Showing posts with label Cora Atkinson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cora Atkinson. Show all posts

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Howell and Atkinson win the mile at the Sprint

SeahawkWinter is indoor track season, but there are no indoor tracks in Florida. Why should there be? It may get a bit chilly at times in the Sunshine State, but your outdoor track will never be buried under snowdrifts. You don't need to resort to a snow shovel; it's always available. Put on another pullover and go run.


Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has a rational approach to the situation. Since at least as early as 2007, the Eagles have hosted the annual Embry Riddle Indoor Outdoor Challenge--as they describe it, "indoor events on the outdoor track." On Friday evening, 9 January 2015, the Franklin County High Seahawks followed suit by hosting an outdoor meet during indoor season, the inaugural Jingle Bell Sprint. Don't let the "Sprint" fool you. In spite of the name, the meet included a full schedule of running events. In addition to the 100 meter, 200 meter, and 400 meter dashes or "sprints," there was also the 800 meter run and the crowning glory of indoor track, the mile. Actually, it was the almost-as-good 1600 meter run, but let's not fight over 944 centimeters. It was a four-lap race in the middle of what passes for winter in the Florida panhandle.


Blountstown High senior Thomas Howell and Wakulla High sophomore Bryce Cole raced ahead of the rest of the field in the 1600, quickly turning it into a two-man competition. Howell won the duel by a few steps over Cole, 4:56.1 to 4:57.3. Cora Atkinson of Life University was the fastest woman on the track, finishing fourth overall in 6:01.7. Wakulla sophomore Haleigh Martin was second in the women's standings, placing sixth overall in 6:10.4. Eastpoint, Florida, veterinarian Hobson Fulmer took top master honors, coming in ninth overall in 7:01.7.


Outdoor track season comes early enough in Florida, no later than mid February. Until then, there's the Jingle Bell Sprint.


2015 Jingle Bell Sprint 1600-meter run
  1. 4:56.1 ~ Thomas Howell (M, 18) Blountstown HS
  2. 4:57.3 ~ Bryce Cole (M, 16) Wakulla HS
  3. 6:00.4 ~ Travis Parks (M, 18) Wakulla HS
  4. 6:01.7 ~ Cora Atkinson (F, 20) Life University
  5. 6:07.2 ~ Sam Roddenberry (M, 16) Wakulla HS
  6. 6:10.4 ~ Haleigh Martin (F, 15) Wakulla HS
  7. 6:12.6 ~ Riley Welch (M, 17) Wakulla HS
  8. 6:37.2 ~ Dalton Wood (M, 15) Wakulla HS
  9. 7:01.7 ~ Hobson Fulmer (M, 59) Tates Hell Track Club
  10. 7:19.0 ~ Damien Freeman (M, ) Franklin County HS
  11. 7:20.0 ~ Rosie Davis (F, 12) Franklin County HS
  12. 8:04.4 ~ Nick Yonclas (M, 71)
  13. 8:32.0 ~ Tommy Varner (M, )
  14. 9:00.7 ~ Michael Martin (M, 38)

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Sunday, September 28, 2014

Lake and Atkinson salute Prefontaine with speed

Chris LakeGulf Winds Track Club staged their 39th annual "Salute to Prefontaine" 5K on Saturday morning, 27 September 2014, just west of Tallahassee at Silver Lake Recreation Area in the Apalachicola National Forest. The event isn't your typical memorial to Steve Prefontaine.


The distance runner Steve Prefontaine wasn't a native son of Eugene, Oregon, but the city couldn't have loved him more if he had been. After his untimely death in 1975, Prefontaine's friends and fans worked to construct "Pre's Trail." The trail opened in Fall of 1975, just months after Prefontaine died. It was the kind of path that he had seen while competing in Europe--smooth, wide, and surfaced with bark and other natural materials. Pre's Trail averages eight feet wide, spacious enough for cross-country meets and community races. Volunteers keep the vegetation trimmed back from the trail.


A year after Pre's Trail opened, the first Salute to Prefontaine 5K was run in Tallahassee. The course has changed over the years, but it has been always been on paths, jeep trails, and forest roads surfaced with loose sand and other natural materials, but mostly loose sand. The course may actually be a maximum of eight feet wide in some spots, but I'd have to think hard to be able to name those spots. Before the race, volunteers drag sticks and logs out of the woods and onto the course.


Cora AtkinsonIt's a hypothetical question as to which memorial Steve Prefontaine would consider more fitting. Maybe they're equally appropriate in that they're both vehicles by which people express their love for running. Which is a nice thought, but my preference would still be for the memorial where I'd be less likely to trip, fall down, and hurt myself.


