Chad Northcutt and Hensley Wall return to win the Jingle Jog

Back in 2022, Chad Northcutt finished second in Valdosta-Lowndes Park and Recreation Authority's December race, the Jingle Jog 5K. Likewise, in 2022 Hensley Wall placed runner-up in the women's standings of the Jingle Jog 5K. In spite of those second-best showings, both Northcutt and Hall were back in Valdosta, Georgia's Freedom Park on Saturday, 9 December 2023, for the eighth annual Jingle Jog 5K. This time Northcutt was second to no one, winning the five-kilometer race by nearly a kilometer, running 18:50. Likewise, eleven-year-old Wall took first in the Jingle Jog women's division, placing fourth overall in 26:45.


Finishing second to Quitman, Georgia's Northcutt, Roper Wheeler ran 23:25. Wheeler is an eighth-grader on the cross-country team at Berrien County Middle School. The top master runner in the 5K was Steve Jones of Valdosta, third overall in 24:28.

Valdosta athlete Ashley Nicole Goerke was the second woman in the race, placing fifth overall in 28:31. Another Valdosta runner, seven-year-old Sophia Kuhlmann, was third in the women's standings and seventh overall in 31:09. A few steps behind Kuhlmann, Heather Kelly of Lake Park, Georgia was the first woman master and fourth female finisher, eighth overall in 31:13.


Hosted by the Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority annually since 2016, the Jingle Jog 5K was known as the Ugly Sweater 5K from 2016 to 2019. VLPRA adopted the Jingle Jog name in 2020.


28 athletes finished VLPRA's 2023 Jingle Jog 5K. A Course/Line, LLC of Valdosta, Georgia timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2023 VLPRA Jingle Jog 5K

1. 18:49.3, Chad Northcutt (M, 39) Quitman, GA
2. 23:24.2, Roper Wheeler (M, 15) Nashville, GA
3. 24:27.3, Steve Jones (M, 53) Valdosta, GA
4. 30:45.7, Jim Hall (M, 73) Valdosta, GA
5. 32:56.5, Jose Contreas (M, 35) Valdosta, GA
6. 33:24.9, William Kuhlmann (M, 10) Valdosta, GA
7. 33:33.2, Raul Diaz (M, 39) Thomasville, GA
8. 33:39.9, Gary Kuhlmann, II (M, 41) Valdosta, GA
9. 36:19.5, Carlos Landaverde (M, 14) Valdosta, GA
10. 40:05.3, Christopher Wall (M, 41) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women, 2023 VLPRA Jingle Jog 5K

1. 26:44.1, Hensley Wall (F, 11) Valdosta, GA
2. 28:30.1, Ashley Nicole Goerke (F, 32) Valdosta, GA
3. 31:08.4, Sophia Kuhlmann (F, 7) Valdosta, GA
4. 31:12.5, Heather Kelly (F, 45) Lake Park, GA
5. 31:17.8, Dawn Wachtel (F, 41) Hahira, GA
6. 33:14.3, Angel Bates (F, 40) Valdosta, GA
7. 33:17.4, Jessica Wheeler (F, 41) Nashville, GA
8. 34:29.6, Whitney Apperson (F, 33) Hahira, GA
9. 34:44.7, Natalie Kuhlmann (F, 36) Valdosta, GA
10. 36:38.5, Leesandra Maria Quinones (F, 28) Valdosta, GA

VLPRA Jingle Jog 5K winners, 2016 - 2023
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
24 December 2016	18:17, Caleb Watson	21:46, Gracie Woods	50
23 December 2017	17:49, Andrew Elam	22:27, Tara McFarland	96
15 December 2018	18:33, David Degon	23:48, Tracey Cole	42
14 December 2019	19:48. Ryan Kelly	23:47, Tracey Cole	37
24 December 2020	18:50, Ryan Kelly	24:44, Jill Clark	45
18 December 2021	17:50, Carson Purvis	25:30, Sara Cherstin Hamblin	47
17 December 2022	17:57, Patrick Wallace	25:10, Sara Cherstin Hamblin	39
9 December 2023	18:50, Chad Northcutt	26:45, Hensley Wall	28

Links

• Complete results of VLPRA's 2023 Jingle Jog 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vR_NWwt7p1ZAbIgf_xT0hgWdG5j8YIMDXVgomPQxkYVqAN7aLelH-bVh_UH0pZLoFokcgmxtnoFlxas/pubhtml
  
  
• 2021 story, “Carson Purvis and Sara Hamblin ring victory bells at Freedom Park in the Jingle Jog 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2021.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Ryan Kelly and Tracey Cole finish the Valdosta running year with Ugly Sweater 5K wins”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “No gnarly knitwear for David Degon and Tracey Cole at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Elam and McFarland run pretty races at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Watson and Woods are faster than fashion faux pas at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2016.html
  
  
• Find upcoming seasonal events on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#3023

Carson Purvis and Sara Hamblin ring victory bells at Freedom Park in the Jingle Jog 5K

Wrapping up the racing year for distance running in Valdosta, Georgia, Carson Purvis won the sixth annual Jingle Jog 5K on Saturday morning, 18 December 2021. Purvis ran the 3.1-mile Freedom Park course in 17:50. Sara Hamblin was the first woman in the race, placing seventh overall in 25:30.


Just weeks before the race, Purvis had wrapped up his senior year of cross-country at Gilmer High in Ellijay, Georgia. His 17:50 at the Jingle Jog put him nearly three minutes ahead of the runner-up, Ryan Kelly. A Lake Park, Georgia master runner and coach of the Valdosta High cross-country team, Kelly had won the Jingle Jog in 2019 and 2020. In the 2021 race, he edged Chad Northcutt for second, 18:55 to 18:57.


Sara Hamblin's 25:30 put her across the finish line some 70 meters ahead of the next woman in the race, Jamie Brown. Brown was eighth overall in 25:53. Ella Burnett and Sienna Persaud were third and fourth in the women's standings, placing tenth overall in 26:16 and eleventh overall in 26:18. Both athletes are on the cross-country team at Valwood School, where Burnett is a sophomore and Persaud a frosh.


Hosted by the Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority annually since 2016, the Jingle Jog 5K was known as the Ugly Sweater 5K from 2016 to 2019. VLPRA adopted the Jingle Jog name in 2020.


