Leonardo Canete and Rachel NeSmith find victory on the Quail Trail

Pick any Saturday in autumn, and all over the United States you'll find a multiplicity of five-kilometer cross-country races--in parks, forests, fields, and country clubs. It's just one beautiful place to run after another. Of course, all those races are for high school cross-country teams.


There are a few such races for the rest of us, though. For instance, there was the ninth annual Quail Trail 5K, contested south of Thomasville, Georgia on the grounds of scenic Pebble Hill Plantation on Saturday morning, 19 October 2024. Making his first visit to Pebble Hill, Tallahassee, Florida master runner Leonardo Canete won the race in 17:48. Rachel NeSmith of Thomasville was the first woman in the 5K, placing sixth overall in 21:10.


Charlie Johnson, another Tallahassee master runner, finished runner-up to Canete in 18:14. Thomasville master runner Kevin Ethridge took third in 20:35.


Thomasville athlete Rebekah Campiglia was the second woman and seventh overall in 22:08. Kenley Reneau, an eighth-grader on the cross-country team at Thomas County Middle School, placed third in the women's standings and eleventh overall in 25:22.


139 athletes finished the 2024 Quail Trail 5K. Miles and Minutes, LLC, of Tallahassee, Florida timed and scored the race.


Top Ten Men, 2024 Quail Trail 5K

1. 17:47.6, Leonardo Canete (M, 46) Tallahassee, FL
2. 18:13.3, Charlie Johnson (M, 44) Tallahassee, FL
3. 20:34.5, Kevin Ethridge (M, 47) Thomasville, GA
4. 20:52.0, Nathan Smith (M, 22) Thomasville, GA
5. 21:01.4, Joel Reneau (M, 38) Thomasville, GA
6. 22:19.6, Braden Baker (M, 24) Tallahassee, FL
7. 24:56.4, David Mayfield (M, 47) Tallahassee, FL
8. 25:20.6, David Griner (M, 55) Moultrie, GA
9. 25:49.0, Michael Kennett (M, 51) Tallahassee, FL
10. 26:02.4, Cole McCollough (M, 13) Crawfordville, FL

Top Ten Women, 2024 Quail Trail 5K

1. 21:09.7, Rachel NeSmith (F, 28) Thomasville, GA
2. 22:07.2, Rebekah Campiglia (F, 26) Thomasville, GA
3. 25:21.8, Kenley Reneau (F, 13) Thomasville, GA
4. 26:13.2, Lydia Kennett (F, 13) Tallahassee, FL
5. 26:15.5, Catherine McSwigan (F, 28) Albany, GA
6. 26:33.1, Kelsey Mezzina (F, 30) Tallahassee, FL
7. 27:04.8, Lillie Moore (F, 15) High Point, NC
8. 27:18.9, C D (F, 44) Tallahassee, FL
9. 27:19.0, Kelly Kundinger (F, 31) Tallahassee, FL
10. 27:40.0, Nicole Balmer (F, 48) Tallahassee, FL

Quail Trail 5K winners, 2009 - 2024
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
26 September 2009	22:01, Steven Cox	24:38, Nancy Stedman	155
25 September 2010	15:41, Kevin Cook	18:40, Kara Taylor	236
24 September 2011	17:30, Giovanni Sanchez	23:54, Kimberlee Lawson	118
29 September 2012	18:38, Ryan Kelly	24:29, Melanie Jackson	157
28 September 2013	16:59, Chance Roe	19:47, Jacki Pinkerton	92
27 September 2014	17:40, Ryan Kelly	24:03, Nancy Elam	101
19 September 2015	18:41, Ryan Kelly	20:10, Melissa Thompson	99
21 October 2023	16:25, Matthew Mizereck	20:20, Alison Wells	170
19 October 2024	17:48, Leonardo Canete	21:09.7, Rachel NeSmith	139
The Quail Trail 5K was run on USATF certified course GA09026WC from 2010 to 2015 and on USATF certified course GA23040WC from 2023 to 2024.

Links

• Complete results of the 2024 Quail Trail 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSNN-qSmPMKP5p3GqWxrH6PBHQgbDWqV4zV84ccI4lEUV1z9dJOhl3-Z_EmQJEdWsQn_QUGc3FR5afb/pubhtml
  
  
• 2023 story, “Harriers Matt Mizereck and Alison Wells rule the morning at the Quail Trail 5K”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2023/10/quail-trail-open-2023.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Kelly and Thompson tear through the trails at Quail Trail”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/09/quail-trail-open-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Kelly and Elam tops on the trail at Quail Trail”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/09/quail-trail-open-2014.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Tales from the Trail, the second annual Quail Trail”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/09/quail-trail-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “Lost on the Quail Trail”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/09/lost-on-quail-trail.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map GA23040WC for the Quail Trail 5K
  https://www.certifiedroadraces.com/certificate/?type=r&id=4728
  
  
• Quail, partridge, duck, or ptarmigan, find your favorite bird's race on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#3096

Harriers Matt Mizereck and Alison Wells rule the morning at the Quail Trail 5K

South of Thomasville, Georgia, Pebble Hill Plantation hosted the eighth Quail Trail 5K on Saturday morning, 21 October 2023. It had been just over eight years since the seventh Quail Trail in 2015, and it's anyone's guess how many of the athletes from that earlier race were at Pebble Hill for the 2023 event. Nearly 200 made it to the Plantation, though, and the fastest of those by far was Matt Mizereck. Hailing from nearby Tallahassee, Florida, Mizereck won the 5000-meter cross-country race by more than 900 meters, running 16:25. The first woman in the race was Alison Wells of Bainbridge, Georgia, third overall in 20:21.


It was hardly surprising to see Matt Mizereck excel in a cross-country race; as a harrier at Leon High School, Mizereck had won Florida's high school cross-country state championship three times in a row from 2007 to 2009. Gabriel Ponce took second to Mizereck at the Quail Trail 5K with a 20:10. Nicholas May, a sophomore on the Thomasville High cross-country team, placed third in the men's standings and fourth overall 20:21. Kevin Ethridge was the first master runner in the Quail Trail, the fourth male finisher and fifth overall in 20:42.


Alissa Cole took the runner-up spot in the women's standings, coming in twelfth overall in 23:13. Ruffian Tyner edged Cathy Bond to finish as the top woman master, 24:20 to 24:21. Tyner was third in the women's division and seventeenth overall; Bond was the fourth woman and eighteenth overall.


170 athletes finished the 2023 Quail Trail 5K. Miles and Minutes, LLC, of Tallahassee, Florida timed and scored the race.


