Showing posts with label Roger Schmidt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roger Schmidt. Show all posts

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Schmidt and Veltcheva bloom at the Rose City Run

Each April, from 1978 to 2016, the Rose City Run 10K has been held on the streets of Thomasville, Georgia. The course remains the same and the band still plays on the fourth mile. The cast of runners has changed, though, and on Saturday morning, 23 April 2016, Tallahassee's Roger Schmidt won the 39th annual Rose City Run, racing the 6.2-mile course in 34:37. Eleven-year-old Ani Veltcheva of Gainesville, Florida was the first female finisher, placing sixth overall in 38:11. 358 athletes finished the race.


Roger Schmidt
Roger Schmidt


Most people would have picked Roger Schmidt as a contender at the Rose City Run. Schmidt was fourth in the Thomasville race in 2015, and three weeks earlier he had won Tallahassee's Springtime 10K. However, few would have expected to see Schmidt competing at all that Saturday, because it was only five days after he had raced the Boston Marathon, running 26.2 rugged miles in 2:46.12. Nevertheless, Schmidt was on the starting line on Broad Street.


Another surprise on the starting line was Stephen Robbins. Although originally from the area, Robbins had to travel from Saratoga Springs, Utah to race at Rose City.


"I'm here visiting my grandparents," said Robbins.


2016 Rose City Run
The leaders approaching the two-mile mark


A mob scrambled to get to the front when the race started at 8:00 AM. By the end of the first mile, that mob had diminished to a lead group of five runners. A mile farther along Smith Avenue the group was down to four runners--Stephen Robbins, Roger Schmidt of Tallahassee's Capital City Runners, Florida A & M University professor Geb Kiros, and Thomas County Central High senior Samuel Gelabert. On Pinetree Boulevard Schmidt and Robbins dropped the other two runners.


"I paced it really well," said Schmidt. "I was hitting all the kilometers just where I wanted."


Robbins was racing in a pair of road spikes, which weren't quite as noisy as tap shoes, but almost.


"I heard the 'clack' on the pavement, and I thought, 'That's good; I'll be able to hear if he's coming up behind me," said Schmidt.


Stephen Robbins
Stephen Robbins


The lack of support in the lightweight shoes may have been a disadvantage to Robbins as well. He began to have leg problems during the second half of the race.


"I felt really good for three miles," said Robbins. "Then my ankle gave out. I lost Roger about four miles."


After that Schmidt raced down Clay Street alone, piling up a lead of more than 300 meters on Robbins. Schmidt made the final turn onto Broad Street alone then crossed the finish line in a winning 34:37. Robbins followed in 35:55. Geb Kiros was the first master runner in the race and third overall in 37:25. Gelabert took fourth in 37:45. Dustin Reynolds, a junior on the Seminole County High cross country team, finished fifth in 37:45.


Ani Veltcheva
Ani Veltcheva


Ani Veltcheva always had plans to compete on the morning of the Rose City Run, but not in a road race. The Abraham Lincoln Middle School student was scheduled to be at a math contest. Plans change, though.


"They canceled her math competition," explained Veltcheva's mother.


So Ani was racing on the Thomasville streets. From the start of the race she led the women's field, getting over a minute ahead of three-time Rose City women's champ Sheryl Rosen during the first two miles of the race.


"I knew Ani was in front of me but I couldn't see her," said Rosen, a Tallahassee lawyer. "I was just running my own race."


Sheryl Rosen
Sheryl Rosen


"The course was really nice," said Veltcheva. "But at one point the hills just kept coming!"


Thomasville's hills couldn't stop Ani Veltcheva, though, as she rolled to the women's title. Her 38:11 winning time was her best 10K yet.


"I ran 42:42 almost a year and a half ago at the Gainesville Turkey Trot," said Veltcheva.


Rosen took second in the women's standings, placing ninth overall in 39:54. Allison Eagen of Tallahassee was the third woman and twelfth overall in 40:44. Thomasville's Alicia Carter was the fourth woman and 23rd overall in 43:31. Julie Carico of Thomasville was the top woman master and eighth female finisher, 57th overall in 48:56.


Not much has changed about the Rose City Run since 1978, nor is there much that you'd want to change. One difference in 2016 was the introduction of chip timing, provided by Georgia Runner Event Timing. Dr. Jim Story still presented the awards near the Big Oak, and maybe those awards were a little more prompt because of technology. Still, the 39th annual Rose City Run was every bit as fine an event as the first race in 1978. It's the kind of record that makes you look forward to the 40th Rose City Run on 29 April 2017.


Geb KirosTop Ten Men, 2016 Rose City Run 10K
  1. 34:37 ~ Roger Schmidt (M, 24) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 35:55 ~ Stephen Robbins (M, 19) Saratoga Springs, UT
  3. 37:25 ~ Geb Kiros (M, 49) Tallahassee, FL
  4. 37:45 ~ Samuel Gelabert (M, 18) Thomasville, GA
  5. 38:00 ~ Dustin Reynolds (M, 17) Brinson, GA
  6. 38:27 ~ Myles Gibson (M, 49) Donalsonville, GA
  7. 39:12 ~ Conley Wilhelm (M, 18) Thomasville, GA
  8. 40:16 ~ Philip Sura (M, 46) Tallahassee, FL
  9. 40:27 ~ Jon Haney (M, 30) West Chester, PA
  10. 40:48 ~ Gregory Waddell (M, 50) Bainbridge, GA

Allison EagenTop Ten Women, 2016 Rose City Run 10K
  1. 38:11 ~ Ani Veltcheva (F, 11) Gainesville, FL
  2. 39:54 ~ Sheryl Rosen (F, 31) Tallahassee, FL
  3. 40:44 ~ Allison Eagen (F, 37) Tallahassee, FL
  4. 43:31 ~ Alicia Carter (F, 30) Thomasville, GA
  5. 43:48 ~ Anna Busby (F, 25) Tallahassee, FL
  6. 46:50 ~ Rosalie White (F, 21) Thomasville, GA
  7. 48:53 ~ Shelbi Evans (F, 27) Tallahassee, FL
  8. 48:56 ~ Julie Carico (F, 50) Thomasville, GA
  9. 49:12 ~ April Scruggs (F, 47) Valdosta, GA
  10. 49:27 ~ Kelly Garland (F, 45) Tallahassee, FL

