Showing posts with label St. George Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label St. George Island. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Leonardo Canete and Laura McDermott stage a Tallahassee sweep of the Summer Sizzler

Saint George Island is in the Gulf Of Mexico, a barrier island off the Florida Panhandle. Its neighbors on the mainland are Eastpoint and Apalachicola. Less than 70 miles away are the suburbs of Panama City, Florida. You'd have to drive nearly 80 miles to get to Tallahassee, the state capital. Yet when Saint George Island hosted the 25th Summer Sizzler 5K on Saturday evening, 22 July 2023, it was athletes from the Capital City who dominated the competition, as two Tallahassee master runners took the overall titles. Leonardo Canete was the first man in the race, crossing the line first in 17:34, and Laura McDermott was the first woman, placing eleventh overall in 23:22.


Canete won the race by over 200 meters. It was his second time running the Sizzler; he had finished runner-up to Stan Linton in the 2022 event. At 18:24, Tallahassee's Ryan Truchelut finished second to Canete. Not far behind, Brad Busboom of Tallahassee was third in 18:30.


Like Canete, Laura McDermott was also running her second Sizzler, but her first had been way back in 2010. After McDermott, two Franklin County High cross-country runners broke the Tallahassee stranglehold on the top places. Frosh year athlete Addyson Paul was second in the women's standings, placing thirteenth overall in 24:05, while eighth-grader Isabella Polous was the third woman and fifteenth overall in 24:20. Master runner Stephanie Liles-Weyant, women's champ of the 2008 Sizzler, was the fourth woman in the 2023 race, coming in seventeenth overall in 24:30.


80 athletes finished the 2023 Sizzler 5K. Miles and Minutes, LLC, of Tallahassee, Florida chip-timed the race. The Sizzler was a fundraiser for the Elder Care Community Council of Franklin County.


Top Ten Men, 2023 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 17:33.4, Leonardo Canete (M, 44)
  2. 18:23.3, Ryan Truchelut (M, 37)
  3. 18:29.3, Brad Busboom (M, 35)
  4. 19:26.5, Elliot Butler (M, 32)
  5. 19:52.3, Walker Kessell (M, 17)
  6. 20:31.1, Sam Hitchcock Howard (M, 29)
  7. 20:50.6, Duane Evans (M, 56)
  8. 21:11.6, Joshua Hammond (M, 16)
  9. 21:51.3, Cameron Sims (M, 28)
  10. 22:41.5, Michael Weyant (M, 57)

Top Ten Women, 2023 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 23:21.2, Laura McDermott (F, 43)
  2. 24:04.5, Addyson Paul (F, 13)
  3. 24:19.7, Isabella Polous (F, 13)
  4. 24:29.8, Stephanie Liles-Weyant (F, 51)
  5. 24:42.7, Alexis Mayfield (F, 12)
  6. 24:59.9, Nancy Proctor (F, 62)
  7. 26:13.3, Kelley Coe El-Urfali (F, 59)
  8. 26:36.1, Kirsten Kinsley (F, 51)
  9. 26:42.3, Olivia Hitchcock Howard (F, 28)
  10. 28:14.6, Rebekah Mayfield (F, 39)

St. George Island Sizzler 5K Champions, 1997 - 2023
DateMenWomenFinishers
21 June 199717:36, Tim Unger21:40, Julie Clark34
13 June 199816:09, Gary Droze22:53, Donna Finney69
12 June 199917:05, Tim Unger19:24, Summer Calder61
10 June 200016:07, Gary Droze21:18, Julie Clark34
2001No race held
15 June 200215:46, Lee Willis18:43, Luanne Coulter53
21 June 200316:44, Caleb Carmichael20:45, Jane Johnson95
12 June 200416:42, Caleb Carmichael19:48, Kara Newell77
18 June 200516:02, Alex Miletich20:53, Angela Dempsey142
24 June 200617:24, Robert Beazley18:39, Kara Newell169
23 June 200717:02, Jasen Fulghum20:41, Jane Johnson106
28 June 200816:44, Tripp Southerland19:11, Stephanie Liles175
27 June 200916:53, John Robida19:47, Kelsey Scheitlin214
26 June 201019:06, Carl Nordhielm22:06, Nancy Stedman147
25 June 201117:06, Brandon Hough22:44, Nicole Reichenbach218
11 August 201216:25, Vince Molosky21:58, Polina Bondarenko280
10 August 201316:16, Caleb Carmichael20:28, Renee Cox318
9 August 201418:02, Carl Nordhielm20:25, Polina Bondarenko222
8 August 201517:05, Roger Schmidt18:53, Katie Fackler181
6 August 201615:10, Mark Leininger16:59, Dylan Hassett145
5 August 201717:46, Ryan Slyter20:21, Kat Sack148
4 August 201819:06, Shawn Logan22:14, Melanie Leitman97
3 August 201918:19, Gary Droze22:39, Vicky Droze96
2020No race held
7 August 202118:08, Stephen Sroka21:49, Clara Alford70
6 August 202215:18, Stan Linton22:30, Isabella Laughton89
22 July 202317:34, Leonardo Canete23:22, Laura McDermott80
The 1997 race was called the Summer Island 5K.


Links
#2953

Monday, March 7, 2022

Courtland Buntin and Genee Meleski season the Red Pepper Run with speed

Courtland Buntin didn't win the 2021 Red Pepper Run 5K. He placed second in the annual Saint George Island race, running 18:41 while Tallahassee master runner Leonardo Canete posted a winning 18:12. Buntin returned to Saint George Island on Saturday, 5 March 2022, but this time he wouldn't settle for runner-up. The Georgia College Bobcat cross-country runner went 17:33 this time, winning the race by nearly 400 meters. Master runner Genee Meleski was the first woman in the 3.1-mile race, placing fifteenth overall in 24:48.


A pair of Wakulla High cross-country runners took the next two places after Buntin. Sophomore Andrew Nix placed second in 19:00, and junior Joseph Wiedeman was third in 19:17. Dave Shackleford was the first master runner in the race, coming in sixth overall in 22:51.


Eden Keene took second in the women's standings, placing eighteenth overall in 25:31. At 26:26, Cydney Szymanski was the third woman and 21st overall.


