Showing posts with label Monticello (FL). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monticello (FL). Show all posts

Monday, June 19, 2023

Matt Herndon and Ann Centner make winning debuts in Monticello's Melon Run

Back in 1979, a Valdosta State cross-country runner won the first 5K Melon Run in Monticello, Florida. On Saturday morning, 17 June 2023, another Valdosta State cross-country runner won Monticello's 44th Melon Run. Matt Herndon was that runner, going 17:09 for in the 3.1-mile street race. Ann Centner of Tallahassee, Florida was the first woman in the race, placing third overall in 17:38.

Start of the 2021 Monticello Melon Run
Start of the 2021 Melon Run

To take first, Herndon had to outrun Tallahassee's Leonardo Canete, the 2021 Melon Run champion. Canete was the top master runner in the 2023 race, finishing runner-up to Herndon in 17:09. Leon High cross-country runner Cadden Maxwell was third in the men's standings, coming in fourth overall in 17:50.


I couldn't say whether or not any woman has ever run faster than 17:38 at the Melon Run, but before Ann Centner hit that mark in the 2023 race, Laura Ledbetter had gone 17:38 as the top woman in the 1981 5K. Averi Lewis of Tallahassee was second to Centner in the 2023 5K, running 20:26 for twentieth overall. Another Tallahassee athlete, Brittney Barnes, was the third woman in the race and 23rd overall in 20:56. Kory Skrob of Tallahassee was the first woman master and seventh female finisher, 35th overall in 22:14.


267 athletes finished the Monticello Kiwanis' 2023 Melon Run 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee chip-timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2023 Melon Run 5K
  1. 17:09, Matt Herndon (M, 19) Valdosta, GA
  2. 17:34, Leonardo Canete (M, 44)
  3. 17:50, Cadden Maxwell (M, 16)
  4. 18:10, Brad Busboom (M, 35)
  5. 18:27, Michael Rhodes (M, 54)
  6. 18:29, Enijah Thomas (M, 16)
  7. 18:29, Daniel Cook (M, 34)
  8. 18:33, Ryan Truchelut (M, 37)
  9. 18:51, Mickey Moore (M, 53)
  10. 19:00, Ryan McCreary (M, 15)

Top Ten Women, 2023 Melon Run 5K
  1. 17:38, Ann Centner (F, 31) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 20:26, Averi Lewis (F, 26)
  3. 20:56, Brittney Barnes (F, 35)
  4. 21:32, Alyssa Terry (F, 29)
  5. 21:36, Morgan Wilson (F, 19)
  6. 21:53, Madison Sims (F, 16)
  7. 22:14, Kory Skrob (F, 52)
  8. 22:53, Monica Toth (F, 34)
  9. 23:20, Ana Garcia (F, 30)
  10. 23:24, Nicole Wilson (F, 48)

Known winners of the Monticello Melon Run 5K, 1979 - 2023
DateMenWomenFinishers
23 June 197915:39, Gary Slayton20:36, Carolyn Crochet
28 June 198015:28, Gary Slayton19:49, Debbie Dickson
1981

19 June 198215:10, Andy Whitener17:38, Laura Ledbetter
18 June 1983
23 June 198415:37, Gary Slayton19:45, Cindy Walker
22 June 198516:09, Felton Wright19:12, Barbara Balzer
21 June 198615:55, Bill Crooks18:32, Karen MacHarg
20 June 198716:14, Bill Crooks19:33, Peggy Johnson257
25 June 198815:47, Bill Crooks18:18, Karen MacHarg324
24 June 198915:02, Jeff Pigg19:05, Vikki Saga
23 June 199015:20, Jessie Close18:06, Karen MacHarg
22 June 199115:23, Phillip Rowan19:34, Vikki Saga
20 June 199215:10, Jessie Close18:35, Lynda Nilges386
26 June 199316:07, Bill Crooks19:37, Sue Kany
29 June 199416:13, Gary Droze18:49, Sarah Heeb
24 June 199514:57, John Charlton19:54, Sissi Carroll
22 June 199615:50, David Ogletree 18:24, Carrie Weyant
28 June 199715:51, Gary Droze 18:19, Jane Johnson
27 June 199816:33, Tommy Kunish17:51, Sarah Docter-Williams
26 June 199916:23, Tommy Kunish21:05, Peggy Simpson193
17 June 200017:08, Tim Simpkins18:32, Kim Winn141
16 June 200116:29, Ryan Deak17:54, Sarah Docter-Williams238
22 June 200217:54, Doug Gorton21:41, Laura Atlee139
21 June 2003