Rose City Run 10K Champions, 1978 - 2016
DateMenWomen
29 April 197831:25, Gary Slayton36:45, Janice Hochstein
28 April 197931:47, Mike Rasper37:49, Janice Hochstein
26 April 198031:18, George West38:14, Colleen Joiner
25 April 198130:21, Mabry McCray40:26, Nicole Batchelder
198230:33, Ernie McKee38:31, Nicole Batchelder
198330:47, Noel Shuman34:57, Darien Andreu
198433:05, Gary Slayton37:51, Barbara Balzer
27 April 198532:36, Rick Miller37:41, Barbara Balzer
26 April 198632:05, Rick Miller37:35, Janice Hochstein
198729:57, Herb Wills37:39, Karen MacHarg
198831:55, Jessie Close37:59, Karen MacHarg
198931:39, Jessie Close36:49, Karen MacHarg
199031:56, Jessie Close37:04, Karen MacHarg
199131:15, Jessie Close38:33, Vikki Saga
199233:04, Trent Smith37:48, Vikki Saga
24 April 199331:28, Gary Droze38:24, Vikki Saga
23 April 199430:19, Robin Rogers37:37, Lisa Herman
29 April 199531:52, Jessie Close35:37, Suzanne Rigg
27 Aprl 199632:18, Jessie Close39:37, Carrie Weyant
26 April 199732:29, Brian Erb36:40, Sarah Docter-Williams
25 April 199831:58, Alan Black36:07, Sarah Docter-Williams
24 April 199932:21, Alan Black37:14, Sarah Docter-Williams
29 April 200034:15, Sean Daniels35:20, Anna Pichrtova
28 April 200132:05, Paul Spangler36:22, Sarah Docter-Williams
27 April 200230:53, Alan Black39:35, Jane Johnson
26 April 200331:58, Matt Kalinski41:53, Julie Carico
25 April 200433:44, Jessie Close39:52, Kate Remillard
23 April 200533:44, Jessie Close37:08, Sarah Docter-Williams
29 April 200634:32, Jessie Close38:38, Barbara Jarnagin
28 April 200731:21, Alan Black39:02, Sheryl Rosen
26 April 200833:10, Malcolm Campbell37:40, Donna Garcia
25 April 200932:34, Nathaniel Haskins41:38, Mary Anne Grayson
24 April 201032:51, Chris Lake37:42, Amy Hines
23 April 201132:46, Chris Lake38:58, Donna Garcia
28 April 201232:51, Chris Lake36:51, Sheryl Rosen
27 April 201332:52, Will Stanford37:08, Sheryl Rosen
26 April 201433:21, Chris Lake38:58, Amy Hines
25 April 201532:04, Nathan Haskins41:32, Beth Sweeny
23 April 201634:37, Roger Schmidt38:11, Ani Veltcheva


Links
#1685

Saturday, April 2, 2016

Schmidt and Piekarewicz score come-from-behind victories at Springtime

Schmidt versus Kaiser. It sounds like a pairing in the German national championships. Instead it was the match-up on the streets of Tallahassee, Florida as Roger Schmidt and Nate Kaiser battled down to the wire for first place in the 41st annual Springtime 10K. In the end Schmidt pulled ahead to get the win, 34:06 to 34:16. On the women's side Adriana Piekarewicz got the win, placing fifteenth overall in 39:09.


Roger Schmidt, Nate Kaiser
Roger Schmidt and Nate Kaiser


The race started at 8:15 AM on Saturday morning, 2 April 2016, on Monroe Street in front of the Leon County Courthouse. Matt Mizereck of Capital City Runners charged to the front. A three-time state cross-country champion when he ran for Leon High School, Mizereck was seven seconds ahead of the rest of the field at the two-kilometer mark where the race turned east onto Lafayette Street. Mizereck's closest pursuers at that point were Roger Schmidt, Nate Kaiser, and three-time Springtime 10K champion Chris Lake. In Myers Park, Lake fell back, leaving the chase to Kaiser and Schmidt. Sometimes Kaiser led Schmidt, other times Schmidt led Kaiser, but they always trailed Mizereck. At the halfway point on Golf Terrace Drive Mizereck's lead was longer than ever. During the second half of the race, though, the story changed.


"When Matt took it out I thought he looked so at ease," said Schmidt. "But then later in the race I saw him look back. I told Nate, 'I think he's fading.'"


Matt Mizereck
Matt Mizereck


Schmidt and Kaiser started to close on Mizereck. Near the Old Fort, just past the six kilometer mark, they caught him, then left him behind. The race was now between Kaiser and Schmidt.


Just past eight kilometers Schmidt pushed a few steps ahead of Kaiser. By nine kilometers Schmidt's lead was five seconds and growing. Schmidt was first over the finish line in 34:06; Kaiser followed in 34:16. Mizereck was third in 35:09. Charlie Johnson took fourth in 35:30, and Chris Lake was fifth in 35:59. Gary Droze, Maclay School's head track coach, was the top master runner in the race, placing ninth overall in 37:06.


Alyson Churchill, a distance runner on the Swift Creek Middle School track team, hadn't planned to run the Springtime 10K. Just three weeks earlier she had raced her first 10K ever at the Thomasville Road Baptist Church Road Race, winning the women's title in 40:16. However, Churchill was scheduled to play in a Jacksonville soccer tournament on the day of Springtime. When the tournament was canceled due to bad weather, plans changed, and Churchill was on the starting line on Monroe Street. She was also fast off that starting line, leading the women's field early in the race. But Adriana Piekarewicz overtook Churchill as they turned onto Myers Park Drive, about two-and-a-half kilometers into the race. For the next three kilometers Piekarewicz felt somewhat insecure about her lead.


Adriana Piekarewicz
Adriana Piekarewicz


"You never know who's behind you, and I kept hearing footsteps and thinking it was her," said Piekarewicz. "Then around four miles someone called out, 'You're the first woman. By a lot!'"


After that Piekarewicz raced confidently home to the women's title.


Meanwhile, two-time Springtime women's champ Sheryl Rosen had set her sights on Churchill.


"I just slowly gained on her," said Rosen. "I passed her right at the turn onto Lafayette."