47 athletes finished VLPRA's 2021 Jingle Jog 5K. A Course/Line, LLC of Valdosta, Georgia timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2021 VLPRA Jingle Jog 5K

1. 17:49.3, Carson Purvis (M, 17)
2. 18:54.8, Ryan Kelly (M, 43)
3. 18:56.3, Chad Northcutt (M, 37)
4. 20:36.7, William Garcia (M, 18)
5. 23:05.5, Brian Hardwick (M, 43)
6. 25:00.2, Steve Jones (M, 51)
7. 26:12.7, Paule Brown (M, 48)
8. 26:24.9, Dustin Lamar Sharrer (M, 32)
9. 26:43.2, Holden Van Hendricks (M, 30)
10. 27:36.5, Marlon J Carcamo (M, 55)

Top Ten Women, 2021 VLPRA Jingle Jog 5K

1. 25:29.8, Sara Cherstin Hamblin (F, 36)
2. 25:52.3, Jamie Brown (F, 38)
3. 26:15.6, Ella Burnett (F, 15)
4. 26:16.6, Sienna Gillian Persaud (F, 15)
5. 27:22.5, Chevy Newham (F, 40)
6. 27:30.4, Fayris Francis (F, 31)
7. 31:03.2, Melissa Lucas (F, 31)
8. 32:11.1, Heather Kelly (F, 43)
9. 32:17.6, Anna Swenson (F, 22)
10. 33:46.0, Lynn Barfield (F, 59)

VLPRA Jingle Jog 5K winners, 2016 - 2021
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
24 December 2016	18:17, Caleb Watson	21:46, Gracie Woods	50
23 December 2017	17:49, Andrew Elam	22:27, Tara McFarland	96
15 December 2018	18:33, David Degon	23:48, Tracey Cole	42
14 December 2019	19:48. Ryan Kelly	23:47, Tracey Cole	37
24 December 2020	18:50, Ryan Kelly	24:44, Jill Clark	45
18 December 2021	17:50, Carson Purvis	25:30, Sara Cherstin Hamblin	47

Links

• Complete results of VLPRA's 2021 Jingle Jog 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQeMZD3b3xDvzFevSTmhjB26DwtcYVZRHF2iJai2jjmR83-Z9fEuP5kR8_QlUd41bRPN_VIBwE4Gkx5/pubhtml
  
  
• 2019 story, “Ryan Kelly and Tracey Cole finish the Valdosta running year with Ugly Sweater 5K wins”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “No gnarly knitwear for David Degon and Tracey Cole at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Elam and McFarland run pretty races at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Watson and Woods are faster than fashion faux pas at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2016.html
  
  
• Find upcoming apparel-themed events on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2795

Ryan Kelly and Tracey Cole finish the Valdosta running year with Ugly Sweater 5K wins

After 2016, the New Year's Eve 5K disappeared from the Valdosta, Georgia running scene, leaving the Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority's Ugly Sweater 5K as the year's racing finale for the city. On Saturday morning, 14 December 2019, the fourth annual Ugly Sweater 5K brought another year of distance running competition to a close in the Azalea City. Lake Park, Georiga master runner Ryan Kelly won that curtain call event by over 300 meters, running 19:48. Tracey Cole, a Pinetta, Florida master runner, was the first woman in the race for the second straight year, coming in third overall in 23:47.


Ruben Pule of Valdosta took the runner-up spot with a 21:17. Valdosta's Brennan Gallagher placed third in the men's standings and fifth overall in 25:04.


Kiley Matheson, a junior on the Lowndes High cross-country team, took second in the women's standings and fourth overall in 24:53. Hahira, Georgia master runner Libra Moses-Holland was the third woman and ninth overall in 26:55.


37 athletes finished VLPRA's 2019 Ugly Sweater 5K. A Course/Line, LLC of Valdosta, Georgia timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2019 VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5K

1. 19:47.5, Ryan Kelly (M, 41) Lake Park, GA
2. 21:16.9, Ruben Pule (M, 24) Valdosta, GA
3. 25:03.2, Brennan Gallagher (M, 31) Valdosta, GA
4. 25:14.5, Michael Giuilmette (M, 57) Lake Park, GA
5. 25:34.6, Harrison Whitman (M, 51) Valdosta, GA
6. 26:30.0, Leland Thompson (M, 32) Valdosta, GA
7. 27:54.4, Mark Ellis (M, 57) Valdosta, GA
8. 30:27.7, Dennis Gatchell (M, 68) Cheyenne, WY
9. 31:19.4, Colton Braswell (M, 8) Hahira, GA
10. 38:23.9, Jeremy Kanapaux (M, 28) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women, 2019 VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5K

1. 23:46.7, Tracey Cole (F, 40) Pinetta, FL
2. 24:52.5, Kiley Matheson (F, 16) Valdosta, GA
3. 26:54.5, Libra Moses-Holland (F, 43) Hahira, GA
4. 28:44.1, Dinah Casey (F, 62) Jasper, GA
5. 29:16.3, Lacy Lane (F, 21) Valdosta, GA
6. 29:42.2, Reomona Thomas (F, 36) Valdosta, GA
7. 30:34.7, Heather Kelly (F, 41) Lake Park, GA
8. 30:53.2, Delleese Collins (F, 42) Valdosta, GA
9. 31:33.5, Amy Braswell (F, 44) Hahira, GA
10. 32:06.9, Carol Stojakovich (F, 59) Hahira, GA

VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5K winners, 2016 - 2019
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
24 December 2016	18:17, Caleb Watson	21:46, Gracie Woods	50
23 December 2017	17:49, Andrew Elam	22:27, Tara McFarland	96
15 December 2018	18:33, David Degon	23:48, Tracey Cole	42
14 December 2019	19:48. Ryan Kelly	23:47, Tracey Cole	37

Links

• Complete results of VLPRA's 2019 Ugly Sweater 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQVA_Msq6FdmrEMEqibF-bIBe22AzxRv6svPjSA_K0GEL0n4l5s3soa8fz22KfaWRJ_KMtzslkUHAGt/pubhtml
  
  
• 2018 story, “No gnarly knitwear for David Degon and Tracey Cole at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Elam and McFarland run pretty races at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Watson and Woods are faster than fashion faux pas at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2016.html
  
  
• Find upcoming apparel-themed events on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2675

Parker Jackson and Kelly Lunceford win at Valdosta's Labor Day 5K

Labor Day distance running has a long heritage in the United States, going back to the days of company picnics, when the new guy would suddenly find out that he was entered in the cross-country race--usually right after his second helping of potato salad. Valdosta, Georgia has kept the tradition of Labor Day racing alive, holding ten events in the eleven years from 2009 to 2019. The most recent of these, on Monday morning, 2 September 2019, was even a cross-country race in Freedom Park--a shade of the old company picnic. Parker Jackson, a sophomore on the Valdosta High cross-country team, won the race by 200 meters, running 20:35. Kelly Lunceford of Valdosta was the first woman in the race, placing fourth overall in 23:29.

Parker Jackson

Jackson wasn't the only prep harrier prominent in the field. Valdosta High junior Colton Baldwin grabbed the runner-up spot with a 21:24. Hayden Coggins, a Valdosta High sophomore, took third in 22:52.


