Harris and Oslund were rollin' on the river

The tenth annual Kiwanis River Run 10K belonged to the collegians. When the 6.2-mile race through the Bainbridge, Georgia, Earl Maye Boat Basin Park was over, Berry College cross-country runner Kyle Harris had won in 35:43. On the women's side, Darton State College harrier Elena Oslund took the title with a 41:51, a new women's record for the event. Donalsonville, Georgia, master runner Myles Gibson, the 2013 Kiwanis River Run 10K champion, finished runner-up in 38:11. Mary Anne Grayson of Thomasville, Georgia, was the top women master in the race, placing 13th overall in 44:46. 50 athletes finished the race.


It was a chilly Saturday morning on 4 January 2014 when the race started at 9:00 AM. Kyle Harris went right to the front of the 10K field. After a mile of running, Myles Gibson was four seconds behind Harris. Tallahassee's Reikan Lin and Bainbridge master runner Greg Waddell trailed Gibson, fighting for third. A mile later, Harris had stretched his lead over Gibson to nearly twenty seconds, while Lin and Waddell continued to run almost side by side. Halfway through the race Harris had warmed up enough to discard his outer long-sleeved shirt, continuing onward with shorts, T-shirt, gloves, and a one-minute lead. In second, Gibson was over 40 seconds ahead of Lin and Waddell, who were still locked in a duel for third.


Kyle Harris built up a lead of over 600 meters during the second half of the race on his way to posting a winning time of 35:43. Defending champ Myles Gibson hung on to second place, finishing in 38:11 as the first master runner. While racing for third, Reikan Lin and Greg Waddell started to make up ground on Gibson. Late in the race, Lin broke away from Waddell to take third, 38:44 to 38:55.


Elena Oslund just finished her second year of running cross country for the Darton State College cavaliers of Albany, Georgia, but she also has four years of high school cross-country experience competing for North Henderson High in Hendersonville, North Carolina. In the flat Earl Maye Boat Basin, nothing like the western North Carolina hills challenged Oslund. She cruised through the first mile of the Bainbridge Kiwanis River Run 10K in 6:25, leading the women's field. Her nearest competitor, Thomasville's Mary Anne Grayson, was nearly 100 meters back. Grayson would end up running 44:46, which would have won the women's title at eight of the nine previous River Runs. It wasn't fast enough to beat Oslund in 2014. Oslund was the first woman across the finish line, placing seventh overall. Her time of 41:51 took more than a minute off the River Run 10K women's record of 43:11 set eight years ago by Allison Eagen. Grayson was runner-up and top master. Paula O'Neill of Tallahassee, Florida, was the third woman finisher, 16th overall in 47:41. Tallahassee's Michelle Perry was fourth for the women, 18th in 49:02. Dothan, Alabama, master runner Carolyn Houston placed fifth in the women's standings, finishing 19th overall in 49:15.


Top Ten Men, 2014 Bainbridge Kiwanis River Run 10K

1. 35:42.66 ~ Kyle Harris (M, 19) Bainbridge, GA
2. 38:10.97 ~ Myles Gibson (M, 47) Donalsonville, GA
3. 38:43.91 ~ Reikan Lin (M, 23) Tallahassee, FL
4. 38:54.69 ~ Greg Waddell (M, 47) Bainbridge, GA
5. 40:53.41 ~ Perry Waddell (M, 16) Bainbridge, GA
6. 41:41.78 ~ Phillip Sura (M, 43) Tallahassee, FL
7. 42:19.04 ~ Nathan Adams (M, 30) Tallahassee, FL
8. 42:53.83 ~ Michael Kennett (M, 40) Tallahassee, FL
9. 43:06.85 ~ Kurt Anthony (M, 48) Albany, GA
10. 43:48.92 ~ A. Whatley (M, 43)