140 athletes finished Saint George Island's 2022 Red Pepper Run 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2022 Red Pepper 5K Run
  1. 17:32.3, Courtland Buntin (M, 22)
  2. 18:59.3, Andrew Nix (M, 16)
  3. 19:16.7, Joseph Wiedeman (M, 17)
  4. 19:19.0, Drew Balfour (M, 31)
  5. 20:48.4, Josiah Friddle (M, 14)
  6. 22:50.9, Dave Shackleford (M, 47)
  7. 22:59.9, Barney Ray (M, 59)
  8. 23:35.4, Grant Crenshaw (M, 14)
  9. 23:43.1, Greg Hartlage (M, 40)
  10. 23:53.9, Clint Wallace (M, 40)

Top Ten Women, 2022 Red Pepper 5K Run
  1. 24:47.5, Genee Meleski (F, 53)
  2. 25:30.2, Eden Keene (F, 39)
  3. 26:25.9, Cydney Szymanowski (F, 36)
  4. 27:54.7, Renee Turner (F, 51)
  5. 27:59.5, Becky Leckinger (F, 58)
  6. 29:24.4, Susan Wagner (F, 53)
  7. 29:42.0, Pamela Skaar Meier (F, 63)
  8. 31:25.3, Mae McNeill (F, 12)
  9. 31:42.0, Karen Walker (F, 48)
  10. 32:00.2, Julie Bishop (F, 51)

Known St. George Island Red Pepper 5K Run Champions, 1992 - 2022
DateMenWomen
7 March 1992
6 March 1993
5 March 1994
4 March 199517:47, Jeff Doherty
2 March 1996
1 March 199717:57, Charlie Johnson20:56, Fran McLean
7 March 1998
6 March 199918:12, Mike Sims20:51, Summer Calder
4 March 200018:02, Michael Waitathu18:58, Jane Johnson
3 March 200117:10, Tim Unger17:31, Sarah Docter-Williams
2 March 200218:58, Jay Silvanima25:35, Camille Consolvo
1 March 200318:59, David Yon23:20, Jessica Stewart
6 March 200416:55, Tim Unger18:12, Breeda Willis
5 March 200517:23, Charlie Johnson20:42, Annette Ryerson
4 March 200617:40, Charlie Johnson24:05, Meghan Kennedy
3 March 200717:44, Charlie Johnson16:41, Tera Moody
1 March 200817:23, Vince Molosky21:47, Meghan Kennedy
7 March 200919:59, Hobson Fulmer25:25, Kelsey Kilinski
6 March 201018:23, David Shearon23:44, Kristen Merill
5 March 201118:00, David Shearon22:27, Meghan Kennedy
3 March 201219:42, Bryan Harrington22:17, Sam Fortunas
2 March 201321:59, Michael D. Turner22:30, Sam Fortunas
1 March 201416:21, Stanley Linton23:27, Jamie Nichols
7 March 201518:58, Dylan Peebles22:06, Connie Lewis
5 March 201618:52, John Przygocki22:13, Lauren Davidson
2017
2018
2019
2020
6 March 202118:12, Leonardo Canete23:04, Meghan Kennedy
5 March 202217:33, Courtland Buntin24:48, Genee Meleski


Links
#2806

Monday, August 5, 2019

Sizzler 5K wins are a day at the beach for Tallahassee couple Gary Droze and Vicky Droze

By 7:00 PM, most people are wrapping up their day at the beach. They're headed home, or getting dinner, or taking one last walk along the surf. But at 7:00 PM on Saturday, 3 August 2019, the biggest part of the day at the beach was just getting under way for nearly a hundred athletes on Saint George Island, Florida. They were running the 22nd annual Sizzler 5K, 3.1 miles on the barrier island bordering Apalachicola Bay. Master runner Gary Droze went 18:19 to win the race, while Vicky Droze was the first woman in the race, tenth overall in 22:39.


It wasn't Gary Droze's first time running the Sizzler, The Tallahassee Community College cross-country coach had won the race in both 1998 and 2000. Chance Logan, winner of the 2018 Sizzler, took the runner-up spot with a 19:11. Donalsonville, Georgia master runner Myles Gibson placed third in 19:27.


On the women's side, master runner Vicky Droze found herself in a tight race for the top spot. Her husband, Gary, had won the men's competition by more than 200 meters, but Vicky Droze was only a few steps ahead of Kaley Ford in the fight for the women's title. Nevertheless, Droze prevailed, running 22:39 to Ford's 22:42. Tallahassee master runner Paula O'Neill was third in the women's standings, coming in seventeenth overall in 24:44.


96 athletes finished the 2019 Sizzler 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee, Florida chip-timed the race. The Sizzler was a fundraiser for the Elder Care Community Council of Franklin County.


Top Ten Men, 2019 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 18:19, Gary Droze (M, 58)
  2. 19:11, Chance Logan (M, 22)
  3. 19:27, Myles Gibson (M, 53)
  4. 20:27, Philip Sura (M, 49)
  5. 20:39, Jason Timbert (M, 43)
  6. 22:19, Tad David (M, 50)
  7. 22:26, Mark Nichols (M, 45)
  8. 22:34, Richard Fernandez (M, 41)
  9. 22:37, William Gray (M, 16)
  10. 22:47, Dan Fortunas (M, 58)

Top Ten Women, 2019 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 22:39, Vicky Droze (F, 44)
  2. 22:42, Kaley Ford (F, 25)
  3. 24:44, Paula O'Neill (F, 58)
  4. 25:48, Samantha Fortunas (F, 28)
  5. 27:14, Jennifer Pence (F, 35)
  6. 27:31, Mia Varner (F, 21)
  7. 27:32, Lynn Varner (F, 54)
  8. 27:40, Nancy Juneau (F, 59)
  9. 27:50, Julia Sura (F, 47)
  10. 28:08, Cheryl Moore (F, 52)