19 June 200417:18, Tim Unger20:30, Kate Remillard121
18 June 200518:31, Jack McDermott18:07, Sarah Docter-Williams123
17 June 200617:36, Nathan Haskins22:35, Loranne Ausley170
16 June 200716:28, Nathan Haskins18:50, Sarah Docter-Williams261
21 June 200816:08, Nathan Haskins20:16, Deb Jones194
20 June 200916:54, Charlie Johnson23:49, Sandy Holt267
19 June 201018:07, Gabriel Leitz19:59, Micah Adriani283
18 June 201116:38, Sammy Palmer19:28, Katie Showman258
16 June 201216:28, Stephen Cox18:59, Seeley Gutierrez379
15 June 201316:42, Stanley Linton18:49, Sheryl Rosen284
21 June 201416:17, Chris Lake19:08, Seeley Gutierrez244
20 June 201518:03, Roger Schmidt20:49, Teresa Ristow232
18 June 201615:50, Stanley Linton19:44, Brittney Skiles212
17 June 201716:55, Charlie Johnson19:13, Katie Sherron326
16 June 201819:15, Elvis Maradzike19:40, Sheryl Rosen202
15 June 201918:39, Scott Lloyd20:27, Alyssa Terry194
19 June 202118:06, Leonardo Canete20:53, Mia Wiederkehr232
18 June 202217:51, Wyatt Stafford22:44, Brooke Hawkins151
17 June 202317:09, Matt Herndon17:38, Ann Centner267
Thank you to Pat Dugan for providing information about the 1987 race.


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Sunday, June 19, 2022

Wyatt Stafford and Brooke Hawkins pluck victory at Monticello's Melon Run

Wyatt Stafford is from Jefferson County, Florida, and the Melon Run 5K is held in the county seat, Monticello. So it's no surprise that Stafford has raced every Melon Run since 2017, even before he took up cross-country at Aucilla Christian Academy. His first sub-20:00 Melon Run was in 2021. Then on Saturday morning, 18 June 2022, nineteen-year-old Stafford won the 43rd annual Monticello Kiwanis 5K Melon Run, racing the 3.1 miles in 17:51. Another nineteen-year-old, Brooke Hawkins, was the first woman in the race, placing thirteenth overall in 22:44.

Start of the 2021 Monticello Melon Run
Start of the 2021 Melon Run

Stafford's 17:51 put him more than 200 meters ahead of the next runner in the field. Behind him, Daniel Cook edged Mickey Moore for the runner-up spot, 18:42 to 18:48. Moore was the first master runner in the race. Cadden Maxwell, a rising sophomore on the Leon High cross-country team, finished fourth in 19:22.


Stacie Taylor was runner-up to Hawkins in the women's standings, placing sixteenth overall in 23:57. Nancy Stedman was the first woman master in the race and the third female finisher, 22nd overall in 24:24.


151 athletes finished the Monticello Kiwanis' 2022 Melon Run 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee chip-timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2022 Melon Run 5K
  1. 17:51, Wyatt Stafford (M, 19)
  2. 18:42, Daniel Cook (M, 33)
  3. 18:48, Mickey Moore (M, 52)
  4. 19:22, Cadden Maxwell (M, 15)
  5. 19:39, Michael Rhodes (M, 53)
  6. 19:50, Camden Rodrigues (M, 14)
  7. 20:37, Joal Nash (M, 42)
  8. 21:10, Chad Northcutt (M, 38)
  9. 22:12, William Mrazek (M, 37)
  10. 22:17, Noah Parker (M, 15)

Top Ten Women, 2022 Melon Run 5K
  1. 22:44, Brooke Hawkins (F, 19)
  2. 23:57, Stacie Taylor (F, 39)
  3. 24:24, Nancy Stedman (F, 60)
  4. 24:36, Monica Toth (F, 33)
  5. 24:41, Kory Skrob (F, 51)
  6. 25:50, Ana Garcia (F, 29)
  7. 26:13, Kathy Bateman (F, 65)
  8. 26:14, Nancy Proctor (F, 61)
  9. 26:31, Meagan Nixon (F, 33)
  10. 26:55, Emily Ponson (F, 26)

Known winners of the Monticello Melon Run 5K, 1979 - 2022
DateMenWomenFinishers
23 June 197915:39, Gary Slayton20:36, Carolyn Crochet
28 June 198015:28, Gary Slayton19:49, Debbie Dickson
1981

19 June 198215:10, Andy Whitener17:38, Laura Ledbetter
18 June 1983
23 June 198415:37, Gary Slayton19:45, Cindy Walker
22 June 198516:09, Felton Wright19:12, Barbara Balzer
21 June 198615:55, Bill Crooks18:32, Karen MacHarg
20 June 198716:14, Bill Crooks19:33, Peggy Johnson257
25 June 198815:47, Bill Crooks18:18, Karen MacHarg324
24 June 198915:02, Jeff Pigg19:05, Vikki Saga
23 June 199015:20, Jessie Close18:06, Karen MacHarg
22 June 199115:23, Phillip Rowan19:34, Vikki Saga
20 June 199215:10, Jessie Close18:35, Lynda Nilges386
26 June 199316:07, Bill Crooks19:37, Sue Kany
29 June 199416:13, Gary Droze18:49, Sarah Heeb
24 June 199514:57, John Charlton19:54, Sissi Carroll
22 June 1996

28 June 1997

27 June 199816:33, Tommy Kunish17:51, Sarah Docter-Williams
26 June 199916:23, Tommy Kunish21:05, Peggy Simpson193
17 June 200017:08, Tim Simpkins18:32, Kim Winn141
16 June 200116:29, Ryan Deak17:54, Sarah Docter-Williams238
22 June 200217:54, Doug Gorton21:41, Laura Atlee139
21 June 2003