Alyson Churchill, Sheryl Rosen
Alyson Churchill and Sheryl Rosen


That was 600 meters from the finish line. Rosen made the most of that remaining distance, placing second in the women's standings and 25th overall in 40:30. Churchill was the third female finisher, 29th overall in 40:38.


Charlie JohnsonTop Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Springtime 10K
  1. 34:06 ~ Roger Schmidt (M, 24)
  2. 34:16 ~ Nate Kaiser (M, 36)
  3. 35:09 ~ Matt Mizereck (M, 24)
  4. 35:30 ~ Charlie Johnson (M, 36)
  5. 35:59 ~ Chris Lake (M, 28)
  6. 36:18 ~ Zach Deveau (M, 28)
  7. 36:44 ~ Ryon Courtoy (M, 28)
  8. 36:57 ~ Trevor Sununu (M, 20)
  9. 37:06 ~ Gary Droze (M, 54)
  10. 37:20 ~ Geb Kiros (M, 49)

Anna BusbyTop Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Springtime 10K
  1. 39:09 ~ Adriana Piekarewicz (F, 27)
  2. 40:30 ~ Sheryl Rosen (F, 31)
  3. 40:38 ~ Alyson Churchill (F, 13)
  4. 41:51 ~ Anna Busby (F, 25)
  5. 42:53 ~ Jillian Heddaeus (F, 32)
  6. 43:29 ~ Brittney Barnes (F, 28)
  7. 44:10 ~ Katie Sack (F, 24)
  8. 45:22 ~ Katie Sherron (F, 34)
  9. 46:07 ~ Darby Scott (F, 34)
  10. 46:12 ~ Alison Thumm (F, 38)

Nicholas Loffer won the Springtime 5K in 18:42, finishing almost 170 meters ahead of runner-up Josh Cartwright. Cartwright's time was 19:21. Donald Kunish was the fastest master runner in the 5K, placing third overall in 19:26.


Nicholas Loffer
Nicholas Loffer


Megan Churchill outkicked Kristy Kalich 21:53 to 21:54 for the 5K women's title, the two runners placing twelfth and thirteenth overall. Paige Churchill was the third female finisher, coming in sixteenth overall in 23:00.


In spite of a spring storm that drenched the city the night before the race, 942 athletes showed up Saturday morning to finish the Springtime 10K. 426 finished the 5K race, and another 58 completed the kids' mile. All three races were chip-timed by Gulf Winds Track Club.


Josh CartwrightTop Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Springtime 5K
  1. 18:42 ~ Nicholas Loffer (M, 32)
  2. 19:21 ~ Josh Cartwright (M, 20)
  3. 19:26 ~ Donald Kunish (M, 40)
  4. 19:42 ~ Hawthorne Hay (M, 14)
  5. 20:28 ~ Stephen Freeman (M, 24)
  6. 20:31 ~ Ryan Muller (M, 25)
  7. 20:54 ~ Scott Arnold (M, 46)
  8. 20:57 ~ Mike Weyant (M, 50)
  9. 21:17 ~ Eric Houge (M, 35)
  10. 21:32 ~ Justin Siderfin (M, 43)

Megan Churchill, Kristy KalichTop Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Springtime 5K
  1. 21:53 ~ Megan Churchill (F, 13)
  2. 21:54 ~ Kristy Kalich (F, 22)
  3. 23:00 ~ Paige Churchill (F, 11)
  4. 23:25 ~ Crystal Anderson (F, 30)
  5. 23:38 ~ Mercedes Puig (F, 31)
  6. 23:44 ~ Mary Vancore (F, 52)
  7. 23:45 ~ Caitlin Kleefeld (F, 20)
  8. 25:05 ~ Dorothy Thames (F, 34)
  9. 25:20 ~ Victoria Convey (F, 20)
  10. 25:38 ~ Brook Pace (F, 36)

Springtime 10K Champions, 1976 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
2 April 201634:06, Roger Schmidt39:09, Adriana Piekarewicz942
28 March 201532:59, Stephen Cox37:30, Sheryl Rosen
29 March 201432:03, Kevin Sullivan38:09, Seeley Gutierrez
6 April 201331:42, Kevin Sullivan36:05, Stefanie Slekis
31 March 201233:29, Chris Lake37:33, Lindsay Zeiler
2 April 201132:34, Chris Lake34:52, Pasca Cheruiyot
27 March 201033:09, Chris Lake38:23, Sheryl Rosen
28 March 200935:00, David Altmaier38:34, Lisa Johnson
29 March 200831:59, Joey Zins38:16, Sarah Docter-Williams
31 March 200733:27, Matthew Dobson37:23, Lara Shaw
1 April 200633:25, Joey Zins34:36, Vicky Gill
2 April 200532:43, Joey Zins36:51, Sarah Docter-Williams
3 April 200433:22, Caleb Carmichael37:03, Sarah Docter-Williams
5 April 200330:56, Joseph Zepherinus34:52, Larisa Timchina
6 April 200231:18, Conor Holt36:40, Larisa Timchina
31 March 200132:18, Muchapiwa Mazano34:46, Tatyana Maslova
1 April 200032:28, Muchapiwa Mazano36:05, Anna Pichrtova
27 March 199930:56, Muchapiwa Mazano37:01, Sarah Docter-Williams
4 April 199831:07, Randy Hollinger34:09, Breeda Dennehy
12 April 199731:12, Juri Punda35:30, Tamara Karloukova
13 April 199632:21, Jessie Close37:11, Jane Johnson
1 April 199531:43, Matthew Dobson37:27, Jane Johnson
199432:17, Matthew Dobson37:37, Lisa Herman
199333:11, Andy Palmer36:54, Paula Johnson
199232:09, Jessie Close37:38, Paula Johnson
199132:02, Jessie Close38:29, Paula Johnson
199031:48, Jessie Close38:16, Vikki Saga
198930:49, Paul Waldron37:54, Janice Hochstein
198831:22, Paul Waldron38:18, Karen MacHarg
5 March 198731:52, Jessie Close35:30, Carla Borovicka
22 March 198631:15, Dennis Rice37:16, Karen MacHarg
30 March 198530:30, Paul Waldron35:32, Carole Rouillard
7 April 198430:03, Larry Greene35:57, Carla Borovicka
9 April 198331:21, Noel Shumann38:15, Janice Hochstein
3 April 198232:11, George West39:56, Pam Ledbetter
4 April 198132:06, Mabry McCray37:14, Janice Gage
29 March 198032:35, Rick Swiderski40:02, Lisa Kinch
7 April 197933:10, David Ferrell37:14, Janice Gage
1 April 197831:43, George West38:03, Laura Ledbetter
197731:24, Morrison Reid40:57, Nancy McCormac
24 April 1976*20:30, George West,Donnie Cook25:27, Janice Gage
* The 1976 race was a four-mile run on the FSU campus.