Top Ten Men, 2023 Quail Trail 5K

1. 16:24.90, Matthew Mizereck (M, 31)
2. 20:09.40, Gabriel Ponce (M, 23)
3. 20:20.10, Nicholas May (M, 15)
4. 20:23.80, Holten Dennard (M, 12)
5. 20:41.40, Kevin Ethridge (M, 46)
6. 20:51.80, Joel Reneau (M, 37)
7. 21:22.20, Aaron Farris (M, 37)
8. 21:44.90, Stokes Bryan (M, 14)
9. 22:25.00, Rubicel Martinez (M, 35)
10. 22:58.10, Shane Roberts (M, 52)

Top Ten Women, 2023 Quail Trail 5K

1. 20:19.50, Alison Wells (F, 27)
2. 23:12.10, Alissa Cole (F, 25)
3. 24:19.50, Ruffian Tyner (F, 48)
4. 24:20.50, Cathy Bond (F, 43)
5. 24:41.10, Sierra Robinson (F, 28)
6. 24:42.60, Margaret Wetherbee (F, 54)
7. 25:05.10, Anika Sigel (F, 27)
8. 25:59.60, Nicole Balmer (F, 47)
9. 26:12.40, Tyler Mendelson (F, 35)
10. 27:14.40, Nancy Herring (F, 68)

Quail Trail 5K winners, 2009 - 2023
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
26 September 2009	22:01, Steven Cox	24:38, Nancy Stedman	155
25 September 2010	15:41, Kevin Cook	18:40, Kara Taylor	236
24 September 2011	17:30, Giovanni Sanchez	23:54, Kimberlee Lawson	118
29 September 2012	18:38, Ryan Kelly	24:29, Melanie Jackson	157
28 September 2013	16:59, Chance Roe	19:47, Jacki Pinkerton	92
27 September 2014	17:40, Ryan Kelly	24:03, Nancy Elam	101
19 September 2015	18:41, Ryan Kelly	20:10, Melissa Thompson	99
21 October 2023	16:25, Matthew Mizereck	20:20, Alison Wells	170
The Quail Trail 5K was run on USATF certified course GA09026WC from 2010 to 2015.

Links

• Complete results of the 2023 Quail Trail 5K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRTzzesntiOf1ZSAMGRkzYOgKvALmExI3Q_ydGygURZZQOfqgYNkf1BI5bb-CoFGQhyO9i7SMxsZvkL/pubhtml
  
  
• 2015 story, “Kelly and Thompson tear through the trails at Quail Trail”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/09/quail-trail-open-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Kelly and Elam tops on the trail at Quail Trail”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/09/quail-trail-open-2014.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Tales from the Trail, the second annual Quail Trail”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/09/quail-trail-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “Lost on the Quail Trail”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/09/lost-on-quail-trail.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map GA23040WC for the Quail Trail 5K
  https://app.box.com/s/bkqekr48sbx7aip405m6finfwb4swqjr
  
  
• Quail, partridge, duck, or ptarmigan, find your favorite bird's race on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2999

Alexis Mayfield and Hudson Champion nab wins at the South Georgia Invitational

Rain fell on Thomasville, Georgia on Tuesday afternoon, 26 September 2023, making for a wet day at the races for Thomas County Middle School's fifth South Georgia Invitational Middle School Cross-Country Meet. The Deerfield-Windsor boys and the Lowndes girls each took a team title, with Deerfield-Windsor putting up 33 points and Lowndes scoring a mathematically unbeatable 26. Swfit Creek eighth-grader Alexis Mayfield won the girls' race in 13:15, while Colquitt County seventh-grader Hudson Champion took first in the boys' race with an 11:42.

Alexis Mayfield

The girls raced first that afternoon. That event developed into a duel between two eighth-grader, with Alexis Mayfield of Swift Creek and Deerfield-Windsor's Sophie Logan well out ahead of the rest of the field. Mayfield had the advantage at the finish line, beating Logan home 13:15 to 13:19. Deerfield-Windsor eighth-graders took the next two places; Kaylee Hatcher was third in 14:19 and Sydney Daniel was fourth in 14:39.


Eighth-graders Ann Margaret Barrow and Abigail Lane finished the scoring for the Deerfield-Windsor Knights, with Barrow fourteenth in 16:02 and Lane fifteenth in 16:02. The Knights had tallied 33 points, good enough for first in the seven-team field.


Berrien County, led by eighth-grader Autumn Pearson (6th, 15:18), took second with 56 points. Hosts Thomas County was third, logging 78 points behind their top runner, seventh-grader Emma Thompson (11th, 15:59).


Girls' Team Scores, 2023 South Georgia Invitational Middle School Cross-Country Meet

1. Deerfield-Windsor, 33
2. Berrien County, 56
3. Thomas County, 78
4. Colquitt County, 114
5. Lowndes, 127
6. MacIntyre Park, 128
7. Whigham, 185
8. Swift Creek, NTS

Top Ten Girls, 2023 South Georgia Invitational Middle School Cross-Country Meet

1. 13:14.70, Alexis Mayfield (Swift Creek) 8
2. 13:18.70, Sophie Logan (Deerfield-Windsor) 8
3. 14:18.80, Kaylee Hatcher (Deerfield-Windsor) 8
4. 14:38.80, Sydney Daniel (Deerfield-Windsor) 8
5. 14:59.70, Lydia Chambers (Lowndes) 7
6. 15:17.60, Autumn Pearson (Berrien County) 8
7. 15:18.80, Peyton Vowell (Berrien County) 7
8. 15:38.90, Rileigh Proctor (Berrien County) 6
9. 15:41.70, Sadie Kate Scarbrough (MacIntyre Park) 8
10. 15:43.40, Pari Patel (Lowndes) 6

After the girls had churned up the muddy spots on the course, it was time for the boys to take their turn. Like the girl' race, it ultimately came down to two athletes--Colquitt County seventh-grader Hudson Champion and Lowndes eighth-grader River Thurston. Champion prevailed in that match, 11:42 to 11:46. Lowndes seventh-grader Andrew Chick took third in 12:01 and Lowndes eighth-grader fourth in 12:08.


Lowndes had one more Viking in the top ten, eighth-grader Masa Hammond, who was tenth in 13:09. Less than two seconds later, Lowndes sixth-grader Dominic Johnson came across the line eleventh in 13:11, all five Viking scorers were home, and the boys of Lowndes had a winning score of 26 points.


Led by eighth-grader Daniel Roland (7th, 12:35), Deerfield-Windsor scored 71 points, placing second among the seven teams in the race. MacIntyre Park was third with 84 points behind the fifteenth-place finish of their top Bulldog, seventh-grader Luke Ridley (13:29).


Miles and Minutes, LLC, of Tallahassee, Florida timed and scored the 2023 South Georgia Invitational Middle School Cross-Country Meet.


Boys' Team Scores, 2023 South Georgia Invitational Middle School Cross-Country Meet

1. Lowndes, 26
2. Deerfield-Windsor, 71
3. MacIntyre Park, 84
4. Colquitt County, 94
5. Thomas County, 103
6. Berrien County, 113
7. Saint John Catholic, NTS
   Whigham, NTS

Top Ten Boys, 2023 South Georgia Invitational Middle School Cross-Country Meet

1. 11:41.70, Hudson Champion (Colquitt County) 7
2. 11:45.30, River Thurston (Lowndes) 8
3. 12:00.70, Andrew Chick (Lowndes) 7
4. 12:07.30, Max Shelly (Lowndes) 8
5. 12:17.60, Holten Dennard (Thomas County) 7
6. 12:20.60, Juan Ledesma-Rodriguez (Saint John Catholic) 7
7. 12:34.10, Daniel Roland (Deerfield-Windsor) 8
8. 12:37.70, Christopher Wallace (Saint John Catholic) 8
9. 13:04.10, Connor Stephens (Thomas County) 8
10. 13:08.90, Masa Hammond (Lowndes) 8

South Georgia Invitational Middle School Cross-Country Meet Winners, 2016 - 2023
Middle School Girls
Date	Team	Athlete
22 October 2016	Pike County, 46	13:46, Allison Drummond (Unattached) 8
21 October 2017	Pike County, 45	15:21, Emma Powell (Unattached) 8
18 October 2019	Thomas County, 38	14:42, Cadence Curnalia (Thomas County) 7
30 September 2021	Tift Area, 50	16:16, Savannah Dodd (Thomas County) 8
26 September 2023	Deerfield-Windsor, 33	13:15, Alexis Mayfield (Swift Creek) 8
Middle School Boys
Date	Team	Athlete
22 October 2016	Valdosta, 40	12:35, Parker Jackson (Valdosta) 7
21 October 2017	Pike County, 39	12:48, Parker Jackson (Valdosta) 8
18 October 2019	Berrien County, 20	13:41, Robert Lindquist (Thomas County) 8
30 September 2021	Tift Area, 56	13:42, Brody Jennings (Thomas County) 7
26 September 2023	Lowndes, 26	11:42, Hudson Champion (Colquitt County) 7
The meet was not held in 2018, 2020, or 2022.

