YMCA Firecracker 5K Run/Walk
Linn Creek, Missouri
June 23, 2012

 

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(There are some very slight differences between the above and below photos.)

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Our two most enthusiastic spectators on the course, Keegan and Trevor Dowdney,
cheering on one of the runners far in the back of the pack.

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The incredibly fabulous Debi White.

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Casey O'Connor suffers perhaps his first defeat ever at a local 5K.
Here, he's breathing down the neck of overall male winner, Tyler Henson,
with a little more than a mile to go. Tyler and his family are from Iowa, and
are visiting the Lake of the Ozarks.

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Andy Goessmann slows down to high-five Aidan Dowdney, who was having a very tough day.
(Thanks, Andy.  It helped.)

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Nigher Alfaro, who finished fourth today.  It's been a long time since Nigher's finished fourth or lower at a local 5K, if ever.

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Rodney Wright.  No, he wasn't singing "Red Solo Cup" as this photo was taken.

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Brian Webb, Faith Scheidemantle (overall female winner) and Jason Self.
As one, unnamed, somewhat wise old man says, "If you have the energy to smile during a race,
you're not working hard enough".

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The running duo of Scott Page (left) and Rob Kucsik.  They're inseparable, running
and finishing together at nearly every race.  Scott managed to stay clean, unlike last weekend.

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Harold Selby, from Pacific, Missouri (west of St. Louis).
Do we really need more fast runners in the male 50-59 age group at our local races?  Just sayin'.

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Richard Curnutt.  I don't recall seeing Richard before.  It's always great to see new faces at our events.

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Andrea Anderson.  I'm surprised Andrea didn't wade through the creek, after having so much fun doing so last week.

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Paula O'Connor.  Paula nearly killed me when I--erroneously--reached for the "Female 50-59" age-group sheet at registration.  Oops!

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Dennis Michaelree (left) and Ryan Anderson. Dennis won the 60 and over age group. If you're over 60
and can still beat a 15 year-old, you're doing pretty darn well.

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Jessica Johnson

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Laura Davis (left) and Tammara Vitelli. Laura's been having some plantar fasciitis problems, and took it easy today,
finishing in a very slow (for Laura) 32:58.   Tammara is remarkable. A mother of seven--including a recent newborn--
she still ran the 5K in 26:25.

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Michael Vitelli (red shirt), followed closely by Zoe Page.

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Lake-area optometrist Dr. Brian Eveland (left) and son, Luke.

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Lawson Barclay.  Watch for old kids, too.

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Curtis Wehmeyer. (Sorry, Curtis, about the blurry photo. Auto-focusing doesn't work well on a nearby, moving object.)

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Mary Botta (left) and Logan West. Logan was our final finisher, but deserves congratulations
for hanging in there and reaching the finish line despite the pain.

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Scott Leffingwell, race director and the YMCA's associate executive director, with
overall female winner Faith Scheidemantle.

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Tyler Henson, overall male winner, with Scott Leffingwell.

 
Faith Scheidemantle, overall female winner, had a great
freshman season on the Camdenton cross country team last year.

 
Tyler Henson, overall male winner, is a 16 year-old high school cross country runner in Iowa.
Beating a college runner like Casey O'Connor gives Tyler instant street cred at the Lake.