A Blazer and an Argonaut, Nico Waddell and Chloe Rook, win GCSC's Turkey Trot

Saturday morning, 28 November 2024 was a day for the collegiate harriers at Gulf Coast State College Athletic's Turkey Trot 5K in Panama City, Florida. Racing along the shores of Saint Andrew's Bay, Nicolas Waddell, a Valdosta State University cross-country runner, ran 17:25 to win the second annual race by almost 200 meters. On the women's side, a West Florida University cross-country runner, Chloe Rook, tore through the course in a winning 20:24, placing seventh overall.


Chris Naberhaus, Chris Naberhaus, a frosh cross-country runner at Viera High, placed runner-up to Waddell in 18:06. A few steps behind Naberhaus, West Florida University Argonaut Ivan De La Cruz took third in 18:10. Each of the top three athletes ran better than the Turkey Trot record set in 2023 by Brandon Hough.


The first master runner in the race was the women's runner-up, Cassie Johansen. Johansen finished ninth overall in 20:42. Master runner Regina Soules came in third in the women's division and fourteenth overall in 22:28.


67-year-old Tom Dever was the first male master runner in the Turkey Trot; his 22:03 put him thirteenth overall.


364 athletes finished Gulf Coast State College Athletics' 2024 Turkey Trot 5K. Expect the third annual GCSC Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning, 27 November 2025.


Top Ten Men, 2024 GCSC Turkey Trot 5K

1. 17:25, Nicolas Waddell (M, Overall)
2. 18:06, Chris Naberhaus (M, 15-19)
3. 18:10, Ivan De La Cruz (M, 20-24)
4. 18:44, Andrew Nixon (M, 20-24)
5. 18:56, Nathan Holmes (M, 15-19)
6. 19:36, Ezra Long (M, 15-19)
7. 20:01, Charlie Holmes (M, 15-19)
8. 20:38, Sean Jones (M, 20-24)
9. 21:12, Scott Marr (M, 35-39)
10. 21:28, Andrew Irvin (M, 35-39)

Top Ten Women, 2024 GCSC Turkey Trot 5K

1. 20:24, Chloe Rook (F, Overall)
2. 20:42, Cassie Johansen (F, 40-44)
3. 22:29, Regina Soules (F, 40-44)
4. 22:48, Emily Hull (F, 20-24)
5. 23:54, Anna Kate Yale (F, 15-19)
6. 24:47, Mollie Clampitt (F, 15-19)
7. 25:16, Tiffany Amack (F, 30-34)
8. 25:51, Kimm Allan (F, 50-54)
9. 25:58, Jennifer Carlson (F, 45-49)
10. 27:05, Catalina Cienfuegos (F, 30-34)

Gulf Coast State College Athletics Turkey Trot 5K winners, 2023 - 2024
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
23 November 2023	18:10, Brandon Hough	18:54, Christina Johnston	289
28 November 2024	17:25, Nicolas Waddell	20:24, Chloe Rook	364

Links

• Complete results of Gulf Coast State College Athletics' 2024 Turkey Trot 5K
  https://app.box.com/s/mprog8qzkdgysn0jirigw7fdzsffeu6r
  
  
• Find more bird-themed races in the area using the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#3126

Ivan De La Cruz caps track season by winning the Coach Post 10K

In 2017, Ivan De La Cruz ran 42:44 in the fourth annual Coach Post 10K, finishing second to Ezra Swanson. In 2018, De La Cruz ran 40:38 in the fifth annual Coach Post 10K, finishing second to David Shearon. On Saturday morning, 13 April 2019, De La Cruz cracked 40:00 in the sixth annual Coach Post 10K, lowering his time to 39:51. This time the the Mosley High cross-country runner was second to no one, winning the 6.2-mile race around Saint Andrews State Park by close to 800 meters. Mary-Rosalyn Taylor was the first woman in the race, placing third overall in 44:56.


The day before the Coach Post Run, De La Cruz had finished up his junior year track season, running a 5:05.70 1600 and a 2:07.66 800 at the 3A District 2 Championships. When the season is over, though, if you're a runner then you keep running. De La Cruz certainly demonstrated that he was a runner at the Coach Post race. Mohamed Abdeldaim took second in the 10K, running 43:11. Felix Chen placed third in the men's standings and fourth overall in 45:32. Jason Dence was the first master runner in the race, just edged for fifth overall by Chad Prescott, 46:48 to 46:49.