Links

• Complete results, 2023 South Georgia Invitational Middle School Cross-Country Meet
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vT5pX2KZCCAoZlb1scIvDwqHt2ng9EqOkFG7t_Hl1bXe2tdN9vsL7P37rhYStzMkZm7nnkgDyU-N1Dn/pubhtml
  
  
• Find upcoming races in Thomasville or other Tallahassee-region towns on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2986

Cadence Curnalia, Matthew Hauser win as Thomas County, Lincoln split the Yellow Jacket Invitational

Just after dawn on Wednesday, 30 August 2023, Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida's Big Bend, moving inland into South Georgia. The next afternoon, Thursday, 31 August 2023, the high school cross-country runners of the region were back racing at the 30th annual Yellow Jacket Invitational in Thomasville, Georgia. Cadence Curnalia, a junior competing for host school Thomas County Central, won the girls' 5K by nearly 400 meters, running 21:36. Lee County took the team title with a nearly-unbeatable 32 points. Lincoln High sophomore Matthew Hauser took first in the boys' 5K, finishing with a lead of more than 200 meters in 16:40 and leading his Trojans to first place with a team score of 38.


The girls' 5K was the first high school race, with a start scheduled at 5:00 PM. Cadence Curnalia came into the Yellow Jacket Invitational with a record of winning--as a seventh-grader she had won the middle school girls' race in 2019, then repeated in 2020. In 2021, her frosh year at Thomas County Central, Curnalia had won the Invitational's high school girls' 5K. In 2022, she placed second in that race. Curnalia wasn't interested in finishing runner-up again in 2023.


She didn't. Curnalia crushed the field with a 21:36, her best mark yet at the Yellow Jacket Invite. Seminole County junior Geisha Smith took second at 23:08. Hadiya Ali, a Lee County sophomore, placed third in 23:20.


Ali was followed closely by her teammate Kali Nicholson, a junior who finished fourth in 23:26. Lee County's remaining scorers also cracked the top ten--junior Olivia Vanderwalt was sixth in 23:46, sophomore Harlee Oosterveen was ninth in 25:48, and sophomore Gabriella Vanderwalt was tenth in 26:09. With five athletes in the top ten, the Lee County girls' had 32 points--good for first place in a field of eleven teams.


Led by Curnalia, Thomas County Central took second with 99 points. Westover, winner of the girls' division in 2021, took third with 117. Westover's top finisher was Yaliza Wright, seventeenth in 26:49.


2023 Yellow Jacket XC Invitational Team Standings, High School Girls

1. Lee County, 32
2. Thomas County Central, 99
3. Westover, 117
4. Bainbridge, 129
5. Monroe Comprehensive, 137
6. Lincoln, 137
7. Tift Area, 186
8. Warner Robins Northside, 192
9. Thomasville, 200
10. Seminole County, 220
11. Baconton Charter, 307

Top Ten High School Girls, 30th annual Yellow Jacket XC Invitational

1. 21:35.30, Cadence Curnalia (Thomas County) 11
2. 23:08.00, Geisha Smith (Seminole County) 11
3. 23:19.50, Hadiya Ali (Lee County) 10
4. 23:25.50, Kali Nicholson (Lee County) 11
5. 23:37.00, Faith Thompson (Warner Robins Northside) 11
6. 23:45.90, Olivia Vanderwalt (Lee County) 11
7. 25:02.70, Anna Caulkins (Lincoln) 12
8. 25:30.80, Kate Phillips (Tift Area) 10
9. 25:47.60, Harlee Oosterveen (Lee County) 10
10. 26:08.20, Gabriella Vanderwalt (Lee County) 10

Curnalia's Yellow Jacket Invitational win was her second of the 2023 cross-country season; her first had been at the Sherwood Around The Cross Invitational twelve days earlier in Albany, Georgia. Matthew Hauser came into the Yellow Jacket still looking for his first cross-country win of 2023.


He got it. In his first Yellow Jacket Invite appearance, the Lincoln sophomore threw down a winning 16:40. Another sophomore, Jesus Gutierrez of Warner Robins Northside, grabbed second with a 17:24. Bainbridge senior Jahlae Sapp took third in 17:38.


Hauser wasn't the only Lincoln Trojan in the top ten. Senior Enijah Thomas was fifth in 18:13, frosh Trent Parsons was sixth in 18:19, and senior Mason Romuald was ninth in 18:57. Connor Aarons completed the scoring for Lincoln; the junior placed seventeenth in 19:28. With that, the Trojan boys had 38 points, putting them first among thirteen teams.


Gutierrez and the Northside Eagles put up 59 points for second. Crisp County placed third with 131, led by the fourth place, 18:02 showing of junior Sawyer McGinnis.


2023 Yellow Jacket XC Invitational Team Standings, High School Boys

1. Lincoln, 38
2. Warner Robins Northside, 59
3. Crisp County, 104
4. Brookwood, 131
5. Bainbridge, 170
6. Thomas County Central, 186
7. Thomasville, 208
8. Lee County, 239
9. Westover, 241
10. Baconton Charter, 246
11. Seminole County, 249
12. Pelham, 278
13. Cairo, 308

Top Ten High School Boys, 30th annual Yellow Jacket XC Invitational

1. 16:39.10, Matthew Hauser (Lincoln) 10
2. 17:23.20, Jesus Gutierrez (Warner Robins Northside) 10
3. 17:38.00, Jahlae Sapp (Bainbridge) 12
4. 18:01.60, Sawyer McGinnis (Crisp County) 11
5. 18:12.80, Enijah Thomas (Lincoln) 12
6. 18:18.90, Trent Parsons (Lincoln) 9
7. 18:39.90, Nate Jackson (Warner Robins Northside) 10
8. 18:52.00, John Hoffpauir (Lee County) 10
9. 18:56.20, Mason Romuald (Lincoln) 12
10. 18:56.80, Calvon Clark (Warner Robins Northside) 11

In Tallahassee, Florida, Fairview Middle School had been scheduled to race at the Fort Braden Run on the same day as the Yellow Jacket Invite. The Fort Braden meet ended up rescheduled for 20 September 2023 due to the hurricane, leaving Fairview eighth-grader Emari Thomas free to race in Thomasville. Race he did, winning the middle school boys' event by close to 200 meters in 12:47. Thomas County harriers took the next two places, with seventh-grader Holten Dennard second in 13:31 and eighth-grader Connor Stephens third in 14:04.


Thomasville Middle School Bulldog eighth-graders took the next two spots, with Conner D'Amico fourth in 14:41 and Jack Chastain fifth in 14:43. Two more Bulldogs also cracked the top ten--eighth-grader Mason Baggett was seventh in 15:00 and seventh-grader Luke Ridley eighth in 15:01. When the Bulldog's fifth scorer, seventh-grader Parks Everett, crossed the finish line twelfth in 15:37, Thomasville had 30 points and first place among eight teams.


Dennard and Thomas County were a close second with 38 points. The Whigham boys were third with 112 points; Whigham's first finisher was sixth-grader Luke Molisee, sixteenth in 16:04.