Links:
#1662

Monday, March 21, 2016

Schmidt and Busby add Bainbridge to their collection of half marathon wins

Bainbridge Half MarathonBainbridge, Georgia is just north of the Florida-Georgia border, so the annual Bainbridge Half Marathon attracts more than a few Florida runner, especially from nearby Tallahassee. In fact there were enough interlopers from the Sunshine State that Florida runners won the first three races. Tallahassee's Chris Lake still owns the course record. Finally, in 2015 Myles Gibson of Donalsonville, Georgia won the 13.1-mile run, keeping the title in the Peach State. But on Saturday morning, 19 March 2016, Gibson didn't succeed in defending that title from Roger Schmidt, yet another Florida athlete. Schmidt, of Tallahassee's Capital City Runners, won the race in 1:16:45, crossing the finish line with a lead of more than a mile. Valdosta, Georgia resident Anna Busby was the first woman in the long race, coming in fifth overall in 1:32:27.


Gibson was the top master runner in the race, placing second overall in 1:23:57--more than two minutes better than the 1:26:20 he had posted in 2015. Matthew Phillips of Crawfordville, Florida finished third in 1:30:33.


Tallahassee runner Jillian Heddaeus was the women's runner-up, placing eleventh overall in 1:40:30. Grace Kennedy was third in the women's standings, nineteenth overall in 1:52:02. Darla Castoro was the top woman master and sixth female finisher, 23rd overall in 1:54:41.


It wasn't the first 13.1-mile race in South Georgia for Roger Schmidt and Anna Busby. Just three weeks earlier the duo had raced the Hospice Half Marathon in Dasher, Georgia, with Schmidt winning the men's division and Busby the women's. It could get to be a habit. But even though there is another half marathon in Tifton, Georgia on 2 April 2016, Busby plans to race the Springtime 10K in Tallahassee that day, and Schmidt will be in his final preparations for the Boston Marathon on 18 April 2016.


95 athletes finished the 2016 Bainbridge Half Marathon. Another 29 completed a concurrently run 5K road race. Poncherello Leonard, a junior on the Bainbridge High cross country team, won the 3.1-mile race in 18:20. Bainbridge High sophomore cross country runner Uriyah Davis was first in the women's standings, placing sixth overall in 23:30. Miles and Minutes, LLC, timed both races.


Roger SchmidtTop Ten Men, 2016 Bainbridge (Georgia) Half Marathon
  1. 1:16:44.1 ~ Roger Schmidt (M, 24)
  2. 1:23:57.0 ~ Myles Gibson (M, 49)
  3. 1:30:32.9 ~ Matthew Phillips (M, 21)
  4. 1:32:21.2 ~ Mark Tombrink (M, 28)
  5. 1:34:35.9 ~ Trevor Marshall (M, 33)
  6. 1:35:37.0 ~ Pauncho Hufstetler (M, 41)
  7. 1:37:06.5 ~ Philip Sura (M, 45)
  8. 1:37:46.8 ~ Grant Dautel (M, 32)
  9. 1:39:41.4 ~ Harold Allen (M, 34)
  10. 1:42:21.6 ~ Jerry Searcy (M, 46)

Top Ten Women, 2016 Bainbridge (Georgia) Half Marathon
  1. 1:32:26.8 ~ Anna Busby (F, 25)
  2. 1:40:29.6 ~ Jillian Heddaeus (F, 32)
  3. 1:52:02.0 ~ Grace Kennedy (F, 27)
  4. 1:52:51.7 ~ Caitlin Copa (F, 23)
  5. 1:53:57.3 ~ Carrie Mata (F, 21)
  6. 1:54:41.0 ~ Darla Castoro (F, 52)
  7. 1:54:58.1 ~ Donica Williams (F, 36)
  8. 1:59:00.1 ~ Julia Sura (F, 44)
  9. 1:59:12.1 ~ Emma Dugger (F, 53)
  10. 1:59:47.4 ~ Carla Elliott (F, 54)

Bainbridge Half Marathon champions, 2012 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
14 April 201272:43, Chris Lake1:41:01, Melissa Thompson193
23 March 201377:28, Stanley Linton93:34, Mary Anne Grayson147
22 March 201479:25, Kevin Sweeny91:42, Alicia Hudelson95
21 March 201586:20, Myles Gibson97:58, Melissa Thompson50
19 March 201676:45, Roger Schmidt92:27, Anna Busby95


Fastest Men's Performances in the Bainbridge Half Marathon, 2012 - 2016
  1. 1:12:43 ~ [2012] Chris Lake (M, 24)
  2. 1:16:45 ~ [2016] Roger Schmidt (M, 24)
  3. 1:17:28 ~ [2013] Stanley Linton (M, 19)
  4. 1:19:25 ~ [2014] Kevin Sweeny (M, 44)
  5. 1:21:51 ~ [2012] Pauncho Hufstetler (M, 37)
  6. 1:22:45 ~ [2013] Jack McDermott (M, 44)
  7. 1:23:44 ~ [2013] Pauncho Hufstetler (M, 38)
  8. 1:23:57 ~ [2016] Myles Gibson (M, 49)
  9. 1:25:44 ~ [2012] Kyle Harris (M, 17)
  10. 1:26:20 ~ [2015] Myles Gibson (M, 48)
  11. 1:26:37 ~ [2013] Erick Juarez (M, 20)
  12. 1:27:25 ~ [2014] Greg Waddell (M, 48)
  13. 1:27:53 ~ [2013] Greg Waddell (M, 47)