More than 300 runners showed up in the Forest were less timid on the trails, though, and showed up for the 2014 Salute to Prefontaine, over 180 in an open 5K and the rest in a later high school 5K race. So many showed up that the line into the Silver Lake Recreation Area got backed up, and the 8:30 AM start had to be delayed by 15 minutes. But the race did start, and Chris Lake bolted to the front of the field. Vince Molosky tucked in behind Lake, managing to stay on his heels until right before the halfway point, when Lake started to open a gap. Meanwhile, Patrick Dawson of the Shaw's Running Team was closing in on Molosky. During the second half of the race Dawson moved into second, but couldn't break contact with Molosky. Nate Kaiser closed in, also challenging for second place.


Patrick DawsonChris Lake raced home to win in 17:43. Patrick Dawson held off a late charge from Vince Molosky to hang on to second, 17:55 to 17:56. Nate Kaiser was close behind them in fourth at 17:59. In a tight race for the top master spot, Michael Martinez edged out Philip Sura 20:24 to 20:26, the two master runners finishing seventh and eighth overall.


Renee Cox led the women's field almost from the start of the race, but Cora Atkinson always had Cox in her sights. A Life University cross-country runner, Atkinson closed on Cox during the second half of the race. With 200 meters to go, Atkinson was on Cox's shoulder, with Cox fighting to stay ahead. Atkinson flashed by, though, taking the women's title with a 22:30, finishing 29th overall. Cox was the women's runner-up, coming in 30th overall in 22:33. Anna Busby, the previous week's Women's Distance Festival 5K champion, was third in the women's standings, 35th overall in 22:59. Paula O'Neill was the fourth woman finisher and first woman master, 52nd overall in 24:36.


Top Ten Men, 2014 Salute to Prefontaine 5K
  1. 17:43 ~ Chris Lake (M, 27)Vince Molosky
  2. 17:55 ~ Patrick Dawson (M, 23)
  3. 17:56 ~ Vince Molosky (M, 35)
  4. 17:59 ~ Nate Kaiser (M, 35)
  5. 18:48 ~ Peter Kaus (M, 30)
  6. 20:18 ~ Brian Molen (M, 38)
  7. 20:24 ~ Michael Martinez (M, 48)
  8. 20:26 ~ Philip Sura (M, 44)
  9. 20:29 ~ Charles Kemeny (M, 39)
  10. 20:45 ~ Tim Unger (M, 55)

Top Ten Women, 2014 Salute to Prefontaine 5K
  1. 22:30 ~ Cora Atkinson (F, 20)Renee Cox
  2. 22:33 ~ Renee Cox (F, 27)
  3. 22:59 ~ Anna Busby (F, 24)
  4. 24:36 ~ Paula O' Neill (F, 53)
  5. 24:42 ~ Mary Vancore (F, 51)
  6. 24:49 ~ Lilli Unger (F, 12)
  7. 25:03 ~ Amy McClenathan (F, 54)
  8. 25:29 ~ Nancy Stedman (F, 52)
  9. 25:37 ~ Emily Ness (F, 24)
  10. 25:41 ~ Jennifer Shafer (F, 46)

Known winners of GWTC's Prefontaine Forest 5K
1976-2014
DateMenWomen
25 September 197615:43, Tim Simpkins19:20, Nancy McCormac
September 197715:35, Tim Simpkins19:00, Janice Gage
23 September 1978

September 1979

20 September 198017:17, George West20:52, Donna Miller
September 198118:20, Shannon Sullivan22:27, Pam Ledbetter
September 1982

24 September 198317:17, Jeff Doherty20:36, Donna Miller
September 198417:11, Larry Abele20:43, Barbara Balzer
September 198516:51, Tim Simpkins20:40, Darien Andreu
27 September 198617:20, Tim Simpkins22:14, Laura Partin
12 September 198717:33, Tom Burr21:20, Linda Nicholson
24 September 198817:38, Tom Burr22:23, Yvonne Gsteiger
23 September 198917:25, Tim Simpkins21:30, Vikki Saga
22 September 199017:12, Bill Crooks22:23, Tina Davies
22 September 199117:54, Gary Droze24:48, Tina Davies
19 September 199218:29, Gary Droze22:05, Diane Blas
18 September 199317:58, Tim Simpkins24:16, Sissi Carroll
17 September 199417:00, Gary Droze21:16, Carrie Weyant
30 September 199517:12, Gary Droze22:56, Sissi Carroll
28 September 199619:18, Gary Droze22:56, Jane Johnson
27 September 199718:50, Bill Crooks23:07, Julie Clark
26 September 199819:26, Paul Hoover24:44, Peggy Simpson
25 September 199917:56, Gary Droze24:13, Brandi Rook
30 September 200017:49, Gary Droze22:17, Allie Hunter
29 September 200119:37, Scott Poindexter22:17, Allie Hunter
5 October 200222:17, David Yon25:47, Yvonne Gsteiger
27 September 200318:35, Shawn Patterson23:49, Angela Dempsey
25 September 200417:43, Gary Droze22:46, Seeley Lovett
24 September 200518:13, Gary Droze24:06, Jane Johnson
23 September 200617:24, Gary Droze19:59, Stephanie Liles
29 September 200717:29, Chris Gregory20:26, Micah Adriani
27 September 200818:16, Daniel Lee21:10, Kati Gosnell
26 September 200920:28, Joel Piotrowski21:20, Micah Adriani
25 September 201018:53, Jay Wallace22:17, Kelly Stevens
24 September 201119:08, Michael Martinez22:31, Olivia Swedberg Yinger
22 September 201217:18, Stanley Linton20:58, Micah Adriani
21 September 201316:27, Stanley Linton23:34, Melissa Geary
27 September 201417:43, Chris Lake22:30, Cora Atkinson