2023 Yellow Jacket XC Invitational Team Standings, Middle School Boys

1. Thomasville, 30
2. Thomas County, 38
3. Whigham, 112
4. Seminole County, 133
5. Bainbridge, 144
6. Baconton Charter, 145
7. Tift Area, 157
8. Spring Creek Charter, 184

Top Ten Middle School Boys, 30th annual Yellow Jacket XC Invitational

1. 12:46.70, Emari Thomas (Fairview) 8
2. 13:30.90, Holten Dennard (Thomas County) 7
3. 14:04.00, Connor Stephens (Thomas County) 8
4. 14:40.90, Conner D'Amico (Thomasville) 8
5. 14:42.30, Jack Chastain (Thomasville) 8
6. 14:53.30, Richard Calloway (Seminole County) 8
7. 15:00.00, Mason Baggett (Thomasville) 8
8. 15:00.10, Luke Ridley (Thomasville) 7
9. 15:05.00, Aaron Irvin (Thomas County) 7
10. 15:32.70, Brayden Inlow (Bainbridge) 9

2023 was Jada Anderson's third year of running cross-country for Bainbridge Middle School, but it was her first appearance at the Yellow Jacket Invitational. The eighth-grader made the most of it, winning the middle school girls' race in 15:58, the only sub-16:00 performance in that event since 2020. A few seconds back, Crisp County eighth-grader Mya Dunlap was runner-up in 16:05. Gracie Musgrove, a Brookwood seventh-grader, was the first hometown finisher, placing third in 16:33.


The race for first had come down to Bainbridge's Anderson and Crisp County's Dunlap; the fight for the girls' team title was likewise between Bainbridge and Crisp County. Bainbridge had a second athlete in the top ten when eighth-grader placed eighth in 17:08, but Crisp County answered by putting sixth-grader Mary Michael McGinnis across the finish line ninth in 17:14. The girls from Bainbridge completed their scoring with eighth-grader Carrington Smith (11th, 17:28), seventh-grader Ayesha Sapp (25th, 19:39), and sixth-grader Payson Huto (36th, 20:53). That gave Bainbridge 67 points and a narrow win.


Dunlap and the Crisp County girls were only three points back, second with 70. Thomasville was a close third at 77 points, led by eighth-grader Sadie Kate Scarbrough. Scarbrough was fourth in 16:41. Eight schools had complete teams in the middle school girls' race.


Miles And Minutes, LLC, of Tallahassee, Florida timed and scored the races at the 2023 Yellow Jacket Invitational Cross-Country Meet.


2023 Yellow Jacket XC Invitational Team Standings, Middle School Girls

1. Bainbridge, 67
2. Crisp County, 70
3. Thomasville, 77
4. Tift Area, 85
5. Thomas County, 109
6. Baconton Charter, 116
7. Whigham, 165
8. Spring Creek Charter, 212

Top Ten Middle School Girls, 30th annual Yellow Jacket XC Invitational

1. 15:57.20, Jada Anderson (Bainbridge) 8
2. 16:04.60, Mya Dunlap (Crisp County) 8
3. 16:32.20, Gracie Musgrove (Brookwood) 7
4. 16:40.30, Sadie Kate Scarbrough (Thomasville) 8
5. 16:50.80, Annabelle Barrow (Baconton Charter) 6
6. 17:01.10, Madison Miracle (Baconton Charter) 6
7. 17:05.60, Iyanna Kyles (Seminole County) 8
8. 17:08.00, Emerson Huggins (Bainbridge) 8
9. 17:13.60, Mary Michael McGinnis (Crisp County) 6
10. 17:22.60, Eleanor Walker (Tift Area) 5

Yellow Jacket Cross Country Invitational winners, 2008 - 2023
High School Boys
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
18 October 2008	Tift County, 32 points	16:59, Hunter Honeycutt (Tift County)
17 October 2009
16 October 2010
15 October 2011
20 October 2012
19 October 2013	Maclay, 41	16:13, Chase Harris (Bainbridge) 11
25 October 2014	Thomas County Central, 74	16:25, Wil Luca (Leon) 12
17 October 2015	Leon, 36	15:47, Poncherella Leonard (Bainbridge) 11
15 October 2016	Veterans, 54	17:13, Colby Jones (Lee County) 11
14 October 2017	Veterans, 32	17:04, Brishen House (Lowndes) 12
12 October 2019	Colquitt County, 68	17:21, Stokes Moore (Bainbridge) 12
29 August 2020	Davis, 36	18:16, Briley Reyes (Davis) 11
2 September 2021	Valdosta, 33	17:45, Parker Jackson (Valdosta) 12
13 September 2022	Lowndes, 46	16:50, Jonah Berry (GCU Elite Racing) 11
31 August 2023	Lincoln, 38	16:40, Matthew Hauser (Lincoln) 10
High School Girls
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
18 October 2008	Valdosta, 30 points	21:12, JaCourtney Alexander (Cairo)
17 October 2009
16 October 2010
15 October 2011
20 October 2012
19 October 2013	Maclay, 30	19:44, Paige Braswell (Bainbridge) 12
25 October 2014	Berrien County, 47	20:58, Rebekah Smith (Thomasville) 11
17 October 2015	Leon, 44	20:07, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County) 10
15 October 2016	Lee County, 83	17:50, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County) 11
14 October 2017	Valwood, 80	17:45, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County) 12
12 October 2019	Aucilla Christian, 32	21:28, Anna James (Thomas County Central) 11
29 August 2020	Colquitt County, 41	20:06, Anna James (Thomas County Central) 12
2 September 2021	Westover, 44	23:40, Cadence Curnalia (Thomas County Central) 9
13 September 2022	Lowndes, 31	21:47, Kendall Johnson (Lowndes) 10
31 August 2023	Lee County, 32	21:36, Cadence Curnalia (Thomas County) 11
Do you have results from the missing years? Please let me know!

Links

• Complete results of Thomas County Central's 2023 Yellow Jacket Cross-Country Invitational
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRt416d547En8jnwYboL4g7-UnT1NhTEjqfSbGGXCorbeZSpEF7qEyaJRyhXGfnx2g0K_eluRkqgNKO/pubhtml
  
  
• 2021 story, “Westover girls and Valdosta boys win at the Yellow Jacket”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/09/yellowjacket-xc-2021.html
  
  
• 2020 story, “Anna James and Briley Reyes swat the competition at the Yellow Jacket Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/09/yellowjacket-xc-2020.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Funderburk blazes a valedictory 17:44.50 at the Yellow Jacket Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/10/yellowjacket-xc-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Elizabeth Funderburk goes 17:50 in Thomasville at the Yellow Jacket Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/10/yellowjacket-xc-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Poncherella Leonard and Elizabeth Funderburk have wings at Yellow Jacket Invite”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/10/yellowjacket-xc-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Wil Luca, Rebekah Smith finish the season right at Yellow Jacket Cross Country Meet”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/10/yellowjacket-xc-2014.html
  
  
• Can't get an invitation? Find an open race on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2970

First Rose City wins for Adam Wallenfelsz and Cammie Hungerford

Years ago, Adam Wallenfelsz used to race the Rose City Run 10K with the other distance runners on the Leon High track team.


"The last time might have been 2013 or 2014," said Wallenfelsz. "We always dreaded this race."

Rose City winners Adam Wallenfelsz and Cammie Hungerford

His attitude had changed by Saturday morning, 22 April 2023, when Wallenfelsz returned to Thomasville, Georgia for the 44th annual Rose City Run. The Tallahassee, Florida runner won the 6.2-mile race by over a minute, running 33:48. Cammie Hungerford of Thomasville was the first woman in the race, placing 29th overall in 45:52.