St. George Island Sizzler 5K Champions, 1997 - 2019
DateMenWomenFinishers
21 June 199717:36, Tim Unger21:40, Julie Clark34
13 June 199816:09, Gary Droze22:53, Donna Finney69
12 June 199917:05, Tim Unger19:24, Summer Calder61
10 June 200016:07, Gary Droze21:18, Julie Clark34
2001No race held
15 June 200215:46, Lee Willis18:43, Luanne Coulter53
21 June 200316:44, Caleb Carmichael20:45, Jane Johnson95
12 June 200416:42, Caleb Carmichael19:48, Kara Newell77
18 June 200516:02, Alex Miletich20:53, Angela Dempsey142
24 June 200617:24, Robert Beazley18:39, Kara Newell169
23 June 200717:02, Jasen Fulghum20:41, Jane Johnson106
28 June 200816:44, Tripp Southerland19:11, Stephanie Liles175
27 June 200916:53, John Robida19:47, Kelsey Scheitlin214
26 June 201019:06, Carl Nordhielm22:06, Nancy Stedman147
25 June 201117:06, Brandon Hough22:44, Nicole Reichenbach218
11 August 201216:25, Vince Molosky21:58, Polina Bondarenko280
10 August 201316:16, Caleb Carmichael20:28, Renee Cox318
9 August 201418:02, Carl Nordhielm20:25, Polina Bondarenko222
8 August 201517:05, Roger Schmidt18:53, Katie Fackler181
6 August 201615:10, Mark Leininger16:59, Dylan Hassett145
5 August 201717:46, Ryan Slyter20:21, Kat Sack148
4 August 201819:06, Shawn Logan22:14, Melanie Leitman97
3 August 201918:19, Gary Droze22:39, Vicky Droze96
The 1997 race was called the Summer Island 5K.


Links
#2577

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Robert Bledsoe and Rachel Randall win one on the Island at the Spritzer 5K

On Thursday morning, 4 July 2019, the Franklin County High cross-country team hosted the fifth annual Spritzer 5K, and it was a cross-country runner who won the race. Robert Bledsoe, who had been a harrier at Irwin County High, South Georgia State College, and Truett-McConnell University, ran the 3.1-mile course on Saint George Island, Florida in a winning 17:45. Master runner Rachel Randall was the first woman in the race, placing seventh overall in 22:46.


Courtland Buntin, an alumnus of the Albany, Georgia Deerfield Windsor School cross-country team, finished second to Bledsoe in 17:45. Logan Kilpatrick, a Wakulla High harrier, edged Jason Timbert for third, 20:48 to 20:49. David Henry was the fastest master runner in the race, coming in sixth overall in 22:45.


The women's champ, Rachel Randall, was just a step behind Henry at 22:46. Sixteen-year-old Natalie Koester was the women's runner-up, placing tenth overall in 23:14. Sam Fortunas was third in the women's standings and fourteenth overall in 24:18.


110 athletes finished the 2019 Spritzer 5K. Proceeds of the race go to benefit the cross-country teams of Franklin County High School. Miles & Minutes, LLC, of Tallahassee, Florida timed the 5K and an associated one-mile fun run.


Top Ten Men, 2019 Spritzer 5K
  1. 17:44.30, Robert Bledsoe (M, 24)
  2. 18:29.70, Courtland Buntin (M, 20)
  3. 20:47.40, Logan Kilpatrick (M, 15)
  4. 20:48.60, Jason Timbert (M, 17)
  5. 22:40.10, Jimmy Poloronis (M, 36)
  6. 22:44.60, David Henry (M, 53)
  7. 22:53.10, Graham Shierling (M, 13)
  8. 23:12.40, Robert Randall (M, 15)
  9. 23:21.00, Griffen McKay (M, 16)
  10. 23:24.80, John Sheppard (M, 45)

Top Ten Women, 2019 Spritzer 5K
  1. 22:45.60, Rachel Randall (F, 41)
  2. 23:13.70, Natalie Koester (F, 16)
  3. 24:17.90, Sam Fortunas (F, 28)
  4. 25:53.80, Mandy McClellan (F, 35)
  5. 26:17.50, Robert Collins (F, 54)
  6. 26:50.10, Jodi Beth Stuckey (F, 34)
  7. 27:05.30, Cheryl Moore (F, 51)
  8. 27:11.10, Amy McKenna (F, 43)
  9. 27:27.40, Sadie Prince (F, 19)
  10. 27:34.50, Madison Sims (F, 12)

Saint George Island Spritzer 5K winners, 2015 - 2019
DateMenWomenFinishers
4 July 201518:38, Joel Piotrowski23:15, Haleigh Martin45
4 July 2016
4 July 2017
4 July 201820:06, Simon Hodgson18:39, Amy Hines57
4 July 201917:45, Robert Bledsoe22:46, Rachel Randall110

Links
#2548

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Sizzler 5K is a day at the beach for Logan and Leitman

The twentieth annual Sizzler 5K, run in 2017, was announced as the finale for the series. But one year later the race was back for an encore. Shawn Logan starred in the curtain call, winning the 21st annual race by 150 meters with a 19:06. Melanie Leitman of Tallahassee, Florida took the women's title, placing thirteenth overall in 22:14.


Logan had finished runner-up in the 2017 Sizzler; he also had a ninth-place finish in the 2014 race. Duane Evans was the top master runner and overall runner-up in the race, going 19:43. Master runner Philip Sura took third overall in 20:04. Jon Durham, a cross-country runner at Deerfield-Windsor School, was fourth with a 20:27.


Half a minute behind Leitman, Annabella Farabaugh was the women's runner-up, placing fifteenth overall in 22:44. Kelcie Winter was third in the women's standings and nineteenth overall in 23:56. Paula O'Neill was the top woman master and fourth female finisher, twentieth overall in 24:23.


The 2018 Sizzler 5K had a new course, with both starting line and finish line convenient to Doc Myer’s Island Pub and Sports Bar, headquarters for race-day registration and the site of the post-race party. 97 athletes finished the 5K. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee, Florida chip-timed the race. Proceeds of the event benefit The Elder Care Community Council of Franklin County.