The first master runner in the race was the women's runner-up, Elizabeth Smith. Smith was sixth overall with a 24:04. Twelve-year-old Katya Jackson, a seventh-grader on the Valdosta Middle School cross-country team, placed third in the women's standings and sixteenth overall in 30:39.


Michael Guilmette of Lake Park, Georgia was the first male master in the Labor Day 5K, placing fifth in the men's standings and seventh overall in 25:47.


44 athletes finished Valdosta's 2019 Labor Day 5K. Proceeds of the race benefitted Valdosta city schools cross-country teams. A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Valdosta Labor Day 5K

1. 20:35, Parker Reid Jackson (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
2. 21:24, Colton Baldwin (M, 16) Valdosta, GA
3. 22:52, Hayden Coggins (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
4. 23:36, Cason Register (M, 14) Lakeland, GA
5. 25:47, Michael Guilmette (M, 56) Lake Park, GA
6. 25:58, Daniel Zenobia (M, 37) Valdosta, GA
7. 26:55, Nathan Smith (M, 41) Valdosta, GA
8. 27:28, Austin Sanderson (M, 12) Valdosta, GA
9. 27:55, Alan Sanderson (M, 44) Valdosta, GA
10. 28:30, Murray Coggins (M, 7) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women 2019 Valdosta Labor Day 5K

1. 23:29, Kelly Lunceford (F, 29) Valdosta, GA
2. 24:04, Elizabeth Smith (F, 41) Valdosta, GA
3. 30:39, Katya Jackson (F, 12) Valdosta, GA
4. 34:13, Anna Coggins (F, 43) Valdosta, GA
5. 36:16, Heather Kelly (F, 41) Lake Park, GA
6. 36:32, Elizabeth Cannister (F, 10) Hahira, GA
7. 36:34, Jamie Brown (F, 35) Valdosta, GA
8. 37:50, Rebecca Lancaster (F, 12) Valdosta, GA
9. 39:54, Delleese Collins (F, 42) Valdosta, GA
10. 40:26, Amanda Sanderson (F, 44) Valdosta, GA

Valdosta Labor Day 5K winners, 2009 - 2019
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
7 September 2009	18:19, Drew Dunbar	20:28, Ashley McGee	122
6 September 2010	16:18, Chris Rice	20:27, Jordanne Helton	290
5 September 2011	17:55, Masked Avenger	20:59, Mary Alice Smoot	108
3 September 2012	17:44, James Marino	22:27, Taylor Harrington	93
2 September 2013	18:15, Matthew Baun	19:48, Mary Alice Smoot	89
1 September 2014	17:07, Matthew Baun	21:58, Alice Smoot	65
7 September 2015	18:56, Ryan Kelly	22:38, Darien Andreu	87
5 September 2016	18:03, Dan Butzin	21:44, Debbie Green	106
4 September 2017	Canceled
3 September 2018	19:39, Rick Mazurkiewicz	21:42, Sandra Griffin	80
2 September 2019	20:35, Parker Jackson	23:29, Kelly Lunceford	44

Links:

• Complete results of the 2019 Valdosta Labor Day 5K courtesy of A Course/Line, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQI0NLYnxn-9nLPnQpDkLcRV_PXThKmqROoY84gpE1TE7nhWwl4wWQp5HZ9iQC47l9BjUkbfKWfUOxn/pubhtml
  
  
• 2016 story, “Hermine can't halt Butzin or Green”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Kelly and Andreu work the Valdosta roads on Labor Day”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2015.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Mary Alice Smoot's 19:48 is a new mark in the Valdosta Labor Day 5K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2013.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Rain can't spoil Valdosta's Labor Day picnic on the roads”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Valdosta Labor Day 5K, Valdosta, Georgia, 6 September 2010”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2010.html
  
  
• Find your next holiday road race in the region using the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2584

Sarah McCartney and Myles Collins head up an Archer High sweep of the Winnersville Classic

There's not much to distinguish the Big Bend of Florida from Southwest Georgia. The two regions are, after all, only separated by an imaginary line. Both sides of that line share similar climate, similar soil, and similar topography. You'll find cotton, peanuts, and pecans cultivated north and south of the line. The forests in each region are longleaf pine and wiregrass, and live oaks and southern magnolia are cherished.


But if you were in Georgia, north of the line, on Saturday morning, 17 August 2019, high school cross-country season had already started. South of the line, Florida athletes were running time trials or pre-season races. Just north of the line in Valdosta, Georgia's Freedom Park the harriers were competing in the Winnersville Cross-Country Classic. Nor was it just Southwest Georgia schools. Archer High ventured down from Lawrenceville, on the north side of the state, and went home with both the girls' and the boys' team titles in the Winnersville Classic. Archer also swept the individual titles, with Tiger senior Sarah McCartney winning the high school girls' 5K in 19:47 and another Tiger senior, Myles Collins, taking first in the boys' 5K with a 16:16.


Competition at the fourth annual Winnersville Classic opened at 7:50 AM with the high school girls' 5K, two laps around the Freedom Park course. At the end of the second lap, Sarah McCartney crossed the first in 19:47, more than 70 meters ahead of the next runner. Emily Golden, Tift County's senior ace, took second in 20:05. Thomas County Central's Anna James edged Ashley Annis of Archer for third, 21:55 to 22:00. The 2018 Winnersville Classic champion, Rebecca Chandler of Berrien County, was fifth in 22:21.


Emily Cragin picked up another top ten finish for Archer, placing sixth in 22:39. Braeley Hipp (15th, 24:36) and Sarah Spivey (19th, 25:07) completed Archer's scoring, giving the Tigers 45 points and first place in the team standings.


Lowndes senior Tanija Turner placed ninth in 23:43, leading her team to an 80-point total and second place in the nine-team field. Camden County, visiting from Kingsland, Georgia, placed third with 100 points, led by the eighth-place, 23:18 showing of their senior, Kasey Crossley.


Team Standings, High School Girls

1. Archer, 45
2. Lowndes, 80
3. Camden County, 100
4. Valwood, 108
5. Tift, 131
6. Valdosta, 134
7. Berrien County, 154
8. Thomas County Central, 173
9. Cook, 197

Top Ten Athletes, High School Girls' 5K

1. 19:46.2, Sarah McCartney (Archer) 12
2. 20:04.4, Emily Golden (Tift County) 12
3. 21:54.5, Anna James (Thomas County Central)
4. 21:59.7, Ashley Annis (Archer)
5. 22:20.6, Rebecca Chandler (Berrien County)
6. 22:38.1, Emily Cragin (Archer)
7. 22:54.3, Brenna Clark (Valwood)
8. 23:17.5, Kasey Crossley (Camden County)
9. 23:42.8, Tanija Turner (Lowdnes)
10. 23:53.5, Katelyn Lancaster (Valdosta)

The boys' ran next, starting their two laps around Freedom Park at 8:40 AM. This race was all Archer. Myles Collins set the tone for the Tigers, winning the race by nearly 200 meters in 16:16. Lowndes junior Alec Munger took the runner-up spot in 16:56, but then the Tigers took the next three places, with Steven McCartney third in 17:04, Sebastian Rodriguez fourth in 17:38, and Skylar Taylor fifth in 17:57. When Tiger Justin King finished ninth in 18:49, the Archer boys had a mathematically unbeatable 22 points and first place among eight teams.