A few minutes after the scheduled 8:00 AM starting time, the race was on, with Wallenfelsz setting the pace. Canaan Ponce, a senior on the Cook High cross-country team, and Americus, Georgia athlete Brian Miller challenged Wallenfelsz in the early going.

Adam Wallenfelsz

"Coming up on the mile, there was a high school athlete on my shoulder," said Wallenfelsz. "Then Brian was giving me trouble, especially around three-and-a-half or four miles when I wasn't feeling very good. At four-and-a-half or five, though, I was feeling better, like I could step on the gas if I had to."


He didn't need the gas pedal. Wallenfelsz passed the five mile mark half a minute before Miller, then spent the last two kilometers of the race doubling that lead on his way to a 33:48 win. Miller took second in 34:50. Hawthorne Hay of Tallahassee placed third in 35:02, and Canaan Ponce finished the race fourth in 37:06. Tallahassee's Leonardo Canete was the first master runner in the race, placing sixth overall in 38:22.

Brian Miller

Wallenfelsz was clearly over his phobia of the Rose City Run. In high school, it was twice as long as long as any of his other races. But after four years of running at the University of Alabama Huntsville, he's ready for longer runs.


"I'm going after Grandma's Marathon on June 17," said Wallenfelsz. "I PRed last week in the 5K and this week in the 10K, so training is going well."

Hawthorne Hay

Like Wallenfelsz, Cammie Hungerford was no stranger to the Rose City Run.


"I've run every year since we moved here, nine years ago," said Hungerford.

Cammie Hungerford

Hungerford was trailing the women's leader, Tallahassee master runner Stephanie Liles-Weyant, in the early going of the 2023 race. It was the first Rose City Run for Liles-Weyant. Hungerford chased her down.


"She got me at mile four," said Liles-Weyant. "She ran a much smarter race than I did."

Stephanie Liles-Weyant

"I thought there were more women ahead of me," said Hungerford.


There weren't. Hungerford was the first woman across the finish line, running 45:52. Liles-Weyant was the first woman master and the second female finisher, 33rd overall in 47:19. Tallahassee master runner Laura McDermott was took third on the women's side and 35th overall in 47:36. Twelve-year-old Charlotte Sikes of Tallahassee placed fourth in the women's standings and 40th overall in 48:02.

Laura McDermott

246 athletes finished the 10K at the 2023 Rose City Run and another 87 completed the kids' mile. Event Technical Services, Inc. of Sylvester, Georgia chip-timed both races.


Top Ten Men, 2023 Rose City Run 10K

1. 33:47.26, Adam Wallenfelsz (M, 25) Tallahassee, FL
2. 34:49.81, Brian Miller (M, 25) Americus, GA
3. 35:01.77, Hawthorne Hay (M, 21) Tallahassee, FL
4. 37:05.33, Canaan Ponce (M, 17) Adel, GA
5. 37:44.42, Alexander Ayala (M, 18) Adel, GA
6. 38:21.89, Leonardo Canete (M, 44) Tallahassee, FL
7. 38:34.06, Hong-Guo Yu (M, 54) Tallahassee, FL
8. 38:55.75, Kyle Olson (M, 26) Tallahassee, FL
9. 38:56.31, Ryan Truchelut (M, 37) Tallahassee, FL
10. 39:20.53, Daniel Cook (M, 34) Thomasville, GA

Top Ten Women, 2023 Rose City Run 10K

1. 45:51.64, Cammie Hungerford (F, 30) Thomasville, GA
2. 47:18.51, Stephanie Liles-Weyant (F, 50) Tallahassee, FL
3. 47:35.95, Laura McDermott (F, 43) Tallahassee, FL
4. 48:01.30, Charlotte Sikes (F, 12) Tallahassee, FL
5. 49:27.12, Nancy Stedman (F, 61) Tallahassee, FL
6. 49:58.59, Nancy Proctor (F, 62) Tallahassee, FL
7. 50:02.49, Ruffian Tyner (F, 47) Tallahassee, FL
8. 50:32.58, Donica Williams (F, 43) Cairo, GA
9. 51:13.20, Brandi Campbell (F, 47) Tallahassee, FL
10. 51:25.75, Tiffany Nunnally (F, 44) Thomasville, GA

43 years of Rose City Run 10K champions, 1978 - 2023
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
29 April 1978	31:25, Gary Slayton	36:45, Janice Hochstein
28 April 1979	31:47, Mike Rasper	37:49, Janice Hochstein
26 April 1980	31:18, George West	38:14, Colleen Joiner
25 April 1981	30:21, Mabry McCray	40:26, Nicole Batchelder
1982	30:33, Ernie McKee	38:31, Nicole Batchelder
1983	30:47, Noel Shuman	34:57, Darien Andreu
1984	33:05, Gary Slayton	37:51, Barbara Balzer
27 April 1985	32:36, Rick Miller	37:41, Barbara Balzer
26 April 1986	32:05, Rick Miller	37:35, Janice Hochstein
1987	29:57, Herb Wills	37:39, Karen MacHarg
1988	31:55, Jessie Close	37:59, Karen MacHarg
1989	31:39, Jessie Close	36:49, Karen MacHarg
1990	31:56, Jessie Close	37:04, Karen MacHarg
1991	31:15, Jessie Close	38:33, Vikki Saga
1992	33:04, Trent Smith	37:48, Vikki Saga
24 April 1993	31:28, Gary Droze	38:24, Vikki Saga
23 April 1994	30:19, Robin Rogers	37:37, Lisa Herman
29 April 1995	31:52, Jessie Close	35:37, Suzanne Rigg
27 Aprl 1996	32:18, Jessie Close	39:37, Carrie Weyant	390
26 April 1997	32:29, Brian Erb	36:40, Sarah Docter-Williams
25 April 1998	31:58, Alan Black	36:07, Sarah Docter-Williams
24 April 1999	32:21, Alan Black	37:14, Sarah Docter-Williams	394
29 April 2000	34:15, Sean Daniels	35:20, Anna Pichrtova	344
28 April 2001	32:05, Paul Spangler	36:22, Sarah Docter-Williams	338
27 April 2002	30:53, Alan Black	39:35, Jane Johnson	384
26 April 2003	31:58, Matt Kalinski	41:53, Julie Carico	299
25 April 2004	33:44, Jessie Close	39:52, Kate Remillard	282
23 April 2005	33:44, Jessie Close	37:08, Sarah Docter-Williams	292
29 April 2006	34:32, Jessie Close	38:38, Barbara Jarnagin	302
28 April 2007	31:21, Alan Black	39:02, Sheryl Rosen	341
26 April 2008	33:10, Malcolm Campbell	37:40, Donna Garcia	320
25 April 2009	32:34, Nathaniel Haskins	41:38, Mary Anne Grayson	354
24 April 2010	32:51, Chris Lake	37:42, Amy Hines	410
23 April 2011	32:46, Chris Lake	38:58, Donna Garcia	490
28 April 2012	32:51, Chris Lake	36:51, Sheryl Rosen	464
27 April 2013	32:52, Will Stanford	37:08, Sheryl Rosen	417
26 April 2014	33:21, Chris Lake	38:58, Amy Hines	463
25 April 2015	32:04, Nathan Haskins	41:32, Beth Sweeny	428
23 April 2016	34:37, Roger Schmidt	38:11, Ani Veltcheva	358
29 April 2017	32:57, Christopher Haynes	40:56, Ann Centner	392
28 April 2018	31:43, Christopher Haynes	38:27, Ann Centner	310
27 April 2019	31:35, Christopher Haynes	36:57, Ann Centner	397
16 April 2022	31:55, Christopher Haynes	43:22, Rachel Nesmith	184
22 April 2023	33:48, Adam Wallenfelsz	45:52, Cammie Hungerford	246

