Jackson, a senior at Valdosta High, is in the middle of cross-country season, so this was his third race in ten days. He had run 17:30 at the Cecil Field Summer Classic on 27 August 2021 and a winning 17:45 at the Yellow Jacket Invitational on 2 September 2021. But Jackson couldn't pass up the Labor Day 5K, a race he had won in 2019. The race was different this time around for Jackson--he ran faster; more than three minutes faster than his winning time two years previously.
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| Parker Jackson |
Burnis Williams, another Valdosta High cross-country runner, took second in 18:16. Conner Shelton of Lakeland, Georgia was third in 18:32. The fastest master runner in the race was Lake Park, Georgia's Ryan Kelly, fifth overall in 19:34. Kelly, the Valdosta High cross-country coach, won the Labor Day 5K in 2015.
In the women's division, Olivia Gregory's winning 21:54 also gave her a lead of almost 200 meters.
Gaylen Griner, a junior on the Lanier County High cross-country team, took second in the women's standings, placing eighteenth overall in 22:45. Another high school harrier, Valwood sophomore Ella Burnett, was third in the women's division and 22nd overall in 23:54. Suzie Puckett of Hahira, Georgia was the top woman master and ninth female finisher, 36th overall in 27:05.
68 athletes finished Valdosta's 2021 Labor Day 5K. Proceeds of the race benefitted Valdosta city schools cross-country teams. A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta timed the race and provided finish line services.
Top Ten Men, 2021 Valdosta Labor Day 5K
- 17:24.9, Parker Jackson (M, 17) Valdosta, GA
- 18:16.0, Burnis Williams (M, 17) Valdosta, GA
- 18:31.1, Conner Shelton (M, 27) Lakeland, GA
- 18:50.8, Julio Perez (M, 30) Moultrie, GA
- 19:33.6, Ryan Kelly (M, 42) Lake Park, GA
- 19:53.0, Tristen Lesley (M, 20) Valdosta, GA
- 19:57.6, Ethan Burnett (M, 13) Valdosta, GA
- 20:42.1, Terrell McNeil (M, 19) Valdosta, GA
- 20:57.7, David Burnett (M, 45) Valdosta, GA
- 21:03.6, Patrick Wallace (M, 14) Valdosta, GA
Top Ten Women 2021 Valdosta Labor Day 5K
- 21:53.1, Olivia Gregory (F, 22) Gainesville, FL
- 22:44.3, Gaylen Griner (F, 16) Nashville, GA
- 23:53.2, Ella Burnett (F, 15) Valdosta, GA
- 24:03.5, Emma Burnett (F, 15) Valdosta, GA
- 25:38.5, Emily Asola (F, 17) Valdosta, GA
- 26:11.0, Jamie Brown (F, 37) Valdosta, GA
- 26:24.6, Laura Solomon (F, 39) Nashville, GA
- 26:27.8, Sarah Grace Puckett (F, 12) Hahira, GA
- 27:05.0, Suzie Puckett (F, 50) Hahira, GA
- 29:13.8, Kelsie Herndon (F, 12) Lake Park, GA
| Valdosta Labor Day 5K winners, 2009 - 2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Men | Women | Finishers |
| 7 September 2009 | 18:19, Drew Dunbar | 20:28, Ashley McGee | 122 |
| 6 September 2010 | 16:18, Chris Rice | 20:27, Jordanne Helton | 290 |
| 5 September 2011 | 17:55, Masked Avenger | 20:59, Mary Alice Smoot | 108 |
| 3 September 2012 | 17:44, James Marino | 22:27, Taylor Harrington | 93 |
| 2 September 2013 | 18:15, Matthew Baun | 19:48, Mary Alice Smoot | 89 |
| 1 September 2014 | 17:07, Matthew Baun | 21:58, Alice Smoot | 65 |
| 7 September 2015 | 18:56, Ryan Kelly | 22:38, Darien Andreu | 87 |
| 5 September 2016 | 18:03, Dan Butzin | 21:44, Debbie Green | 106 |
| 4 September 2017 | Canceled | ||
| 3 September 2018 | 19:39, Rick Mazurkiewicz | 21:42, Sandra Griffin | 80 |
| 2 September 2019 | 20:35, Parker Jackson | 23:29, Kelly Lunceford | 44 |
| 7 September 2020 | 16:35, Alec Munger | 22:39, Victoria Garcia | 99 |
| 6 September 2021 | 17:25, Parker Jackson | 21:54, Olivia Gregory | 68 |
Links:
- Complete results of the 2021 Valdosta Labor Day 5K courtesy of A Course/Line, LLC
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTiCc1q_S1S6smZAaCLDSaMgPXecLUtcCWOAC-ddZIu3rVhIUzM1FqLi_gyRqk6QyPS8NOdY4B_Chep/pubhtml
- 2020 story, “Lowndes harriers Alec Munger and Victoria Garcia win Valdosta's Labor Day 5K”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2020.html
- 2019 story, “Parker Jackson and Kelly Lunceford win at Valdosta's Labor Day 5K”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2019.html
- 2016 story, “Hermine can't halt Butzin or Green”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2016.html
- 2015 story, “Kelly and Andreu work the Valdosta roads on Labor Day”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2015.html
- 2013 story, “Mary Alice Smoot's 19:48 is a new mark in the Valdosta Labor Day 5K”
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2013.html
- 2011 story, “Rain can't spoil Valdosta's Labor Day picnic on the roads”
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2011.html
- 2010 story, “Valdosta Labor Day 5K, Valdosta, Georgia, 6 September 2010”
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/09/valdosta-labor-day-5k-2010.html
- Find your next holiday road race in the region using the Trouble Afoot! calendar
http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
