Tiger Sharks race to first place finishes
Hosting a six-team cross country meet on Wednesday, October 5, Port St. Joe boys and girls teams raced to first place finishes in a contest that resulted in numerous personal best times.
In boys action, Tiger Shark Dylan Davis crossed the line in a time of 20:29 to finish fifth overall, followed by teammate Nathan Lipford (21:10).
Jackson Touchston (23:09), Gunner Deal (24:08), and Britt White (24:12) ensured the gold for St. Joe, with Russell Dunn only two seconds behind White.
Deal and White both ran personal bests in the win, as did Dane Fosshage (25:54). The Sharks completed the race with 39 points to edge Wewa by only two points.
Wewa’s Aiden Evans won the boys race in a time of 18:42, with Franklin County’s Josiah Friddle close behind in 18:49, but since only one other Seahawk competed, Evans’ Gator teammate David Rich took the runner-up spot with his time of 19:52.
Both Friddle and his teammate Levi Priddy (28:14) set personal records for Franklin County.
A total of 11 Gators ran the race, with Kaden Brooks (21:42), Calvin Carpender (24:58), and Jaxon Sweat (25:21) finishing among the top 5 Wewa runners.
Davy Gray (25:23), Damden Winden (27:41), Conner Roberts (28:59), Spencer Tucker (29:07), Eli Evans (29:13), and Bryce Ethridge (29:24) also laced up and ran for the Gators.
Sweat and Gray ran their personal bests at the meet.
Port St. Joe girls had an easier time in their contest, sprinting past runner-up Franklin County 21-59.
RJ Gerlach won top honors with a 23:58, with Molly Partin on her heels in a personal best time of 23:59.
Katie Trochessett also ran a personal best time of 24:30, with Kate Patrick (25:46) and Hannah DaCosta (26:31) completing the scoring for the Sharks. DaCosta’s time was also a personal best for her.
Ava Petersen (27:09), Arlena Gleichner (28:01), Libby White (28:35), Farrah Spring (28:50), Rebekuh Dunn (personal best time of 30:04), Madelyn Shoaf (33:44.3), and Kaylee Schweikert (33:44.4) also ran for St. Joe.
Franklin County’s Addyson Paul (24:04) and Isabella Polous (24:22), finishing third and fourth, both established personal records, as did Seahawk Baileigh Dasher (33:37).
Rebecca Mahon (42:10) and Andrea Cruz (42:16) rounded out the other Seahawk runners.
Even though she was the lone Wewa competitor, Gator Cameron Easter set her own personal best time of 32:21.
St. Joe coach Keion McNair noted that he was proud of both teams, and that “it was nice to run in front of the home crowd.”
“I was pleased with everyone who came out and supported us,” he said. “We continue to get better (and) to run fast when it counts,” as the runners prepared for the pre-district meet in Blountstown on
Wednesday, October 12.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.