Top Ten Women, 2014 Bainbridge Kiwanis River Run 10K

1. 41:50.65 ~ Elena Oslund (F, 20) Albany, GA
2. 44:45.44 ~ Mary Anne Grayson (F, 47) Thomasville, GA
3. 47:40.26 ~ Paula O'Neill (F, 52) Tallahassee, FL
4. 49:01.69 ~ Michelle Perry (F, 28) Tallahassee, FL
5. 49:14.63 ~ Carolyn Houston (F, 41) Dothan, AL
6. 50:27.46 ~ Debbie Peters (F, 52) Tallahassee, FL
7. 53:32.77 ~ Julia Sura (F, 42) Tallahassee, FL
8. 53:58.02 ~ Sharon Crews (F, 46)
9. 56:48.10 ~ Suzanne Angell (F, 48) Bainbridge, GA
10. 56:50.06 ~ Dale French (F, 28)

In the junior race at the Kiwanis River Run, the 5K, it was a good day for the Bainbridge High School cross-country team. Chase Harris, a junior-year member of the Bearcat squad, won the 3.1-mile race for second year in a row, running 17:26. Bainbridge High senior Dre Banks was runner-up in 18:40.  Another Bainbridge High senior, Paige Braswell, finished at the top of the women's standings, placing sixth overall in 20:11. 35 athletes completed the 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2014 Bainbridge Kiwanis River Run 5K

1. 17:25.39 ~ Chase Harris (M, 16) Bainbridge, GA
2. 18:39.58 ~ Dre Banks (M, 17) Bainbridge, GA
3. 19:40.40 ~ Arnold DeJesus (M, 27)
4. 20:00.92 ~ Chip Nix (M, 37)
5. 20:06.46 ~ Caleb Harris (M, 12)
6. 21:30.96 ~ Mike Houston (M, 14)
7. 21:50.79 ~ Colby Nix (M, 14)
8. 24:59.79 ~ Michael Raybon (M, 49)
9. 26:54.41 ~ Jerry Armstrong (M, 66)
10. 27:51.63 ~ Butch Binford (M, 56)

Top Ten Women, 2014 Bainbridge Kiwanis River Run 5K

1. 20:10.83 ~ Paige Braswell (F, 17) Bainbridge, GA
2. 27:50.72 ~ Paula Grollman (F, 60)
3. 33:07.79 ~ Hollie Lloyd (F, 50)
4. 33:53.62 ~ Alice Warner (F, 50)
5. 34:10.47 ~ Dana Raybon (F, 56)
6. 34:22.01 ~ Sandra Binford (F, 55)
7. 35:02.69 ~ Rima Rosman (F, 44)
8. 35:07.72 ~ Sarah Houston (F, 11)
9. 35:10.25 ~ Abby Armstrong (F, 12)
10. 35:11.30 ~ Jane Harrison (F, 53)

Ten years of Bainbridge Kiwanis River Run winners, 2005-2014
Date	Distance	Men	Women	Finishers
8 Jan 2005	10K	J P Chesser	Shana Martin	33
	5K	Nathan Norton	Debbie Wittmer	30
7 Jan 2006	10K	35:59, Michael Douma	43:11, Allison Eagen	35
	5K	19:38, Gabe Mitchell	23:42, Shana Martin	39
6 Jan 2007	10K	35:49, Jay Wallace	45:39, Fran McLean	89
	5K	19:59, Steve Baxter	23:39, Shana Martin	30
5 Jan 2008	10K	35:13, David Marky	47:50, Lou Ellen Jayroe	36
	5K	18:15, Nathan Norton	19:28, Jana Stolting	32
3 Jan 2009	10K	35:50, Jessie Close	47:44, Kirsten Baggett	34
	5K	18:40, Nathan Norton	23:45, Erika Pemberton	63
2 Jan 2010	10K	37:45, Joel Piotrowski	51:20, Jessica Monk	42
	5K	19:27, Devin Ferrell	23:35, Helen Jean Thompson	54
8 Jan 2011	10K	33:55, Rick Jennings	49:15, Jessica Monk	32
	5K	19:21, Davey Reynolds	26:28, Carolyn Houston	30
21 Jan 2012	10K	35:11, Cody Mallchok	45:33, Angelina Horne	57
	5K	17:20, Luis Navarro	23:30, Amber Braswell	43
19 Jan 2013	10K	37:18, Myles Gibson	46:07, Juanita Chalmers	62
	5K	17:14, Chase Harris	19:00, Sheryl Rosen	47
4 Jan 2014	10K	35:43, Kyle Harris	41:51, Elena Oslund	50
	5K	17:26, Chase Harris	20:11, Paige Braswell	35