Top Ten Men, 2018 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 19:06, Shawn Logan (M, 21)
  2. 19:43, Duane Evans (M, 51)
  3. 20:04, Philip Sura (M, 48)
  4. 20:27, Jon Durham (M, 15)
  5. 20:37, Joel Piotrowski (M, 48)
  6. 20:49, Eric Math (M, 23)
  7. 20:52, Richard Fernandez (M, 40)
  8. 20:55, Courtland Buntin (M, 19)
  9. 21:10, Tad David (M, 49)
  10. 21:50, Noah Deem (M, 11)

Top Ten Women, 2018 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 22:14, Melanie Leitman (F, 34)
  2. 22:44, Annabella Farabaugh (F, 20)
  3. 23:56, Kelcie Winters (F, 21)
  4. 24:23, Paula O'Neill (F, 57)
  5. 25:07, Lynn Varner (F, 53)
  6. 25:16, Melissa Zapata (F, 39)
  7. 25:37, Chloe Schaub (F, 25)
  8. 25:49, Jennie Merchant (F, 26)
  9. 26:10, Kayla Winters (F, 16)
  10. 26:36, Samantha De Mersseman (F, 39)

St. George Island Sizzler 5K Champions, 1997 - 2018
DateMenWomenFinishers
21 June 199717:36, Tim Unger21:40, Julie Clark34
13 June 199816:09, Gary Droze22:53, Donna Finney69
12 June 199917:05, Tim Unger19:24, Summer Calder61
10 June 200016:07, Gary Droze21:18, Julie Clark34
2001No race held
15 June 200215:46, Lee Willis18:43, Luanne Coulter53
21 June 200316:44, Caleb Carmichael20:45, Jane Johnson95
12 June 200416:42, Caleb Carmichael19:48, Kara Newell77
18 June 200516:02, Alex Miletich20:53, Angela Dempsey142
24 June 200617:24, Robert Beazley18:39, Kara Newell169
23 June 200717:02, Jasen Fulghum20:41, Jane Johnson106
28 June 200816:44, Tripp Southerland19:11, Stephanie Liles175
27 June 200916:53, John Robida19:47, Kelsey Scheitlin214
26 June 201019:06, Carl Nordhielm22:06, Nancy Stedman147
25 June 201117:06, Brandon Hough22:44, Nicole Reichenbach218
11 August 201216:25, Vince Molosky21:58, Polina Bondarenko280
10 August 201316:16, Caleb Carmichael20:28, Renee Cox318
9 August 201418:02, Carl Nordhielm20:25, Polina Bondarenko222
8 August 201517:05, Roger Schmidt18:53, Katie Fackler181
6 August 201615:10, Mark Leininger16:59, Dylan Hassett145
5 August 201717:46, Ryan Slyter20:21, Kat Sack148
4 August 201819:06, Shawn Logan22:14, Melanie Leitman97
The 1997 race was called the Summer Island 5K.


Links
#2312

Monday, August 7, 2017

Slyter and Sack star in the last act of the Sizzler

2017 Saint George Island Sizzler logoOn Saturday, 21 June 1997, 34 athletes finished a five-kilometer race on Saint George Island, a barrier island off the coast of the Northwest Florida panhandle. Billed as the Summer Island 5K, the event later became knows as the first annual Sizzler 5K. Back at the island on Saturday evening, 5 August 2017, another group of 148 athletes finished the twentieth Sizzler 5K. Ryan Slyter won the race in 17:46, finishing almost 300 meters ahead of the next runner. Kat Sack won the women's division, placing eighth overall in 20:21. And when the 148th athlete had crossed the finish line, that was the end of Sizzler 5K history. It was the last annual Saint George Island Sizzler.


It was the third time that Slyter, a Franklin County forester, had raced the Sizzler. He had finished placed eighth in the 2015 race, running 19:08. He improved that mark to 17:14 in 2016, finishing fifth in the fastest Sizzler in the event's history--a race where Mark Leininger and Stan Linton had taken the top two spots in 15:10 and 15:20. Slyter's 2017 performance of 17:46 wasn't his best at the Sizzler, but it was fast enough to get him the win--the last time that anyone would win the Sizzler.


Shawn Logan, a top-ten finisher in the 2014 Sizzler, was runner-up in the final Sizzler, going 18:48. William Bridges was third in 19:13 and Simon Hodgson, a senior on the Franklin County High cross-country team, took fourth in 19:41. Duane Evans of Crawfordville, Florida was the fastest master runner in the race, placing sixth overall in 20:01.


Tallahassee, Florida athlete Kat Sack had already raced the morning before the Sizzler, competing in the Bushwacker 5K in Pensacola Beach, Florida. The 19:37 she posted in that race was her best road 5K ever, so most people would have considered their racing for the day over after that. Instead, Sack traveled nearly 200 miles east to be at Saint George Island for the Sizzler 5K. Third in the women's standings at the Bushwacker, Sack was the women's champ at the Sizzler in 20:21.


At 23:01 Eden Keene was second woman and eighteenth overall. In a finish line battle for top woman master honors, Tallahassee's Paula O'Neill inched past Carolyn Houston of Dothan, both runners clocked in 24:36. O'Neill and Houston were third and fourth in the women's standings and 24th and 25th overall. Franklin County High senior-year cross-country runner Genevieve Printiss was the fifth woman and 29th overall in 25:05.


From its beginnings in 1997 to the last race in 2017, the Sizzler was directed by Eastpoint, Florida veterinarian Hobson Fulmer and billed as a Tates Hell Track Club event. Tallahassee's Gulf Winds Track Club chip-timed the 2017 Sizzler 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2017 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 17:46, Ryan Slyter (M, 27)
  2. 18:48, Shawn Logan (M, 21)
  3. 19:13, William Bridges (M, 24)
  4. 19:41, Simon Hodgson (M, 18)
  5. 19:56, Kyle Simon (M, 28)
  6. 20:01, Duane Evans (M, 50)
  7. 20:13, Philip Sura (M, 47)
  8. 20:48, Tad David (M, 48)
  9. 21:11, Austin Campbell (M, 26)
  10. 21:12, Garth Eklund (M, 16)

Top Ten Women, 2017 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 20:21, Kat Sack (F, 25)
  2. 23:01, Eden Keene (F, 35)
  3. 24:36, Paula O'Neill (F, 56)
  4. 24:36, Carolyn Houston (F, 45)
  5. 25:05, Genevieve Printiss (F, 16)
  6. 25:17, Julia Sura (F, 46)
  7. 25:28, Heather McQueen (F, 29)
  8. 25:51, Autumn Kotelman (F, 14)
  9. 26:16, Shelby Varner (F, 23)
  10. 26:41, Belinda Wharton (F, 56)