Fastest Women's Performances in the Bainbridge Half Marathon, 2012 - 2016
  1. 1:31:42 ~ [2014] Alicia Hudelson (F, 29)
  2. 1:32:27 ~ [2016] Anna Busby (F, 25)
  3. 1:33:34 ~ [2013] Mary Anne Grayson (F, 47)
  4. 1:37:58 ~ [2015] Melissa Thompson (F, 30)
  5. 1:39:43 ~ [2014] Jill Haglund (F, 28)
  6. 1:40:20 ~ [2013] Laura McDermott (F, 33)
  7. 1:40:30 ~ [2016] Jillian Heddaeus (F, 32)
  8. 1:40:38 ~ [2013] Debbie Wittmer (F, 49)
  9. 1:40:57 ~ [2013] Teresa Haltom (F, 2)
  10. 1:41:01 ~ [2012] Melissa Thompson (F, 27)
  11. 1:41:24 ~ [2012] Deborah Wittmer (F, 48)
  12. 1:41:44 ~ [2014] Laura McDermott (F, 34)
  13. 1:41:45 ~ [2012] Laura McDermott (F, 32)

Links
#1648

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Schmidt and Busby take the Hospice Half titles home to Tallahassee

After a four-year run of annual races from 2011 to 2014, the Hospice Half Marathon was absent from the South Georgia racing calendar in 2015. But the race returned to Dasher, Georgia on Saturday morning, 27 February 2016, and Roger Schmidt of Capital City Runners starred in the comeback. The Tallahassee, Florida athlete took three-and-a-half minutes off the event record, winning the 13.1-mile race in 1:17:14. Making it a Tallahassee sweep, Anna Busby won the women's title, finishing tenth overall with a 1:32:31.


Roger Schmidt was the first athlete to break 80:00 at the Hospice Half Marathon, but less than three minutes after he crossed the finish line he was no longer the Dasher race's only sub-80:00 performer. Nick Graves, a Georgia Tech computer science student, ran 1:19:52, placing second. Another Atlanta-based runner, Georgia Tech student Gautam Sowda, took third in 1:21:00. Jeremy Storey of Valdosta, Georgia was the top master in the race, placing twelfth overall in 1:33:45.


Sarah Ecker was second in the women's standings, finishing eighteenth overall in 1:43:43, while Angela Rao was third on the women's side, ninteenth overall in 1:47:23. Valdosta's Martha Mazurkiewicz was the top woman master and fourth female finisher, coming in 24th overall in 1:51:17.


56 athletes finished the 2016 Hospice Half Marathon. The race benefits the patients and families cared for by Hospice of South Georgia and the Langdale Hospice House. A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta, Georgia provided timing and finish line services.


Roger SchmidtTop Ten Men, 2016 Hospice Half Marathon
  1. 1:17:14 ~ Roger Schmidt (M, 24) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 1:19:52 ~ Nick Graves (M, 20) Atlanta, GA
  3. 1:21:00 ~ Gautam Sowda (M, 19) Atlanta, GA
  4. 1:22:14 ~ Parker Childree (M, 26) Valdosta, GA
  5. 1:24:00 ~ Dan Butzin (M, 30) Valdosta, GA
  6. 1:24:43 ~ Ryan Kelly (M, 37) Lake Park, GA
  7. 1:25:20 ~ Joshua Anderson (M, 23) Atlanta, GA
  8. 1:25:27 ~ Florian Hauer (M, 29) Atlanta, GA
  9. 1:27:10 ~ Christopher Tromp (M, 19) Atlanta, GA
  10. 1:32:54 ~ François Desjardins (M, 23) Atlanta, GA

Top Ten Women, 2016 Hospice Half Marathon
  1. 1:32:31 ~ Anna Busby (F, 25) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 1:43:43 ~ Sarah Ecker (F, 22) Atlanta, GA
  3. 1:47:23 ~ Angela Rao (F, 19) Atlanta, GA
  4. 1:51:17 ~ Martha Mazurkiewicz (F, 48) Valdosta, GA
  5. 1:52:05 ~ Uma Rajagopalan (F, 20) Atlanta, GA
  6. 1:56:54 ~ Penny Bell (F, 42) Hahira, GA
  7. 1:58:50 ~ Kristen Goldie (F, 19) Atlanta, GA
  8. 1:59:25 ~ Nicole Lane (F, 24) Valdosta, GA
  9. 1:59:30 ~ Katie Allen (F, 22) Gainesville, FL
  10. 2:00:21 ~ Joanna Bryan (F, 36) Sparks, GA

Hospice Half Marathon champions, 2011 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
19 February 20111:25:36, Masked Avenger1:43:03, Brandi Faircloth72
17 February 20121:23:09, Stan Darsh1:37:58, Amy Sharon76
16 February 20131:20:45, Ryan Kelly1:32:23, Beth Sweeny107
15 February 20141:21:44, Ryan Kelly1:30:28, Beth Sweeny84
27 February 20161:17:14, Roger Schmidt1:32:31, Anna Busby56
The race was not held in 2015.


Links
#1625

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Schmidt and Sherron fly through the Flash

Twelve kilometers isn't a distance that Roger Schmidt races very often. Schmidt has raced just about every distance up to 50 miles, but there just aren't many opportunities to compete in a 12K. Nevertheless, Schmidt made the most of his opportunity in St Marks, Florida on Saturday morning, 20 February 2016. The Capital City Runners athlete won Gulf Winds Track Club's 28th annual Flash 12K, running 40:52. The first woman in the race was Katie Sherron, an FSU economics professor, who finished 23rd overall in 50:43. Sherron was no stranger to the 12K distance in general or the Flash 12K in particular; she also won the women's title at the race in 2012.


The race started just after 8:30 AM, with the runners heading north from Fort San Marcos State Park. The course was out-and-back--six kilometers to a turn-around point on the Saint Marks Trail, followed by a return to the Fort by the same route. Zach DeVeau, the previous year's winner was in the field, as was Vince Molosky, who had fought DeVeau much of the way in that earlier race. It wasn't the defending champ, though, who was setting the early pace. Roger Schmidt was the runner out front, with Molosky just off his shoulder. Nate Kaiser trailed the two leaders, with DeVeau farther back in fourth.