Links

• Complete results of the 2014 Bainbridge Kiwanis River Run 10K at gulfwinds.org
  http://www.gulfwinds.org/raceresults/2014/Kiwanis%20River%20Run%202014.asp
  
  
• More photos of the 2014 Bainbridge Kiwanis River Run 10K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10104025352148873.1073741941.5215641&l=1c5a9111f7
  
  
• USATF course certification map (GA11101WC) for the Bainbridge Kiwanis River Run 10K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=GA11101WC
  
  
• 2013 story, "Gibson, Chalmers rout rivals in River Run 10K"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/01/kiwanis-river-run-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, "Fast on the Flint, Mallchok and Horne win River Run 10K"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/01/kiwanis-river-run-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, "Jennings and Monk are the rapidest River Runners in Bainbridge"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/01/kiwanis-river-run-2011.html
  
  
• Find your next race in the Tallahassee region using the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1052

Valdosta girls, Bainbridge boys take season opener in Pelham

High school cross-country season is starting about a week earlier than usual in Florida in 2013, with opening day scheduled for August 31. But even that head start puts Florida a week behind Georgia, where the season is already under way. While the high school runners of Florida's Big Bend were looking forward to one last week of summer training, just over the state line the harriers of southwest Georgia were opening their fall campaign at the Pelham Hornet Invitational on Saturday morning, 24 August 2013.


The morning of competition at the Pelham High School Sports Complex opened with the high school girls' 5K. The Valdosta Wildcats eked out a 40 to 41 victory over the host Pelham Hornets. The margin was so close that if Valdosta's non-scoring sixth and seventh runners, Liz Kelly (14th, 29:16) and Demeonna McDuffie (16th, 31:03), hadn't finished ahead of Pelham's fifth runner, the race would have gone the other way. Top individual honors went to Paige Braswell of Bainbridge High. Braswell ran 21:51 for the 3.1 mile course, finishing nearly 800 meters ahead of runner-up Zakirra McKinnon (2nd, 25:37) of Valdosta.


Team Standings, High School Girls 5K

1. Valdosta High School, 40
2. Pelham High School, 41
3. Bainbridge High School, 75
4. Early County High School, 83
5. Americus-Sumter High School, 116

Top Ten, High School Girls 5K

1. 21:50.77 ~ Paige Braswell (Bainbridge) 12
2. 25:36.95 ~ Zakirra Mckinnon (Valdosta) 11
3. 25:53.80 ~ Leah Michael (Valdosta) 11
4. 26:11.38 ~ McKenzie Smith (Pelham) 10
5. 26:38.69 ~ Rebekah Smith (Pelham) 12
6. 27:04.19 ~ Cheyenne Brooks (Pelham) 11
7. 27:05.75 ~ Monica Webb (Pelham) 9
8. 28:02.06 ~ Jasmine Brown (Early County) 10
9. 28:08.00 ~ Jamia Powell (Bainbridge) 10
10. 28:11.30 ~ Maya Lee (Valdosta) 10

The high school boys took the stage next in this cross-country debut. It's a mathematical impossibility for a team to lose a cross-country meet with a score of 27 points, and 27 points was what Bainbridge High's Bearcats tallied in the boys' 5K, led by the one-two finish of junior Chase Harris (17:48) and senior Dre Banks (18:57). Pelham's Guthrie Edwards finished third, running 19:08 for the home team. Led by the fourth-place 19:36 of frosh runner Matthew Baun, Valdosta took second in the team standings with 68 points.