Links

• Complete results of the 2023 Rose City Run 10K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSgtGR6F6vhUCMKDuhhJWZlsAGq4cd_F8Yn5W0KRltOVBJZvRRvR3MuSjPo-4pHnq86X15AihUOUrYJ/pubhtml
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! photos of the 2023 Rose City Run 10K
  • Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10120753606328403
  • Part 2: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10120753693089533 /li>
  
  
• 2022 story, “Chris Haynes goes 31:55 to collect his fourth Rose City 10K title”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/04/rose-city-2022.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “31:35 for Chris Haynes and 36:57 for Ann Centner, Rose City 10K champions”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/04/rose-city-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Chris Haynes and Ann Centner repeat at Rose City”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/04/rose-city-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Haynes and Centner gather roses in Thomasville”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/04/rose-city-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Schmidt and Veltcheva bloom at the Rose City Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/04/rose-city-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Warriors of the Roses, Haskins and Sweeny win the Rose City Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/04/rose-city-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Fog and Flowers, Lake and Hines win again at Rose City”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/04/rose-city-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “No stopping to smell the roses for Stanford or Rosen”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/04/rose-city-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Lake and Rosen collect more Rose City titles”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/04/rose-city-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Lake and Garcia go for two at Rose City”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/04/rose-city-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Lake and Hines beat the storm at Rose City”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/04/rose-city-2010.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map GA22060WC for the 2023 Rose City Run 10K
  https://certifiedroadraces.com/certificate/?type=m&id=2251
  
  
• Find the next Rose City Run on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2919

Chris Haynes goes 31:55 to collect his fourth Rose City 10K title

If you're at a track meet, events are run on a schedule. You'll hear announcements, like "First call for the 800-meter run," or "Third and final call for the 4x400-meter relay."


In Thomasville, Georgia on Saturday morning, 16 April 2022, the 43rd annual Rose City Run was also on a schedule. The announcements were less formal, though.

2022 Rose City 10K winners Rachel Nesmith and Chris Haynes

"I think we'll all gather around," said Dr. James Storey, the race director. "We'll get started in about ten minutes."


As casual as that sounds, the ten-kilometer race started almost exactly at the advertised time of 8:00 AM. And there was nothing casual about the way that Tallahassee, Florida's Chris Haynes ran. The defending champion, Haynes took the lead almost immediately. In what was practically a solo effort, he won the race by more than 900 meters, running 31:55. Thomasville's Rachel Nesmith took the women's title in 43:22, placing tenth overall and finishing over 1000 meters ahead of the next woman.

Chris Haynes

Haynes' first-place showing was his fourth win in a row at Rose City. He had also won the race in 2017 (32:57), 2018 (31:43), and 2019 (31:35). Due to COVID-19 concerns, Thomasville did not host the race in either 2020 or 2021. With so many wins, Haynes holds himself to a higher standard and wasn't entirely satisfied with his 2022 performance.


"No pop today," he said, shaking his head. "I think I ran faster three years ago."

Chris O'Kelley

He did, but both those efforts were sub-32:00, as was his 31:43 win in 2018. Haynes has gone under 32:00 three times on the Rose City course. No other athlete has gone that fast in Thomasville even once since 2007, when Alan Black won the race in 31:21.


Behind Haynes, Leonardo Canete held the second position for the first two kilometers. After that, though, the Tallahassee master runner was overtaken by another Tallahassee runner, Chris O'Kelley. O'Kelley held the position, going on to finish runner-up in 35:12. Canete took third in 36:10. Two high school cross-country runners, Brookwood School frosh Kent Grayson and Cook County High junior Canaan Ponce, duelled for position during the race. Ponce got the advantage in the closing miles to place fourth in 39:34; Grayson was fifth in 40:05.

Rachel Nesmith

It isn't unusual to have high school distance runners in the Rose City 10K. "I ran it ten years ago in 2012, my sophomore year in high school," recalled Rachel Nesmith, the women's champ.


Nesmith actually ran the Rose City 10K twice during her tenure at Thomasville High, going 48:28 as a frosh in 2011 and 46:08 as a sophomore in 2012. After graduating she spent seven years in Atlanta, only recently returning to Thomasville.


Tallahassee realtor Nancy Stedman was the first woman master and second female finisher, placing 24th overall in 48:14. Stedman had also been the top woman master in the 2017 Rose City 10K. Master runners also took the next three places in the women's standings, with Donica Williams (26th, 48:34) third, Kimberly Steele (30th, 49:50) fourth, and April Mathis (35th, 51:47) fifth.

Nancy Stedman

184 athletes finished the 10K at the 2022 Rose City Run and another 78 completed the kids' mile. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee chip-timed both races.


Top Ten Men, 2022 Rose City Run 10K
31:55, Christopher Haynes (M, 29)
35:12, Chris O'Kelley (M, 29)
36:10, Leonardo Canete (M, 43)
39:34, Canaan Ponce' (M, 16)
40:05, Kent Grayson (M, 16)
41:03, Gabriel Lewis (M, 21)
41:29, Evan Timothy (M, 36)
42:28, Philip Sura (M, 52)
42:37, John Cable (M, 34)
44:04, Sean Landeta (M, 33)

Top Ten Women, 2022 Rose City Run 10K
43:22, Rachel Nesmith (F, 26)
48:14, Nancy Stedman (F, 60)
48:34, Donica Williams (F, 42)
49:50, Kimberly Steele (F, 44)
51:47, April Mathis (F, 53)
52:55, Martha Guyas (F, 37)
53:11, Sarah Dugas (F, 43)
53:21, Melanie Jackson (F, 42)
53:22, Tiffany Nunnally (F, 43)
53:43, Nancy Herring (F, 67)