19 June 200417:18, Tim Unger20:30, Kate Remillard121
18 June 200518:31, Jack McDermott18:07, Sarah Docter-Williams123
17 June 200617:36, Nathan Haskins22:35, Loranne Ausley170
16 June 200716:28, Nathan Haskins18:50, Sarah Docter-Williams261
21 June 200816:08, Nathan Haskins20:16, Deb Jones194
20 June 200916:54, Charlie Johnson23:49, Sandy Holt267
19 June 201018:07, Gabriel Leitz19:59, Micah Adriani283
18 June 201116:38, Sammy Palmer19:28, Katie Showman258
16 June 201216:28, Stephen Cox18:59, Seeley Gutierrez379
15 June 201316:42, Stanley Linton18:49, Sheryl Rosen284
21 June 201416:17, Chris Lake19:08, Seeley Gutierrez244
20 June 201518:03, Roger Schmidt20:49, Teresa Ristow232
18 June 201615:50, Stanley Linton19:44, Brittney Skiles212
17 June 201716:55, Charlie Johnson19:13, Katie Sherron326
16 June 201819:15, Elvis Maradzike19:40, Sheryl Rosen202
15 June 201918:39, Scott Lloyd20:27, Alyssa Terry194
19 June 202118:06, Leonardo Canete20:53, Mia Wiederkehr232
18 June 202217:51, Wyatt Stafford22:44, Brooke Hawkins151
Thank you to Pat Dugan for providing information about the 1987 race.


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Sunday, June 20, 2021

At the Melon Run, first time out means first place for Leonardo Canete, Mia Wiederkehr

"Is there anyone behind?" asked Leonardo Canete, as he raced through the streets of Monticello, Florida.


He asked again 600 meters later, as the finish line of the Melon Run 5K came into sight. Both times the answer was the same--no one. No one close, that is. There were actually more than 200 runners behind the Tallahassee master runner, but the closest was 200 meters back. More importantly, no runners were ahead of Canete. He went on to win Monticello's 42nd annual Melon Run on Saturday morning, 19 June 2021, running 18:06. Another Tallahassee athlete, Mia Wiederkehr, was the first woman in the race, placing fourteenth overall in 20:53.

Leonardo Canete

The race got started right at 8:15 AM on in sight of the Jefferson County Courthouse and the Monticello Opera House on West Washington Street, known to those who only drive through Monticello as US Highway 90. It was a cloudy morning with the occasional raindrop, the moisture coming from Tropical Storm Claudette several hundred miles to the west. Shortly after the start the race turned north onto Hickory Street, which took the runners to the end of the first half kilometer. Canete was leading before the race left Hickory Street.


He hit the mile mark in 5:35 with a 50-meter lead. On the way to the two-mile mark, Perry, Florida master runner Michael Rhodes moved into second. Meanwhile, Canete had stretched his lead to over a hundred meters. By the end of the third mile, it was no wonder that Canete was asking about his pursuers--they were that far behind. He finished the race with a 400-meter climb up the Water Street hill, then crossed the finish line first in 18:06. Rhodes was second in 18:49. Behind Rhodes, Wyatt Stafford and Tristan Lanasa dueled for third as they labored up Water Street. A recent alum of the Aucilla Christian Academy cross-country team, Stafford outkicked Tallahassee's Lanasa, both runners clocked in 18:57.

Michael Rhodes

Mia Wiederkehr, an alum of the Tallahassee Community College cross-country and track teams, was an early leader in the women's competition of the 2021 Melon Run.


"There was a girl ahead of me at half a mile," said Wiederkehr. "I caught her before the mile. After that I just ran with the men. I was 6:35 for the first mile."

Mia Wiederkehr

Leaving the rest of the women farther and farther behind, Wiederkehr continued on to run a winning 20:53. Just before she crossed the finish line, the next three women arrived at the bottom of the Water Street Hill, separated by only a few steps--Deanna McVay, Mary Fran Andree, and Stacie Elliott. Elliott overtook the other two women during the final climb to claim second in the women's standings with a 21:52, placing nineteenth overall. Andree was the first woman master and third female finisher, 21st overall in 21:56. McVay placed fourth in the women's division and 23rd overall in 22:02.

Deanna McVay, Stacie Elliot, Mary Fran Andree

233 athletes finished the Monticello Kiwanis' 2021 Melon Run 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee chip-timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2021 Melon Run 5K
  1. 18:06, Leonardo Canete (M, 42)
  2. 18:49, Michael Rhodes (M, 52)
  3. 18:57, Wyatt Stafford (M, 18)
  4. 18:57, Tristan Lanasa (M, 28)
  5. 19:39, Jon Nash (M, 41)
  6. 19:48, William Demott (M, 24)
  7. 19:50, Landon Ryan (M, 16)
  8. 19:59, Walker Elrod (M, 13)
  9. 20:04, Sam Howard (M, 27)
  10. 20:16, Jonathon Feltgen (M, 40)

Top Ten Women, 2021 Melon Run 5K
  1. 20:53, Mia Wiederkehr (F, 23)
  2. 21:52, Stacie Elliott (F, 38)
  3. 21:56, Mary Fran Andree (F, 40)
  4. 22:02, Deanna McVay (F, 38)
  5. 23:07, Susan Seibert (F, 56)
  6. 23:39, Laura McDermott (F, 41)
  7. 24:04, Ana Garcia (F, 28)
  8. 24:10, Michaela Metcalfe (F, 26)
  9. 25:21, Kory Skrob (F, 50)
  10. 25:26, Genevieve Printiss (F, 20)

