Showing posts with label Madison Harris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Madison Harris. Show all posts

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Calhoun and Harris are first in the Freedom 5K

South of Tallahassee, Florida in Wakulla Springs State Park, Wright Calhoun outran a field of 138 athletes to win the fourth annual Freedom 5K. Calhoun's time on the sandy 3.1-mile course was 17:48. Madison Harris won the women's title, placing sixth overall in 20:00.


Calhoun led the race almost from the very start, rolling up a lead of over 100 meters on Dan Baur, who finished runner-up in 18:12. Just months away from starting his first collegiate cross country season at Columbus State University, Calhoun had mostly positive things to say about the race.

Wright Calhoun

"I thought it was a blast," said Calhoun. "The course was gorgeous. I really love the trees. I did run into a spiderweb, though."


It was probably one of the area's many golden orb spiders, familiar to anyone who spends time in the Big Bend's forests during the warm months. The 137 runners trailing Calhoun can be grateful that he knocked down the web for them. Calhoun didn't do anything to settle the sand for his pursuers, though. After a stretch of dry weather, the sand roads that made up much of the course were especially soft and difficult to run on.


"I was so loose it was like beach running," said Myles Gibson. Gibson, from Donalsonville, Georgia, was the fastest master runner in the race, coming in third overall in 19:01.

Dan Baur

"That was brutal," concurred Brittney Skiles, a cross country and track coach at Truett McConnell University.


Skiles had led the women's field in the early going, before being caught by Madison Harris. "We ran together till about two miles, then she took off," said Skiles.


"Just past the two-mile mark," agreed Harris. "Coach had told me who she was, and I knew she was Margaret Wiedeman's coach, but that was all."

Madison Harris

Mostly, though, Harris knew that Skiles was someone she wanted to beat that day. In the last mile Harris opened up a gap of nearly a minute on her way to finishing first in the women's division. It was Harris' third win in the Freedom 5K, and even with the bad footing her 20:00 time was her fastest performance yet on the course.


"I knew it was going to be sandy," said Harris. "But not that sandy!"


Skiles was second in the women's standings, placing tenth overall in 20:56. Alli Hay, a rising senior on the Pataula Academy cross country team, was the third female finisher and eleventh overall in 21:11.

Brittney Skiles

Hosted by the Wakulla High Cross Country Boosters, proceeds of the fourth annual Freedom 5K went to support Wakulla High Cross Country team. "This is our major fundraiser of the year," said Wakulla High cross country coach Paul Hoover.


Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee chip-timed the race.


Myles GibsonTop Ten Men, 2016 Freedom 5K
  1. 17:48 ~ Wright Calhoun (M, 18)
  2. 18:12 ~ Dan Baur (M, 30)
  3. 19:01 ~ Myles Gibson (M, 50)
  4. 19:08 ~ Paul Guyas (M, 38)
  5. 19:40 ~ Lane Williams (M, 20)
  6. 20:35 ~ Duane Evans (M, 49)
  7. 20:45 ~ Philip Sura (M, 46)
  8. 20:45 ~ Travis Parks (M, 20)
  9. 21:20 ~ Matthias Laywell (M, 18)
  10. 21:31 ~ David Yon (M, 60)

Alli HayTop Ten Women, 2016 Freedom 5K
  1. 20:00 ~ Madison Harris (F, 20)
  2. 20:56 ~ Brittney Skiles (F, 27)
  3. 21:11 ~ Alli Hay (F, 17)
  4. 21:41 ~ Haleigh Martin (F, 16)
  5. 22:10 ~ Cora Atkinson (F, 22)
  6. 22:55 ~ Margaret Wiedeman (F, 20)
  7. 23:14 ~ Megan Webb (F, 23)
  8. 23:22 ~ Emily Smith (F, 31)
  9. 24:28 ~ Alissa Langston (F, 15)
  10. 24:46 ~ Lydia Wiedeman (F, 19)

Freedom 5K winners, 2013 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
29 June 201317:33, Stanley Linton21:12, Madison Harris107
28 June 201419:23, Reikan Lin20:12, Madison Harris82
27 June 201517:36, Zack DeVeau19:51, Katie Sherron173
25 June 201617:48, Wright Calhoun20:00, Madison Harris138


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Saturday, June 28, 2014

Lin and Harris post Freedom 5K wins

Madison Harris and Reikan LinWith less than 500 meters left to run, Reikan Lin swung around Lane Williams to take the lead, then raced home to win the second annual Freedom Run 5K at Wakulla Springs on Saturday morning, 29 June 2014. Lin ran 19:23 to Lane's 19:28. Less than a minute later, Seminole-to-be Madison Harris crossed the finish line in 20:12, winning the women's title for a second year straight.


