Showing posts with label Gracie Woods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gracie Woods. Show all posts

Sunday, January 1, 2017

Elam and Woods answer 2016's last call with a win.

2017I'm not sure what constitutes a tradition anymore. I believed that I had a handle on what the word used to mean, but nowadays it seems that a "tradition" is whatever someone's marketing department wants you to buy, but doesn't want you to to think too much about the purchase. "A new holiday tradition!" Isn't that an oxymoron?


On the other hand, you have a phenomenon where dozens of athletes in Valdosta, Georgia show up at Lowndes High School on the final evening of the year and run a five-kilometer road race. Without much fanfare, they've been doing this every year since 2012--five years in all now. This is dangerously close to becoming a tradition in the original sense of the word.


Andrew Elam is certainly part of that emerging tradition. Elam hasn't missed a running of Valdosta's New Year's Eve 5K since he first raced it in 2013 as a Lowndes High cross-country runner. He won the race in 2014, setting an event record of 16:59. After a loss to Tallahassee master runner Michael Martinez in the 2015 race, Elam was back for a fourth New Year's Eve 5K on Saturday evening, 31 December 2016. Now a Valdosta State University Blazer, Elam lowered the event record to 16:53, claiming his second New Year's Eve 5K title.


Josh Hall took the runner-up spot in 17:40. Valdosta High sophomore cross-country runner Quin McGlamery was third in 18:43, just ahead of the 18:48 posted by fourth-place finisher Dan Butzin. 2013 New Year's Eve 5K champ Ryan Kelly was fifth in 19:02. Sean McConnell of Adel, Georgia was the fastest master runner in the race, coming in eleventh overall in 22:20.


On the women's side Broxton, Georgia's Gracie Woods followed up her win seven days earlier at the Ugly Sweater 5K with another victory in the New Year's Eve 5K. An eighth-grader on the Coffee County Middle School cross-country team, Woods placed twelfth overall in 22:48 to take the women's title.


Valdosta's Anne Price was the second woman and thirteenth overall in 12:16. Kelly Davis of Valdosta edged Lauren Bewley, another Valdosta athlete, for third place in the women's standings, 23:30 to 23:36. Davis and Bewley were 15th and 16th overall. Right behind them Pollyanna Bass of Pavo, Georgia was the first woman master and fifth female finisher, placing 17th overall in 23:38.


93 athletes finished the fifth annual New Year's Eve 5K, a production of A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta, Georgia.


Top Ten Men, Valdosta's 2016 New Year's Eve 5K
  1. 16:52.7, Andrew Elam (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
  2. 17:39.4, Joshua Hall (M, 22) Valdosta, GA
  3. 18:42.1, Quin McGlamery (M, 16) Valdosta, GA
  4. 18:48.1, Dan Butzin (M, 31) Valdosta, GA
  5. 19:01.6, Ryan Kelly (M, 38) Lake Park, GA
  6. 19:44.0, Nick Rosatti (M, 20) Hahira, GA
  7. 20:23.9, James Marino (M, 38) Valdosta, GA
  8. 21:01.8, James Tracy (M, 35) Valdosta, GA
  9. 21:02.3, John H. Lewis, Jr. (M, 36) Naylor, GA
  10. 21:04.2, Milo Mirate (M, 21) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women, Valdosta's 2016 New Year's Eve 5K
  1. 22:47.6, Gracie Woods (F, 14) Broxton, GA
  2. 23:16.0, Anne Price (F, 35) Valdosta, GA
  3. 23:29.2, Kelly Davis (F, 27) Valdosta, GA
  4. 23:35.3, Lauren Bewley (F, 35) Valdosta, GA
  5. 23:37.3, Pollyanna Bass (F, 44) Pavo, GA
  6. 24:53.1, Vanessa Spry (F, 31) Valdosta, GA
  7. 25:05.7, Katie Lancaster (F, 14) Valdosta, GA
  8. 27:24.1, Kara Buescher (F, 24) Valdosta, GA
  9. 28:26.3, Amy Reese (F, 42) Valdosta, GA
  10. 29:09.8, Cindy Reese (F, 58) Macon, GA

Valdosta, Georgia, New Year's Eve 5K winners, 2012 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
31 December 201217:58, Mark McLeod24:56, Martha Mazurkiewicz50
31 December 201318:04, Ryan Kelly22:30, Makenzee Page75
31 December 201416:59, Andrew Elam20:52, Makenzee Page69
31 December 201518:01, Michael Martinez22:59, Debbie Green61
31 December 201616:53, Andrew Elam22:48, Gracie Woods93