St. George Island Sizzler 5K Champions, 1997 - 2017
DateMenWomenFinishers
21 June 199717:36, Tim Unger21:40, Julie Clark34
13 June 199816:09, Gary Droze22:53, Donna Finney69
12 June 199917:05, Tim Unger19:24, Summer Calder61
10 June 200016:07, Gary Droze21:18, Julie Clark34
2001No race held
15 June 200215:46, Lee Willis18:43, Luanne Coulter53
21 June 200316:44, Caleb Carmichael20:45, Jane Johnson95
12 June 200416:42, Caleb Carmichael19:48, Kara Newell77
18 June 200516:02, Alex Miletich20:53, Angela Dempsey142
24 June 200617:24, Robert Beazley18:39, Kara Newell169
23 June 200717:02, Jasen Fulghum20:41, Jane Johnson106
28 June 200816:44, Tripp Southerland19:11, Stephanie Liles175
27 June 200916:53, John Robida19:47, Kelsey Scheitlin214
26 June 201019:06, Carl Nordhielm22:06, Nancy Stedman147
25 June 201117:06, Brandon Hough22:44, Nicole Reichenbach218
11 August 201216:25, Vince Molosky21:58, Polina Bondarenko280
10 August 201316:16, Caleb Carmichael20:28, Renee Cox318
9 August 201418:02, Carl Nordhielm20:25, Polina Bondarenko222
8 August 201517:05, Roger Schmidt18:53, Katie Fackler181
6 August 201615:10, Mark Leininger16:59, Dylan Hassett145
5 August 201717:46, Ryan Slyter20:21, Kat Sack148
The 1997 race was called the Summer Island 5K.


Links
#2048

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Leininger and Hassett sweep Sizzler for ASICS GTC-Elite

19th annual Saint George Island Sizzler 5KIn spite of years of development, Florida's Saint George Island still has beautiful beaches. Lots of people love the beach. Many of those beach lovers come to Saint George Island. Therefore, you never know who you'll meet on the island. That also goes for the road races on the island, such as the Saint George Island Sizzler 5K. So it was a surprise, but not a shock, that Mark Leininger and Dylan Hassett of ASICS Greenville Track Club Elite appeared at the nineteenth annual Sizzler on Saturday evening, 6 August 2016. Their performances, however, did shock many. Leininger won the race in 15:10, taking down the event record of 15:45 set by Lee Willis in 2002. Dylan Hassett ran 16:59 for the women's title, blasting the Sizzler women's record of 18:39 run by Kara Newell in 2006. 145 athletes finished the 3.1-mile race.


US Navy Ensign Stan Linton, a recent alumnus of the Florida State University cross country team, was at Saint George Island that evening with the Sizzler record on his mind. He found the conditions more than favorable.


"Perfect for the Sizzler," reported Linton. "Cloudy, 80 degrees. The rain had cooled off the run and there was a slight breeze blowing east so half of the race was against the wind and the finish was with the wind. Ideal conditions."


The race got underway at 7:00 PM. With the wind at his back, Linton set an aggressive pace for the field. Leininger wasn't about to let him go, though.


"I took the lead right from the start," said Linton. "He [Leininger] took it from me at 400 meters. By 800 meters he was ten seconds in front of me. It stayed that way to the end."


It did. After cruising the mile mark in 4:43, Leininger made it home first in 15:10 while Linton took second in 15:20, the two fastest times in the nineteen-year history of the Sizzler. Laurent Liote was third in 16:47 and Ryan Slyter, the Franklin County Forester, was fourth in 17:14.

Mark Leininger, Dylan Hassett, Paula O'Neill, Renee Cox, Stan Linton
Mark Leininger, Dylan Hassett, Paula O'Neill, Renee Cox, Stan Linton

On the women's side, Dylan Hassett didn't trifle with ten-second leads. Finishing fourth overall in 16:59, Hassett finished more than 700 meters ahead of the female runner-up. Renee Cox, a University of West Florida cross country runner, was second in the women's standings and tenth overall in 19:51. Cox was the Sizzler women's champ in 2013. Kelsey Elrod was the third woman and seventeenth overall in 21:57.


The fastest master runner in the Sizzler was Philip Sura, a Florida State University meteorology professor. Sura finished ninth overall in 19:22. Paula O'Neill of Tallahassee was the top master woman and fifth female finisher, placing 26th overall in 23:34.


The 2016 Saint George Island Sizzler was sponsored by the Tates Hell Track Club, an organization that seems to exist mostly in the mind of race director Hobson Fulmer. However uncertain the reality of the Tates Hell TC, it is certain that proceeds of the race benefit the very real Franklin County Humane Society. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee, Florida chip timed both the Sizzler 5K and the one-mile fun run.


Top Ten Men, 2016 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 15:10 ~ Mark Leininger (M, 25)
  2. 15:20 ~ Stan Linton (M, 22)
  3. 16:47 ~ Laurent Liote (M, 24)
  4. 17:14 ~ Ryan Slyter (M, 26)
  5. 18:17 ~ Paul Guyas (M, 38)
  6. 18:55 ~ Frank Denes (M, 30)
  7. 19:08 ~ Chance Logan (M, 19)
  8. 19:22 ~ Philip Sura (M, 46)
  9. 19:55 ~ Tad David (M, 47)
  10. 20:03 ~ Johnathan Miller (M, 17)

Top Ten Women, 2016 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 16:59 ~ Dylan Hassett (F, 23)
  2. 19:51 ~ Renee Cox (F, 29)
  3. 21:57 ~ Kelsey Elrod (F, 25)
  4. 23:02 ~ Sarah Denes (F, 28)
  5. 23:34 ~ Paula O'Neill (F, 55)
  6. 23:59 ~ Sam Fortunas (F, 25)
  7. 24:15 ~ Dorothy Thames (F, 34)
  8. 24:22 ~ Becki Webb (F, 51)
  9. 24:24 ~ Sarah Dugas (F, 37)
  10. 24:41 ~ Melissa Zapata (F, 37)