Behind Munger's second place showing, the Lowndes boys tallied 54 points, taking second. Thomas County Central and Cook High each scored 134 points, but Central beat Cook for third on the tiebreaker.


Team Standings, High School Boys

1. Archer, 22
2. Lowndes, 54
3. Thomas County Central, 134
4. Cook, 134
5. Camden County, 142
6. Valdosta, 142
7. Tift, 149
8. Berrien County, 165

Top Ten Athletes, High School Boys' 5K

1. 16:15.6, Myles Collins (Archer) 12
2. 16:55.9, Alec Munger (Lowdnes) 11
3. 17:03.6, Steven McCartney (Archer)
4. 17:37.6, Sebastian Rodriguez (Archer)
5. 17:56.3, Skylar Taylor (Archer)
6. 18:18.7, Morgan Bolmer (Berrien County)
7. 18:42.2, Parker Jackson (Valdosta)
8. 18:44.9, Aaron Munger (Lowdnes)
9. 18:48.8, Justin King (Archer)
10. 19:09.2, Liam Kilner (Camden County)

After the high school athletes had cleared the course, it was time for the middle schools to race. Middle school cross-country races are usually either 3,000 meters or the slightly longer two miles. At the Winnersville Classic, the distance was one lap, or somewhere in the neighborhood of two-and-a-half kilometers. The girls did the first one-lap race, with a scheduled start-time of 9:15. Cook seventh-grader Addie Gregory was the first to finish that lap, winning the race in 11:40. Valwood's Ella Burnett was a close second in 11:45, finishing just ahead of the 11:48 logged by her teammate, Emma Burnett.


Thomas County took the next two places, though, with Cadence Curnalia fourth in 12:21 and Gracie Adams fifth in 12:28. Paige Parkerson (7th, 12:41) and Kathryn Payne (8th, 12:50) added two more spots in the top ten for Thomas County. When Thomas County eighth-grader Jordyn Tillman crossed the finish line 14th in 13:21, her Yellow Jackets team had a winning score of 38 points. Led by Burnett and Burnett, Valwood was second with 51 points. Tift was third with 66 points; their top runner was Anne Day Grayson (6th, 12:32).


Team Standings, Middle School Girls

1. Thomas County, 38
2. Valwood, 51
3. Tift, 66
4. Cook, 75
5. Valdosta, 128

Top Ten Athletes, Middle School Girls

1. 11:39.9, Addie Gregory (Cook) 7
2. 11:44.8, Ella Burnett (Valwood)
3. 11:47.2, Emma Burnett (Valwood)
4. 12:21.0, Cadence Curnalia (Thomas County)
5. 12:27.3, Gracie Adams (Thomas County)
6. 12:32.0, Anne Day Grayson (Tift)
7. 12:40.6, Paige Parkerson (Thomas County)
8. 12:49.3, Kathryn Payne (Thomas County)
9. 12:53.6, Gracie Smith (Valwood)
10. 12:55.3, Anahi Juarez (Cook)

The middle school girls' race decided, it was time for the middle school boys to do their lap around the park. The girls' race had been close, but Blair Golden made sure that the boys' race was anything but. The Tift eighth-grader won the middle school boys' event by close to 200 meters, running 9:48. Thomas County's Robert Linquist was runner-up in 10:32, and Dawson McMillan of Tift took third in 10:46.


Caden McDaniel scored the first points for Cook, placing fourth in 10:52. But Thomas County answered with two more athletes in the top ten--Aiden Miranda (5th, 10:52) and Dylan Wilder (10th, 11:32). Konnor Carraway (11th, 11:34) and Brady Whatley (19th, 12:08) finished the scoring for Thomas County, giving their team 47 points and a narrow victory in the five-team field. Cook was second just two points back with 49 points. Third-place Tift was also close, scoring 52.


Team Standings, Middle School Boys

1. Thomas County, 47
2. Cook, 49
3. Tift, 52
4. Valdosta, 96
5. Valwood, 123

Top Ten Athletes, Middle School Boys

1. 9:48.0, Blair Golden (Tift) 8
2. 10:32.0, Robert Lindquist (Thomas County)
3. 10:45.8, Dawson McMillan (Tift)
4. 10:48.8, Caden McDaniel (Cook)
5. 10:51.2, Aiden Miranda (Thomas County)
6. 10:55.2, Isaac Kennedy (Cook)
7. 11:13.0, Ethan Burnett (Valwood)
8. 11:16.5, Gabriel Sears (Valdosta)
9. 11:25.8, Gatlin Marchant (Tift)
10. 11:31.1, Dylan Wilder (Thomas County)

Winnersville Cross-Country Classic champs, 2016-2019
High School Boys
Date	Winning Teams	Individual Winners
20 August 2016	Lee County, 42 points	17:29, Kaleb Wolfenden (Lowndes) 12
19 August 2017	Deerfield-Windsor, 38	17:06, Brishen House (Lowndes) 12
18 August 2018	Jeff Davis, 33	17:35, Alec Munger (Lowndes) 10
17 August 2019	Archer, 22	16:16, Myles Collins (Archer) 12
High School Girls
Date	Winning Teams	Individual Winners
20 August 2016	Lee County, 39 points	21:38, Emily Golden (Tift County) 9
19 August 2017	Deerfield-Windsor, 76	20:34, Emily Golden (Tift County) 10
18 August 2018	Jeff Davis, 38	21:55, Rebecca Chandler (Berrien County) 11
17 August 2019	Archer, 45	19:47, Sarah McCartney (Archer) 12
Middle School Boys
Date	Winning Teams	Individual Winners
20 August 2016	Tift, 26 points	9:08, JD Bengston (Tift) 8
19 August 2017	Valdosta, 31	9:24, Parker Jackson (Valdosta) 8
18 August 2018	Jeff Davis, 19	10:20, Pierce Parlor (Jeff Davis) 7
17 August 2019	Thomas County, 47	9:48, Blair Golden (Tift) 8
Middle School Girls
Date	Winning Teams	Individual Winners
20 August 2016	Tift, 24 points	10:58, Gracie Woods (Coffee) 8
19 August 2017	Tift, 41	10:59, Jadie Burrell (Southland) 8
18 August 2018	Jeff Davis, 15	11:58, Alexandra Uribe (Jeff Davis) 8
17 August 2019	Thomas County, 38	11:40, Addie Gregory (Cook) 7

Links

• Results of the 2019 Winnersville Cross-Country Classic
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSyRvsF_dHWBPH6m1gEM3sEDfcENtqEnaz8cJ5gIE9Jr9NmGGlMioP4x6kJO7VcZmpazBlEAJD8sfxj/pubhtml
  
  
• Upcoming races in Valdosta and elsewhere in the region on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2573

No gnarly knitwear for David Degon and Tracey Cole at the Ugly Sweater 5K

By Saturday morning, 15 December 2018, a patch of ugly weather had blown past Valdosta, Georgia. So in Freedom Park, on soaked pavement under clearing skies, the Ugly Sweater 5K was on. David Degon of Valdosta won the third annual event, edging master runner Ryan Kelly for the title, 18:33 to 18:38. Tracey Cole of Pinetta, Florida was the first woman in the 3.1-mile race, placing sixth overall in 23:48.