Links
#1852

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Watson and Woods are faster than fashion faux pas at the Ugly Sweater 5K

VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5KThe latest holiday gimmick seems to be the ugly sweater event. Ugly sweater contests, ugly sweater parties, and even ugly sweater runs. The Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority joined that movement on Saturday morning, 24 December 2016, by hosting VLPRA's first Ugly Sweater 5K in Valdosta, Georgia's Freedom Park. Douglas, Georgia athletes swept the race, winning both the overall male and overall female titles. Caleb Watson, a Coffee County High alum currently in his first year of running for the Armstrong State Pirates, won the race in 18:17. Gracie Woods, an eighth-grader on the Coffee County Middle School cross-country team, took the women's title in 21:46, placing fourth overall.


Cameron Watson, another Coffee County Middle School harrier, was the overall runner-up, running 20:10. Milo Mirate of Valdosta, Georgia was third overall in 21:41.


Valdosta's Kelly Davis was second in the women's standings, placing sixth overall in 23:40. Victoria Harlow was the third woman in the race and fourteenth overall in 27:08.


The fastest master runner in the Ugly Sweater 5K was Wayne Kountis of Tifton, Georgia. Kountis was tenth overall in 24:59. Douglas, Georgia's Trish Watson was the top woman master and fifth female finisher, seventeenth overall in 27:27.


50 athletes finishes VLPRA's 2016 Ugly Sweater 5K. A Course/Line, LLC of Valdosta, Georgia timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2016 VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5K
  1. 18:16.6, Caleb Watson (M, 18) Douglas, GA
  2. 20:09.4, Cameron Watson (M, 14) Douglas, GA
  3. 21:40.5, Milo Mirate (M, 20) Valdosta, GA
  4. 21:46.9, Connor Watson (M, 16) Douglas, GA
  5. 23:39.8, Kevin Lunceford (M, 25) Valdosta, GA
  6. 23:53.1, Holden Hendricks (M, 25) Valdosta, GA
  7. 24:33.8, Cole Woods (M, 9) Broxton, GA
  8. 24:58.2, Wayne Kountis (M, 57) Tifton, GA
  9. 25:16.4, Rodney Elam (M, 53) Valdosta, GA
  10. 26:26.3, Robbie Woods (M, 10) Broxton, GA

Top Ten Women, 2016 VLPRA Ugly Sweater 5K
  1. 21:45.5, Gracie Woods (F, 14) Broxton, GA
  2. 23:39.5, Kelly Davis (F, 27) Valdosta, GA
  3. 27:07.8, Victoria Harlow (F, 29) Valdosta, GA
  4. 27:25.3, Jessica Carter (F, 34) Hahira, GA
  5. 27:26.2, Trish Watson (F, 48) Douglas, GA
  6. 30:28.4, Gracie DeFelice (F, 10) Hahira, GA
  7. 32:21.7, Lisa Graves (F, 49) Valdosta, GA
  8. 33:00.3, Eileen Priest (F, 30) Valdosta, GA
  9. 33:26.8, Sandra DiPetro (F, 51) Valdosta, GA
  10. 34:08.8, Sarah Thomas (F, 29) Hahira, GA

Links
#1849

Friday, November 25, 2016

Prep runners Myddelton and Woods star at the Valdosta Thanksgiving 5K

Wild TurkeysIf you were at the Thanksgiving Day 5K in Valdosta, Georgia on 24 November 2016, you might have been expecting to see Ryan Kelly win for a third year in a row. Or you might have been expecting to witness another duel on the Valdosta streets between Kelly and Valdosta athlete Dan Butzin. Whatever you were expecting, though, what everyone saw was Hailey Myddelton of Paxton, Florida winning the race in 17:11 and finishing more than 80 meters ahead of the next runner. A junior on the Paxton High cross-country team, Myddelton's time was the fastest run at the Thanksgiving 5K since 2013, when Brandon Hough ran 16:55. Gracie Woods, an eighth-grader on the Coffee Middle School cross-country team, won the Thanksgiving 5K women's title, placing twelfth overall in 20:29. 191 athletes finished the 3.1-mile race.


Andrew Elam, a frosh on the Valdosta State University Blazer men's cross-country team, took second in 17:29. David Jones placed third in 17:53, and defending champ Ryan Kelly was fourth in 18:10. Jeremy Storey of Valdosta was the top master runner in the race, finishing tenth overall in 20:12.


