Prince and Smoot lead the charge to fund VMS cross country

During the nine days of 10-18 August 2013, the United States would be represented at the World Track and Field Championships in Moscow by its finest athletes. Most if not all of those athletes came up through college cross-country and track-and-field programs. It's the rare college athlete who wasn't first nurtured in a high school program. And some of the best high school competitors got their start on a team in their middle school.


That's the ladder of development that exists for American athletics. Jesse Prince is a scholar, an athlete, and a leader. He's also a senior on the Valdosta State University cross-country team, which puts him on the collegiate rung of that development ladder. On Saturday morning, 10 August 2013, Prince was among a group of 46 runners in Valdosta, Georgia stretching out a hand to athletes down on the middle-school rung of the ladder. They were running in the Valdosta Middle School Cross-Country Boosters 5K, a fund-raiser road race for the VMS cross-country team.


Jesse Prince turned out to be the fastest in that group, running a 16:55 to win the 3.1-mile race. Finishing runner-up behind Prince was Matthew Baun. Baun, who ran 19:32 in the race, has just stepped up to the high school rung and will be competing for Valdosta High School this fall. Kerry Underwood of Ty Ty, Georgia was the third finisher and first master in the race, running 20:37.


Valdosta master runner Alice Smoot was the first female finisher in the race, placing sixth overall in 21:39. Smoot finished nearly 300 meters ahead of the next woman across the line, Valdosta's Elizabeth Smith. Smith ran 22:53, good for ninth overall.


Top Ten Males, 2013 VMS Cross-Country Boosters 5K

1. 16:54.8 ~ Jesse Prince (M, 21) Valdosta, GA
2. 19:31.5 ~ Matthew Baun (M, 14) Valdosta, GA
3. 20:36.8 ~ Kerry Underwood (M, 50) Ty Ty, GA
4. 21:03.5 ~ Tom Grant (M, 36) Valdosta, GA
5. 21:24.6 ~ Tom Phillips (M, 49) Valdosta, GA
6. 22:04.4 ~ Nathan Smith (M, 35) Valdosta, GA
7. 22:51.9 ~ Michael Baun (M, 56) Valdosta, GA
8. 22:59.4 ~ Rob Sheridan (M, 52) Valdosta, GA
9. 23:24.3 ~ Rob McGhin (M, 33) Valdosta, GA
10. 23:35.3 ~ Alan Sanderson (M, 38) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Females, 2013 VMS Cross-Country Boosters 5K

1. 21:38.3 ~ Alice Smoot (F, 56) Valdosta, GA
2. 22:52.8 ~ Elizabeth Smith (F, 35) Valdosta, GA
3. 23:17.1 ~ Debbie Green (F, 47) Valdosta, GA
4. 24:19.8 ~ Alison Thornhill (F, 33) Valdosta, GA
5. 24:38.9 ~ Makenzee Page (F, 13) Ray City, GA
6. 25:55.7 ~ Heather Kelly (F, 35) Lake Park, GA
7. 26:41.7 ~ Mackenzie Rogers (F, 9) Valdosta, GA
8. 26:46.3 ~ Kristina Singley (F, 34) Valdosta, GA
9. 28:26.0 ~ Tammy Hatton (F, 40) Lakeland, GA
10. 28:33.4 ~ Galen Mirate (F, 58) Valdosta, GA

Links

• Complete results, 2013 Valdosta Middle School Cross-Country Boosters 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AuBsYKIIn3TCdGxfLWw0M1VSSmNLRGJVcXhtQlVOemc
  
  
• What happened at VMS cross country's spring fundraiser race, the Titletown Track Club 5K
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/04/titletown-2013.html
  
  
• Upcoming races in Valdosta and other cities within 100 miles of Tallahassee on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

Prince and Jarnagin rule Valdosta's Azalea Fest 5K

On 21 April 1949 Miss Betty Ruth Smoak of Walterboro, South Carolina won second place in the competition to be queen of the Gum Turpentine Festival in Valdosta, Georgia. Eventually Miss Smoak's beauty pageant days came to an end and so did the Gum Turpentine Festival. But in 2001 Valdosta got back into the festival business with the annual Azalea Festival, a celebration that included a five-kilometer footrace. It's lost to the mists of time as to whether the Gum Turpentine Festival included any kind of running event, and what Miss Smoak's best 5K time was.