Team Standings, High School Boys 5K

1. Bainbridge High School, 27
2. Valdosta High School, 68
3. Americus-Sumter High School, 78
4. Pelham High School, 78
5. Early County High School, 102

Top Ten, High School Boys 5K

1. 17:47.24 ~ Chase Harris (Bainbridge) 11
2. 18:56.32 ~ Drevyon Banks (Bainbridge) 12
3. 19:07.53 ~ Guthrie Edwards (Pelham) 12
4. 19:35.85 ~ Matthew Baun (Valdosta) 9
5. 19:57.62 ~ Brett Bailey (Pelham) 11
6. 20:07.45 ~ Bennett Enfinger (Bainbridge) 10
7. 20:23.35 ~ Brendan Green (Bainbridge) 10
8. 20:42.08 ~ Carl Johnson (Americus-Sumter) 12
9. 21:07.22 ~ Eric Fletcher (Americus-Sumter) 12
10. 21:20.60 ~ La'quavious Williams (Early County) 12

The middle school race followed the high school races. The team competition for middle school girls mirrored that for high school girls in that Valdosta Middle School prevailed by a single point. This time it was Valdosta MS over Bainbridge MS, 32 to 33. Valdosta put a winning total together by putting three runners in the top four--Madeline Posse (1st, 13:50), Rachel Massingill (2nd, 15:16), and Sophia Noll (4th, 16:05)-- with Bainbridge's Uriyah Davis (3rd, 15:18) keeping the little Wildcats from sweeping the first three spots.


Team Standings, Middle School Girls Two-Mile

1. Valdosta Middle School, 32
2. Bainbridge Middle School, 33
3. Early County Middle School, 84
4. Pelham Middle School, 86

Top Ten, Middle School Girls Two-Mile

1. 13:49.33 ~ Madeline Posse (Valdosta) 7
2. 15:15.88 ~ Rachel Massingill (Valdosta) 7
3. 15:17.91 ~ Uriyah Davis (Bainbridge) 8
4. 16:04.83 ~ Sophia Noll (Valdosta) 6
5. 16:08.94 ~ Madison Wiggins (Bainbridge) 8
6. 16:17.86 ~ Chloe Enfinger (Bainbridge) 7
7. 16:51.48 ~ Brianna Cox (Pelham) 8
8. 17:03.73 ~ Camry Fillingame (Bainbridge) 8
9. 17:05.78 ~ Davia Allen (Early County) 6
10. 17:24.55 ~ Kiera Williams (Valdosta) 7

Led by the 11:40 first-place showing of seventh-grader Caleb Harris, Bainbridge Middle School edged out Valdosta Middle School by a single point, 35 to 36, for the title in the boys' two-mile race. It was extremely close, and the Early County Middle School runners actually tipped the balance--in a duel meet, with Early County missing, Valdosta would have beaten Bainbridge, 27 to 28. Such are the fortunes of cross-country. Noah Richards of Valdosta placed second in the individual standings with a 12:29, and Brandon Wombley of Early County was third in 12:58.


Team Standings, Middle School Boys Two-Mile

1. Bainbridge Middle School, 35
2. Valdosta Middle School, 36
3. Early County Middle School, 53

Top Ten, Middle School Boys Two-Mile

1. 11:39.17 ~ Caleb Harris (Bainbridge) 7
2. 12:28.35 ~ Noah Richards (Valdosta) 8
3. 12:57.52 ~ Brandon Womble (Early County) 8
4. 13:20.53 ~ Davis Baldwin (Valdosta) 8
5. 13:25.07 ~ Gavyn Albritton (Bainbridge) 8
6. 13:30.47 ~ Darien Rowe (Valdosta) 7
7. 13:32.98 ~ Caleb Swain (Bainbridge) 8
8. 13:48.38 ~ Preston Coolahan (Early County) 8
9. 14:10.70 ~ Will Krispen (Valdosta) 8
10. 14:54.77 ~ Kajuan Newton (Bainbridge) 7