Valdosta's Elizabeth Smith was second in the women's standings and thirteenth overall in 20:37. Julie Tracy was the third woman and fifteenth overall in 21:20. A few steps behind Tracy, Sandra Griffin was the first woman master and fourth female finisher, sixteenth overall in 21:23.


A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta timed the race and provided finish line services.


Top Ten Men, 2016 Valdosta Thanksgiving Day 5K
  1. 17:10.7, Hailey Myddelton (M, 17) Paxton, FL
  2. 17:28.9, Andrew Elam (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
  3. 17:52.6, David Jones (M, 21) Valdosta, GA
  4. 18:09.9, Ryan Kelly (M, 37) Lake Park, GA
  5. 18:19.8, Quin McGlamery (M, 16) Valdosta, GA
  6. 18:21.7, Dan Butzin (M, 31) Valdosta, GA
  7. 18:46.4, Nick Hopcroft (M, 17) Alpharetta, GA
  8. 19:14.4, Nick Rosatti (M, 19) Hahira, GA
  9. 19:55.2, Rob McGhin (M, 36) Valdosta, GA
  10. 20:11.7, Jeremy Storey (M, 43) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women, 2016 Valdosta Thanksgiving Day 5K
  1. 20:28.8, Gracie Woods (F, 14) Broxton, GA
  2. 20:36.4, Elizabeth Smith (F, 38) Valdosta, GA
  3. 21:19.9, Julie Tracy (F, 30) Boston, MA
  4. 21:22.7, Sandra Griffin (F, 49) Valdosta, GA
  5. 21:47.1, Kelly Davis (F, 27) Valdosta, GA
  6. 21:49.6, Debbie Green (F, 50) Valdosta, GA
  7. 22:14.3, Brianna Prinsloo (F, 29) Valdosta, GA
  8. 23:33.7, Amber Elam (F, 27) Columbus, GA
  9. 23:42.8, Pollyanna Bass (F, 44) Pavo, GA
  10. 23:45.5, Courtney Thompson (F, 34) Fort Knox, KY

Valdosta, Georgia, Thanksgiving Day 5K winners, 2009 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
26 November 200916:39, John Seppala19:20, Ashley McGee118
25 November 201017:48, Masked Avenger21:31, Gretchen Bielmyer191
24 November 201117:42, Nathan Norton22:01, Gretchen Bielmyer146
22 November 201217:45, Masked Avenger21:10, Angela Bruhl115
28 November 201316:55, Brandon Hough19:03, Erin Miller101
27 November 201417:14, Ryan Kelly18:28, Erin Miller103
26 November 201518:22, Ryan Kelly22:13, Amber Elam203
24 November 201617:11, Hailey Myddelton20:29, Gracie Woods191


Links
#1825

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Wolfenden and Funderburk repeat at Lee County High Invite

The focal point for high school cross country in Southwest Georgia on Saturday, 10 September 2016, was Leesburg, where the local high school was hosting the Lee County High Invitational. Americus, Georgia's Southland Academy won the team title in the girls' 5K race, a race where Colquitt County junior Elizabeth Funderburk dominated the individual competition, running 18:34. The Valdosta High boys won their race, while Lowndes High senior Kaleb Wolfenden ran 16:22 to successfully defend his 2015 Lee County High Invitational title.


The high school girls' 5K was scheduled for 8:30 AM. Elizabeth Funderburk had won the race in 2014, but finished second to Jones County's Kate Boland in 2015. Funderburk came to the starting line in 2016 determined to recapture the title. She did, and then some. Funderburk blazed the course in 18:34, winning the five-kilometer race by almost half a kilometer. Alli Hay, a senior running for Pataula Charter School, was runner-up in 20:23. Tift County frosh Emily Golden took third in 20:46.


Team Standings, High School Girls, 2016 Lee County High Invitational
  1. Southland, 67
  2. Tift County, 88
  3. Lee County, 92
  4. Westover, 161
  5. Thomas County Central, 166
  6. Colquitt County, 180
  7. Worth County, 182
  8. Valdosta, 185
  9. Lowndes, 195
  10. Bainbridge, 205
  11. Coffee, 233
  12. Fitzgerald, 268
  13. Pelham, 307
  14. Americus-Sumter, 437