Heather Salyars finished runner-up on the women's side, coming in tenth overall in 49:39. Improving on her 2018 Coach Post 10K mark of 51:08, Mariia Solomonova ran 50:45 to place third in the women's standings and thirteenth overall. Lynne Carlson was the first woman master and fifth female finisher, nineteenth overall in 52:39.


52 athletes finished the 2019 Coach Post 10K.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Coach Post 10K

1. 39:50.8, Ivan De La Cruz (M, 17) Lynn Haven, FL
2. 43:10.4, Mohamed Abdeldaim (M, 21)
3. 45:31.7, Felix Chen (M, 35)
4. 46:48.0, Chad Prescott (M, 21)
5. 46:48.8, Jason Dence (M, 42)
6. 47:03.4, Andrew Smith (M, 24)
7. 48:34.8, Orrin Scarborough (M, 11)
8. 48:52.6, Quinn Larson (M, 13)
9. 49:46.5, Jonathan Hermes (M, 19)
10. 50:18.2, Keith Kubisz (M, 55)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Coach Post 10K

1. 44:55.5, Mary-Rosalyn Taylor (F, 19)
2. 49:38.2, Heather Salyars (F, 38)
3. 50:44.2, Mariia Solomonova (F, 24)
4. 51:57.2, Jamie Phillips (F, 39)
5. 52:38.3, Lynne Carlson (F, 57)
6. 53:23.2, Kim Allan (F, 48)
7. 55:15.0, Debbie Chitwood (F, 52)
8. 55:44.9, Sue Cottrill (F, 57)
9. 58:25.3, Michelle Stevens (F, 42)
10. 64:20.5, Kelly Feitel (F, 15)

While Ivan De La Cruz was finishing runner-up in the Coach Post 10K in 2017 and 2018, Nicolas Waddell was right behind him, placing third both years. For the 2019 Coach Post, Waddell decided to try the 5K race. He won the shorter event, running 19:52. Tom Dever was the first master runner in the 5K, second overall in 20:06. Jeffery Bylsma took third in 23:22.


Panama City, Florida's Ashley Worl was the 2019 Coach Post 5K women's champ, crossing the finish line thirteenth overall in 26:51. Danielle Cureton was the second woman and fifteenth overall in 27:17, Michelle Waldrip the third woman and sixteenth overall in 27:35. Eve Phillips was the first woman master and fourth female finisher in the 5K, eighteenth overall in 27:53.


121 athletes finished the 2019 Coach Post 5K. Both the 10K and the 5K were chip-timed by Alta Vista Sports.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Coach Post 5K

1. 19:51.3, Nicolas Waddell (M, 13) Lynn Haven, FL
2. 20:05.9, Tom Dever (M, 61)
3. 23:22.0, Jeffery Bylsma (M, 14)
4. 23:27.0, Greg Bylsma (M, 41)
5. 23:36.0, Tate Danford (M, 46)
6. 25:02.0, Richy Simpson (M, 16)
7. 25:37.1, Delbert Osborn (M, 62)
8. 26:03.9, Will Simpson (M, 14)
9. 26:05.5, Bryce Hollo (M, 14)
10. 26:38.3, Garrett Whittle (M, 22)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Coach Post 5K

1. 26:50.3, Ashley Worl (F, 26) Panama City, FL
2. 27:16.7, Danielle Cureton (F, 27)
3. 27:34.7, Michelle Waldrip (F, 35)
4. 27:52.9, Eve Phillips (F, 55)
5. 27:56.3, Elizabeth Palmer (F, 45)
6. 28:06.7, Viktoriia Rosiiska (F, 28)
7. 28:53.1, Andrea Weckherlin (F, 46)
8. 30:06.4, Margaret Gamble (F, 53)
9. 30:44.3, Tammy Huston (F, 41)
10. 31:08.2, Jennifer Schelfhout (F, 31)

Coach Post 10K / 5K winners, 2014 - 2019
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
12 April 2014	10K	36:44, David Shearon	43:18, Holly Jones	120
	5K	21:54, Ted Wach	22:07, Catherine Maclean	232
11 April 2015	10K	38:11, Jeffrey Schlenker	48:14, Rebecca McConnell	44
	5K	18:14, Justin Williams	21:07, Jessica Berschwinger	141
9 April 2016	10K	36:31, David Shearon	45:00, Amanda Thompson	69
	5K	18:36, Brian Kloiber	23:28, Norma McPherson	134
8 April 2017	10K	41:52, Ezra Swanson	45:48, Allie Minga	37
	5K	19:49, Brayson Barber	26:37, Heather Webb	113
14 April 2018	10K	40:13, David Shearon	43:02, Jennifer A Nelson	69
	5K	19:33, Kaden Jones	26:17, Zanetta Barnes	136
13 April 2019	10K	39:51, Ivan De La Cruz	44:56, Mary-Rosalyn Taylor	52
	5K	19:52, Nicolas Waddell	26:51, Ashley Worl	121

