Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Linton and O'Neill fleet in the streets of Bainbridge

Under the lengthening shadows of a Bainbridge, Georgia evening, Stanley Linton ran 17:06 to win the fifth annual Memorial Day 5K Night Race on Monday, 30 May 2011. The Wakulla High School distance runner finished over 150 meters ahead of his nearest rival, Stephen Robbins of Cairo, Georgia. Robbins posted a 17:41 for the 3.1-mile course. Greg Waddell was the fastest master in the race, placing seventh overall in 19:17. Paula O'Neill was the first woman as well as the first woman master, crossing the line twelfth overall in 22:02. For the second year in a row, Cora Atkinson was the female runner-up; Atkinson was sixteenth overall in 22:38.

The men's race was dominated by youth, with high school runners taking the top three places: Linton of Wakulla High, Robbins of Brookwood School, and Dewey Reynolds of Bainbridge High. Only half of the top ten were old enough to vote. Linton grabbed the lead in the first mile and held on till the finish. Robbins trailed Reynolds in the early stages of the race, but eventually took over the second position. Left behind, Reynolds held off a late charge by Jasen Fulghum to hang on to third, 18:28 to 18:31.

Tallahassee's Paula O'Neill was not an early leader in the women's competition. 700 meters into the race she was still in fourth place, challenging Lilly Rockwell for third, while Cora Atkinson hung back in fifth. But the race was 5,000 meters long, and the fast starters faded out of contention. O'Neill moved past Rockwell into the lead, then Atkinson passed Rockwell to move into second. O'Neill (22:02) and Atkinson (22:38) grabbed the first two spots, and Rockwell (23:04) the third. Sarah Dugas finished fourth, only a hairbreadth ahead of a surging Julie Harris; both runners were clocked in 23:37.

84 athletes finished the race, a fund-raiser for Bainbridge High School cross country. The event was under new direction this year after four years with Mandi O'Mara at the helm.

Top Ten Men, 2011 Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Race
  1. 17:06 Stanley Linton (M, 17) Crawfordville, FL
  2. 17:43 Stephen Robbins (M, 14) Cairo, GA
  3. 18:28 Dewey Reynolds (M, 17) Bainbridge, GA
  4. 18:31 Jasen Fulghum (M, 27)
  5. 19:11 Richie Hughes (M, 20)
  6. 19:14 Bryan Ordonez (M, 17)
  7. 19:17 Greg Waddell (M, 45)
  8. 19:53 Phillip Wilbourn (M, 31)
  9. 20:32 Caleb Harris (M, 10) Bainbridge, GA
  10. 21:28 Javonte Ross (M, 19)

Top Ten Women, 2011 Bainbridge Memorial Day 5K Night Race
  1. 22:02 Paula O'Neill (F, 49) Tallahassee, FL
  2. 22:38 Cora Atkinson (F, 16) Wakulla, FL
  3. 23:04 Lilly Rockwell (F, 27)
  4. 23:37 Sarah Dugas (F, 32) Tallahassee, FL
  5. 23:37 Julie Harris (F, 45) Bainbridge, GA
  6. 23:43 Lori Westphal (F, 41) Tallahassee, FL
  7. 25:07 Tara Strickland (F, 46)
  8. 25:09 Raychel Gray (F, 16)
  9. 25:37 Gina Crowley (F, 31)
  10. 26:08 Jessica Miranda (F, 13)



  1. Man, you didn't cover my favorite angle - the bathroom angle! I missed Mandy/i being at the helm but it was nice to see this tradition keep on going! And Burger King was very hospitable since no one had arranged for portolets for those of us who had driven from Tallahassee thinking, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!

  2. I also left out the part about the pavement being so hot that pennies that were dropped on the street melted. But those are typical summer conditions; why belabor the obvious?