(Reprinted from Bainbridge Post-Searchlight)
By JOE CRINE, Sports Editor
Ronnie Godwin of Bainbridge sprinted home in a time of 17:36 here Monday to win the 19th annual Memorial Hospital and Manor 5,000-meter, 3.1-mile Memorial Day Run for Health. The female champion of the run, held in misty conditions and in conjunction with a one-mile Fun Run and one-mile Fun Walk, was Julie Clark of Tallahassee. Her time was 20.40.
Godwin and Clark both said they thought the course was great for racing.
“There was one slight hill, but for the most part the course was flat,” Godwin said. “The rain right before the race contributed to cooler and better running conditions, but the humidity was still pretty high.”
Other top finishers in the 5,000-meter event were Mike Sims of Tallahassee, who won the male Masters 40 and over division in a time of 18:17, and Carol Kreis of Chipley, Fla., who won the female Masters 40 and over division in a time of 24:07.
The overall Decatur County male and female 5,000-meter winners were Edward Reynolds in a time of 20:29 and Tina Harrell in a time of 28:22.
J.P. Chesser or Bainbridge and David Baczewski of Tallahassee were first and second in the male 14 and under division and Sara Baczewski of Tallahassee, Fla. won the female 14 and under division.
Chris Hurst of Thomasville took first in the male 15 to 19 division and Charlie Mann of Cairo and Doug Lewis of Tallahassee took the top two spots in the male 20 to 24 division. Coming in first and second in the female 20 to 24 division were Alycia Slyck of Tallahassee and Lauren Henry of Bainbridge.
Susan Shelton of Bainbridge won the female 25 to 29 division. In the 30 to 34 division, Jack Dermott and Henry Desharrs of Tallahassee were one-two among the males and Mary Chason of Cairo and Joy Key of Bainbridge were one-two among the females.
Mike Conder of Bainbridge and Larry Lanics of Albany took the top two spots in the 35 to 39 male division and Tina Greene won the 40 to 44 female division. The 40 to 44 male division saw Chuck Davis of Tallahassee finish first and Tom Fisher of Bainbridge finish second.
Doug Caldwell and Dr. Don Robinson of Bainbridge captured first and second in the 45 to 49 female division and Carl Hobbs of Leary and Larry Workman of Tallahassee, Fla. captured first and second 50 to 54 male division.
Bonnie Berge of Tallahassee was first in the female 50 to 54 division. Two Florida runners, Clint Watkins of Tallahassee and Howard Kessler of Panacea, took the top two spots in the 55 to 59 male division. Joy Smith of Cairo took the 55 to 59 female division and Bill deGrummond of Tallahassee took the 60 and over male division.
In the Fun Run, Levi Adkins and Chase Harris of Bainbridge were one-two in the 6 and under male division, Meredith Conder and Shamyra Anthony were one-two in the female 6 and under division, Marcus King of Brinson and Caleb Adkins of Bainbridge were one-two in the 7 to 10 male division and Starr Eubanks of Bainbridge and Maggie Bridges of Brinson were one-two in the 7 to 10 female division.
Jon Paul Chesser of Bainbridge and James Burke of Colquitt were first and second in the male 11 to 13 Fun Run division. The 11 to 13 female division was won by Jaleesa Willingham of Bainbridge. Chris Hurst of Thomasville won the 14 to 16 male division, Reketa Willingham of Bainbridge and Tiffany Knight of Attapulgus were one, two in the 14 to 16 female division and Travis Grimsley and Ronald Knight of Bainbridge were one-two in the 17 and over male division.
In the Fun Walk, Griffin Reynolds and Hudson Reynolds of Bainbridge took the top two spots in the 12 and under male division, and Laura Robinson and Rosalyn Green of Bainbridge took the top two spots in the 13 to 30 female division.
Completing the Fun Walk winners were Elbert Hurst of Thomasville and Ed King of Brinson, who were one-two in the male over 30 division and Mary Robinson and Lauren Turner of Bainbridge, who were one-two in the female over 30 division.