What is quite clear is that on Saturday 9 March 2013 Jesse Prince, Valdosta State junior and cross-country ace, ran 16:17 to win the 13th annual Azalea Festival 5K, besting a field of 125 athletes. For Prince, a selection of the Gulf South Conference's All-Academic Cross-Country Team, it wasn't quite as fast as his 15:54 at the St. John 5K Road Race, but it was fast enough to put him nearly 100 meters ahead of runner-up Nate Wondimu. Wondimu, a VSU freshman, ran 16:36. Another VSU freshman cross-country runner, Carlos Ponce, placed third in 18:39. Danielle Jarnagin, a freshman runner on the VSU women's cross-country team, was the first female finisher in the 2013 Azalea Festival 5K, placing 10th overall in 20:10.


The 2013 race started and finished at the Valdosta State University Recreation Center at 1300 Sustella Avenue. The Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority hosted the event, and A Course/Line provided finish line services.


Top Ten Males, 2013 Azalea Festival 5K

1. 16:17 ~ Jesse Prince (M, 21) Valdosta, GA
2. 16:36 ~ Nathinael Wondimu (M, 19) Valdosta, GA
3. 18:39 ~ Carlos Ponce (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
4. 18:52 ~ Ian Hester (M, 29) St. Louis, MO
5. 19:25 ~ Jason Castro (M, 39) Valdosta, GA
6. 19:28 ~ Matthew Baun (M, 13) Valdosta, GA
7. 19:57 ~ Nicholas Dhont (M, 29) Barney, GA
8. 20:08 ~ Jacob Bearrentine (M, 20) Valdosta, GA
9. 20:10 ~ Daniel Swilley (M, 14) Valdosta, GA
10. 20:30 ~ Justin Pickett (M, 15) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Females, 2013 Azalea Festival 5K

1. 20:10 ~ Danielle Jarnagin (F, 19) Valdosta, GA
2. 21:33 ~ Kelsey Morse (F, 10) Valdosta, GA
3. 22:11 ~ Mackenzie Morse (F, 13) Valdosta, GA
4. 22:26 ~ Meagan Sackenheim (F, 28) Valdosta, GA
5. 22:59 ~ Angela Bruhl (F, 29) Quitman, GA
6. 23:27 ~ McKenzie Page (F, 13) Ray City, GA
7. 24:09 ~ Alison Thornhill (F, 33) Valdosta, GA
8. 24:15 ~ Stephanie Gobler (F, 30) Atlanta, GA
9. 24:25 ~ Angel Godwin (F, 39) Valdosta, GA
10. 24:34 ~ Debbie Green (F, 46) Valdosta, GA

Valdosta Azalea Festival 5K champions, 2001-2013
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
17 March 2001
16 March 2002
15 March 2003
13 March 2004
12 March 2005
11 March 2006	16:51 ~ Andrew Minnicks	20:34 ~ Susan Fischer	123
10 March 2007	17:17 ~ Todd Smoot	19:33 ~ Melissa Daugherty	152
15 March 2008	16:56 ~ John Seppala	21:46 ~ Brandi Faircloth	143
14 March 2009	18:16 ~ Chris Gaither	20:40 ~ Mary Anne Grayson	155
13 March 2010	16:46 ~ Brandon Skiles	20:54 ~ Brandi Faircloth	126
12 March 2011	17:39 ~ James Marino	20:39 ~ Alice Smoot	131
10 March 2012	20:33 ~ Toby Wilkey	22:10 ~ Christie Kingsbury	109
9 March 2013	16:17 ~ Jesse Prince	20:10 ~ Danielle Jarnagin	125

Links

• Complete results of the 2013 Valdosta Azalea Festival 5K
  http://www.runningintheusa.com/Results/View.aspx?ResultsID=113099
  
  
• 2011 story, "Valdosta celebrates azaleas; Marino and Smoot celebrate wins"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/03/azalea-fest-2011.html
  
  
• Find more upcoming flowery races in the region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

Prince rules fourth annual Winterfest 5K

In 2011, Jesse Prince defeated two-time champion and event record-holder Chris Rice in Valdosta's third annual Winterfest 5K. In 2012, Jesse Prince defeated two-time champion and event record-holder Chris Rice in Valdosta's fourth annual Winterfest 5K. In this 1 December 2012 Winterfest, though, Prince broke Rice's event record, setting a new mark of 15:49. The Valdosta State University cross-country runner had clocked the first sub-16:00 in Winterfest 5K history. Rice, now an assistant cross-country coach at Valdosta State, ran 17:01 in the runner-up spot. In a battle for third place, VSU student Chad Albers edged out Lowndes HS freshman cross-country runner Chance Roe, 17:56.1 to 17:56.7.