The run started at 8:30 AM on the paved roads in Wakulla Springs State Park, but before the runners had gone 400 meters they were across highway 61 and headed toward Cherokee Sink on a one-lane dirt road, a green tunnel through the forest. Lane Williams was out front on the way to the sink. At the halfway point of the race, near the sink itself, the runners reversed course to return to Wakulla Springs. Williams was nearly 100 meters ahead at the start of the return trip, with Reikan Lin in second and Tallahassee master runner Joel Piotrowski trailing in third. Williams was as far ahead as he would ever get, though. On the way back, Lin and Piotrowski started to close the gap. The race was on.


Lane Williams"In the woods he [Williams] looked back," Lin recalled about the race back from the sink. "He saw me and picked up the pace."


Williams was still in front coming out of the forest, but Lin was right behind him as they re-crossed highway 61. Back on pavement with less than half a kilometer to go, Lin passed Williams and started to open a gap. With the finish line approaching, Williams accelerated one more time, but Lin had gotten too far ahead. It was Lin for the win, 19:23 to 19:28. Piotrowski was the top master in the race, finishing third overall in 19:42.


Lane Williams and Reikan LinIt may have been a valedictory race for Lin, who is leaving the Tallahassee area to pursue graduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lin may be giving up running in Florida, but he isn't giving up running. "I'm already starting to check out the running scene up there," he said.


Madison Harris, on the other hand, should be in the Tallahassee area for at least a few more years. When Harris won the first Freedom Run 5K in 2013, she had hardly ever run a 5K before. By the time she had finished running cross country for Wakulla High that fall, though, she had run quite a few 5K races. One of those was the state championship, where she placed ninth. Early in 2014, right before track season, Harris signed a National Letter of Intent to compete for Florida State University starting in fall 2014. That means that Harris will be in the area, but it also meant that Seminole Coach Karen Harvey had something to say about Harris' race at Wakulla.


Madison Harris"She wanted me to run it as a workout," explained Harris. "I was supposed to run 6:30 pace."


Coach Harvey should hope that all her athletes follow instruction so closely. To the nearest second, 6:30 per mile pace for a 5K is 20:12, the exact time that Harris ran. Harris followed Renee Cox at the front of the women's field for the first half of the race, then passed Cox on the way back from Cherokee Sink. After that the race belonged to Harris. Cox was the women's runner-up, finishing sixth overall in 21:07. Kayla Webbe edged out Cora Atkinson for third in the women's standings, both runners clocked in 22:32. Paula O'Neill was the first woman master, coming in 16th overall in 23:40.


82 athletes finished the race. The event was hosted by the Wakulla High Cross-Country Boosters as a fundraiser for the school's cross-country program.


Top Ten Men, 2014 Freedom 5K
  1. 19:22.67 ~ Reikan Lin (M, 24) Tallahassee, FLJoel Piotrowski
  2. 19:27.26 ~ Lane Williams (M, 18) Crawfordville, FL
  3. 19:41.92 ~ Joel Piotrowski (M, 44) Tallahassee, FL
  4. 20:15.40 ~ Shane Varn (M, 25) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 21:30.34 ~ Mathias Laywell (M, 16) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 21:36.22 ~ Michael Kennett (M, 40) Tallahassee, FL
  7. 21:54.91 ~ Michael LaBossiere (M, 48) Tallahassee, FL
  8. 22:13.87 ~ Josh Dismuke (M, 21) Crawfordville, FL
  9. 22:26.77 ~ Eric Laywell (M, 49) Tallahassee, FL
  10. 23:35.19 ~ David Anderson (M, 63) Tallahassee, FL

Top Ten Women, 2014 Freedom 5K
  1. 20:12.00 ~ Madison Harris (F, 18) Panacea, FLRenee Cox
  2. 21:06.93 ~ Renee Cox (F, 27) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 22:31.75 ~ Kayla Webbe (F, 17) Chesterfield, FL
  4. 22:31.98 ~ Cora Atkinson (F, 20) Crawfordville, FL
  5. 23:05.52 ~ Urska Dobersek (F, 31) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 23:39.67 ~ Paula O'Neill (F, 53) Tallahassee, FL
  7. 23:45.52 ~ Margaret Wiedeman (F, 18) Crawfordville, FL
  8. 23:51.68 ~ Jennifer Shafer (F, 46) Tallahassee, FL
  9. 24:34.43 ~ Layla Thompson (F, 9) Tallahassee, FL
  10. 24:46.77 ~ Elizabeth Stevens (F, 34) Crawfordville, FL