43 years of Rose City Run 10K champions, 1978 - 2022
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
29 April 1978	31:25, Gary Slayton	36:45, Janice Hochstein
28 April 1979	31:47, Mike Rasper	37:49, Janice Hochstein
26 April 1980	31:18, George West	38:14, Colleen Joiner
25 April 1981	30:21, Mabry McCray	40:26, Nicole Batchelder
1982	30:33, Ernie McKee	38:31, Nicole Batchelder
1983	30:47, Noel Shuman	34:57, Darien Andreu
1984	33:05, Gary Slayton	37:51, Barbara Balzer
27 April 1985	32:36, Rick Miller	37:41, Barbara Balzer
26 April 1986	32:05, Rick Miller	37:35, Janice Hochstein
1987	29:57, Herb Wills	37:39, Karen MacHarg
1988	31:55, Jessie Close	37:59, Karen MacHarg
1989	31:39, Jessie Close	36:49, Karen MacHarg
1990	31:56, Jessie Close	37:04, Karen MacHarg
1991	31:15, Jessie Close	38:33, Vikki Saga
1992	33:04, Trent Smith	37:48, Vikki Saga
24 April 1993	31:28, Gary Droze	38:24, Vikki Saga
23 April 1994	30:19, Robin Rogers	37:37, Lisa Herman
29 April 1995	31:52, Jessie Close	35:37, Suzanne Rigg
27 Aprl 1996	32:18, Jessie Close	39:37, Carrie Weyant	390
26 April 1997	32:29, Brian Erb	36:40, Sarah Docter-Williams
25 April 1998	31:58, Alan Black	36:07, Sarah Docter-Williams
24 April 1999	32:21, Alan Black	37:14, Sarah Docter-Williams	394
29 April 2000	34:15, Sean Daniels	35:20, Anna Pichrtova	344
28 April 2001	32:05, Paul Spangler	36:22, Sarah Docter-Williams	338
27 April 2002	30:53, Alan Black	39:35, Jane Johnson	384
26 April 2003	31:58, Matt Kalinski	41:53, Julie Carico	299
25 April 2004	33:44, Jessie Close	39:52, Kate Remillard	282
23 April 2005	33:44, Jessie Close	37:08, Sarah Docter-Williams	292
29 April 2006	34:32, Jessie Close	38:38, Barbara Jarnagin	302
28 April 2007	31:21, Alan Black	39:02, Sheryl Rosen	341
26 April 2008	33:10, Malcolm Campbell	37:40, Donna Garcia	320
25 April 2009	32:34, Nathaniel Haskins	41:38, Mary Anne Grayson	354
24 April 2010	32:51, Chris Lake	37:42, Amy Hines	410
23 April 2011	32:46, Chris Lake	38:58, Donna Garcia	490
28 April 2012	32:51, Chris Lake	36:51, Sheryl Rosen	464
27 April 2013	32:52, Will Stanford	37:08, Sheryl Rosen	417
26 April 2014	33:21, Chris Lake	38:58, Amy Hines	463
25 April 2015	32:04, Nathan Haskins	41:32, Beth Sweeny	428
23 April 2016	34:37, Roger Schmidt	38:11, Ani Veltcheva	358
29 April 2017	32:57, Christopher Haynes	40:56, Ann Centner	392
28 April 2018	31:43, Christopher Haynes	38:27, Ann Centner	310
27 April 2019	31:35, Christopher Haynes	36:57, Ann Centner	397
16 April 2022	31:55, Christopher Haynes	43:22, Rachel Nesmith	184

Links

• Complete results of the 2022 Rose City Run 10K
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQd1LPUKFdkbA3Y71x5Mm8-8Hux2cTAujW_4FZxxQT2ibULmYOWl1K3PEVXMg1qUPrUjJLnY2mAEk0f/pubhtml
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! photos of the 2022 Rose City Run 10K
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10119051069870113
  
  
• 2019 story, “31:35 for Chris Haynes and 36:57 for Ann Centner, Rose City 10K champions”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/04/rose-city-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Chris Haynes and Ann Centner repeat at Rose City”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/04/rose-city-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Haynes and Centner gather roses in Thomasville”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/04/rose-city-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Schmidt and Veltcheva bloom at the Rose City Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/04/rose-city-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Warriors of the Roses, Haskins and Sweeny win the Rose City Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/04/rose-city-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Fog and Flowers, Lake and Hines win again at Rose City”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/04/rose-city-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “No stopping to smell the roses for Stanford or Rosen”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/04/rose-city-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Lake and Rosen collect more Rose City titles”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/04/rose-city-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Lake and Garcia go for two at Rose City”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/04/rose-city-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Lake and Hines beat the storm at Rose City”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/04/rose-city-2010.html
  
  
• USATF course certification map GA12003WC for the 2018 Rose City Run 10K
  http://www.usatf.org/events/courses/maps/showMap.asp?courseID=GA12003WC
  
  
• Find the next Rose City Run on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2820

Westover girls and Valdosta boys win at the Yellow Jacket

Cadence Curnalia first raced at Thomas County Central's annual Yellow Jacket Invitational Cross-Country Meet in 2019. That year she won the middle school girls' race. She was back at the Thomasville, Georgia meet in 2020. Once again, Curnalia won the middle school girls' race. The 28th annual Yellow Jacket Invitational was at Thomas County Middle School on Thursday afternoon, 2 September 2021. Curnalia was there, but this time she was a high school frosh at Thomas County Central. No longer eligible to run in the middle school girls' event, Curnalia raced the high school girls' 5K. She won by over a hundred meters, running 23:40. Westover was the top team in the race, putting up a winning 44 points. Valdosta High senior Parker Jackson won the high school boys' 5K in 17:45, leading his squad to first place in the team standings with 33 points.


Emily Asola, a Valdosta High senior, followed Curnalia across the finish line in the girls' 5K, second in 24:05. Westover senior Anna Plowden placed third in 24:11.


In addition to Plowden, sophomore Jada Landers also broke into the top ten for Westover, placing tenth in 26:55. Westover also had scoring performances by sophomore Destiny Love (11th, 27:31), senior Deanna Cunningham (22nd, 30:32), and senior Jayda Clark (31st, 32:25). Those five athletes gave the Albany, Georgia school 44 points and first place in the team standings.


Led by Curnalia's win, Thomas County Central placed second as a team with 55 points. Cook edged Brookwood for third, 64 to 69. Cook's top runner was junior Kylie Downs (5th, 24:53); Brookwood's first finisher was frosh Abby Stalvey (13th, 27:36).


2021 Yellow Jacket XC Invitational Team Standings, High School Girls

1. Westover, 44
2. Thomas County Central, 55
3. Cook, 64
4. Brookwood, 69
5. Seminole County, 103

Top Ten High School Girls, 28th annual Yellow Jacket XC Invitational

1. 23:39.10, Cadence Curnalia (Thomas County Central) 9
2. 24:04.70, Emily Asola (Valdosta) 12
3. 24:10.50, Anna Plowden (Westover) 12
4. 24:37.50, Ella Burnett (Valwood) 10
5. 24:52.30, Kylie Downs (Cook) 11
6. 25:25.50, Rylan Bland (Bainbridge) 11
7. 26:16.70, Gracie Morrical (Baconton Charter) 8
8. 26:28.40, Kendall Haden (Valdosta) 12
9. 26:42.60, Addie Gregory (Cook) 9
10. 26:55.00, Jada Landers (Westover) 10

Parker Jackson's 17:45 put him across the finish line more than half a minute ahead of any other runner in the high school boys' 5K, time enough for the Valdosta senior to slow to a halt, leisurely turn around, and watch the rest of the field finish. The next runner Jackson would have seen would have been Bainbridge senior Landon Watts, the runner-up in 18:17. Crisp County frosh Sawyer McGinnis took third in 19:21.


Jackson turned out to be the vanguard of a Valdosta assault on the top ten. Valdosta's next finisher was senior William Gerber, fifth in 19:36. Following Gerber, the next three Valdosta athletes were junior Burnis Williams (8th, 21:05), senior Hayden Coggins (9th, 21:33), and frosh Patrick Wallace (10th, 21:47). With all five scorers in the top ten, Valdosta racked up 33 points, giving the boys in the gold singlets first place among the nine teams in the Invitational.

Behind the top-ten finish of senior Johnny Artiaga (6th, 20:24), Cook took second with 81 points. That was just a whisker better than the 83 points put up by McGinnis and third-place Crisp County. Host team Thomas County Central was fourth with 91 points, led by junior Bryce Bodiford (4th, 19:27).


