Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Midnight Run has record turnout

By DAVE THEALL
Published July 12, 2007

There were a lot more races than for first place at the 28th annual Kiwanis Midnight Run in Dunedin last week.

Among a record turnout of 1,752 registered participants - plus a few hundred unregistered "bandits" - were those battling for their highest possible finish.

One such battle occurred in the 5K race between two of the top high school runners in the area. Although there were three runners well ahead of them in the final mile heading toward the finish line, Seminole High's Christian Homme and Calvary Christian School's Joe Cathey were in a battle for fourth place.

After running virtually together through the first 21/2 miles, Cathey eased ahead with only three-fifths of a mile to go. But that lead soon evaporated.

"I decided I wasn't going to let (Cathey) beat me," said Homme, buoyed with confidence after his strong second-place finish at the state Class 3A Cross Country Championship.

Homme retook the lead and held it to the finish line crossing to 17 minutes, 4 seconds, to Cathey's 17:06.

"I feel I can go out hard and hold the pace," Homme said. "I believe in myself."

Part of that confidence also comes from the fact that the Seminole team has been training together diligently each weekday morning getting read for their first meet on Sept. 10 at Taylor Park in Largo.

The Warhawks have a veteran team returning hoping to improve on their second-place finish at the 2005 state meet.

Tony Nicolosi, who led that Seminole team in 2005 and now runs for the University of Tampa, finished second (16:35) in the Midnight Run 5K behind Ron Duncan of Hillsboro, Ky., who clocked 15:43.

Homme's sister, Katie, was one of the seven Seminole High girls at the Midnight Run, an equal number with the boys' turnout. One was Christian Homme's twin brother, Michael.

In the night's closest run, she had to settle for second (20:01) in the 5K to Grace Van de Grift, 14, of Valrico, who posted 19:55.

Both the Seminole girls' and boys' team train under the guidance of coach Bruce Calhoun, the Times' 2006 girls coach of the year.

Kailand Cosgrove, the Times' 2006 girls cross country runner of the year, finished fourth in the 5K in 40:57. She's a junior at Tarpon Springs who captured third at the 2006 state high school cross country championship.

EVENING STARS: Christa Benton's unchallenged sixth straight 10K win (37:43) was one highlight. Another was the first double winner at the Midnight Run, Duncan, age 20. After cooling down from his 5K win, Duncan returned to the starting line and captured the main event 10K in 33:47, a comfortable margin ahead of Ryan McManus of Seminole (34:03).

MILE RACE: The event's opening race produced a battle between two runners 30 years apart in age.

Seminole's Aaron Thomas, the Times 2006 runner of the year, was in a duel with Bobby DeSantis, 47, of Clearwater. Thomas prevailed 4:55 to 5:01.

In the women's mile, Kristi Degraw-Higgins of Seminole won in 6:38 to runnerup Christina Patterson's 6:55. Both are 17.

EVENT CRITIQUE: Co-race director Joe Garrison of the Kiwanis Club of Dunedin said he wasn't surprised that this year's turnout was 201 more than the record of 1,551 set in 2005.

He said with July 4 falling in the middle of week rather than on the weekend helped the turnout. Also, the event now has its own Web site. Plus, the 5K is in its third year and growing in popularity.

"And we've got a good reputation," said Garrison, a CPA. "We were able to register 980 the night of the race without a delay. Those takes a lot of volunteers with smiles on their faces."

Garrison was referring to members of both the Countryside and Dunedin Country Clubs. Henry and George Hardin are the event's other co-directors.

LUTZ INDEPENDENCE DAY 5K: St. Petersburg's Mary Ann Protz, 50, returned to the road race scene after missing nearly two years with a nagging upper leg injury. A consistent 18-minute-range runner, Protz settled for 20:26 at Lutz good for third place in the women's field. Protz was ranked nationally in her age division by Running Times magazine for 2005 after posting 2:48 in the St. George's Marathon in Utah.

WORLD RECORD: Meseret Defar of Ethiopia lowered her 5K track record to 14:16 last month. Michelle Sikes of Wake Forest set the American college record of 15:16 at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento.

COMING UP: Friday is the second of five beach races at Clearwater Beach in the Sunsets at Pier 60 Series. The 5K starts at 7 p.m. preceded by a free mile event for kids at 6:45. The fun run includes ribbons to the first 100 children. Note that the other three dates for the series are July 27, and Aug. 10 and 24. Kevin Lyons of Palm Harbor and Benton, the 2006 winners, also won the opening event June 29.

[Last modified July 11, 2007, 22:02:40]