Freedom 5K winners, 2013-2014
DateMenWomenFinishers
29 June 201317:33, Stanley Linton21:12, Madison Harris107
28 June 201419:23, Reikan Lin20:12, Madison Harris82


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Monday, February 10, 2014

Wakulla High senior Madison Harris signs with Florida State

Madison HarrisThere's still an entire outdoor track season ahead of us, high school athletes are already signing National Letters of Intent for the colleges they will be competing for next year. On Monday afternoon, 10 February 2014, Wakulla High distance runner Madison Harris signed with the Florida State University Lady Seminoles under Coach Karen Harvey.


With a long history of playing soccer, Harris came to running late. She first competed for Wakulla during the spring of 2012, her sophomore year, specializing in the 800 meters. Harris finished that first season with a bronze medal in the FHSAA class 2A girls' 800m state finals, placing third in 2:16.80. Returning in 2013, she took silver in the 800 at the FHSAA class 2A state meet, placing second in 2:15.36.


Madison HarrisIn the fall of her senior year Harris was ready to try cross country. She started her high school cross-country career with a win in the girls' 5,000-meter race at the Cougar XC Challenge in Tallahassee. By the end of the season Harris had won four races and placed ninth in the FHSAA class 2A State Finals in Tallahassee. Not a bad rookie year.


With credentials like that you're going to be expected to continue your endeavours at the collegiate level. After many visits and conversations, and much soul searching, Madison Harris decided that after Wakulla High she would be taking her game to Florida State University--the school where her mother, Janie, had run distance from 1984 to 1986. There are still many races to be run for the Wakulla War Eagles this spring, but come autumn, Madison Harris will be running cross country for the Garnet and Gold.


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Sunday, September 1, 2013

Harris and Khosla take on all challengers at the Challenge

Madison HarrisFrom 2006 to 2011 Godby's Cougar Challenge marked the start of high school cross-country season in Florida's Big Bend. The meet treated athletes to a, well, challenging course on the slopes and trails of Tallahassee's Phipps Park. The Cougar Challenge went missing in 2012, but it was back on the calendar in 2013, so the harriers were back in Phipps Park on August 31.


Godby Cougar Cross-Country ChallengeCompetition opened with the 5K for high school girls at 8:00 AM. Running through fog, Wakulla High senior Madison Harris had the lead by midway through the second kilometer, with Meagan Giddens of Taylor County and Margaret Wiedeman following closely. The race didn't stay close, though, as Harris steadily widened the gap en route to a 20:35 win. Sophomore Giddens was second in 21:09, and Margaret Wiedeman third in 22:14. As Taylor County's sole entry, Giddens didn't count in the team standings, giving the Wakulla girls three points for their first two runners, the strongest start possible. But while Wakulla waited for its third runner, Leon High put Gray Kinch (4th, 22:44), Zoe Sheldon (5th, 22:47), Audrey Dogan (6th, 23:00), and Grace Lockhart (7th, 23:00) across the line. Add Mary Dixon (10th, 23:12) and Leon had all five scorers in the top ten, giving the Lions a mathematically unbeatable 27 points and the team title. Wakulla scored 58 points to take the runner-up spot, while the Maclay School girls were third with 67.


Team Standings, High School Girls, 2013 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge
Leon High School
  1. Leon High School, 27
  2. Wakulla High School, 58
  3. Maclay School, 67
  4. Lincoln High School, 98
  5. Aucilla Christian Academy, 123
  6. Florida High School, 153

Top Ten High School Girls, 2013 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge
  1. 20:34.79 ~ Madison Harris (Wakulla) 12
  2. Meagan Giddens21:08.14 ~ Meagan Giddens (Taylor County) 10
  3. 22:13.82 ~ Margaret Wiedeman (Wakulla) 12
  4. 22:43.20 ~ Gray Kinch (Leon) 9
  5. 22:46.04 ~ Zoe Sheldon (Leon) 9
  6. 22:59.05 ~ Audrey Dogan (Leon) 9
  7. 22:59.41 ~ Grace Lockhart (Leon) 10
  8. 23:09.59 ~ Lydia Wiedeman (Wakulla) 11
  9. 23:09.80 ~ Savannah Fisher (Lincoln) 12
  10. 23:11.51 ~ Mary Dixon (Leon) 11