Roger Schmidt, Vince Molosky
"Roger took it out pretty hard," said Molosky


"We went out on a stiff pace," agreed Schmidt.


Molosky stayed close for three kilometers, but then Schmidt started to pull away, breaking contact on the way to the turnaround at the halfway mark. Meanwhile, Nate Kaiser wasn't going away.

Roger Schmidt

"Nate went by me just after the turnaround," said Molosky. "I just couldn't hang with him after that. My legs were dead."


"I was running scared," said Schmidt. "I told myself that Nate and Vince were breathing down my neck."


They weren't. Kaiser ran a strong second half, but he couldn't make up any of the ground he had already given up to Schmidt. Schmidt was first back to the fort, winning in 40:52. Kaiser was second in 41:30 and Molosky third in 42:29. Bryan Koon took fourth in 42:41, the top master runner in the race. DeVeau finished fifth in 44:01.

Nate Kaiser

Katie Sherron, Anna Busby, and Jillian Heddaeus were together at the front of the women's field after the first kilometer of the Flash 12K. Sherron bid them adieu shortly after that, leaving Busby and Heddaeus twelve seconds behind by the four kilometer mark.


"At the turn-around I saw that Anna and Jillian weren't far behind me," said Sherron. "So I picked it up for about a mile, but then I fell back to my old pace. I slowed down more than I wanted to."

Katie Sherron

Sherron didn't slow down enough for anyone to catch her, though. She was the first woman across the finish line, running 50:43. Busby was second in the women's standings, placing 24th overall in 51:30. Angela Wable was the first woman master and the third female finisher, overtaking Jillian Heddaeus late in the race to place 30th overall in 52:42. Heddaeus was the fourth woman in the race, 32nd overall in 53:06.


Bryan KoonTop Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Flash 12K
  1. 40:52 ~ Roger Schmidt (M, 24)
  2. 41:30 ~ Nate Kaiser (M, 36)
  3. 42:29 ~ Vince Molosky (M, 36)
  4. 42:41 ~ Bryan Koon (M, 44)
  5. 44:01 ~ Zach Deveau (M, 28)
  6. 44:17 ~ Grady Smith (M, 39)
  7. 45:12 ~ Geb Kiros (M, 49)
  8. 45:18 ~ Ryan Truchelut (M, 30)
  9. 45:56 ~ Jim Halley (M, 36)
  10. 46:27 ~ Mike Peymann (M, 53)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Flash 12K
  1. 50:43 ~ Katie Sherron (F, 34)
  2. 51:30 ~ Anna Busby (F, 25)
  3. 52:42 ~ Angela Wable (F, 42)
  4. 53:06 ~ Jillian Heddaeus (F, 32)
  5. 53:56 ~ Jocelyn Chan (F, 27)
  6. 55:15 ~ Katie Sack (F, 24)
  7. 55:31 ~ Emma Spencer (F, 35)
  8. 57:08 ~ Laura Reina (F, 51)
  9. 57:21 ~ Tsige Tadesse (F, 43)
  10. 57:31 ~ Nancy Proctor (F, 55)

213 athletes finished the 2016 Flash 12K. Another 87 finished the 6K race, offered for the eighth time in the 28-year history of the Flash. Crawfordville, Florida distance runner Travis Parks won the shorter race in 23:17, defeating two-time Flash 6K winner Duane Evans. Evans was the top master runner in the 6K, finishing runner-up in 23:34. Ten-year-old Leah Kiros finished at the top of the women's standings, placing thirteenth overall in 32:26.

Travis Parks

February weather in Florida's Big Bend is an iffy business. In the past athletes at the Flash 12K have experienced frigid temperatures or high winds. There wasn't much to complain about on the morning of the 2016 race, though. Conditions remained calm and comfortably cool till the last runner was done. After that things warmed up and it became one of those bright days where you just don't want to go indoors. It did get warm enough to wake up the no-see-ems, but that's part of life in Florida, isn't it?


Top Ten Men, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Flash 6KDuane Evans
  1. 23:17 ~ Travis Parks (M, 19)
  2. 23:34 ~ Duane Evans (M, 48)
  3. 26:08 ~ Timothy Fraser (M, 38)
  4. 26:14 ~ Riley Welch (M, 19)
  5. 29:32 ~ Eric Miller (M, 29)
  6. 30:28 ~ Kyle Sill (M, 32)
  7. 31:14 ~ Clint Beam (M, 30)
  8. 31:27 ~ Jonathan Kiros (M, 7)
  9. 31:33 ~ Ronald Thomas (M, 44)
  10. 32:03 ~ Thomas Biance (M, 35)

Top Ten Women, Gulf Winds Track Club's 2016 Flash 6K
  1. 32:26 ~ Leah Kiros (F, 10)
  2. 35:28 ~ Arianna Neely (F, 15)
  3. 35:48 ~ Lois Burnette (F, 51)
  4. 36:24 ~ Teeah Grim (F, 38)
  5. 37:00 ~ Sarah Busby (F, 22)
  6. 38:04 ~ Maddison Green (F, 10)
  7. 38:34 ~ Jessica Johnson (F, 33)
  8. 38:51 ~ Chika Okoro (F, 35)
  9. 39:13 ~ Mary Jo Heaton (F, 36)
  10. 39:19 ~ Carolyn Johnson (F, 31)