St. George Island Sizzler 5K Champions, 1997 - 2016
DateMenWomenFinishers
21 June 199717:36, Tim Unger21:40, Julie Clark34
13 June 199816:09, Gary Droze22:53, Donna Finney69
12 June 199917:05, Tim Unger19:24, Summer Calder61
10 June 200016:07, Gary Droze21:18, Julie Clark34
2001No race held
15 June 200215:46, Lee Willis18:43, Luanne Coulter53
21 June 200316:44, Caleb Carmichael20:45, Jane Johnson95
12 June 200416:42, Caleb Carmichael19:48, Kara Newell77
18 June 200516:02, Alex Miletich20:53, Angela Dempsey142
24 June 200617:24, Robert Beazley18:39, Kara Newell169
23 June 200717:02, Jasen Fulghum20:41, Jane Johnson106
28 June 200816:44, Tripp Southerland19:11, Stephanie Liles175
27 June 200916:53, John Robida19:47, Kelsey Scheitlin214
26 June 201019:06, Carl Nordhielm22:06, Nancy Stedman147
25 June 201117:06, Brandon Hough22:44, Nicole Reichenbach218
11 August 201216:25, Vince Molosky21:58, Polina Bondarenko280
10 August 201316:16, Caleb Carmichael20:28, Renee Cox318
9 August 201418:02, Carl Nordhielm20:25, Polina Bondarenko222
8 August 201517:05, Roger Schmidt18:53, Katie Fackler181
6 August 201615:10, Mark Leininger16:59, Dylan Hassett145
The 1997 race was called the Summer Island 5K.


Links
#1750

Friday, March 11, 2016

Red Pepper Run routs for Przygocki and Davidson

Since 1983, on the first Saturday of each March the Chili Cookoff comes to Saint George Island, one of Florida's barrier islands. But in the morning, before the first spicy bowl is served, it's time for the 5K Red Pepper Run. John Przygocki, a first-year student at Florida Atlantic University and runner on the Owls cross country team, won the 5 March 2016 edition of the race, covering the 3.1 miles in 18:52 and finishing more than 900 meters ahead of the next runner. Lauren Davidson was first in the women's standings, placing second overall in 22:13.


In a battle of two master runners, Dan Fortunas edged Jay Silvanima for third place overall, 23:08 to 23:13.


Nancy Stedman was the top woman master and the second female finisher, coming in fifth overall in 23:37. Jensen Reinert was third in the women's standings, tenth overall in 24:07.


127 athletes finished the race.


Top Ten Males, 2016 Red Pepper 5K Run
  1. 18:52 ~ John Przygocki (M, 19)
  2. 23:08 ~ Dan Fortunas (M, 55)
  3. 23:13 ~ Jay Silvanima (M, 56)
  4. 23:42 ~ Ace Haddock (M, 46)
  5. 23:45 ~ Neal Maloy (M, 59)
  6. 24:04 ~ David Willey (M, 58)
  7. 24:06 ~ Rusty Tucker (M, 45)
  8. 24:27 ~ Ben Amiot (M, 32)
  9. 24:59 ~ Montgomery Fann (M, 11)
  10. 25:07 ~ Myron Herring (M, 57)

Top Ten Females, 2016 Red Pepper 5K Run
  1. 22:13 ~ Lauren Davidson (F, 24)
  2. 23:37 ~ Nancy Stedman (F, 54)
  3. 24:07 ~ Jensen Reinert (F, 27)
  4. 25:07 ~ Julie Clark (F, 54)
  5. 27:07 ~ Elizabeth Simmons (F, 51)
  6. 27:24 ~ Tiffany Schleeter (F, 28)
  7. 27:36 ~ Madeline Horgan (F, 18)
  8. 29:16 ~ Liv Warren (F, 58)
  9. 29:57 ~ Elizabeth Smith (F, 27)
  10. 30:24 ~ Tami Schwenk (F, 52)

Known St. George Island Red Pepper 5K Run Champions, 1992 - 2016
DateMenWomen
7 March 1992
6 March 1993
5 March 1994
4 March 199517:47, Jeff Doherty
2 March 1996
1 March 199717:57, Charlie Johnson20:56, Fran McLean
7 March 1998
6 March 199918:12, Mike Sims20:51, Summer Calder
4 March 200018:02, Michael Waitathu18:58, Jane Johnson
3 March 200117:10, Tim Unger17:31, Sarah Docter-Williams
2 March 200218:58, Jay Silvanima25:35, Camille Consolvo
1 March 200318:59, David Yon23:20, Jessica Stewart
6 March 200416:55, Tim Unger18:12, Breeda Willis
5 March 200517:23, Charlie Johnson20:42, Annette Ryerson
4 March 200617:40, Charlie Johnson24:05, Meghan Kennedy
3 March 200717:44, Charlie Johnson16:41, Tera Moody
1 March 200817:23, Vince Molosky21:47, Meghan Kennedy
7 March 200919:59, Hobson Fulmer25:25, Kelsey Kilinski
6 March 201018:23, David Shearon23:44, Kristen Merill
5 March 201118:00, David Shearon22:27, Meghan Kennedy
3 March 201219:42, Bryan Harrington22:17, Sam Fortunas
2 March 201321:59, Michael D. Turner22:30, Sam Fortunas
1 March 201416:21, Stanley Linton23:27, Jamie Nichols
7 March 201518:58, Dylan Peebles22:06, Connie Lewis
5 March 201618:52, John Przygocki22:13, Lauren Davidson


Links
#1469

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Smoking runs at the Sizzler for Schmidt and Fackler

They say it's lonely at the top, and that was certainly true for the top of the race results of the 18th annual St. George Island Sizzler 5K. Roger Smith of Capital City Runners ran 17:05 to win the race by over a minute, isolated from the next runner by more than 300 meters. At least he was only a local call away from the field and not long distance.


The race wasn't nearly as lonely for two high school senior cross country runners, Wakulla's Bryce Cole and Leon's Joshua Stapleton. Cole and Stapleton were in a close fight for second, but Cole prevailed 18:11 to 18:18. Tallahassee distance runner Joel Piotrowski was the top master runner in the race, placing fourth overall in 18:29.


The weather may have discouraged some runners from venturing to the Sizzler. The Saturday afternoon of the race, 8 August 2015, heavy rain fell on the island. Still, 181 athletes showed up to finish the race, and their faith was rewarded when the rain had ceased by the 7:00 PM starting time. Additionally the rain had kept the temperatures down--a simmer instead of the usual sizzle. No one could describe it as cool, but the conditions were as good for running as you could expect on the Florida coast in August.