Links

• Complete results of the 2013 Pelham Hornets Invitational Cross-Country Meet at milesplit.com
  http://ga.milesplit.com/meets/149663-pelham-hornet-invitational
  
  
• Timing and finish line services were provided by Miles and Minutes, LLC
  http://www.milesandminutes.net
  
  
• Scott Phillips, "Americus-Sumter cross country takes third at Pelham Hornet Invitational"
  http://americustimesrecorder.com/sports/x250201283/Americus-Sumter-cross-country-takes-third-at-Pelham-Hornet-Invitational
  
  
• Find a race to run--road, track, or cross-country--on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

Bainbridge High athletes Harris and Braswell conquer Crowdis 5K

Bainbridge High cross-country runners carried home the titles from the 2013 Dr. James H. Crowdis 5K in Blakely, Georgia on July 13. Junior-to-be Chase Harris captures the overall championship, winning the 3.1-mile race in 17:34. Senior-to-be Paige Braswell was the fastest female finisher, placing 13th overall in 21:14. Greg Waddell of Bainbridge, Georgia was the top master in the race, finishing fourth overall in 18:57. Taking female master runner honors, Blakely's Debbie Wittmer was 14th in 21:20.


The theme on race-day morning was "Christmas in July," as Christmas carols blared from speakers around the grounds of Blakely United Methodist Church, the site of the start and finish of the 17th Crowdis 5K. Signs around the course read "Think Snow" and "Merry Crowdis to All!" There may have been something to it, because temperatures that morning were slightly lower than average for midsummer--good news for the 88 athletes in the field.


Chase Harris took the lead almost immediately after the 8:15 AM start, with Paul Guyas of Tallahassee on his heels and another Tallahassee runner, Reikan Lin, trailing in third. At the halfway point, nothing had changed about the front two runners except for the gap between them--it was longer. Reikan Lin had dropped out of third place, though, passed by Tallahassee's Jack Redwing. On the road back to the First Methodist Church and the finish line, Harris increased his margin over Guyas to nearly 200 meters, crossing the finish line with a final time of 17:34 and the win. Guyas followed, runner-up in 18:14. Redwing ran 18:26 to hang on to third, while Bainbridge master Greg Waddell ran down Reikan Lin during the second half of the race to finish fourth in 18:57. Lin was fifth in 19:17.


The defending female champion of the Crowdis 5K, Debra Hunter, was on the starting line in Blakely on July 13, but after the first kilometer of racing it was Blakely master runner Debbie Wittmer who was leading the women's competition. Bainbridge High's Paige Braswell was about ten seconds behind Wittmer at that point, and it wasn't much closer halfway through the run. But during the second half of the 5K, Braswell started to close on Wittmer. With about half a kilometer left in the race the Bainbridge High runner took over. It stayed close, but Braswell beat Wittmer to the finish line, 21:14 to 21:20, the two runners finishing 13th and 14th overall. 2012 winner Debra Hunter was the third woman to finish, coming in 27th overall with a 24:11.


It was the second year of the revival of the Dr. James H. Crowdis 5K, which was run annually 15 times from 1981 to 1995 and now twice from 2012 to 2013 for a total of 17. During that history, the Crowdis Run has been held in March, May, September, and now July. Watch the calendar carefully if you want to catch the 18th Crowdis 5K in 2014!