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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Night time is the right time for Harris and Atkinson in Bainbridge

Chase HarrisLike anyplace else, in Bainbridge, Georgia, you don't know what to expect from the weather on Memorial Day. It could be torrid, it could be mild. Two years ago Tropical Storm Beryl brushed by the Oak City on Memorial Day. This Memorial Day, 26 May 2014, temperatures were moderated by cloudy skies and scattered showers that had left the Bainbridge streets a bit damp. Conditions were excellent for Bainbridge's eighth annual Memorial Day 5K Night Race.


2014 Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night RaceThe 3.1-mile race started at 7:00 PM with a dash west on Miluli Avenue toward the first turn onto Boulevard Drive. By the time the athletes were approaching the mile mark on Russ Street, Chase Harris and Dre Banks were well out in front of the rest of the field. Harris, a rising senior at Bainbridge High, pulled steadily away throughout the race. Banks, a graduating senior at Bainbridge High, kept Harris in sight but couldn't reel him in. Harris crossed the finish line with a comfortable 17:30 to 17:38 win. Wakulla High rising seniors Lane Williams and Travis Parks took the next two places in 18:50 and 18:51. Bainbridge High rising junior Perry Waddell took fifth in 18:57 while Caleb Harris of Bainbridge Middle School was sixth in 19:01. Greg Waddell was the top master in the race, placing seventh overall in 19:07.


Cora AtkinsonAt her previous appearances in Bainbridge's Memorial Day 5K, Cora Atkinson had collected a pair of second place finishes in the women's division. Unlike those 2010 and 2011 races, this time Atkinson took the women's title. Shrugging off early challenges, Atkinson was in control of the race by the end of the first mile. Going on to finish at the top of the women's standings, Atkinson placed 17th overall in 22:57. The women's runner-up was Jessica Monk, 20th overall in 25:08. Julie Harris of Bainbridge was the third woman finisher and the top woman master, coming in 23rd overall in 26:16.


The list of top finishers may have looked like it was taken from the results of a high school cross-country race, but that was entirely appropriate. Proceeds from the Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Race go to benefit the Bainbridge High cross-country running program. If you're inclined to show your support for the sport, the race should be back next Memorial Day, 25 May 2015. 58 runners finished this year's race.


Top Ten Men, 2014 Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Race
  1. 17:29.11 ~ Chase Harris (M, 17)Lane Williams
  2. 17:37.95 ~ Dre Banks (M, 18)
  3. 18:49.58 ~ Lane Williams (M, 18)
  4. 18:50.51 ~ Travis Parks (M, 18)
  5. 18:56.76 ~ Perry Waddell (M, 16)
  6. 19:00.04 ~ Caleb Harris (M, 13)
  7. 19:06.57 ~ Greg Waddell (M, 48)
  8. 20:04.30 ~ Mark Tombrink (M, 26)
  9. 20:19.23 ~ Juan Ordoñez (M, 40)
  10. 20:25.70 ~ Eric Dueno (M, 46)

Top Ten Women, 2014 Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Race
  1. 22:56.40 ~ Cora Atkinson (F, 19)Jessica Monk
  2. 25:07.81 ~ Jessica Monk (F, 23)
  3. 26:15.27 ~ Julie Harris (F, 48)
  4. 27:55.52 ~ Amelia Crooms (F, 24)
  5. 28:05.53 ~ Denise Butler (F, 41)
  6. 28:14.52 ~ Brandi Deal (F, 37)
  7. 28:26.87 ~ Julie deGrummond (F, 44)
  8. 31:13.10 ~ Aileen Mejia (F, 14)
  9. 31:52.13 ~ Jennifer Miles (F, 41)
  10. 32:18.65 ~ Maggie Smith (F, 32)

Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Run
Champions, 2007-2014
DateMenWomen
28 May 2007??????
26 May 200818:36, Caleb Bergon23:05, Rachel Willis
25 May 200916:11, Tyler Price23:16, Erica Pemberton
31 May 201017:35, Gabriel Leitz23:12, Perra Harrell
30 May 201117:06, Stanley Linton22:02, Paula O'Neill
28 May 201216:17, Stanley Linton21:46, Tiffany Roddenberry
27 May 201315:46, Stanley Linton25:41, Emily Jensenius
26 May 201417:30, Chase Harris22:57, Cora Atkinson


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