What Madison Harris did to the field in the girls race, Sukhi Khosla did to the boys. The Leon High junior recorded a 16:47 win in the 3.1-mile race finishing nearly half a minute ahead of the runner-up, Griffith Rutherford (2nd, 17:15) of North Florida Christian. Maclay School runners Connor Daughton (3rd, 17:42) and Jack Rutledge (4th, 17:46) followed, and with Jake Mazziotta (7th, 18:12) Maclay had three runners in the top ten. Leon countered with top-ten finishes by Wil Luca (6th, 18:07), Kyle Buchholz (8th, 18:20), Jarod Hoffman (9th, 18:22), and James Dodson (10th, 18:24), giving the Lions five runners in the top ten, 34 points, and the team title. Maclay earned runner-up honors with 42 points, while North Florida Christian edged Wakulla 122 to 124 for third.


Team Standings, High School Boys, 2013 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge
  1. Leon High School boys cross-country teamLeon High School, 34
  2. Maclay School, 42
  3. North Florida Christian, 122
  4. Wakulla High School, 124
  5. Lincoln High School, 129
  6. Chiles High School, 143
  7. Aucilla Christian Academy, 159
  8. Florida State University School, 214
  9. North Bay Haven, 276

Top Ten High School Boys, 2013 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge
  1. 16:46.31 ~ Sukhi Khosla (Leon) 11
  2. 17:14.08 ~ Griffith Rutherford (North Florida Christian) 12
  3. 17:41.01 ~ James Connor Daughton (Maclay) 12
  4. 17:45.66 ~ Jack Rutledge (Maclay) 12
  5. 18:00.73 ~ Hunter Scott (Lincoln) 11
  6. 18:06.83 ~ Wil Luca (Leon) 11
  7. 18:11.49 ~ Jake Mazziotta (Maclay) 9
  8. 18:19.15 ~ Kyle Buchholz (Leon) 11
  9. 18:21.77 ~ Jarod Hoffman (Leon) 12
  10. 18:23.24 ~ James Dodson (Leon) 10

In the two-mile race for middle school girls, Maclay School sixth-grader Regan Hermeling took individual honors, outrunning runner-up Summer Williams of Florida State University School 14:52 to 15:26. But you need five runners to have a team in cross country, and Fairview was the only school to put five runners on the course. Led by Paris King (3rd, 15:30), Fairview won an unopposed team title, scoring a perfect 15 points.


Top Ten Middle School Girls, 2013 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge
  1. 14:51.62 ~ Regan Hermeling (Maclay) 6
  2. 15:25.52 ~ Summer Williams (Florida State) 7
  3. 15:29.02 ~ Paris King (Fairview) 7
  4. 15:38.44 ~ Carina Richardson (Fairview) 8
  5. 15:41.92 ~ Kamryn Brown (Flor​ida State) 7
  6. 16:11.06 ~ Nadia Batchelor (Maclay) 8
  7. 16:15.77 ~ Jirah Arnold (Fairview) 7
  8. 16:16.52 ~ Kiarra Jordan (Fairview) 7
  9. 16:20.33 ~ Olivia Borshel (Maclay) 6
  10. 16:23.99 ~ Rosalea Marshall (Raa) 8

Augusta Raa Middle School, a perennial contender in cross-country in the Leon County Schools' middle school competition, gave notice that they may be back in 2013. The first league meet was still ahead, scheduled for 4 September 2013 at Fort Braden, but at the Cougar Challenge Jacob Dodson and Benjamin Smith went one-two for the Rams, running 12:28 and 13:14. Smith had been in a dogfight for the runner-up spot, coming in just ahead of Maclay's Max Eastman (3rd, 13:16), Fairview's Joseph Jones (4th, 13:17), and Raa's Drew Feeley (5th, 13:17). With Dodson, Smith, and Feeley accounting for eight points, Raa went on to score 41, winning the team title. Maclay School made it into the runner-up spot just ahead of Fairview Middle, 61 to 62.