2021 Yellow Jacket XC Invitational Team Standings, High School Boys

1. Valdosta, 33
2. Cook, 81
3. Crisp County, 83
4. Thomas County Central, 91
5. Bainbridge, 95
6. Brookwood, 170
7. Pelham, 184
8. Thomasville, 207
9. Grace Christian, 212

Top Ten High School Boys, 28th annual Yellow Jacket XC Invitational

1. 17:44.60, Parker Jackson (Valdosta) 12
2. 18:16.30, Landon Watts (Bainbridge) 12
3. 19:20.40, Sawyer McGinnis (Crisp County) 9
4. 19:26.50, Bryce Bodiford (Thomas County Central) 11
5. 19:35.80, William Gerber (Valdosta) 12
6. 19:49.30, Kent Grayson (Brookwood) 9
7. 20:23.10, Johnny Artiaga (Cook) 12
8. 21:04.30, Burnis Williams (Valdosta) 11
9. 21:32.70, Hayden Coggins (Valdosta) 12
10. 21:46.10, Patrick Wallace (Valdosta) 9

Sandra Esquivel, a ninth-grader at Baconton Charter School, was the first girl in the middle school two mile, running 16:46. Second went to MacIntyre Park sixth-grader Sadie Kate Scarbrough in 19:04. In a homestretch showdown between two eighth-graders, Brookwood's Addison Gamble edged Ava Garrett of Valwood for third, 19:20 to 19:22.


In addition to Scarborough, MacIntyre Park had two other runners in the top ten--sixth-grader Lyla Dunlap (9th, 20:49) and eighth-grader Kyli Alexander (10th, 21:00). MacIntyre Park's remaining two scorers were seventh-graders Caroline Sanders (14th, 21:13) and Lily Brewster (16th, 21:28), giving the Bulldogs 25 points and the team title.


Thomas County, led by eighth-grader Savannah Dodd (7th, 20:08), was second with 40 points. Cook was third with 71 points; their first runner was sixth-grader Perry Kate Freeman, thirteenth in 21:06.


2021 Yellow Jacket XC Invitational Team Standings, Middle School Girls

1. MacIntyre Park, 25
2. Thomas County, 40
3. Cook, 71

Top Ten Middle School Girls, 28th annual Yellow Jacket XC Invitational

1. 16:45.60, Sandra Esquivel (Baconton Charter) 9
2. 19:03.20, Sadie Kate Scarbrough (MacIntyre) 6
3. 19:20.00, Addison Gamble (Brookwood) 8
4. 19:21.80, Ava Garrett (Valwood) 8
5. 19:34.70, Julia Soshnik (Valwood) 7
6. 20:05.70, Teagan Barefoot (Bainbridge) 8
7. 20:08.00, Savannah Dodd (Thomas County Central) 8
8. 20:28.20, Julianne Wynn (Thomas County Central) 6
9. 20:48.20, Lyla Dunlap (MacIntyre) 6
10. 20:59.90, Kyli Alexander (MacIntyre) 8

In the 2020 Yellow Jack Invitational middle school boys' race, Walker Elrod had finished second to Cook's Caden McDaniel. In 2021 Elrod was second to no one. The Grace Christian Academy eighth-grader covered the two-mile course in a winning 13:02, finishing more than 100 meters ahead of the next runner. Valwood eighth-grader Ethan Burnett was second in 13:30 and Crisp County seventh-grader Brendan Young placed third in 13:51.


MacIntyre Park put together a winning score without any runners in the top ten. The Bulldogs scorers were seventh-grader J. C. Wise (12th, 15:30), seventh-grader Joe Lehman (19th, 16:15), eighth-grader Nick May (23rd, 16:43), sixth-grader Finn Henderson (25th, 16:54), and sixth-grader Liam Wise (26th, 16:57). Those five gave MacIntyre Park 96 points and the win.


Cross-town rival Thomas County was a close second with 99 points; the top Yellow Jacket runner was seventh-grader Johnny Bradshaw, thirteenth in 15:33. Cook was third in the field of ten teams, scoring 109 points behind the team-leading performance of eighth-grader Grayson Kennedy, sixth in 14:45.


2021 Yellow Jacket XC Invitational Team Standings, Middle School Boys

1. MacIntyre Park, 96
2. Thomas County, 99
3. Cook, 109
4. Baconton Charter, 118
5. Brookwood, 123
6. Seminole County, 130
7. Bainbridge, 167
8. Grace Christian, 170
9. Whigham, 193
10. Crisp County, 226

Top Ten Middle School Boys, 28th annual Yellow Jacket XC Invitational

1. 13:01.30, Walker Elrod (Grace Christian) 8
2. 13:29.20, Ethan Burnett (Valwood) 8
3. 13:50.90, Brendon Young (Crisp County) 7
4. 14:16.50, Wesley Warren (Brookwood) 7
5. 14:23.10, Anthony Escalante (Baconton Charter) 8
6. 14:44.70, Grayson Kennedy (Cook) 8
7. 14:52.80, Zach King (Seminole County) 8
8. 15:08.60, Corbin Thompson (Bainbridge) 8
9. 15:10.80, Gambler Dollar (Bainbridge) 8
10. 15:21.50, Corbin Suggs (Baconton Charter) 6

Yellow Jacket Cross Country Invitational winners, 2008 - 2021
High School Boys
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
18 October 2008	Tift County, 32 points	16:59, Hunter Honeycutt (Tift County)
17 October 2009
16 October 2010
15 October 2011
20 October 2012
19 October 2013	Maclay, 41	16:13, Chase Harris (Bainbridge) 11
25 October 2014	Thomas County Central, 74	16:25, Wil Luca (Leon) 12
17 October 2015	Leon, 36	15:47, Poncherella Leonard (Bainbridge) 11
15 October 2016	Veterans, 54	17:13, Colby Jones (Lee County) 11
14 October 2017	Veterans, 32	17:04, Brishen House (Lowndes) 12
12 October 2019	Colquitt County, 68	17:21, Stokes Moore (Bainbridge) 12
29 August 2020	Davis, 36	18:16, Briley Reyes (Davis) 11
2 September 2021	Valdosta, 33	17:45, Parker Jackson (Valdosta) 12
High School Girls
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
18 October 2008	Valdosta, 30 points	21:12, JaCourtney Alexander (Cairo)
17 October 2009
16 October 2010
15 October 2011
20 October 2012
19 October 2013	Maclay, 30	19:44, Paige Braswell (Bainbridge) 12
25 October 2014	Berrien County, 47	20:58, Rebekah Smith (Thomasville) 11
17 October 2015	Leon, 44	20:07, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County) 10
15 October 2016	Lee County, 83	17:50, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County) 11
14 October 2017	Valwood, 80	17:45, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County) 12
12 October 2019	Aucilla Christian, 32	21:28, Anna James (Thomas County Central) 11
29 August 2020	Colquitt County, 41	20:06, Anna James (Thomas County Central) 12
2 September 2021	Westover, 44	23:40, Cadence Curnalia (Thomas County Central) 9
Do you have results from the missing years? Please let me know!

Links

• Complete results of Thomas County Central's 2020 Yellow Jacket Cross-Country Invitational
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vS5zC2SSM4RHXOg6eK0YWQnA3Nl9jVLgaS2xQPwq-b0RNaWq3Uh8ZAxVW9L-2eh89GwU4Wqz3rxXzeX/pubhtml
  
  
• 2020 story, “Anna James and Briley Reyes swat the competition at the Yellow Jacket Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/09/yellowjacket-xc-2020.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Funderburk blazes a valedictory 17:44.50 at the Yellow Jacket Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/10/yellowjacket-xc-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Elizabeth Funderburk goes 17:50 in Thomasville at the Yellow Jacket Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/10/yellowjacket-xc-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Poncherella Leonard and Elizabeth Funderburk have wings at Yellow Jacket Invite”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/10/yellowjacket-xc-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Wil Luca, Rebekah Smith finish the season right at Yellow Jacket Cross Country Meet”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/10/yellowjacket-xc-2014.html
  
  
• Can't get an invitation? Find an open race on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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