Links

• Complete results of the 2019 Coach Post 10K and 5K runs
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vT1tMCGs9QzNuec-RLWIlivA8X9ROWx5zAoCkpFjRruYKjXkIfuDzLZ1KyHVkRGOob0GXB10zhCKx-3/pubhtml
  
  
• 2018 story, “A repeat win for Shearon and a record run for Nelson at the Coach Post 10K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/04/coach-post-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Swanson and Minga keep the Coach Post 10K titles in Panama City Beach”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/04/coach-post-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “David Shearon gets a second win and the record at the Coach Post 10K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/04/coach-post-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Coach Post 10K is a day at the beach for Schlenker and McConnell”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/04/coach-post-2015.html
  
  
• The Coach Post 10K and 5K runs on Facebook
  https://www.facebook.com/CoachPostRun
  
  
• USATF Course Certification Map FL13047EBM, 2018 Coach Post 5K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=FL13047EBM
  
  
• Find upcoming races in Panama City Beach and elsewhere in the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2493

Scholars Nicolas Waddell and Rory Claussen win the School House Run

When it comes to the Panama City Beach, Florida School House Run, bet on the students.


Mowat Middle School schoolboy Nicolas Waddell won the second annual School House 8K in Conservation Park on Saturday morning, 22 September 2018, traversing the trails in 34:22. Another seventh-grader, local schoolgirl Rory Claussen, was the top female in the race, placing third overall in 36:25.


Seth Pietrowski, a junior on the North Bay Haven High cross-country team, finished runner-up to Waddell in 35:15. David Griffin was the fastest master runner in the race and the third male finisher, placing fourth overall in 38:36.


On the women's side, Claussen had run the inaugural School House 8K in 2017, but finished second in the women's standings to Andrea George. Claussen was back in 2018, even though she had raced just two days earlier at the Crusader Classic Cross-Country Meet in Tallahassee, Florida. That had been a three-kilometer race; the School House Run was nearly three times as far. Nevertheless, Claussen set a new Schoolhouse Run women's record with her winning 36:25. Shelle McDonald was the second woman in the race, placing twelfth overall in 48:42. Rebecca DeBell was the first woman master and third female finisher, fifteenth overall in 51:57.


Top Five Men, 2018 School House Run 8K

1. 34:22, Nicolas Waddell (M, 11-14)
2. 35:15, Seth Pietrowski (M, 15-19)
3. 38:36, David Griffin (M, 55-59)
4. 42:10, Donald Rogers (M, 45-49)
5. 42:19, Sean Blomquist (M, 40-44)

Top Five Women, 2018 School House Run 8K

1. 36:25, Rory Claussen (F, 11-14)
2. 48:42, Shelle McDonald (F, 35-39)
3. 51:57, Rebecca DeBell (F, 50-54)
4. 56:20, Tracie Newman (F, 60-64)
5. 57:50, Carol Benson (F, 50:54)

New at the 2018 School House Run was a 5K race. Chris Rodriguez won the shorter event in 20:02, while Mary Heath was the first woman in the 5K. Heath placed sixth overall in 32:48.


Top Five Men, 2018 School House Run 5K

1. 20:02, Christopher Rodriguez (M, )
2. 23:57, Mark McCarra (M, 50-54)
3. 28:04, Bob Schafer (M, 60-64)
4. 28:38, Josh Reams (M, 40-44)
5. 28:41, Spencer Claussen (M, 11-14)

Top Five Women, 2018 School House Run 5K

1. 32:48, Mary Heath (F, )
2. 34:11, Maryanne McQueeney (F, 60-64)
3. 40:32, Melanie Conner (F, 45-49)
4. 46:44, Shannon White (F, 35-39)
5. 55:04, Maria Iracheta (F, 60-64)

The 2018 School House Run very nearly didn't happen. The event was originally scheduled for Memorial Day, 28 May 2018, but had to be scrubbed due to the threat of severe weather. Happily, the races were rescheduled for Saturday, 22 September 2018, when 23 athletes finished the 8K and another 18 completed the 5K.

