With its largest turnout in recent history, the annual Labor Day 5-kilometer running race and 600-meter kids’ fun run welcomed 122 registered participants on Monday of last week in Buena Vista, raising funds for the Parry McCluer High School cross country team.
There were 98 registered runners in the 5K, with a large number of Southern Virginia University runners, and 24 kids in the fun run. The morning felt like fall, with the sun out and temperatures in the upper 50s.
Directing the races was Chris Poluikis, who is in his 20th year of coaching the PM cross country team. Also helping out were Poluikis’s current cross country runners, directing runners, and parents of team members volunteered. Both races were flat and started and ended at Camden Field, with the 5K going into downtown Buena Vista, prior to the Labor Day morning parade.
MacKenzye Leroy won the 5K in 17 minutes, 38.61 seconds. Placing second was Laurel Leroy, MacKenzye’s wife, who was the female winner for the third year in a row, finishing in 18:47.98. Formerly Laurel Sheffield, she is a 2014 Rockbridge County High School graduate who ran cross country and track for RC and Division I school Davidson College.
Placing third overall and second among males was Ted Casperson in 19:31.07. Judah Brownstein, a 2001 RC graduate, placed fourth overall and third among males in 19:37.32.
The second female finisher was Kamryn Bradshaw, placing seventh overall in 21:35.06. Placing third among females and ninth overall was Katy Patterson Scott, a 2015 PM graduate, in 22:44.42.
Male age group winners were Xavier Kohl (17 and under, eighth overall in 22:22.24), Quin Meyer (18-29, fifth in 20:42.52), Conrad Patterson (30-39, 10th in 22:44.97), Mark Spaulding (40-49, 15th in 23:04.23) and Eric Sheffield (50 and over, 23rd in 24:45).
Female age group winners were Emery Murdock (17 and under, 22nd in 24:40.88), Kate Howe (18-29, 17th in 23:59.12), Kirsten Barney (30-39, 28th in 26:38.53) and Rebecca Phelps (50 and over, 51st in 29:38.88).
In the kids’ 600-meter fun run, which took place at Camden Field, Hayden Schroeder won in 2:29.16, Kinsley Schroeder placed second in 2:39.39, and Hattie Lowder finished third in 2:44.34. The top boy was Gage Fitzgerald, placing fourth overall in 2:51.1. Charlie Gowdy placed second among boys and seventh overall in 2:59.6, and Elliott Windsor finished third among boys and eighth overall in 3:03.58.