Another VSU cross-country runner, Juliana Boehm, was the first female finisher in the 2012 Winterfest 5K, placing 13th overall in 19:40. Allison Peters just nipped Danielle Jarnagin for the second female spot, 20:17 to 20:19. Peters is a member of the junior class and the cross-country team at Lowndes HS; Jarnagin is on the cross-country squad at VSU.


The fastest master runner in the race was Valdosta's Thomas Phillips, who ran 19th overall in 20:50. The first female master to finish was Debbie Green of Valdosta; Green ran 24:36 for 50th.


136 athletes finished the 3.1-mile race.



Top Ten Males

1. 15:48.5 ~ Jesse Prince (M, 21) Bonaire, GA
2. 17:00.2 ~ Christopher Rice (M, 23) Loganville, GA
3. 17:56.1 ~ Chad Albers (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
4. 17:56.7 ~ Chance Roe (M, 14) Valdosta, GA
5. 18:10.0 ~ Masked Avenger (M, 33) Lake Park, GA
6. 18:42.1 ~ Tyler Thurman (M, 17) Valdosta, GA
7. 18:53.6 ~ Steven Cary (M, 24) Milledgeville, GA
8. 18:56.2 ~ Carlos Ponce (M, 18) Acworth, GA
9. 19:02.3 ~ Jadon Long (M, 16) Hahira, GA
10. 19:05.4 ~ David Jones (M, 17) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Females

1. 19:39.4 ~ Juliana Boehm (F, 22) Kirschberg, Germany
2. 20:16.6 ~ Alison Peters (F, 16) Valdosta, GA
3. 20:18.8 ~ Danielle Jarnagin (F, 18) Lilburn, GA
4. 20:44.3 ~ Ashley Luther (F, 21) Columbus, GA
5. 20:55.3 ~ Kelsey Morse (F, 10) Valdosta, GA
6. 21:45.6 ~ April Meeks (F, 21) Bonaire, GA
7. 22:02.3 ~ Corie Gutierrez (F, 19) Marietta, GA
8. 22:05.2 ~ Lisa Connelly (F, 20) Dacula, GA
9. 22:34.4 ~ Madeline Posse (F, 12) Valdosta, GA
10. 22:43.7 ~ Melissa Roe (F, 34) Valdosta, GA

Valdosta's Winterfest 5K winners, 2009-2011
Date	Men	Women
5 Dec 2009	15:59, Chris Rice	21:01, Stephanie Harley
4 Dec 2010	16:17, Chris Rice	19:10, Jordanne Helton
3 Dec 2011	16:29, Jesse Prince	19:58, Jordanne Helton
1 Dec 2012	15:49, Jesse Prince	19:40, Juliana Boehm

Links

• Complete results of the 2012 Winterfest 5K courtesy of A Course/Line
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AuBsYKIIn3TCdEN1Y2FmU0UtNkdVUlF5cXR0cE4yUFE
  
  
• Photos of the 2012 Winterfest 5K by Tom Durham
  http://tdurham.zenfolio.com/p203687847
  
  
• 2011 story, "Rice and Helton celebrate Winterfest with wins"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/12/winterfest-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, "Prince unseats Rice while Helton repeats at Winterfest"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/12/winterfest-2010.html
  
  
• Upcoming races in Valdosta and other places in the Tallahassee region
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  
  