Known winners of the Monticello Melon Run 5K, 1979 - 2021
DateMenWomenFinishers
23 June 197915:39, Gary Slayton20:36, Carolyn Crochet
28 June 198015:28, Gary Slayton19:49, Debbie Dickson
1981

19 June 198215:10, Andy Whitener17:38, Laura Ledbetter
18 June 1983
23 June 198415:37, Gary Slayton19:45, Cindy Walker
22 June 198516:09, Felton Wright19:12, Barbara Balzer
21 June 198615:55, Bill Crooks18:32, Karen MacHarg
20 June 198716:14, Bill Crooks19:33, Peggy Johnson257
25 June 198815:47, Bill Crooks18:18, Karen MacHarg324
24 June 198915:02, Jeff Pigg19:05, Vikki Saga
23 June 199015:20, Jessie Close18:06, Karen MacHarg
22 June 199115:23, Phillip Rowan19:34, Vikki Saga
20 June 199215:10, Jessie Close18:35, Lynda Nilges386
26 June 199316:07, Bill Crooks19:37, Sue Kany
29 June 199416:13, Gary Droze18:49, Sarah Heeb
24 June 199514:57, John Charlton19:54, Sissi Carroll
22 June 1996

28 June 1997

27 June 199816:33, Tommy Kunish17:51, Sarah Docter-Williams
26 June 199916:23, Tommy Kunish21:05, Peggy Simpson193
17 June 200017:08, Tim Simpkins18:32, Kim Winn141
16 June 200116:29, Ryan Deak17:54, Sarah Docter-Williams238
22 June 200217:54, Doug Gorton21:41, Laura Atlee139
21 June 2003

19 June 200417:18, Tim Unger20:30, Kate Remillard121
18 June 200518:31, Jack McDermott18:07, Sarah Docter-Williams123
17 June 200617:36, Nathan Haskins22:35, Loranne Ausley170
16 June 200716:28, Nathan Haskins18:50, Sarah Docter-Williams261
21 June 200816:08, Nathan Haskins20:16, Deb Jones194
20 June 200916:54, Charlie Johnson23:49, Sandy Holt267
19 June 201018:07, Gabriel Leitz19:59, Micah Adriani283
18 June 201116:38, Sammy Palmer19:28, Katie Showman258
16 June 201216:28, Stephen Cox18:59, Seeley Gutierrez379
15 June 201316:42, Stanley Linton18:49, Sheryl Rosen284
21 June 201416:17, Chris Lake19:08, Seeley Gutierrez244
20 June 201518:03, Roger Schmidt20:49, Teresa Ristow232
18 June 201615:50, Stanley Linton19:44, Brittney Skiles212
17 June 201716:55, Charlie Johnson19:13, Katie Sherron326
16 June 201819:15, Elvis Maradzike19:40, Sheryl Rosen202
15 June 201918:39, Scott Lloyd20:27, Alyssa Terry194
19 June 202118:06, Leonardo Canete20:53, Mia Wiederkehr232
Thank you to Pat Dugan for providing information about the 1987 race.


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Monday, June 17, 2019

Sweet, juicy victory for Scott Lloyd and Alyssa Terry at the Melon Run

On Saturday morning, 15 June 2019, the Monticello, Florida Kiwanis Club had placed a water table on the Monticello Bike Trail, close to the halfway point of their 41st annual 5K Melon Run. There was another water table just past the finish line, on top of the infamous Water Street hill. The true treat, though, was a little bit further on at race headquarters in front of the First United Methodist Church. There, a table was piled high with sliced watermelon, sweet and juicy.


The melon table may have been an incentive for many athletes to finish the race a little faster, but none finished as fast as Scott Lloyd. A first-year chemistry major at the University of Central Florida, Lloyd won the 3.1-mile Melon Run in 18:39. Alyssa Terry of Tallahassee was the first woman in the race, coming in ninth overall in 20:27.

Scott Lloyd, Alyssa Terry
Scott Lloyd and Alyssa Terry

The runners lined up for the 8:15 start on West Washington Street, Monticello's main east-west artery, in front of the Methodist Church and less than three blocks from the Jefferson County Courthouse. By the end of the first kilometer, Scott Lloyd and Myles Gibson had broken away from the rest of the field. Gibson, a Donalsonville, Georgia master runner, dueled with Lloyd for the lead.


“He kept getting five steps ahead, but I’d come back,” said Lloyd. “He was the one pushing the pace.”

Scott Lloyd, Myles Gibson
Scott Lloyd and Myles Gibson

“I got out and got into the lead on the first hill,” said Gibson. “I felt good until two miles.”


Just after two miles, the runners left the bike trail to race west on Chase Drive. That was where Lloyd took over.

Scott Lloyd
Scott Lloyd

“I tried to stay with that young runner as long as I could,” said Gibson. “The last hill murdered me.”


The “last hill” was the final 400 meters of the race, a slope on Water Street equivalent to climbing to the seventh floor of a high rise. Lloyd reached the top first in 18:39. Gibson was runner-up in 19:05.

