 2012 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
19 May 201217:45, Billy Naylor21:41, Hannah Plazarin96
18 May 201316:38, Billy Naylor23:45, Hannah Plazarin128
17 May 201417:23, Thomas Howell25:05, Lydia Miles117
16 May 201517:47, Michael Martinez22:41, Kristi Johnson135
21 May 201618:08, Geb Kiros21:37, Chelsee Cook132


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Friday, December 4, 2015

Happy Holidays for Howell and Miles at Blountstown's Jingle Bell Run

Blountstown Middle School's 2015 Jingle Bell Run 5KSince 2009, Florida's Blountstown Middle School has hosted their annual Jingle Bell Run 5K seven times. On four of those occasions, Thomas Howell has won the race. Howell has in fact won four of the last five Jingle Bell Runs, which might lead you to believe that the Florida A & M University cross country runner is a good bet when it comes to this particular 3.1-mile race in Blountstown, Florida. That was certainly the case on Friday evening, 4 December 2015, when Howell picked up his fourth Jingle Bell title, setting a new event record of 16:55.


Jesse Boyd, a sophomore on the Blountstown High cross country team, placed second in 18:04. Logan Chance was third in 18:24, and Blountstown High sophomore cross country runner Weston Schrock took fourth with a 20:46.


Racing on the pavement of Blountstown earlier in 2015, Kristi Johnson had won the women's title at the Catfish Crawl 5K. One of the many athletes behind Johnson that day was Lydia Miles, a master runner from Wewahitchka, Florida. That was May, though, and this was December. And in December, Miles finished ahead of Johnson in the Jingle Bell Run, finishing as the first woman and ninth overall in 22:00. Johnson was runner-up in the women's standings, tenth overall in 22:14. Third on the women's side went to Becky Cahill, twelfth overall in 23:46.


76 athletes finished Blountstown Middle School's seventh annual Jingle Bell Run 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Blountstown, Florida, Middle School Jingle Bell Run 5K
  1. 16:55 ~ Thomas Howell
  2. 18:04 ~ Jesse Boyd
  3. 18:24 ~ Logan Chance
  4. 20:46 ~ Weston Schrock
  5. 21:05 ~ Brenton Holt
  6. 21:41 ~ Trevor Schrock
  7. 21:45 ~ Braden Peddie
  8. 21:57 ~ Dylan Thrasher
  9. 23:31 ~ Damien Freeman
  10. 24:09 ~ Eric Layne

Top Ten Women, 2015 Blountstown, Florida, Middle School Jingle Bell Run 5K
  1. 22:00 ~ Lydia Miles
  2. 22:14 ~ Kristi Johnson
  3. 23:46 ~ Becky Cahill
  4. 25:10 ~ Leisa Eastman
  5. 25:10 ~ Jo Curry
  6. 25:38 ~ Shann Layne
  7. 26:31 ~ Hannah Causseaux
  8. 27:44 ~ Robin Bennett
  9. 28:07 ~ Mary Holley
  10. 29:50 ~ Bonnie Seay

Blountstown Jingle Bell 5K Champions, 2009 - 2015
DateMenWomenFinishers
4 December 200919:07, Devin Ferrell23:19, Mary Sewell
3 December 201018:17, Devin Ferrell22:18, Judy Alexander53
2 December 201118:12, Thomas Howell23:21, Judy Alexander62
30 November 201218:16, Thomas Howell21:34, Hannah Plazarin75
12 December 201317:15, Thomas Howell24:06, Hannah Plazarin109
5 December 201417:28, Kevin Potts24:00, Kristi Johnson71
4 December 201516:55, Thomas Howell22:00, Lydia Miles76


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