Top Ten High School Girls, 2016 Lee County High Invitational
  1. 18:33.42 ~ Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County) 11
  2. 20:22.94 ~ Alli Hay (Pataula Charter) 12
  3. 20:45.92 ~ Emily Golden (Tift County) 9
  4. 21:57.11 ~ Monica Webb (Pelham) 12
  5. 22:03.57 ~ Katelyn Lancaster (Valdosta) 9
  6. 22:15.50 ~ Riley O'Linn (Valwood) 11
  7. 22:27.30 ~ Ryleigh Bell (Southland) 9
  8. 22:29.37 ~ Ansley Cain (Lee County) 12
  9. 22:35.58 ~ Calyn Fort (Southland) 10
  10. 22:56.24 ~ Savyon Toombs (Lowndes) 12

Did Elizabeth Funderburk establish a theme for the morning? Winners with long leads? If so, Lowndes senior Kaleb Wolfenden was quick to adopt that theme. Wolfenden successfully defended his 2015 title in the high school boys' 5K, winning by close to 400 meters in 16:22. Colby Jones of Lee County squeaked by Lowndes' Brishen House to take second, 17:47 to 17:49.


Lowndes also put a third runner in the top ten, Daniel Swilley, who was seventh in 18:15. Their cross-town rivals, the Valdosta Wildcats, had but a single top-ten finisher, Matthew Baun (5th, 18:00). But while the Lowndes Vikings were waiting for their fourth runner, Valdosta brought home the rest of their scorers and one of their pushers--Ladarius Dumas (13th, 19:00), Noah Richards (14th, 19:03), Francisco Centeno (15th, 19:18), Will Crispin (16th, 19:22), and Deshon Taylor (19th, 19:33). The Wildcats had 63 points and the win, while Lowndes was second with 76. Lee County was third in the field of twenty teams with 103 points.


Team Standings, High School Boys, 2016 Lee County High Invitational
  1. Valdosta, 63
  2. Lowndes, 76
  3. Lee County, 103
  4. Bainbridge, 152
  5. Seminole County, 165
  6. Coffee, 170
  7. Tift County, 177
  8. Thomas County Central, 221
  9. Southland, 260
  10. Westover, 268
  11. Terrell County, 277
  12. Bradwell, 308
  13. Worth County, 311
  14. Colquitt County, 327
  15. Fitzgerald, 429
  16. Furlow Charter, 479
  17. Brookwood, 481
  18. Americus-Sumter, 518
  19. Pelham, 554
  20. Thomasville, 555

Top Ten High School Boys, 2016 Lee County High Invitational
  1. 16:21.50 ~ Kaleb Wolfenden (Lowndes) 12
  2. 17:46.60 ~ Colby Jones (Lee County) 11
  3. 17:48.80 ~ Brishen House (Lowndes) 11
  4. 17:55.90 ~ Henry Plowden (Westover) 9
  5. 17:59.90 ~ Matthew Baun (Valdosta) 12
  6. 18:00.20 ~ Billy Calcutt (Southland) 12
  7. 18:14.30 ~ Daniel Swilley (Lowndes) 12
  8. 18:20.20 ~ Jake Merritt (Colquitt County) 11
  9. 18:28.80 ~ Hunter Hatfield (Lee County) 11
  10. 18:30.50 ~ Dustin Reynolds (Seminole County) 12

After the high school races came the middle school girls' two mile. The sole entry from Coffee Middle School, eighth-grader Gracie Woods, won the race in 13:20. Jadie Burrell of Southland Academy took second in 13:38, with Anna James of Thomas County third in 13:44.


Valwood had three runners in the top ten--Madeline Castor was fourth in 13:50, Brenna Clark fifth in 13:55, and Jolie Green eighth in 14:25. Southland Academy, though, put Elizabeth Law (10th, 14:29), Reese Roland (12th, 14:33), and Georgia Torbert (13th, 14:41) across the finish line ahead of Valwood's fourth runner, and Brooke Wiesner (21st, 15:53) in front of Valwood's fifth. It was enough to give Southland 52 points and the team title, just ahead Valwood's second-place total of 59. Tift was third with 83.