Noah Deem, Dalton Gray, Jack McDermott
Noah Deem, Dalton Gray, and Jack McDermott

Behind Lloyd and Gibson, three runners reached the bottom of Water Street together--Dalton Gray, Noah Deem, and Jack McDermott. Gray, a member of the Tallahassee Community College cross-country team, got away on the uphill to take third with a 19:22, leaving twelve-year-old Deem and Tallahassee master runner Jack McDermott fighting for fourth. Deem, a sixth-grader on the Community Leadership Academy cross-country team, edged McDermott for the spot, 19:30 to 19:32.


Lilli Unger and Alyssa Langston shared the lead in the women’s competition through the first three kilometers of the race. Both were cross-country runners--Unger a rising junior on the Leon High team, and Langston a 2019 graduate of Wakulla High where she was a harrier for four years. Alyssa Terry trailed them.

Alyssa Terry
Alyssa Terry

“I felt good after the first mile, so I picked it up,” said Terry.


During the second mile, Terry narrowed Langston and Unger’s lead. During the third mile she passed them. Langston gave chase, but Terry was the first woman to the top of Water Street, running 20:27. Langston took second in the women’s standings and twelfth overall in 20:47. Unger was the third woman and fourteenth overall in 21:13. Monica Judd of Tallahassee was the first woman master and fourth female finisher, 21st overall in 22:08.

Alyssa Langston
Alyssa Langston

Lloyd, the overall winner, had been the ace on the Wakulla High cross-country team in 2018, but had gotten out of running since heading to UCF.


“I didn’t really start running again till February,” said Lloyd. “It’s been fun getting back into it.”


For the present, he plans to stay into it.

Lilli Unger
Lilli Unger

“I’ll probably run the Paul Hoover 5K in two weeks,” said Lloyd.


That seventh annual race at Wakulla Springs honors the late Paul Hoover, Lloyd’s coach for three of his four years at Wakulla High.


194 athletes finished the Monticello Kiwanis’ 2019 Melon Run 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Melon Run 5K
  1. 18:39, Scott Lloyd (M, 19)
  2. 19:05, Myles Gibson (M, 52)
  3. 19:22, Dalton Gray (M, 19)
  4. 19:30, Noah Deem (M, 12)
  5. 19:32, Jack McDermott (M, 50)
  6. 19:57, Marco Mata (M, 27)
  7. 20:00, Timothy Qualls (M, 40)
  8. 20:05, Duane Evans (M, 51)
  9. 20:32, Ben Colona (M, 23)
  10. 20:44, Tristan Lanasa (M, 26)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Melon Run 5K
  1. 20:27, Alyssa Terry (F, 25)
  2. 20:47, Alyssa Langston (F, 18)
  3. 21:13, Lilli Unger (F, 16)
  4. 22:08, Monica Judd (F, 45)
  5. 22:50, Kaley Ford (F, 24)
  6. 23:42, Casey Anderson (F, 29)
  7. 23:50, Nancy Stedman (F, 57)
  8. 24:18, Paula O'Neill (F, 57)
  9. 24:58, Elizabeth Kessler (F, 13)
  10. 25:08, Norah Peters (F, 13)

Known winners of the Monticello Melon Run 5K, 1979 - 2019
DateMenWomenFinishers
23 June 197915:39, Gary Slayton20:36, Carolyn Crochet
28 June 198015:28, Gary Slayton19:49, Debbie Dickson
1981

19 June 198215:10, Andy Whitener17:38, Laura Ledbetter
18 June 1983
23 June 198415:37, Gary Slayton19:45, Cindy Walker
22 June 198516:09, Felton Wright19:12, Barbara Balzer
21 June 198615:55, Bill Crooks18:32, Karen MacHarg
20 June 198716:14, Bill Crooks19:33, Peggy Johnson257
25 June 198815:47, Bill Crooks18:18, Karen MacHarg324
24 June 198915:02, Jeff Pigg19:05, Vikki Saga
23 June 199015:20, Jessie Close18:06, Karen MacHarg
22 June 199115:23, Phillip Rowan19:34, Vikki Saga
20 June 199215:10, Jessie Close18:35, Lynda Nilges386
26 June 199316:07, Bill Crooks19:37, Sue Kany
29 June 199416:13, Gary Droze18:49, Sarah Heeb
24 June 199514:57, John Charlton19:54, Sissi Carroll
22 June 1996

28 June 1997

27 June 199816:33, Tommy Kunish17:51, Sarah Docter-Williams
26 June 199916:23, Tommy Kunish21:05, Peggy Simpson193
17 June 200017:08, Tim Simpkins18:32, Kim Winn141
16 June 200116:29, Ryan Deak17:54, Sarah Docter-Williams238
22 June 200217:54, Doug Gorton21:41, Laura Atlee139
21 June 2003