Valdosta's Chris Bess too third in 21:27, with Rafael Balleza of Jennings, Florida fourth in 21:55. William Garcia, a sophomore on the Lowndes High cross-country team, came in fifth in 22:48.


Fourteen-year-old Valdosta athlete Victoria Garcia was runner-up in the women's competition, placing eleventh overall in 25:52. Bianca Yanez of Valdosta was third in the women's standings and fourteenth overall in 28:20. Valdosta's Karina Amundson inched past Tammy Curran of Tifton for the top woman master spot, 28:20 to 28:21. Fifteenth and sixteenth overall, Amundson and Curran were the fourth and fifth female finishers.


42 athletes finished VLPRA's 2018 Ugly Sweater 5K. A Course/Line, LLC of Valdosta, Georgia timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2018 VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5K

1. 18:32.9, David Degon (M, 26) Valdosta, GA
2. 18:37.8, Ryan Kelly (M, 40) Lake Park, GA
3. 21:26.9, Chris Bess (M, 24) Valdosta, GA
4. 21:54.6, Rafael Balleza (M, 29) Jennings, FL
5. 22:47.4, William Garcia (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
6. 24:25.7, Billy Taylor (M, 69) Valdosta, GA
7. 24:42.5, David Pollock (M, 54) Tifton, GA
8. 25:03.1, Leif Horn (M, 14) Hahira, GA
9. 25:25.0, Cody Scarboro (M, 27) Melbourne, FL
10. 26:05.4, Wayne Kountis (M, 59) Tifton, GA

Top Ten Women, 2018 VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5K

1. 23:47.3, Tracey Cole (F, 39) Pinetta, FL
2. 25:51.9, Victoria Garcia (F, 14) Valdosta, GA
3. 28:19.2, Bianca Yanez (F, 36) Valdosta, GA
4. 28:20.9, Karina Amundson (F, 49) Valdosta, GA
5. 28:29.8, Tammy Curran (F, 46) Tifton, GA
6. 28:50.4, Bridget Deen (F, 45) Tifton, GA
7. 29:04.8, Heather Kelly (F, 40) Lake Park, GA
8. 31:27.0, Lauren Rowe (F, 33) Valdosta, GA
9. 31:33.2, Carol Stojakovich (F, 58) Hahira, GA
10. 32:48.9, Bernotta Linder (F, 27) Valdosta, GA

VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5K winners, 2016 - 2018
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
24 December 2016	18:17, Caleb Watson	21:46, Gracie Woods	50
23 December 2017	17:49, Andrew Elam	22:27, Tara McFarland	96
15 December 2018	18:33, David Degon	23:48, Tracey Cole	42

Links

• Complete results of VLPRA's 2018 Ugly Sweater 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQ9Jp8eFlzc7b1xDm5kZj3QDv8SE11TfiG-f9-EM4OjbtHDvk9DimaV-bKCKscc7PlTzwh4VDIe4k3P/pubhtml
  
  
• 2017 story, “Elam and McFarland run pretty races at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Watson and Woods are faster than fashion faux pas at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2016.html
  
  
• Find upcoming apparel-themed events on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2388

Elam and McFarland run pretty races at the Ugly Sweater 5K

Clark Wild looked thoughtful when I told him there was going to be an Ugly Sweater 5K in Valdosta, Georgia on Saturday morning, 23 December 2017.


"If I ran three miles in South Georgia wearing a sweater, I would die," concluded Clark. "Even in December."


The race didn't actually have a dress code requiring unattractive knitwear, so Valdosta State cross-country runner Andrew Elam probably was wearing something more conventional when he won the 2017 Ugly Sweater 5K in 17:49. Likewise for Tara McFarland, the first woman in the race, who placed sixth overall in 22:27.


Nick Rosatti, a member of the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College men's tennis team, took second in 18:27. Kevius Shaw, having just finished his first cross-country season at Fort Valley State College, finished third in 20:21. Wayne Kountis of Tifton, Georgia was the first master runner in the 5K, placing seventh overall in 24:06.


Hiram, Georgia athlete Jill Clark was second in the women's standings and ninth overall in 24:51. Tifton's Gina Purvis was the top woman master and third female finisher, tenth overall in 25:04.


96 athletes finishes VLPRA's 2017 Ugly Sweater 5K. A Course/Line, LLC of Valdosta, Georgia timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2017 VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5K

1. 17:48.9, Andrew Elam (M, 19) Valdosta, GA
2. 18:27.0, Nick Rosatti (M, 21) Hahira, GA
3. 20:20.8, Kevius Shaw (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
4. 21:19.9, Gerardo Olivera (M, 16) Valdosta, GA
5. 22:03.4, Tim Melone (M, 28) Hahira, GA
6. 24:05.1, Wayne Kountis (M, 58) Tifton, GA
7. 24:26.9, Rodney Elam (M, 54) Valdosta, GA
8. 25:05.4, Carson Purvis (M, 13) Talking Rock, GA
9. 25:10.7, William Garcia (M, 14) Valdosta, GA
10. 26:37.5, Steven Purvis (M, 42) Talking Rock, GA

Top Ten Women, 2017 VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5K

1. 22:26.3, Tara McFarland (F, 30) Valdosta, GA
2. 24:50.2, Jill Clark (F, 33) Hiram, GA
3. 25:03.3, Gina Purvis (F, 58) Tifton, GA
4. 25:14.2, Penny Peters (F, 50) Tifton, GA
5. 26:13.4, Courtney Thompson (F, 35) Fort Knox, KY
6. 26:34.6, Traci Ferris (F, 35) Valdosta, GA
7. 26:45.3, Lauren Pate (F, 36) Tifton, GA
8. 28:12.7, Chelsea Holcombe (F, 28) Valdosta, GA
9. 28:13.6, Amy Bradshaw (F, 27) Valdosta, GA
10. 28:39.4, Victoria Garcia (F, 13) Valdosta, GA

VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5K winners, 2016 - 2017
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
24 December 2016	18:17, Caleb Watson	21:46, Gracie Woods	50
23 December 2017	17:49, Andrew Elam	22:27, Tara McFarland	96

Links

• Complete results of VLPRA's 2017 Ugly Sweater 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRhHh5xUNYWaz0JlRMx-jz77pBBovqjsexI9EgpOELXuuB9KbGIRHDX9GtMFNl1kxBjDtYSQ6K6HB-n/pubhtml
  
  
• 2016 story, “Watson and Woods are faster than fashion faux pas at the Ugly Sweater 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/12/vlpra-ugly-sweater-2016.html
  
  
• Find upcoming apparel-themed events on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2140

Shrier and Campbell win a cross-country encore at Freedom Park

Cross-country season never really ends. Georgia's State Cross-Country Championship for high schools wrapped up on Saturday, 4 November 2017, but even though the high school teams were standing down till 2018, there's always another cross-country race somewhere. For instance, on Saturday morning, 11 November 2017, the Lowndes High School cross-country team held their annual fundraiser race, the Turkey Trail Trot 5K, on a cross-country course in Freedom Park, north of Valdosta, Georgia. David Shrier, a senior harrier on the Lowndes High team, won the race in 18:33. Emma Campbell took the women's title in 26:32, placing 25th overall.


Seven days before the Turkey Trail Trot, Shrier had run 19:05 in the boys' 7A race at the Georgia State Meet. He wasn't the only State qualifier in Freedom Park. Lowndes High's Samuel Trimble and Ethan Carter, a sophomore and a frosh, had also raced in the State Final. At the Turkey Trail Trot, Trimble edged Carter for second, 18:51 to 18:54. Another Lowndes senior, Nathan Storey, took fourth in 19:37. Morgan Bolmer, a sophomore who had raced for Berrien County in the 2A race at the State Meet, was fifth in 19:48. John Bolmer of Nashville, Georgia was the fastest master runner in the race, placing ninth overall in 21:58.


Lowndes High frosh Madison Wagenaar, another State qualifier, was second in the women's standings of the Turkey Trail Trot 5K, placing 26th overall in 26:42. Eleven-year-old Cali Ingra of Hahira, Georgia was the third female finisher and 28th overall in 27:28. Valdosta's Kim Munger edged Pollyanna Bass of Pavo, Georgia for top woman master honors, 27:45 to 27:49. Munger was the fourth woman and 30th overall, Bass the fifth woman and 31st overall.


83 athletes finished the 2017 Turkey Trail Trot 5K. A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta, Georgia timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2017 Lowndes High School Cross Country Fundraiser 5K

1. 18:32.6, David Shrier (M, 17) Valdosta, GA
2. 18:50.7, Samuel Trimble (M, 15) Lake Park, GA
3. 18:53.0, Ethan Carter (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
4. 19:36.3, Nathan Storey (M, 17) Valdosta, GA
5. 19:48.0, Morgan Bolmer (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
6. 21:36.2, Pate King (M, 16) Valdosta, GA
7. 21:38.9, Matthew Sexton (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
8. 21:51.1, Travis Toy (M, 36) Valdosta, GA
9. 21:57.3, John Bolmer (M, 41) Nashville, GA
10. 22:08.4, Jeremy Storey (M, 44) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women, 2017 Lowndes High School Cross Country Fundraiser 5K

1. 26:31.6, Emma Campbell (F, 16) Hahira, GA
2. 26:41.5, Madison Wagenaar (F, 14) Valdosta, GA
3. 27:27.6, Cali Ingra (F, 11) Hahira, GA
4. 27:44.4, Kim Munger (F, 46) Valdosta, GA
5. 27:48.4, Pollyanna Bass (F, 45) Pavo, GA
6. 29:20.0, Tiffany Mulligan (F, 38) Valdosta, GA
7. 30:42.7, Dawn Caruana (F, 15) Valdosta, GA
8. 31:01.8, Jennifer Caruana (F, 39) Valdosta, GA
9. 32:27.2, Trinity Williams (F, 15) Valdosta, GA
10. 33:04.0, Gabriel Foddrell (F, 33) Hahira, GA

LHS XC Turkey Trail Trot 5K winners, 2014 - 2017
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
13 December 2014	17:22, Ryan Kelly	20:30, Makenzee Page	48
12 December 2015	18:39, Ryan Kelly	22:28, Debbie Green	40
12 November 2016	18:56, Danel Swilley	21:36, Sandra Griffin	48
11 November 2017	18:33, David Shrier	26:32, Emma Campbell	83

Links

• Complete results of the 2017 Lowndes High School Cross Country Fundraiser 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTMqKOd14R8L3545253Vvs6CYWPtAIv7Uxt7Vf95lmPvKjVOMxLeVbAhioCUSFfxIj2DCu-PrXJeUb_/pubhtml
  
  
• 2015 story, “Kelly and Green win one for Viking cross country”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/12/lhsxc-fundraiser-2015.html
  
  
• Find more upcoming races that support running on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2119

Bolmer and Lisse grab some sky at the Above The Rim 5K

You don't have to be at a cross-country meet to race cross-country. For instance, the Above The Rim 5K in Valdosta, Georgia was a cross-country race that was open to any athlete interested in running on turf and trails. Nevertheless, it was runners from high school cross-country teams who dominated the Above The Rim field in Freedom Park on Saturday morning, 23 September 2017. Morgan Bolmer, a sophomore on the Berrien County High cross-country team, won the race in 19:40. Alden Lisse, a senior on the Highland Christian Academy team, was the first woman in the 5K, placing sixth overall in 22:51.


More high school runners followed Bolmer across the finish line. Valdosta High junior Ben Carlson was second in 20:36. Johnny Miller of Georgia Christian took third in 21:47, and Alex Carlson, a Valdosta High junior, was fourth in 22:27. There were some older athletes in the race, though. Renaldo Smidtas of Naylor, Georgia was the fastest master runner in the 5K, coming in eighth overall in 24:26.


Makayla Ross of the Highland Christian cross-country team was second in the women's standings and thirteenth overall in 25:52. Tifton, Georgia's Gina Purvis was the top woman master and third female finisher, sixteenth overall in 27:19.