Jesse Prince is the first to break 16:00 at the St. John 5K

Just seven days after competing in the Gulf South Conference cross-country championships, Valdosta State University Blazer distance runners Jesse Prince and Nate Wondimu were tearing up the streets of Valdosta in the ninth annual St. John Road Race on Saturday morning, 27 October 2012. Prince took the title in the 5K race, setting a new course record of 15:54, while Wondimu was runner-up, 60 meters back in 16:06. Wondimu was also under the old course record of 16:09, set two years ago by Chris Rice. Rice himself finished third in 16:09 behind Prince and Wondimu. As a student assistant cross-country coach for VSU, Rice works with both Prince and Wondimu.  Another Blazer distance man D. J. Smith was fourth in 17:19, and Lowndes High cross-country runner Tyler Thurman finished fifth in 18:20. The top master in the race was Valdosta's Rick Mazurkiewicz, 13th overall in 20:28.


Nine-year-old Kelsey Morse of the Vikings Runners Club was the first female finisher in the St John Road Race, recording a 21:29 on the 3.1-mile course and coming in 19th overall. Lowndes High swimming coach Angie Bruhl was the second female, placing 21st overall in 22:00. Melissa Rowe (26th, 22:24) placed third in the women's competition. The fourth female finisher, Libby Smith, narrowly beat out Heidi Gonzalez for the top woman master spot, 22:43 to 22:46.


288 athletes finished the 2012 St. John Road Race 5K, slightly down from last year's total of 296, but still one of the largest road races in Valdosta. The race started and finished at St John The Evangelist Catholic School in Valdosta, Georgia. Proceeds of the race went to benefit the school.


Top Ten Men, 2012 St. John Road Race

1. 15:53.2 ~ Jesse Prince (M, 21) Valdosta, GA
2. 16:05.9 ~ Nathinael Wondimu (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
3. 16:44.8 ~ Christopher Rice (M, 23) Valdosta, GA
4. 17:18.1 ~ DJ Smith (M, 24) Valdosta, GA
5. 18:19.2 ~ Tyler Thurman (M, 17) Valdosta, GA
6. 18:30.0 ~ Matthew Baun (M, 13) Valdosta, GA
7. 18:40.3 ~ Carlos Ponce (M, 18)
8. 19:34.8 ~ Colin Prinsloo (M, 26)
9. 19:50.9 ~ Jeffrey Roland (M, 30)
10. 19:59.4 ~ David Amiot (M, 21)

Top Ten Women, 2012 St. John Road Race

1. 21:28.2 ~ Kelsey Morse (F, 9)
2. 21:59.6 ~ Angie Bruhl (F, 29) Valdosta, GA
3. 22:24.0 ~ Melissa Roe (F, 34)
4. 22:42.8 ~ Libby Smith (F, 41)
5. 22:45.8 ~ Heidi Gonzalez (F, 40)
6. 22:46.5 ~ Elizabeth Smith (F, 34)
7. 23:00.2 ~ Jessie Usry (F, 22)
8. 23:07.0 ~ Eryn Wilkey (F, 9)
9. 23:09.4 ~ Joi Jones (F, 17)
10. 23:19.8 ~ Destiny Roe (F, 12)

Winners of the St. John School 5K Road Race, 2004-2012
Date	Men	Women
30 OCT 2004	16:17 John Seppala	20:26 Susan Fischer
29 OCT 2005	16:10 Andy Minnicks	18:32 Melissa Daugherty
28 OCT 2006	16:26 Brandon Young	19:27 Melissa Daugherty
27 OCT 2007	16:38 D. J. Smith	19:06 Jana Grygarova
25 OCT 2008	17:23 Corey Stejback	19:57 Ashley Rall-McGee
31 OCT 2009	17:55 Marc Kaiser	19:42 Ashley McGee
30 OCT 2010	16:09 Chris Rice	21:03 Brandi Faircloth
29 OCT 2011	17:44 Austin Wallace	21:27 Amy Sharon
27 OCT 2012	15:54 Jesse Prince	21:29 Kelsey Morse

Links

• Complete results of the 2011 St John School 5K
  [ Coming soon. Please check back! ]
  
  
• Tom Durham's photos of the 2012 St John School 5K
  http://tdurham.zenfolio.com/p517777292
  
  
• 2011 story, "Wallace takes a time out from trails to win St John 5K"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/11/st-john-2011.html
  
  
• Find an upcoming race to run in Valdosta or any other city within 100 miles of Tallahassee
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1