19 June 200417:18, Tim Unger20:30, Kate Remillard121
18 June 200518:31, Jack McDermott18:07, Sarah Docter-Williams123
17 June 200617:36, Nathan Haskins22:35, Loranne Ausley170
16 June 200716:28, Nathan Haskins18:50, Sarah Docter-Williams261
21 June 200816:08, Nathan Haskins20:16, Deb Jones194
20 June 200916:54, Charlie Johnson23:49, Sandy Holt267
19 June 201018:07, Gabriel Leitz19:59, Micah Adriani283
18 June 201116:38, Sammy Palmer19:28, Katie Showman258
16 June 201216:28, Stephen Cox18:59, Seeley Gutierrez379
15 June 201316:42, Stanley Linton18:49, Sheryl Rosen284
21 June 201416:17, Chris Lake19:08, Seeley Gutierrez244
20 June 201518:03, Roger Schmidt20:49, Teresa Ristow232
18 June 201615:50, Stanley Linton19:44, Brittney Skiles212
17 June 201716:55, Charlie Johnson19:13, Katie Sherron326
16 June 201819:15, Elvis Maradzike19:40, Sheryl Rosen202
15 June 201918:39, Scott Lloyd20:27, Alyssa Terry194
Thank you to Pat Dugan for providing information about the 1987 race.


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Friday, October 12, 2018

Clay Milford and Avery Calabro lead the herd at the Warrior Stampede

Aucilla Christian Academy's home cross-country meet on Saturday morning, 6 October 2018, was dubbed the Warrior Stampede. The Warrior Stampede?

Clay Milford
Clay Milford

Warriors battle. Warriors charge. Warriors rampage. Warriors don't stampede. It's possible, I suppose, that the horses the warriors are riding might stampede. And the races were held just outside of Monticello, Florida on the grounds of an extension office of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, with a finish line around a rodeo ring at the Jefferson County Equestrian Center. Oh, and the meet ended with a barrel race.


So, yeah, a stampede.


Chiles senior Clay Milford won the high school boys' 5K at the 2018 Stampede, running 16:55 and leading his team to first place in the team standings with 22 points. Avery Calabro, a Leon sophomore, ran 19:45 for first in the girls' 5K, while her Lions team put up a winning score of 28 points.

Samuel Mountin
Early in the Stampede

Contrary to the usual order of events at a Florida highs school cross-country meet, the boys raced first.


"I really like running first," said Chiles' Milford. "It was great getting out there before the sun got too high."


On the girls' side, Avery Calabro of Leon didn't seem to mind going second.

Hawthorne Hay
Hawthorne Hay

"It wasn't really different," said Calabro. "I liked being able to watch the boys race."


It helped that the weather had finally broken, with temperatures more like October than "Augtober" and hinting that summer might not be endless.


"This is the best morning we've had all season," said Chris Haynes, a Leon High assistant coach.

Jackson Yarbrough
Jackson Yarbrough

The boys' race started right at 8:30 AM. Milford took the lead during the first mile, and at the two-kilometer mark he was 30 meters ahead of the next runner, Chiles junior Hawthorne Hay. Milford widened the gap during the rest of the race, going on to win by 80 meters in 16:55. Hay hung on to second with a 17:12. Leon High frosh Jackson Yarbrough moved up during the second half of the race to edge Chiles senior Samuel Mountin for third, 17:25 to 17:29.


Chiles remaining two scorers were also in the top ten, with frosh Ben Kirbo sixth in 17:39 and junior Shawn Marcum ninth in 17:57. With that, the Timberwolves had a mathematically unbeatable score of 22 points and first place. Leon, led by Yarbrough, placed second with 35 points. Community Christian led by the 27th place, 20:35 performance of Nick Ciarlariello, scored 97 points for third.

Nile Bryant, Ben Kirbo
Ben Kirbo and Nile Bryant

Milford had also won the boys' 5K at the Warrior Stampede in 2015 as a Maclay School frosh. In 2014 he had actually doubled at the Stampede, placing eleventh in the high school boys' 5K then returning to win the middle school 3K. Doubling was not an option in 2018, though, even with the barrel race on the meet schedule.


"Coach Phillips forbids us to do the barrel race," said Milford.


"Coach Carly forbids you to do the barrel race!" insisted Chiles coach Carly Thomas.


Team Scores, Aucilla Christian Warrior Stampede High School Boys' 5K
  1. Chiles, 22
  2. Leon, 35
  3. Community Christian, 97
  4. Jefferson County, 109
  5. Aucilla Christian, 118

Top Ten, Aucilla Christian Warrior Stampede High School Boys' 5K
  1. 16:54.33, Clayburn Milford (Chiles) 12
  2. 17:11.86, Hawthorne Hay (Chiles) 11
  3. 17:24.98, Jackson Yarbrough (Leon) 9
  4. 17:28.77, Samuel Mountin (Chiles) 12
  5. 17:35.60, Nile Bryant (Leon) 11
  6. 17:38.53, Ben Kirbo (Chiles) 9
  7. 17:41.90, Jackson Roberts (Leon) 11
  8. 17:54.98, Joseph Ashebo (Leon) 11
  9. 17:56.87, Shawn Marcum (Chiles) 11
  10. 17:57.67, Peter Failma (Chiles) 10

Athletes were still finishing the boys' 5K race when the girls' 5K started. Avery Calabro bolted ahead of the field immediately. She passed two kilometers half a minute of everyone, except for the driver of the lead vehicle.

Avery Calabro
Avery Calabro

"She was 6:08 at the mile!" called the driver. A mile later, he had an update.


"She's still flying!" the driver reported. "12:30 at two miles."


"It was pretty fast the first two miles," admitted Calabro. "And then there was a lot of uphill."