39 athletes finished the 2017 Above The Rim 5K. Proceeds of the event went to the Highland Christian Acaemy Eagles boys' basketball team. A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2017 Above The Rim 5K

1. 19:39.7, Morgan Bolmer (M, 15) Nashville, GA
2. 20:35.5, Ben Carlson (M, 16) Valdosta, GA
3. 21:46.1, Johnny Miller (M, 18) Dasher, GA
4. 22:26.3, Alex Carlson (M, 16) Valdosta, GA
5. 22:46.6, Jonathan Daniely (M, 15) Valdosta, GA
6. 23:41.3, Daniel Carver (M, 33) Hahira, GA
7. 24:25.4, Renaldo Smidtas (M, 53) Naylor, GA
8. 24:42.7, Ethan North (M, 13) Stockton, GA
9. 24:58.2, Lukas Smidtas (M, 17) Dasher, GA
10. 25:12.3, Jake Williams (M, 13) Barney, GA

Top Ten Women, 2017 Above The Rim 5K

1. 22:50.9, Alden Lisse (F, 17) Valdosta, GA
2. 25:51.9, Makayla Ross (F, 14) Dixie, GA
3. 27:18.8, Gina Purvis (F, 58) Tifton, GA
4. 28:34.5, Kaleigh Kostyu (F, 17) Valdosta, GA
5. 28:38.3, Clarissa Mallory (F, 12) Valdosta, GA
6. 30:16.1, Tiffany Mulligan (F, 38) Valdosta, GA
7. 32:48.1, Ansley Griffin (F, 14) Dasher, GA
8. 34:10.6, Chasity Griffin (F, 15) Dasher, GA
9. 34:25.6, Darlene Kraushaar (F, 46) Valdosta, GA
10. 37:05, Briana Watson (F, 30) Valdosta, GA

Links

• Complete results of the 2017 Above The Rim 5K, courtesy of A Course/Line, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRs1MY6lkEdNnYU4S9cbocrkrJJ0RN_Bx6lS_uS67shTKHs8n_ULPRYFVAVB7q6CkJOz2FhwfGLQkGw/pubhtml
  
  
• Find your next opportunity to compete on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2096

South Georgia preps start cross country season in Freedom Park

You can't see the state line dividing Georgia and Florida. It's a legal entity, with origins in the 200-year-old Treaty of San Lorenzo, negotiated between the United State of America and the Empire of Spain. Andrew Ellicott was supposed to survey the boundary, but he ran into Muskogean speakers who were hostile to the notion that their land was being divvied up by two outside parties. Ellicott built a mound at the headwaters of the St. Marys River, declared that the boundary ran from there to the confluence of the Flint and the Chattahoochee Rivers, then went home. Nearly a century went by before the politicians and the lawyers were done disputing the location of the invisible line.


Between the Flint and the St Marys there isn't a wall or a mountain range or an expanse of water marking the border between Georgia and Florida. Nevertheless, if you were on the Florida side of the line on Saturday morning, 16 August 2014, then you were still waiting for high school cross-country season to begin, weeks ahead. But if you were on the Georgia side, your wait was over. In Freedom Park north of Valdosta, Georgia, the season was very much under way at Valdosta High's Wildcat Cross Country Invitational.


The Wildcats played rude hosts in the first interscholastic event, the high school boys 5K. That 3.1-mile race around the park started at 8:00 AM, right after a community 5K. Scoring 29 points, the Valdosta boys opened their 2014 cross country season with a win, as did their top runner, sophomore Matthew Baun. Running 18:01, Baun finished nearly 400 meters ahead of Upson Lee's first runner, senior Feybian Matthews (2nd, 19:17). The Upson Lee Knights took second in the team standings with 42 points, with the Lee County Trojans scoring 58 to place third. The Pelham Hornets had only three athletes in the race, two short of the minimum five needed for a team score.


2014 Wildcat Cross Country Invitational Team Standings, High School Boys

1. Valdosta, 29 points
2. Upson Lee, 42
3. Lee County, 58
4. Pelham, NTS

Top Ten High School Boys 5K, 2014 Wildcat Cross Country Invitational

1. 18:00.60 ~ M​atthew Baun (Va​ldo​sta) 10
2. 19:16.20 ~ Feybian M​atthe​ws (Upson Lee) 12
3. 19:47.30 ~ Deshon​ Taylor (Va​ldo​sta) 9
4. 20:06.20 ~ Sam​ad Mil​ls (Lee County) 9
5. 20:14.30 ~ Colby Jon​es (Lee County) 9
6. 20:25.90 ~ Jon​as Brokmann (Va​ldo​sta) 10
7. 20:33.70 ~ Kolby​ Sch​adenburg (Upson Lee) 11
8. 20:36.30 ~ A​ustin Hor​nsby (Pelham) 11
9. 20:44.60 ~ Jake​ Sayer (Upson Lee) 12
10. 20:45.10 ~ Noah Richa​rds (Va​ldo​sta) 9

At 8:30 AM the high scool girls' 5K followed the boys' race. This time Upson Lee would take the team title. Led by Abigail Manley's 23:47 first place finish, the Knights put all five of their scorers in the top eleven to total a winning 35 points. Monica Webb of Pelham finished runner-up in 23:59, but Valdosta put their first five runners across the line while Pelham was still waiting for their fourth, giving the Wildcats 52 points and second place. Pelham was third with 59 points. Lee County had strong performances by sophomore Ansley Cain (3rd, 24:26) and frosh Ramsay Miller (4th, 24:30), but the Trojans didn't have enough finishers to have a team score.


Valdosta, Pelham, and Lee County are scheduled to meet again on Saturday morning, 23 August 2014, at the Pelham High Hornet Invitational. The Valdosta High girls are the defending champions in their race at the Hornet Invite.


2014 Wildcat Cross Country Invitational Team Standings, High School Girls

1. Upson Lee, 35 points
2. Valdosta, 52
3. Pelham, 59
4. Lee County, NTS

Top Ten High School Girls 5K, 2014 Wildcat Cross Country Invitational

1. 23:46.60 ~ Abigail Manley (Upson Lee) 11
2. 23:58.10 ~ Monica Webb (Pelham) 9
3. 24:25.60 ~ A​nsley Cain (Lee County) 10
4. 24:29.50 ~ Ra​msay Miller (Lee County) 9
5. 25:20.20 ~ Leah Michael (Valdosta) 12
6. 25:27.40 ~ McKenzie Sm​ith (Pelham) 11
7. 25:40.00 ~ M​adeline M​athis (Valdosta) 10
8. 25:43.70 ~ S​ydney Uphold (Upson Lee) 11
9. 25:50.40 ~ Perla Herna​ndez (Upson Lee) 12
10. 25:51.80 ~ Lauren Mewbourne (Upson Lee) 10

Hisham Heikal and Carson Locke took the first two places for the Viking Runners in the middle school boys' mile-and-a-half race, running 9:20 and 9:22. After Andrew Carauna took sixth in 10:20, the Vikings' team prospects looked good. But Lee County also put three runners in the top ten--Reese Fye (4th, 9:51.6), Ben Phillips (9th, 10:56), and Daniel Gyorfi (10th, 11:10). In the end, the team championship was decided by only a single point, with the Viking Runners narrowly prevailing over Lee County, 38 to 39. Valdosta Middle School was a close third with 48 points.