Gulf Winds Track Club Flash 12K Champions, 1989 - 2016
DateDistanceMenWomenFinishers
28 January 198912K39:44, John Devine48:50, Barbara Balzer 155
17 February 199012K44:10, David Rigby54:40, Kathy Weiss 102
26 January 199112K39:36, Jessie Close50:24, Tina Davies163
18 January 199212K39:33, Jessie Close45:24, Paula Johnson132
23 January 199312K42:40, Jonathan Bigg45:43, Linda Nilges134
15 January 199412K38:02, Robin Rogers45:34, Jane Johnson91
21 January 199512K40:49, Gary Droze45:34, Jane Johnson145
27 January 199612K41:10, Gary Droze44:27, Jane Johnson132
11 January 199712K39:25, Brian Erb47:57, Sarah Williams75
7 February 199812K42:57, Clarence Calloway45:12, Sarah Williams164
20 February 199912K44:40, Tim Simpkins46:27, Sarah Williams82
19 February 200012K39:44, Michael Strickland46:06, Sara Docter-Williams107
17 February 200112K43:56, Tim Unger45:38, Sarah Docter-Williams 98
16 February 200212K40:35, Gary Droze47:17, Jane Johnson 148
1 February 200312K42:52, Shawn Patterson52:18, Lisa Whitworth 80
7 February 200412K42:46, Tim Unger52:49, Lisa Whitworth 89
5 February 200512K42:05, Lee Willis45:30, Sarah Docter-Williams 118
4 February 200612K42:49, Vince Molosky50:21, Lisa Johnson89
17 February 200712K44:58, Todd Smoot52:22, Kim Likens74
16 February 200812K43:10, Tripp Southerland50:57, Stephanie Liles131
21 February 200912K42:34, Jay Wallace50:48, Jane Johnson105
6K23:21, Brian Corbin21:36, Jana Stolting30
20 February 201012K41:57, Daniel Lee47:12, Sheryl Rosen176
6K24:43, Ben Kail31:35, Rachel Phipps53
19 February 201112K40:57, Thomas Kunish49:23, Kelly Stevens214
6K23:59, Caleb Harris31:26, Ashton McMurray73
18 February 201212K41:23, Stephen Cox49:52, Katie Showman214
6K24:57, Duane Evans27:39, Nancy Gribble89
16 February 201312K38:41, Kevin Sullivan46:17, Sheryl Rosen268
6K21:54, Michael Martinez25:09, Jessica Gillard70
15 February 201412K39:39, Stanley Linton45:20, Seeley Gutierrez262
6K21:56, Jon Mason28:15, Sarah Taff85
21 February 201512K42:03, Zach Deveau47:33, Sheryl Rosen207
6K23:30, Duane Evans24:20, Katie Gorman98
20 February 201612K40:52, Roger Schmidt50:43, Katie Sherron213
6K23:17, Travis Parks32:26, Leah Kiros87
In 1989-2004 the race started and finished in Chaires. (FL88036BH and FL94001DL)
In 2005-2010 the race started and finished at J. Lewis Hall Park in Woodville. (FL05007DL)
In 2011-2016 the race started and finished at Fort San Marcos de Apalachee in St. Marks.
(FL11133EBM)


Links
#1619

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Schmidt and Skalski top Miller Landing Madness

Roger SchmidtOn Saturday morning, 22 August 2015, Roger Schmidt of Capital City Runners won Gulf Winds Track Club's Miller Landing Madness 8K. His five-mile run through Tallahassee's Phipps Park wasn't without incident though.


"I got a sweet gum tree ball stuck to my spikes," said Schmidt.


Schmidt weathered that and the other perils of cross country running to finish the race in 28:45, almost half a kilometer ahead of the next runner. Maclay School cross country coach Gary Droze was the top master runner in the race, coming in second overall in 30:31. Jane Skalski won the women's title, placing 21st overall in 38:07. Deborah Congdon was the first woman master and fifth female finisher, 40th overall in 42:40. 126 athletes finished the race.


Bryan Koon, Gary DrozeThe 8K started just after 8:00 AM, with runners in the Miller Landing Madness 5K sharing the first mile or so of the course--or all the running up to the first time through the water hazard. Roger Schmidt was content to follow the front runners in the 5K for that early part of the run. After all, the athletes in the shorter race would be running faster, right?


"I ran 29:03 last year. That's about a 5:50 per mile average," said Schmidt. "I thought those guys would pull me through pretty fast, but we ended up going through the mile in 6:05."


After the 5K runners turned off to do their shorter loop, Schmidt picked up the pace, running faster than the 5K field, running faster than anyone in the park that morning.


Jane Skalski"I didn't hear any pitter patter of footsteps behind me or anything," said Schmidt. "It got lonely on the back part of the course."


Schmidt endured the solitude on his way to posting a winning time of 28:45. Behind him, master runner Gary Droze pulled away from fellow master Bryan Koon to take second in 30:31. Koon was third in 31:00.


The woman to reach the water was Victoria Richmond. At that point, a mile into the race, Jane Skalski was over half a minute behind Richmond and fifth in the women's standings. But Skalski was moving up. With a mile to go, Skalski was leading the women, ten seconds ahead of Richmond and pulling away. At the finish line Skalski was the first woman across, running 38:07. Richmond was the women's runner-up, finishing 27th overall in 39:22. Emma Spencer was third for the ladies, 28th overall in 40:00.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Miller Landing Madness 8K
  1. 28:45 ~ Roger Schmidt (M,24)Bryan Koon
  2. 30:31 ~ Gary Droze (M,54)
  3. 31:00 ~ Bryan Koon (M,43)
  4. 32:07 ~ Peter Kaus (M,31)
  5. 31:57 ~ Tony Guillen (M,43)
  6. 32:30 ~ Geb Kiros (M,48)
  7. 32:38 ~ Paul Guyas (M,37)
  8. 32:49 ~ Terance Keenan (M,50)
  9. 33:02 ~ Colin Abbey (M,20)
  10. 33:18 ~ Joel Piotrowski (M,45)

Top Ten Women, 2015 Miller Landing Madness 8K
  1. 38:07 ~ Jane Skalski (F,30)Victoria Richmond
  2. 39:22 ~ Victoria Richmond (F,25)
  3. 40:00 ~ Emma Spencer (F,34)
  4. 42:16 ~ Beverly Hamilton (F,37)
  5. 42:40 ~ Deborah Congdon (F,45)
  6. 42:44 ~ Sarah Craig (F,20)
  7. 43:02 ~ Kelly Garland (F,44)
  8. 43:12 ~ Sarah Monbarren (F,29)
  9. 43:51 ~ Nancy Moody (F,31)
  10. 44:07 ~ Martha Bademan (F,31)

James McClureIn the period leading up to the Miller Landing Madness, Roger Schmidt was preparing for the Berlin Marathon later in the fall.


"The volume of training for the marathon is crazy," said Schmidt.


