Morning's 15:53 and Holloway's 18:47 heat up the roads at the Blazin' Love 5K

With just a few meters between them, Jaison Morning and Gavin Childers flashed over the finish line line of the Blazin' Love 5K in 15:53 and 15:56, the first two runners in the 3.1-mile race on the streets of Valdosta, Georgia. Tyra Holloway was the first woman finisher that Saturday morning, 11 February 2017, placing tenth overall in 18:47. 134 athletes finished the second annual race.


The race was a fundraiser for the Valdosta State University cross-country program, and the race was dominated by Blazer cross-country runners. Both Morning and Childers run for the Blazers, as do third-place finisher Mikey Perona and fourth-place finisher Connor Dalrymple. Perona's time was 16:04 while Dalrymple, the 2016 winner of the race, ran 16:32. In all, six of the top ten finishers were Valdosta State harriers.


The sixth of those was Tyra Holloway, repeating as the top woman in the race. Holloway ran even faster than she did in 2016, lowering the women's record at the Blazin' Love 5K from 19:36 to 18:47. Valdosta State cross-country runner Meghan McShea was second in the women's standings and eleventh overall in 19:06. Elizabeth Smith of Valdosta, Georgia was the third woman and sixteenth overall in 20:42. Valdosta's Anne Price (18th, 21:18) and Coffee County middle school cross-country runner Gracie Woods (19th, 21:31) were fourth and fifth on the women's side.


Hahira, Georgia athlete Wesley Heruska was the first master runner across the finish line and twentieth overall in 21:40. Debbie Green of Valdosta was the top woman master and sixth female finisher, 21st overall in 21:43.


A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta, Georgia timed the second annual Blazin' Love 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2017 Blazin' Love 5K

1. 15:52.2, Jaison Morning (M, 19) Cartersville, GA
2. 15:55.5, Gavin Childers (M, 18) Hoschton, GA
3. 16:03.5, Mikey Perona (M, 20) Woodstock, GA
4. 16:31.8, Connor Dalrymple (M, 20) Stockbridge, GA
5. 17:42.8, Jesse Prince (M, 25) Athens, GA
6. 17:51.8, Casey Claborn (M, 29) Winchester, VA
7. 18:04.5, Andrew Elam (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
8. 18:05.9, Tyler Temples (M, 17) Valdosta, GA
9. 18:41.7, Cameron Watson (M, 14) Douglas, GA
10. 19:35.5, John Lewis (M, 36) Naylor, GA

Top Ten Women, 2017 Blazin' Love Cross Country 5K

1. 18:47.0, Tyra Holloway (F, 20) Kennesaw, GA
2. 19:05.4, Meghan McShea (F, 19) Lisle, IL
3. 20:41.9, Elizabeth Smith (F, 38) Valdosta, GA
4. 21:17.2, Anne Price (F, 35) Valdosta, GA
5. 21:30.3, Gracie Woods (F, 14) Broxton, GA
6. 21:42.9, Debbie Green (F, 50) Valdosta, GA
7. 21:59.2, Jacinda Miller (F, 20) Washington, DC
8. 22:07.7, Laney Tomberlin (F, 19) Valdosta, GA
9. 22:29.1, Brandy Van Jura (F, 37) Hahira, GA
10. 22:38.1, Pollyanna Bass (F, 44) Pavo, GA

Blazin' Love 5K winners, 2016 - 2017
Date	Men	Women	Finishers
13 February 2016	15:39, Connor Dalrymple	19:36, Tyra Holloway	123
11 February 2017	15:53, Jaison Morning	18:47, Tyra Holloway	134

Links

• Complete results of the 2017 Blazin' Love 5K courtesy of A Course/Line, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/118lbFN3L9clVQSpUii7rgqW-xbLVSNykzsfZTV1W6-k/pubhtml
  
  
• 2016 story, “Dalrymple goes 15:39 in Valdosta”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/02/vsu-xc-5k-2016.html
  