"It was one of the least hot Sizzlers I can remember," commented Bill Lott, a volunteer on the finish line crew.


Jacksonville's Katie Fackler took advantage of those conditions and burned a 18:53, winning the women's title and finishing seventh overall. It wasn't the women's record for the Sizzler, but it was the fastest since Kara Newell set the record of 18:39 in 2006 and the third best time ever run by a woman in the race. Ahna Buntrock, a cross country runner at Washington University in St. Louis, took second on the women's side, placing nineteenth overall in 20:49. Third in the women's standings went to Wakulla cross country runner Haleigh Martin (25th, 22:21), and fourth to Emmy Buntrock (26th, 22:36), a senior cross country runner on the Dover-Eyota High squad in Eyota, Minnesota. Lynn Varner was the first woman master and eighth female finisher, 36th overall in 24:13.


As always, the St. George Island Sizzler was a production of the Tate's Hell Track Club, which race director Hobson Fulmer insists is a real club--in much the same way that my father used to insist that hoop snakes were a real animal. Proceeds of the race go to benefit the Franklin County Humane Society. Chip timing of the race was provided by Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee, Florida.


Top Ten Men, 2015 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 17:05 ~ Roger Schmidt (M, 24) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 18:11 ~ Bryce Cole (M, 17)
  3. 18:18 ~ Joshua Stapleton (M, 17)
  4. 18:29 ~ Joel Piotrowski (M, 45)
  5. 18:44 ~ Frank Denes (M, 29)
  6. 18:48 ~ Scott Gordon (M, 32)
  7. 19:08 ~ Ryan Skyler (M, 25)
  8. 19:15 ~ Danten Wood (M, 15)
  9. 19:23 ~ Lane Williams (M, 19)
  10. 19:43 ~ Philip Sura (M, 45)

Top Ten Women, 2015 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 18:53 ~ Katie Fackler (F, 32) Jacksonville, FL
  2. 20:49 ~ Ahna Buntrock (F, 20)
  3. 22:21 ~ Haleigh Martin (F, 16)
  4. 22:36 ~ Emmy Buntrock (F, 17)
  5. 23:03 ~ Anne Coxe (F, 27)
  6. 24:06 ~ Sarah F Denes (F, 27)
  7. 24:07 ~ Julia Rose Travis (F, 17)
  8. 24:13 ~ Lynn Varner (F, 50)
  9. 24:29 ~ Mia Varner (F, 17)
  10. 25:00 ~ Alyssa Langston (F, 14)

St. George Island Sizzler 5K Champions, 1997 - 2015
DateMenWomenFinishers
21 June 199717:36, Tim Unger21:40, Julie Clark34
13 June 199816:09, Gary Droze22:53, Donna Finney69
12 June 199917:05, Tim Unger19:24, Summer Calder61
10 June 200016:07, Gary Droze21:18, Julie Clark34
2001No race held
15 June 200215:46, Lee Willis18:43, Luanne Coulter53
21 June 200316:44, Caleb Carmichael20:45, Jane Johnson95
12 June 200416:42, Caleb Carmichael19:48, Kara Newell77
18 June 200516:02, Alex Miletich20:53, Angela Dempsey142
24 June 200617:24, Robert Beazley18:39, Kara Newell169
23 June 200717:02, Jasen Fulghum20:41, Jane Johnson106
28 June 200816:44, Tripp Southerland19:11, Stephanie Liles175
27 June 200916:53, John Robida19:47, Kelsey Scheitlin214
26 June 201019:06, Carl Nordhielm22:06, Nancy Stedman147
25 June 201117:06, Brandon Hough22:44, Nicole Reichenbach218
11 August 201216:25, Vince Molosky21:58, Polina Bondarenko280
10 August 201316:16, Caleb Carmichael20:28, Renee Cox318
9 August 201418:02, Carl Nordhielm20:25, Polina Bondarenko222
8 August 201517:05, Roger Schmidt18:53, Katie Fackler181
The 1997 race was called the Summer Island 5K.


Links
#1459

Monday, July 13, 2015

Piotrowski and Martin coast to wins at the St George Island Spritzer 5K

Joel PiotrowskiJoel Piotrowski hasn't run every race ever held on Florida's Saint George Island. But the Tallahassee master runner has run six of the last seven Summer Sizzler 5K races on the island from 2008 to 2014, and he also has been at SGI's Red Pepper 5K from time to time. So it wasn't surprising to see Piotrowski on yet another Saint George Island starting line on Saturday morning, 4 July 2015, when the Franklin County High School cross country team hosted the Spritzer 5K. In fact, Piotrowski was the fastest of the 45 athletes who finished the 3.1-miles, winning the first year race in 18:38 and finishing over a minute ahead of runner-up Steve Reider. Ben Kilgore was third in 21:20.


On the women's side, Wakulla High junior Haleigh Martin was also the winner by over minute. Martin ran 23:15 for the women's title, finishing ninth overall. Eden Keene was second in the women's standings, placing twelfth overall in 24:17. Wakulla High senior Connie Lewis was the third woman finisher, 13th overall in 24:34. The top woman master and fourth female finisher was Genee Heink, 14th overall in 24:46.


Top Ten Men, 2015 Spritzer 5K
  1. 18:38 ~ Joel Piotrowski (M, 45)
  2. 19:41 ~ Steve Reider (M, 50)
  3. 21:20 ~ Ben Kilgore (M, 26)
  4. 21:40 ~ Michael Rhodes (M, ?)
  5. 21:54 ~ Chip McGee (M, 33)
  6. 22:13 ~ Dan Fortunas (M, 54)
  7. 22:22 ~ Ryder Unknown (M, ?)
  8. 23:00 ~ Jacob Stuart (M, 16)
  9. 23:11 ~ Mark Collins (M, 48)
  10. 23:20 ~ Press Witt (M, 56)

Top Ten Women, 2015 Spritzer 5K
  1. 23:15 ~ Haleigh Martin (F, 15)
  2. 24:17 ~ Eden Keene (F, 33)
  3. 24:34 ~ Connie Lewis (F, 16)
  4. 24:46 ~ Genee Heink (F, 46)
  5. 25:44 ~ Savannah Siniard (F, 22)
  6. 27:53 ~ Emma Bryant (F, 15)
  7. 28:06 ~ Nancy Lewis (F, 49)
  8. 28:13 ~ Mary Goda (F, 31)
  9. 32:01 ~ Sha B (F, 45)
  10. 32:17 ~ Paula McD (F, 46)

Links
#1434

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Second time in first place for Nordhielm and Bondarenko in the Sizzler 5K

Carl Nordhielm9 August 2014 wasn't just another torrid Saturday afternoon on Florida's St. George Island, it was the afternoon of the 17th annual Sizzler 5K. This year it turned out to be a race for repeat winners, with 2010 champion Carl Nordhielm returning to collect a second win in 18:02, while Polina Bondarenko added a second women's title to her Sizzler record by placing ninth overall in 20:25. 223 athletes finished the 3.1-mile race on the Island.