School House Run winners, 2017 - 2018
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
29 May 2017	8K	32:13, Kory Voelkel	36:53, Andrea George	75
22 September 2018	8K	34:22, Nicolas Waddell	36:25, Rory Claussen	23
	5K	20:02, Christopher Rodriguez	32:48, Mary Heath	18

Links

• Complete results of the 2018 School House Run 8K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSZ3bMaiZfAnGksbbNoKq_kJCgypQQCxv_C0vlDKzzCsGqdkEogI2MSIU9L0EgXI2_-uOh8YUuP-418/pubhtml
  
  
• 2017 story, “Voelkel and George earn top grades at the School House Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/05/pcb-schoolhouse-2017.html
  
  
• Find more races frequented by fast tourists on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2331

Waddell and Claussen stage a sixth-grade sweep of the Strides For Scholars 5K

Nicolas Waddell has a few years before entering high school. Even though he's still in the sixth grade, Waddell often races in the colors of Mosley High School. And Waddell was racing well enough to compete on the high school level on Saturday morning, 24 February 2018, when he won the seventh annual Strides For Scholars 5K. Waddell's time for the 3.1-mile run on the streets of Panama City, Florida was 20:25. It was the third year in a row that Waddell had placed in the top ten of the Strides For Scholars race. Another sixth-grader, Rory Claussen of the Shaldera Panthers Track Club, won the women's title, placing second overall in 21:22. Claussen was the 2017 runner-up in the 2017 FLYRA Middle School State Cross-Country Championships.


Call it a good day for the sixth grade.


Sandi Kapszyk was the first master runner in the race and the second female finisher, placing third overall in 22:32. Mike Barr was the top male master and second in the men's standings, fourth overall in 23:03.


280 athletes finished the 2018 Strides For Scholars 5K. The race is a benefit for the Bay Education Foundation.


Top Ten Men, 2018 Strides For Scholars 5K

1. 20:25, Nicolas Waddell (M, Overall)
2. 22:46, Mike Barr (M, Master)
3. 23:03, Jonathon Moore (M, 30–34)
4. 23:11, Brad Breeden (M, 30–34)
5. 23:16, Jeff Johns (M, 40–44)
6. 24:36, Jim Loyed (M, 45–49)
7. 24:53, Spencer Claussen (M, 11–14)
8. 25:33, Ray Ashworth (M, Grandmaster)
9. 26:58, J Scott Taylor (M, 50–54)
10. 27:44, Jeff Tinch (M, 55–59)

Top Ten Women, 2018 Strides For Scholars 5K

1. 21:22, Rory Claussen (F, Overall)
2. 22:32, Sandi Kaspszyk (F, Master)
3. 24:46, Kim Allan (F, 45–49)
4. 25:03, Rebecca McConnell (F, 40–44)
5. 25:42, Debbie Chitwood (F, Grandmaster)
6. 27:00, Theresa Sullivan (F, 55–59)
7. 27:50, Sherry Jones (F, 45–49)
8. 28:23, Shanun Commander White (F, 45–49)
9. 28:25, Natalie Godwin (F, 35–39)
10. 29:18, Jamie Wardley (F, 35–39)

Strides For Scholars 5K winners, 2012 - 2018
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
25 February 2012	17:44, Slade Ward	21:36, Katie Carroll	356
23 February 2013	16:38, Jordan Lance	24:36, Kathryn Underall	208
15 February 2014	18:28, Corey Pilson	19:35, Ella Swigler	307
28 February 2015	16:55, Ethan Mines	20:54, Ella Swigler	411
27 February 2016	16:19, Ethan Mines	21:28, Ella Swigler	333
11 February 2017	19:09, Tracey Burch	24:22, Danielle Mulick	409
24 February 2018	20:25, Nicolas Waddell	21:22, Rory Claussen	280

Links

• Complete results of Bay Education Foundation's 2018 Strides For Scholars 5K
  https://app.box.com/s/phzofrhj5qjgexo91xbjvfx12o5mb5u1
  
  
• 2017 story, “Burch and Mulick were head of the class at the Strides For Scholars 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/02/strides-for-scholars-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Mosley Dolphins Mines and Swigler repeat at Strides For Scholars”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/03/strides-for-scholars-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Mosley Dolphins Mines and Swigler do some fast striding at Strides For Scholars”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/03/strides-for-scholars-2015.html
  
  
• Bay Education Foundation
  http://www.bayeducationfoundation.org/
  
  
• Find upcoming races benefiting education and other causes on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2204