2014 Wildcat Cross Country Invitational Team Standings, Middle School Boys

1. Viking Runners Club, 38 points
2. Lee County Middle School, 39
3. Valdosta Middle School, 48
4. Pelham Middle School, 103

Top Ten Middle School Boys 1-1/2 Mile, 2014 Wildcat Cross Country Invitational

1. 9:19.9 ~ Hisham Heikal (Viking Runners)
2. 9:21.1 ~ Carson Locke (Viking Runners)
3. 9:44.8 ~ Jordan Massey (Upson Lee)
4. 9:51.6 ~ Reese Fye (Lee County)
5. 10:17.6 ~ Crane McAllister (Valdosta) 8
6. 10:20.0 ~ Andrew Caruana (Viking Runners)
7. 10:32.8 ~ Noah Strom (Upson Lee) 8
8. 10:39.1 ~ Drew Stubbs (Valdosta)
9. 10:55.5 ~ Ben Phillips (Lee County) 7
10. 11:09.5 ~ Daniel Gyorfi (Lee County) 7

The Viking Runners Club also took the first two spots in the middle school girls mile-and-a-half, with Kelsey Morse and Eryn Wilkey going one-two in 9:35 and 10:49. But the Vikings had no other runners in the top ten, and Lee County had four, starting with third place finisher Sheridan Lowry at 11:20, and including Kayla Early (5th 11:41), Caroline Taylor (7th, 12:02), and Vicki Roberts (9th, 12:14). When Vanessa Favela-Parra (17th, 14:01) crossed the finish line for Lee County, her team had 37 points and the Wildcat Invitational team title. Valdosta Middle School was second with 44 points, and the Viking Runners third with 50.


2014 Wildcat Cross Country Invitational Team Standings, Middle School Girls

1. Lee County Middle School, 37 points
2. Valdosta Middle School, 44
3. Viking Runners Club, 50
4. Pelham Middle School, 89

Top Ten Middle School Girls 1-1/2 Mile, 2014 Wildcat Cross Country Invitational

1. 9:34.7 ~ Kelsey Morse (Viking Runners)
2. 10:48.4 ~ Eryn Wilkey (Viking Runners)
3. 11:19.7 ~ Sheridan Lowry (Lee County) 7
4. 11:20.8 ~ Zowie Curry (Upson Lee) 8
5. 11:40.7 ~ Kayla Early (Lee County) 7
6. 11:47.7 ~ Sophia Noll (Valdosta)
7. 12:01.8 ~ Caroline Taylor (Lee County) 7
8. 12:09.3 ~ Rachel Massengil (Valdosta) 8
9. 12:13.3 ~ Vicki Roberts (Lee County) 7
10. 12:15.4 ~ Raquel Goddard (Valdosta)

Links

• Complete results of the 2014 Wildcat XC Invitational, courtesy of A Course/Line, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/108lRlrfAObqwCYCMfm94Ug7j6-jQ4PDC3Nk50fAdlxY/pubhtml
  
  
• "'Cross Country is Fun,' so fun that Kelly and Smith are back for a second year"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/08/xc-is-fun-2014.html
  
  
• More upcoming cross-country, track, road, ultra-running, and even a few of those triathlon things
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1

#1195

"Cross Country is Fun," so fun that Kelly and Smith are back for a second year

The results for the 2014 "Cross Country is Fun" 5K came with a disclaimer: "The event was held on an actual XC course, not a road course."


This may seem odd, but in 2013 the first "Cross Country is Fun" race was held on the streets around the Valdosta State University campus. Next year it may very well be a 5000-meter race on the track, but the 2014 race was held on a true cross-country course over the turf and trails of Freedom Park in Valdosta, Georgia. The very same course was used immediately afterwards for the high school races of Valdosta High's Wildcat Cross-Country Invitational.


Ryan Kelly is the cross country coach for the Wildcats, but before his squad took the course he posted a winning 19:18 5K in the "Cross Country Is Fun" race. It was Kelly's second straight win in the annual race; he had also won the first "Cross Country Is Fun" 5K in 2013. Brishen House of Valdosta took second in 20:35, and Valdosta's Decker House placed third in 20:51.


Valdosta runner Elizabeth Smith won the women's title, finishing fourth overall in 23:27. Smith had placed fourth in the women's standings in the 2013 edition of the race.


Terry Adams was the fastest master in the field, finishing seventh overall in 23:57. Just behind Adams, women's runner-up Melanie Ellis placed eighth overall in 24:00, the first master woman in the race.


47 athletes completed the 3.1-mile route through Freedom Park.


Top Ten Men, 2014 Cross Country Is Fun 5K

1. 19:17.3 ~ Ryan Kelly (M, 35) Lake Park, GA
2. 20:34.2 ~ Brishen House (M, 14) Valdosta, GA
3. 20:50.4 ~ Decker House (M, 14) Valdosta, GA
4. 23:38.0 ~ Rob McGhin (M, 34) Valdosta, GA
5. 23:49.2 ~ Ryan Roper (M, 15) Lakeland, GA
6. 23:56.1 ~ Terry Adams (M, 40) Valdosta, GA
7. 24:06.3 ~ Steven Dansereau (M, 52) Lakeland, GA
8. 24:18.1 ~ Michael Baun (M, 57) Valdosta, GA
9. 24:31.0 ~ Zachary Cox (M, 16) Lakeland, GA
10. 25:09.7 ~ Rusty Jones (M, 61) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women, 2014 Cross Country Is Fun 5K

1. 23:26.3 ~ Elizabeth Smith (F, 36) Valdosta, GA
2. 23:59.9 ~ Melanie Ellis (F, 41) Valdosta, GA
3. 24:27.0 ~ Debbie Green (F, 48) Valdosta, GA
4. 24:47.8 ~ Alison Thornhill (F, 34) Valdosta, GA
5. 25:53.0 ~ Brianna Prinsloo (F, 27) Hahira, GA
6. 26:31.8 ~ Nancy Elam (F, 51) Valdosta, GA
7. 27:37.6 ~ Heather Kelly (F, 36) Lake Park, GA
8. 28:39.8 ~ Gina Purvis (F, 55) Tifton, GA
9. 31:57.4 ~ Jennifer Massey (F, 35) Thomaston, GA
10. 32:23.3 ~ Lexi Metts (F, 11) Hahira, GA

Links

• Complete results of the the 2014 Cross Country Is Fun 5K, courtesy of A Course/Line, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_ywPrJexM9rpCH4RvnnErksUZiLy1B9ADRKu8PjrbUA/pubhtml
  
  
• About that 2014 Wildcat Cross Country Invitational
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/08/wildcat-xc-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, "Kelly and Morse race the roads because 'Cross Country is Fun'"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/08/xc-is-fun-2013.html
  
  
• More fun and more upcoming races on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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