Keystone Heights, Florida's fourth annual Freedom 5K on Tuesday morning, 4 July 2022, was larger than its three predecessors. For the first time, more than 200 athletes crossed the finish line. Troy Winkler of Sanderson, Florida led that record field across the finish line. A rising senior on the cross-country team at Baker County High, Sanderson won the race in 16:33. Gainesville, Florida athlete Maggie McCloskey was the first woman in the 5K for the third year in a row, placing seventeenth overall in 21:50.Gainesville's Julian Bautista finished runner-up for the second year in a row; his second-place time in the 2023 race was 17:39. Tyler Griffin was also a returnee, but the Keystone Heights High cross-country runner improved from fourth place in the 2022 race to third in 2023, running 17:55. Jamie Moss of Fleming Island, Florida was the first master runner in the Freedom 5K, eighteenth overall in 22:12.
Olivia Griffin of Keystone Heights took second in the women's division, placing 21st overall in 22:42. A rising frosh on the Keystone Heights High cross-country team, Griffin had been the fourth woman in the 2022 Freedom 5K. Elkton, Florida's Carolyn Corgel repeated as the top woman master in the race. In the 2023 5K she ran 22:46, finishing as the third woman and 22nd overall.
219 athletes finished the 2023 Keystone Heights Freedom 5K. Florida Race Day, LLC, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida chip-timed the race.
Top Ten Men, 2023 Keystone Heights Freedom 5K
- 16:32.04, Troy Winkler (M, 18) Sanderson, FL
- 17:38.70, Julian Bautista (M, 19) Gainesville, FL
- 17:54.57, Tyler Griffin (M, 17) Keystone Heights, FL
- 18:11.36, Ray Gottschalk (M, 16) Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
- 18:19.52, Stuart Robertson (M, 29) Starke, FL
- 18:27.44, Ryan Collins (M, 28) Keystone Heights, FL
- 18:33.07, Noah Yara (M, 15) Lawtey, FL
- 18:49.62, Ryder Thomas (M, 14) Keystone Heights, FL
- 19:44.96, Trey Nelson (M, 27) Sandy, UT
- 19:45.35, Caleb Baker (M, 16) Florahome, FL
Top Ten Women, 2023 Keystone Heights Freedom 5K
- 21:49.67, Maggie McCloskey (F, 30) Gainesville, FL
- 22:41.69, Olivia Griffin (F, 14) Keystone Heights, FL
- 22:45.14, Carolyn Corgel (F, 65) Elkton, FL
- 24:27.27, Meghan Bishop (F, 42) Lake Butler, FL
- 24:23.47, R. Thomas (F, 10) Keystone Heights, FL
- 26:45.31, Francesca Enea (F, 35) Orlando, FL
- 27:35.41, A. Yara (F, 12) Lawtey, FL
- 27:35.34, Abigail Robinson (F, 14) Gainesville, FL
- 27:52.59, Melody Tyre (F, 13) Keystone Heights, FL
- 28:40.10, Melissa Watson (F, 58) Damascus, AR
| Keystone Heights Freedom 5K winners, 2020 - 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Men | Women | Finishers |
| 4 July 2020 | 16:25, Matthew Stratton | 16:57, Eden Meyer | 96 |
| 3 July 2021 | 17:01, Cohen MacDonald | 21:14, Maggie McCloskey | 160 |
| 2 July 2022 | 16:00, Noah Wasserman | 22:05, Maggie McCloskey | 138 |
| 4 July 2023 | 16:33, Troy Winkler | 21:50, Maggie McCloskey | 219 |
Links
- Complete results of the 2023 Keystone Heights Freedom Run 5K
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSraxxxM0ohRubmdbssLqcMGYmWPkMcrik2erBC6j_0ilWetfIpDsrLgpwe_CWjTZqKOhGfEmdWGSHs/pubhtml
- Independence Day 2023 racing coverage on Trouble Afoot!
- Gainesville FL: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2023/07/ftc-melon-2023.html
- Jay FL: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2023/07/jay-freedom-2023.html
- Keystone Heights FL: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2023/07/keystone-heights-freedom-2023.html
- Tallahassee FL: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2023/07/firecracker-2023.html
- Valdosta GA: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2023/07/valdosta-independence-2023.html
- 2022 story, “High performance racing in Keystone Heights for Noah Wasserman and Maggie McCloskey”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/07/keystone-heights-freedom-2022.html
- Find more red, white, and blue races on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