Lilli Unger, Elizabeth Calabro
Lilli Unger

Calabro may have relaxed the pace during the final mile, but she was still moving faster than any other runner in the race. The Leon sophomore crossed the finish line in 19:45, well over 400 meters ahead of the next runner. The Leon girls also grabbed the next two places, with sophomore Lilli Unger second in 21:40 and junior Elizabeth Calabro third, also in 21:40.


The Chiles girls, though, put all five of their scorers in the top ten. Timberwolf frosh Kendall Meyer led that wave, placing fourth in 22:27. After the Timberwolf tide, Leon junior Lauren Zhu placed tenth in 24:11 for the Lions. Leon frosh Sophia Umana completed the scoring for the Lions, taking twelfth in 24:26. The Leon girls had 28 points and the team title. Chiles placed a close runner-up with 33 points. Jefferson County was third with 85 points behind the sixth place, 23:24 finish of their senior ace, Maggie Boyd.

Lilli Unger, Elizabeth Calabro
Elizabeth Calabro

Cross-country courses are so different from one another that comparing times isn't productive. Even conditions on the same course can vary wildly from day to day. But Avery Calabro's 19:45 at the Stampede was so far from her previous times, it was worth noticing.


"It was a lot faster," said Calabro. "It was a big jump from my last P.R., 21:23."


And where is Calabro going with her new P.R.?

Kendall Meyer
Kendall Meyer

"The next race is Pre-State," said Calabro. "I'm hoping to do well there."


To make sure of that, Calabro also skipped the barrel race.


Team Scores, Aucilla Christian Warrior Stampede High School Girls' 5K
  1. Leon, 28
  2. Chiles, 33
  3. Jefferson County, 85
  4. Aucilla Christian, 92

Top Ten, Aucilla Christian Warrior Stampede High School Girls' 5K
  1. 19:44.32, Avery Calabro (Leon) 10
  2. 21:39.03, Lilli Unger (Leon) 10
  3. 21:39.79, Elizabeth Calabro (Leon) 11
  4. 22:26.21, Kendall Meyer (Chiles) 9
  5. 23:11.22, Ella Hodges (Chiles) 9
  6. 23:23.34, Maggie Boyd (Jefferson County) 12
  7. 23:32.59, Caroline Green (Chiles) 10
  8. 23:32.96, Elise Ferguson (Chiles) 9
  9. 24:07.77, Taylor Stephens (Chiles) 12
  10. 24:10.31, Lauren Zhu (Leon) 11


Warrior Stampede winners, 2014 - 2018

Boys
DateTeam ChampIndividual Champ
18 October 2014Chiles, 3517:25, Jacob Kemp (Chiles) 12
19 September 2015Maclay, 2317:16, Clay Milford (Maclay) 9
1 October 2016Wakulla, 3016:58, Timothy Choe (Suwannee) 11
10 October 2018Chiles, 2216:55, Clay Milford (Chiles) 12
Girls
DateTeam ChampIndividual Champ
18 October 2014Maclay, 2519:48, Haleigh Martin (Wakulla) 10
19 September 2015Maclay, 2920:11, Caroline Willis (Maclay) 11
1 October 2016St. Johns Country Day, 3319:27, Haleigh Martin (Wakulla) 12
10 October 2018Leon, 2819:45, Avery Calabro (Leon) 10


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Monday, June 18, 2018

Elvis Maradzike and Sheryl Rosen go one-two at Monticello's Melon Run

Elvis Maradzike was a reluctant athlete in Monticello, Florida on Saturday morning, 16 June 2018.


"I really didn't want to run the race today," said Maradzike, a doctoral student at Florida State University. "But I had already signed up and it was too late to cancel."

Elvis Maradzike
Elvis Maradzike

So Maradzike got up early and made the 30-mile trek from Tallahassee to Monticello for the 40th annual Melon Run 5K. He may have been disinclined to race, but he ran well, winning the 3.1-mile event in 19:15. Placing second to Maradzike, Tallahassee lawyer Sheryl Rosen was the first woman in the 5K, running 19:40.


The runners lined up on West Washington Street for the 8:15 AM start of the race with the Jefferson County Courthouse looming behind them, the domed structure seeming to symbolize Monticello's one-time status as the watermelon seed capital of the world. Chris Myrick of Tallahassee set the early pace, running ahead of the rest of the field. Sheryl Rosen and Elvis Maradzike weren't far behind.

Elvis Maradzike, Chris Myrick, Sheryl Rosen
Elvis Maradzike, Chris Myrick, Sheryl Rosen

"It was hot, but I just tried to run at a steady pace," said Maradzike.


The steady-pace strategy allowed Maradzike to overtake Myrick about halfway through the race, when the course turned south onto the Monticello Bike Trail. On the trail, Maradzike opened a gap on Rosen and Myrick, breaking contact. He was well ahead when he reached the final quarter mile of the race, the Water Street hill--a climb the height of a seven-story building.

Sheryl Rosen
Sheryl Rosen

"I hadn't run here before and I heard that there was a big hill at the beginning and a big hill at the end," said Maradzike. "But it wasn't that big."


Other athletes have declared Water Street a hill aspiring to be a mountain, but Maradzike raced smoothly up the slope, crossing the finish line in a winning 19:15--quite a performance for someone who only recently came to the distance running game.