Team Standings, Middle School Girls, 2016 Lee County High Invitational
  1. Southland, 52
  2. Valwood, 59
  3. Tift, 83
  4. Lee County, 93
  5. Valdosta, 133
  6. Pataula Charter, 192
  7. Thomas County, 203
  8. Bainbridge, 209
  9. Colquitt County, 239
  10. Seminole County, 268
  11. Ben-Hill, 293
  12. Worth County, 320
  13. Furlow Charter, 326

Top Ten Middle School Girls, 2016 Lee County High Invitational
  1. 13:19.88 ~ Gracie Woods (Coffee) 8
  2. 13:37.99 ~ Jadie Burrell (Southland) 7
  3. 13:43.77 ~ Anna James (Thomas County) 8
  4. 13:49.76 ~ Madeline Castor (Valwood) 8
  5. 13:54.55 ~ Brenna Clark (Valwood) 8
  6. 14:01.25 ~ Maya Wynn (Furlow Charter) 8
  7. 14:19.74 ~ Emily Phillips (Lee County) 7
  8. 14:24.31 ~ Jolie Green (Valwood) 8
  9. 14:25.31 ~ Ainsley Toews (Tift) 7
  10. 14:28.52 ~ Elizabeth Law (Southland) 7

Tift eighth-grader J. D. Bengston won the middle school boys' two mile in 11:39, finishing ahead of runner-up Josh Macklin of Lee County by a convincing if not comfortable margin. Macklin ran the course in 11:43. Cameron Watson of Coffee was third in 11:49.


Bengston was joined by Tift scorers Beau Bengston (4th, 12:03), Bryce Stephens (5th, 12:08), Jeremiah Thomas (8th, 12:44), and Zayne Smith (36th, 14:38), giving the team 48 points. Lee County, however, added Macklin's finish to that of Alex Collins (9th, 12:50), Seth Tomlinson (11th, 12:59), Wyatt Waddell (13th, 13:11), and Will Tomlinson (17th, 13:29), also scoring 48 points. Apparently, the NFHS tie-breaker rule was used, and the sixth runner on each team was compared. Lee County's sixth, Will Tomlinson (17th, 13:29), was faster than Tift's sixth, so Lee County was the meet champion, and Tift the runner-up. Valdosta was third with 114 points.


Team Standings, Middle School Boys, 2016 Lee County High Invitational
  1. Lee County, 48
  2. Tift, 48
  3. Valdosta, 114
  4. MacIntyre Park, 137
  5. Bainbridge, 165
  6. Brookwood, 197
  7. Worth County, 209
  8. Thomas County, 219
  9. Colquitt County, 224
  10. Ben-Hill, 232
  11. Pataula Charter, 280
  12. Southland, 297
  13. Furlow Charter, 345
  14. Seminole County, 346

Top Ten Middle School Boys, 2016 Lee County High Invitational
  1. 11:38.27 ~ J.D. Bengston (Tift) 8
  2. 11:42.40 ~ Josh Macklin (Lee County) 7
  3. 11:48.06 ~ Cameron Watson (Coffee) 8
  4. 12:02.37 ~ Beau Bengston (Tift) 8
  5. 12:07.23 ~ Bryce Stephens (Tift) 8
  6. 12:15.06 ~ Lawson Brinkley (MacIntyre Park) 8
  7. 12:42.38 ~ Max Foster (Southland) 8
  8. 12:43.32 ~ Jeremiah Thomas (Tift) 8
  9. 12:49.21 ~ Alex Collins (Lee County) 7
  10. 12:50.14 ~ Parker Jackson (Valdosta) 7

Lee County High School Cross-Country Invitational Champions
2008 - 2016
High School Girls 5K
DateTeam ChampIndividual Champ
13 September 2008Westover, 28 points20:34, Moneque English (Westover)
12 September 2009Westover, 3218:27, Megan Breitbach (Houston County)
11 September 2010

10 September 2011Thomasville, 5320:31, Megan Asadian (Houston County)
8 September 2012Thomasville, 7223:16, Erica Taylor (Westover)
21 September 2013Jones County, 7820:26, Paige Braswell (Bainbridge)
13 September 2014Jones County, 6119:33, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County)
12 September 2015Jones County, 2920:43, Kate Boland (Jones County)
10 September 2016Southland, 6718:34, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County)
High School Boys 5K
DateTeam ChampIndividual Champ
13 September 2008Tift County, 51 points16:27, Hunter Hunneycutt (Tift County)
12 September 2009Houston County, 2516:45, Kasib Abdullah (Houston County)
11 September 2010

10 September 2011Tift County, 7315:38, Hunter Honeycutt (Tift County)
8 September 2012Westover, 5718:51, Josh Mason (Westover)
21 September 2013Bainbridge, 6116:04, Chase Harris (Bainbridge)
13 September 2014Westover, 3817:46, Matthew Baun (Valdosta)
12 September 2015Lowndes, 5217:42, Kaleb Wolfenden (Lowndes)
10 September 2016Valdosta, 6316:22, Kaleb Wolfenden (Lowndes)


Links
#1784