  
• Find an upcoming race that supports running on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1883

Dalrymple goes 15:39 in Valdosta

Connor Dalrymple scorched a 15:39 5K in the streets of Valdosta, Georgia, winning the inaugural Valdosta State University Cross Country road race on Saturday morning, 13 February 2016. Dalrymple is a second-year runner on the VSU Blazer cross country squad and an alumnus of the Union Grove High cross country team. Blazer harrier Tyra Holloway assured that there was a hot winning time on the women's side as well, racing the 3.1-mile course in 19:36. 123 athletes finished the first-year event.


First-year Blazer distance runner Jaison Morning finished second behind Dalrymple, running 16:03. Logan Moses took third with a 17:00 effort. Chris Larson of Valdosta was the fastest master runner in the race, placing tenth overall in 18:19.


Elizabeth Smith of Valdosta finished runner-up in the women's standings, coming in 27th overall in 21:34. Valdosta's Debbie Green was the top woman master and third female finisher, 29th overall in 21:46.


If you've been around road racing at all, you've most likely noticed that just about all the events are fundraisers for something or the other. All of these charities are worthy in someone's eyes, so I reserve my irritation for instances where I see a road race raising money for some other sport. Just about everywhere you go the running sports--cross country and track--are chronically underfunded. I coached track at a high school that didn't have a track. Sadly, that's not a unique situation.


So I've never been a fan of races that siphon cash out of running and pump it into some silly game involving a ball. But the VSU XC 5K was staged to collect funds for Blazer cross country program, which seems entirely appropriate. That, I can support. We all should.


A Course/Line, LLC, of Valdosta, Georgia provided finish line and timing services for the 2016 VSU XC 5K.


Top Ten Men, 2016 Valdosta State Cross Country 5K

1. 15:38.6 ~ Connor Dalrymple (M, 19) Valdosta, GA
2. 16:03.0 ~ Jaison Morning (M, 18) Valdosta, GA
3. 16:59.9 ~ Logan Moses (M, 19) Sidney, ME
4. 18:06.0 ~ Dan Butzin (M, 30) Valdosta, GA
5. 18:12.7 ~ Jesse Prince (M, 24) Valdosta, GA
6. 18:14.9 ~ David Jones (M, 20) Valdosta, GA
7. 18:16.4 ~ Brian Rohrbach (M, 39) Valdosta, GA
8. 18:17.3 ~ Nick Rosatti (M, 19) Hahira, GA
9. 18:17.8 ~ Colin Prinsloo (M, 29) Hahira, GA
10. 18:18.9 ~ Chris Larson (M, 42) Valdosta, GA

Top Ten Women, 2016 Valdosta State Cross Country 5K

1. 19:35.6 ~ Tyra Holloway (F, 19) Kennesaw, GA
2. 21:33.7 ~ Elizabeth Smith (F, 37) Valdosta, GA
3. 21:45.8 ~ Debbie Green (F, 49) Valdosta, GA
4. 22:13.1 ~ Amber Elam (F, 26) Montgomery, AL
5. 22:26.3 ~ Danielle Jarnagin (F, 22) Lilburn, GA
6. 22:35.4 ~ Lauren Bewley (F, 34) Valdosta, GA
7. 23:14.1 ~ Katie Lancaster (F, 13) Valdosta, GA
8. 23:38.0 ~ Jordanne Cary (F, 26) Milledgeville, GA
9. 23:50.8 ~ Martha Mazurkiewicz (F, 48) Valdosta, GA
10. 24:30.1 ~ Pollyanna Bass (F, 43) Pavo, GA

Links

• Complete results of the 2016 Valdosta State Cross Country 5K courtesy of A Course/Line, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19uw0HrO8OcBKcJFyxg99v_fAsBweKjcVsnCb8QF4gKo/pubhtml
  
  
• Find an upcoming race that supports running on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1616