Top Ten Males, 2013 Dr. James H. Crowdis 5K

1. 17:34 ~ Chase Harris (M, 16) Bainbridge, GA
2. 18:14 ~ Paul Guyas (M, 35) Tallahassee, FL
3. 18:26 ~ Jack Redwing (M, 27) Tallahassee, FL
4. 18:57 ~ Greg Waddell (M, 47) Bainbridge, GA
5. 19:17 ~ Reikan Lin (M, 23) Tallahassee, FL
6. 19:31 ~ Phillip Wilbourn (M, 33) Blakely, GA
7. 19:36 ~ Anthony Kuchera (M, 27) Tallahassee, FL
8. 20:08 ~ Bennett Enfinger (M, 15) Bainbridge, GA
9. 20:28 ~ Caleb Harris (M, 12) Bainbridge, GA
10. 20:35 ~ Daniel Graham (M, 41) Bainbridge, GA

Top Ten Females, 2013 Dr. James H. Crowdis 5K

1. 21:14 ~ Paige Braswell (F, 17) Bainbridge, GA
2. 21:20 ~ Debbie Wittmer (F, 50) Blakely, GA
3. 24:11 ~ Debra Hunter (F, 40) Suwanee, GA
4. 24:15 ~ Val Lichner (F, 54) Bonifay, FL
5. 27:11 ~ Meg Houston (F, 9) Blakely, GA
6. 28:02 ~ Jennifer Drake (F, 40) Dothan, AL
7. 28:03 ~ Kate Donlon (F, 22) Atlanta, GA
8. 28:40 ~ Sarah Beth Binford (F, 25) Dothan, AL
9. 29:05 ~ Tara Whaley (F, 38) Dothan, AL
10. 29:26 ~ Alex Byrd (F, 24) Climax, GA

James H. Crowdis Run 5K Champions, 1981-2013
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
28 MAR 1981	17:14, Tony Gilbert	21:09, Connie Cullifer
27 MAR 1982	17:20, Brian Doby	, Connie Cullifer	108
12 MAR 1983	16:19, Kirk Thomas	20:10, Maurine Farley	143
10 MAR 1984	15:50, Louis Floyd	21:16, Ann Lee	139
9 MAR 1985	15:46, Mike Mead	19:54, Donna Duty	179
9 MAR 1986	15:31, Mike Mead	19:36, Donna Duty	198
14 MAR 1987	15:20, Lee Fidler	19:36, Donna Duty	158
12 MAR 1988	15:53, John Devine	18:59, Janice Hochstein	151
11 MAR 1989	14:59, Matt Parker	17:03, Kim Byrd	178
10 MAR 1990	15:05, Matt Parker	19:47, Donna Duty	152
9 MAR 1991	15:36, Matt Parker	18:29, Connie Robertson	130
14 MAR 1992	14:52, Paul Waldron	20:09, Janice Hochstein	102
15 MAY 1993*	16:54, Myles Gibson	20:22, Donna Duty	65
12 MAR 1994	16:51, Scott Hoxie	18:32, Connie Robertson	97
11 MAR 1995	16:54, Dale Thomas	19:19, Connie Robertson	105
No race held, 1996-2011
3 SEP 2012	18:27, Jonathon Davison	23:13, Debra Hunter	87
13 JUL 2013	17:34, Chase Harris	21:14, Paige Braswell	88
* The 1993 race was originally scheduled for March 13, but was one of several races in the region that day postponed by a severe winter storm. A huge "thank you" to Larry Dykes of the Dothan Runners for his help in filling many blanks in the above history.

Links

• Complete results of the 2013 Dr. James H. Crowdis 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AuBsYKIIn3TCdEZQUXpkbHFfSkxDVFdkNTFCMWNNOWc
  
  
• More photos of the 2013 Dr. James H. Crowdis 5K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10103296737169133.1073741872.5215641&l=5b397521d6
  
  
• 2012 story, "Early County harrier Jonathon Davison leads 87 runners in resurrecting the Crowdis 5K"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/09/crowdis-5k.html
  
  
• Dr. James H. Crowdis Run web site
  http://crowdisrun.weebly.com/
  
  
• Find your next race in the Apalachee region using the Trouble Afoot! calendar:
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1