The Sizzler started at 6:00 PM with the runners heading east on Pine Street. Half a kilometer from the start a lead group of half a dozen runners had separated from the pack, with 2013 Sizzler winner Caleb Carmichael setting the pace. Carmichael soon decided that he wasn't going to be able to run with the leaders that day and dropped back, leaving five runners out in front--Carl Nordhielm, Bryce Cole, Albert Smythe, Michael Martinez, and Shawn Logan.


2014 SGI Sizzler 5KNordhielm broke away during the second half of the race, building up a lead of over 50 meters with a kilometer to go. The Tallahassee master runner continued to widen the gap on his way to an 18:02 win. Wakulla High sophomore Bryce Cole was second in 18:22. Joel Piotrowski overtook the fading runners from the lead group to finish third in 18:42. Wakulla High junior Albert Smythe placed fourth in 18:59. Nikita Bondarenko moved up during the race to take fifth in 19:41.


"The most painful races are the ones where I run the best," reflected Nordhielm after the Sizzler. "I always really hurt at this race, but I always perform well." The 2014 Sizzler must have been especially excruciating for Nordhielm; he ran over a minute faster than his winning time in 2010.


Polina Bondarenko first won the women's division at the Sizzler 5K in 2012, the year the race moved from June to August. She and her family live in Illinois, and they were vacationing on St. George Island. It's an annual trip for the Bondarenkos.


Polina Bondarenko"We come here on vacation for three weeks, get used to the heat, and have some fun," said Bondarenko.


In 2013, though, Polina Bondarenko was second in the women's standings to Tallahassee runner Renee Cox. Both runners were back for a rematch in 2014.


Half a kilometer after the start, Renee Cox was leading the women's field, just ahead of Lauren Davidson. Polina Bondarenko was a few steps behind. By two kilometers Davidson had faded back into third. Cox was still a few steps ahead of Bondarenko, but Bondarenko was coming. Just past Lighthouse Park, early in the second half of the race, Bondarenko passed Cox. After that, Bondarenko pulled steadily away on her way to a 20:25 win, her fastest run yet at the Sizzler. Cox was the women's runner up, placing 11th overall in 20:46. Chipola College cross-country runner Margaret Wiedeman was third on the women's side, finishing 21st overall in 22:41. Paula O'Neill (23rd, 22:51) was the top woman master and fourth female finisher. Lauren Davidson (25th, 23:02) ended the race fifth in the women's standings.


By September Polina Bondarenko will be back in Illinois running cross country for Oak Park River Forest High in the Chicago suburbs. "Swimming is my main sport now," insists Bondarenko. But next August on another hot day on St. George Island, running will be the only sport on the minds of Bondarenko and a few hundred other athletes at the 2015 Sizzler.


Top Ten Men, 2014 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 18:02 ~ Carl Nordhielm (M, 51)Bryce Cole, Albert Smythe
  2. 18:22 ~ Bryce Cole (M, 16)
  3. 18:42 ~ Joel Piotrowski (M, 44)
  4. 18:59 ~ Albert Smythe (M, 17)
  5. 19:41 ~ Nikita Bondarenko (M, 19)
  6. 19:56 ~ Philip Sura (M, 44)
  7. 19:57 ~ Travis Parks (M, 18)
  8. 20:12 ~ Michael Martinez (M, 48)
  9. 20:25 ~ Shawn Logan (M, 19)
  10. 20:34 ~ Lane Williams (M, 18)

Top Ten Women, 2014 St. George Island Sizzler 5K
  1. 20:25 ~ Polina Bondarenko (F, 14)Renee Cox
  2. 20:46 ~ Renee Cox (F, 27)
  3. 22:41 ~ Margaret Wiedeman (F, 19)
  4. 22:51 ~ Paula O'Neill (F, 53)
  5. 23:02 ~ Lauren Davidson (F, 23)
  6. 23:27 ~ Haleigh Martin (F, 15)
  7. 23:28 ~ Cora Atkinson (F, 20)
  8. 23:44 ~ Libby Coen (F, 15)
  9. 24:19 ~ Sarah Dugas (F, 35)
  10. 24:20 ~ Mindy Sharon (F, 22)

St. George Island Sizzler 5K Champions, 1997-2014
DateMenWomen
21 June 199717:36, Tim Unger21:40, Julie Clark
13 June 199816:09, Gary Droze22:53, Donna Finney
12 June 199917:05, Tim Unger19:24, Summer Calder
10 June 200016:07, Gary Droze21:18, Julie Clark
2001nonenone
15 June 200215:46, Lee Willis18:43, Luanne Coulter
21 June 200316:44, Caleb Carmichael20:45, Jane Johnson
12 June 200416:42, Caleb Carmichael19:48, Kara Newell
18 June 200516:02, Alex Miletich20:53, Angela Dempsey
24 June 200617:24, Robert Beazley18:39, Kara Newell
23 June 200717:02, Jasen Fulghum20:41, Jane Johnson
28 June 200816:44, Tripp Southerland19:11, Stephanie Liles
27 June 200916:53, John Robida19:47, Kelsey Scheitlin
26 June 201019:06, Carl Nordhielm22:06, Nancy Stedman
25 June 201117:06, Brandon Hough22:44, Nicole Reichenbach
11 August 201216:25, Vince Molosky21:58, Polina Bondarenko
10 August 201316:16, Caleb Carmichael20:28, Renee Cox
9 August 201418:02, Carl Nordhielm20:25, Polina Bondarenko
The 1997 race was called the Summer Island 5K.


Links
#1188