The mileage did nothing to hurt Schmidt's race. In the 5K, James McClure also had a twist to his training. The Maclay sophomore is taking weight training as his P.E. class. However that may affect his running during cross country season this fall, it didn't harm his performance in the Miller Landing Madness. McClure won the race in 18:16, running five seconds faster than in the 2014 Miller Landing Madness 5K. To get the win, McClure had to outkick another Maclay cross country runner, junior Jake Mazziotta. Mazziotta was second in 18:17. Maclay frosh Clay Milford placed third in 18:24. The top master runner in the 5K was Michael Martinez, 11th overall in 19:26.


Maclay junior Caroline Willis also improved on her 2014 Miller Landing Madness performance. Taking the women's title for the second year in a row, Willis finished 20th overall in 20:33, 40 seconds faster than her previous year's time. Maclay junior cross country runner Molly McCann was the second female finisher in the 5K, coming in 52nd overall in 22:40. Taylor County High senior Meagan Giddens (57th, 23:07) edged Wakulla junior Haleigh Martin (58th, 23:09) for the third female spot.


207 athletes finished the 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Miller Landing Madness 5K
  1. 18:16 ~ James McClure (M, 16)Clay Milford, Jake Mazziotta
  2. 18:17 ~ Jake Mazziotta (M, 17)
  3. 18:24 ~ Clay Milford (M, 15)
  4. 18:33 ~ Bryce Cole (M, 17)
  5. 18:42 ~ George Gwynn (M, 17)
  6. 19:15 ~ Clayton Carlson (M, 15)
  7. 19:17 ~ Joshua Liles (M, 16)
  8. 19:21 ~ Moritz Busch (M, 16)
  9. 19:25 ~ Alex Smythe (M, 16)
  10. 19:26 ~ Dylan Peebles (M, 15)

Top Ten Women, 2015 Miller Landing Madness 5K
  1. 20:33 ~ Caroline Willis (F,16)Caroline Willis
  2. 22:40 ~ Molly McCann (F,16)
  3. 23:07 ~ Meagan Giddens (F,17)
  4. 23:09 ~ Haleigh Martin (F,16)
  5. 23:25 ~ Rachel Rumana (F,16)
  6. 23:39 ~ Connie Lewis (F,17)
  7. 23:53 ~ Jainey Coates (F,14)
  8. 24:03 ~ Kate Chunka (F,32)
  9. 25:00 ~ Blessing Nkembo (F,16)
  10. 25:18 ~ Summer Hill (F,16)

Joseph Ashebo of Holy Comforter Episcopal was an early leader in the Miller Landing Madness 3K, with Swift Creek Middle School eighth-grader Alyson Churchill pushing him. Maclay School eighth-grader Johnny McClure overtook both of them, then went on to win the race in 11:14. Florida State University School seventh grader Jahaz Morgan took second in 11:25. Alyson Churchill was the first female finisher, placing third in 11:34--the fastest girls' time ever in the Miller Landing Madness 3K. Swift Creek eighth-grader Megan Churchill was the second girl across the finish line, coming in ninth overall in 11:52.


205 athletes finished the 3K.


Top Ten Males, 2015 Miller Landing Madness 3K
  1. 11:14 ~ Jonathan McClure (M,13)Johnny McClure, Jahaz Morgan
  2. 11:25 ~ Jahaz Morgan (M,12)
  3. 11:39 ~ Morgan Castano (M,13)
  4. 11:43 ~ Hunt Deison (M,13)
  5. 11:50 ~ Trey Jackson (M,14)
  6. 11:51 ~ Joseph Ashebo (M,13)
  7. 11:51 ~ Jackson Roberts (M,13)
  8. 11:59 ~ Weston Blake (M,12)
  9. 11:59 ~ Brecht Heuchan (M,13)
  10. 12:00 ~ Spencer Amsellem (M,14)

Top Ten Females, 2015 Miller Landing Madness 3K
  1. 11:34 ~ Alyson Churchill (F,13)Alyson Churchill
  2. 11:52 ~ Megan Churchill (F,13)
  3. 12:01 ~ Emily Molen (F,13)
  4. 12:30 ~ Lindsay James (F,12)
  5. 12:46 ~ Tonie Morgan (F,11)
  6. 12:54 ~ Avery Smith (F,13)
  7. 13:04 ~ Elizabeth Calabro (F,13)
  8. 13:05 ~ Caitlin Wilkey (F,13)
  9. 13:16 ~ Maia Mast (F,13)
  10. 13:42 ~ Olivia Dean (F,12)

Miller Landing Madness Winners, 2008 - 2015
DateRaceMenWomenFinishers
30 August 20088K28:57, David Altmaier32:49, Sheryl Rosen76
5K17:12, Austin Stevens18:46, Jana Stolting110
3K11:21, Will Henderson13:14, Autumn Wable73
29 August 20098K28:05, Chris Lake33:03, Sarah Docter-Williams151
5K18:17, Austin Stevens18:17, Jana Stolting243
3K11:26, Chase Harris12:04, Cecelia Williams136
28 August 20108K26:28, Kevin Cook33:29, Sheryl Rosen168
5K17:15, Patrick Swain19:22, Stefanie Kurgatt160
3K11:14, Wil Luca13:30, Madeline Horgan110
27 August 20118K25:54, Kevin Sullivan32:17, Sheryl Rosen236
5K16:59, Jacob Slupecki20:14, Stefanie Kurgatt212
3K11:08, Evan Francis12:59, Cheyenne Hildinger157
25 August 20128K27:50, Vince Molosky36:36, Jane Johnson190
5K16:32, Joseph Garcia19:12, Stefanie Kurgatt258
3K10:57, Jake Mazziotta12:16, Adrianna Dugan148
24 August 20138K26:29, Will Stanford35:11, Katie Showman150
5K16:55, Joseph Garcia19:20, Emily Ness237
3K10:48, James McClure12:20, Chase Merrick135
23 August 20148K28:26, Chris Lake35:26, Brittney Barnes154
5K17:09, Joe Garcia21:13, Caroline Willis172
3K11:33, Jonathan McClure12:34, Alyson Churchill173
22 August 20158K28:45, Roger Schmidt38:07, Jane Skalski126
5K18:16,James McClure20:33, Caroline Willis207
3K11:14, Jonathan McClure11:34, Alyson Churchill205
The Miller Landing Madness was preceded in history by the Miccosukee Madness (2004-2007)
and the Tom Brown Bash (1977-2003) races.


Links
#1466