Bryce Cole, Simon Cole
Bryce Cole, Simon Cole

"I started running just four years ago, just before entering graduate school at Florida State," said Maradzike. "I don't really train seriously, about twenty miles a week."


Sheryl Rosen, on the other hand, has been racing the Melon Run since before Maradzike took up running; she won the women's title in the 2013 race. Finishing runner-up to Maradzike in 19:40, Rosen picked up her second women's win. Early leader Chris Myrick was third overall in 20:11. Simon Cole outkicked Bryce Cole for fourth, both runners clocked in 21:20. Joel Piotrowski was the top master runner in the race, placing seventh overall in 21:44.

Alyssa Terry
Alyssa Terry

Alyssa Terry took second in the women's standings and sixth overall in 21:28, moving up several places after the first half of the race. Lilli Unger, a rising sophomore on the Leon High cross-country team, was the third woman and eighth overall in 21:52. Paula O'Neill was the first woman master and sixth female finisher, 26th overall in 24:58.


202 athletes finished the 2018 Melon Run 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed the race.


Top Ten Men, 2018 Melon Run 5K
  1. 19:15, Elvis Maradzike (M, 31)
  2. 20:11, Chris Myrick (M, 25)
  3. 21:20, Simon Cole (M, 15)
  4. 21:20, Bryce Cole (M, 19)
  5. 21:44, Joel Piotrowski (M, 48)
  6. 22:09, Tim Unger (M, 58)
  7. 22:13, Dalton Gray (M, 18)
  8. 22:17, David Wirgau (M, 24)
  9. 22:43, William Carter (M, 53)
  10. 23:16, Joey Davis (M, 15)

Top Ten Women, 2018 Melon Run 5K
  1. 19:40, Sheryl Rosen (F, 34)
  2. 21:28, Alyssa Terry (F, 24)
  3. 21:52, Lilli Unger (F, 15)
  4. 22:20, Kat Sack (F, 26)
  5. 22:32, Brittney Barnes (F, 30)
  6. 24:58, Paula O'Neill (F, 56)
  7. 25:33, Birgit Maier-Katkin (F, 55)
  8. 25:50, Abigail Batia (F, 39)
  9. 26:07, Renee Beshears (F, 44)
  10. 26:25, Carrie Smith (F, 43)

Known winners of the Monticello Melon Run 5K, 1979 - 2018
DateMenWomenFinishers
23 June 197915:39, Gary Slayton20:36, Carolyn Crochet
28 June 198015:28, Gary Slayton19:49, Debbie Dickson
1981

19 June 198215:10, Andy Whitener17:38, Laura Ledbetter
18 June 1983
23 June 198415:37, Gary Slayton19:45, Cindy Walker
22 June 198516:09, Felton Wright19:12, Barbara Balzer
21 June 198615:55, Bill Crooks18:32, Karen MacHarg
20 June 198716:14, Bill Crooks19:33, Peggy Johnson257
25 June 198815:47, Bill Crooks18:18, Karen MacHarg324
24 June 198915:02, Jeff Pigg19:05, Vikki Saga
23 June 199015:20, Jessie Close18:06, Karen MacHarg
22 June 199115:23, Phillip Rowan19:34, Vikki Saga
20 June 199215:10, Jessie Close18:35, Lynda Nilges386
26 June 199316:07, Bill Crooks19:37, Sue Kany
29 June 199416:13, Gary Droze18:49, Sarah Heeb
24 June 199514:57, John Charlton19:54, Sissi Carroll
22 June 1996

28 June 1997

27 June 199816:33, Tommy Kunish17:51, Sarah Docter-Williams
26 June 199916:23, Tommy Kunish21:05, Peggy Simpson193
17 June 200017:08, Tim Simpkins18:32, Kim Winn141
16 June 200116:29, Ryan Deak17:54, Sarah Docter-Williams238
22 June 200217:54, Doug Gorton21:41, Laura Atlee139
21 June 2003

19 June 200417:18, Tim Unger20:30, Kate Remillard121
18 June 200518:31, Jack McDermott18:07, Sarah Docter-Williams123
17 June 200617:36, Nathan Haskins22:35, Loranne Ausley170
16 June 200716:28, Nathan Haskins18:50, Sarah Docter-Williams261
21 June 200816:08, Nathan Haskins20:16, Deb Jones194
20 June 200916:54, Charlie Johnson23:49, Sandy Holt267
19 June 201018:07, Gabriel Leitz19:59, Micah Adriani283
18 June 201116:38, Sammy Palmer19:28, Katie Showman258
16 June 201216:28, Stephen Cox18:59, Seeley Gutierrez379
15 June 201316:42, Stanley Linton18:49, Sheryl Rosen284
21 June 201416:17, Chris Lake19:08, Seeley Gutierrez244
20 June 201518:03, Roger Schmidt20:49, Teresa Ristow232
18 June 201615:50, Stanley Linton19:44, Brittney Skiles212
17 June 201716:55, Charlie Johnson19:13, Katie Sherron326
16 June 201819:15, Elvis Maradzike19:40, Sheryl Rosen202
Thank you to Pat Dugan for providing information about the 1987 race.


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