Team Standings, Middle School Boys, 2013 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge
  1. Raa M​iddle​ School, 41
  2. Maclay​ School, 61
  3. Fairview M​iddle​ School, 62
  4. Commun​ity Chr​istian School, 72
  5. Flor​ida State University​ School, 96

Top Ten Middle School Boys, 2013 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge
  1. 12:27.05 Jacob​ Do​dson (Raa) 8
  2. 13:13.13 Benjamin​ Sm​ith (Raa) 8
  3. 13:15.69 M​ax E​astman (Maclay) 7
  4. 13:16.20 J​oseph Jon​es (Fairview) 8
  5. 13:16.70​ Drew​ Feeley (Raa) 8
  6. 13:21.51 Avery Whaley (Commun​ity) 7
  7. 13:23.12 Harr​ison Obrec​ht (Maclay) 8
  8. 13:33.36​ Tow​nse​nd Porcher (Fairview) 7​
  9. 13:35.21 Pace Wi​lson (Maclay​) 8
  10. 13:36.39​ Thor​ Swa​nson (Flor​ida State) 8

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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Linton and Harris break loose at Freedom 5K

Stanley LintonRain and thunderstorms swept across Florida's Big Bend region on Saturday morning, 29 June 2013, but a little bit of water couldn't keep more than a hundred athletes from showing up at Wakulla Springs State Park for the inaugural Freedom 5K. Racing on soggy dirt roads under a light rain, Stanley Linton picked up his 15th win of the year, running 17:33. Gary Droze was the fastest master in the Freedom 5K, finishing third overall in 18:33. The first female finisher was Wakulla High rising senior Madison Harris, 11th overall in 21:12, and the top female master was Tallahassee's Jacque Myers, 26th overall in 26:44.


Brian GriffithAs 8:00 AM approached that morning and a light shower fell, the runners made their way to the starting line in Wakulla Springs. After a few final instructions the race was on. Stanley Linton, a NROTC midshipman at Florida State University, bolted to the front. Maclay School track coach Gary Droze led the pursuit initially, but by the time the runners crossed Wakulla Springs Road and left the pavement, Florida High track coach Brian Griffith had taken over second, while Jasen Fulghum moved up to challenge Droze. On the trek through the woods to Cherokee Sink and back, Linton lengthened his lead over Griffith. Coach Droze never lost sight of Coach Griffith, but ultimately failed to close the gap, even while dropping Griffith. Returning to the pavement in the park, Linton finished the race in 17:33 as the first-ever Freedom 5K champion, over 200 meters ahead of Griffith. Griffith clocked in as runner-up at 18:19, while master runner Droze was third in 18:33. Jasen Fulghum took fourth in 19:07.


Madison HarrisMadison Harris ended her race with a strong finish, moving up to 11th place in the final yards and recording a 21:12 for the 3.1-mile run. Harris crossed the line more than half a kilometer ahead of the women's runner-up, Urska Dobersek of Tallahassee. Dobersek's time was 23:48, good for 17th overall. Wakulla High alumna and Florida State frosh Cora Atkinson took the third women's spot, placing 20th overall in 24:15. Tallahassee master runner Jacque Myers was the fourth woman finisher, 26th overall in 26:44.


107 runners finished the first-year race, hosted as a fundraiser for Wakulla High School cross country team by the team's booster club.


Top Ten Males, 2013 Freedom 5K
    Gary Droze
  1. 17:33 ~ Stanley Linton (M, 19) Crawfordville, FL
  2. 18:19 ~ Brian Griffith (M, 28) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 18:33 ~ Gary Droze (M, 52) Tallahassee, FL
  4. 19:07 ~ Jasen Fulghum (M, 29) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 20:11 ~ Elijah Ingram (M, 17) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 20:15 ~ Michael Kennett (M, 39) Tallahassee, FL
  7. 20:26 ~ David Harrell (M, 28) Monticello, FL
  8. 20:31 ~ Joel Piotrowski (M, 43) Tallahassee, FL
  9. 20:33 ~ Joshua Dismuke (M, 20) Crawfordville, FL
  10. 20:38 ~ Duane Evans (M, 46) Crawfordville, FL

Top Ten Females, 2013 Freedom 5K
    Urska Dobersek
  1. 21:12 ~ Madison Harris (F, 17) Panacea, FL
  2. 23:48 ~ Urska Dobersek (F, 30) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 24:15 ~ Cora Atkinson (F, 19) Crawfordville, FL
  4. 26:44 ~ Jacque Myers (F, 56) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 26:52 ~ Kelley El-Urfali (F, 49) Crawfordville, FL
  6. 27:06 ~ Amanda Barker (F, 14) Crawfordville, FL
  7. 27:08 ~ Raychel Gray (F, 18) Crawfordville, FL
  8. 27:14 ~ Savanna Harris (F, 18) Panacea, FL
  9. 27:28 ~ Mar'Rhea Everhart (F, 18) Tallahassee, FL
  10. 27:56 ~ Aaysha Williams (F, 13) Tallahassee, FL

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