The Pine Belt Pacers Relay took place on Saturday May 20 in the USM Track and Field Complex under sunny skies and nice weather conditions. Six teams came to the event to race each other. It was a nice mixture of competitors. There were two teams of veterans, the "Pacer Ponies" and the "2 Fast 2 Last" runners with age averages of 70 years; and a team of young good-looking ladies, the "Fast Women: Good Times" (Aka the Charlie’s Angels). The fast and strong "Wounded Eagles" were also present. The "Ubiquitous U Coach" sprinters and the gold-hearted "Shorties" represented the new generations of runners and completed the set of teams.

The first event was the 1500-meter run. The Wounded Eagles headed by Richard Begin took first, second, and fourth place and built and early and solid lead in the general classification. The 2 Fast to Last runners followed in second position.

Then it was time for the Softball Throw. There, Stephen Stetelman from the U-Coach team easily won the event with a 61.9 m throw followed by Pacer Pony Keith Hilpp, and Wounded Eagle Stephen Erath. After the event, the Eagles kept the first place followed now by the Pacer Ponies. The 2-Fast-2-Lasters and the U-Coach youths were close behind.

The Ubiquitous U Coach team won the third race, the 4x400 relay. The Pacer Ponies came in second and the Shorties finished strong in third. The classification showed the Wounded Eagle still in the lead but now with the Ponies and the U-Coachers getting very close, the 2-Fat-2-Lasters felling behind followed by the Shorties and the Fast Women and Charlie close to the ambulance car in the back.

Then it came the Bops’ Kids 1-mile Fun Race. The new production of Pine Belt Pacers was present. There we had the Hilpps, Anzolas, Jacksons, Mitchells, Garcias, Dunbars, Guerras, and Nyarys competing. At the end, 9-year old Ariane Mitchell won the race followed by all the other happy kids. Everyone had a great time, got a trophy and ice cream treat from Bops. You could see all the kids proud of winning a trophy. Good for them!

The relay team competition was back with the 800-meter race walk. The 2-Fast-2-Lasters and the Shorties got most of the points in the event and shortened the distance to the leader teams in the overall competition. Nestor Raul Anzola won the race followed by Micah Griffin and Keith Barrett. After this event the team competition was very tight.

The fifth event was the 800-meter Steeplechase. The Wounded Eagles woke up and won a lot of points by placing first and third with Richard Begin and Stephen Erath. Pacer Pony Richie Sumrall was second in the run followed by U-Coach Amber Griffis, 2-fast-2-Laster John Oliveri, and Fast Woman Audrey Jackson. Then it was the turn for the Standing Broad Jump in which Andrew Jackson showed his leaping expertise winning the event with an impressive 30-meter jump (don’t worry for the 30-meter distance Charlie, there is not official record J

You could not believe this but after six events the overall standings were very tight, and every team but the Charlie’s Angels were still in the battle to become the general winner of the Second Annual Pine Belt Pacers Relay. Before the final event, the 4x400 Relay, this was the classification: First, the Wounded Eagles (48); second, the 2-Fast-2-Last team (46); third, the Pacer Ponies (45); fourth the Ubiquitous U Coach (44); fifth, the Shorties (42), and sixth, the Fast Women: Good Times and Charlie with 25 points.

Then everything came to the final race. The U-Coach youths took the lead and won the event in 4:20, eight seconds ahead of the Wounded Eagles. The 2-Fast-2-Lasters came in far behind in third position. The Shorties finished fourth followed by the Fast Women and the Pacer Ponies. Adding the points from the 4x400 relay, the final standings were as follows:

First Place, Wounded Eagles, 56 points

Second Place: Ubiquitous U-Coach, 54 points

Third Place: 2 Fast 2 Last, 52 points

Fourth Place: Pacer Ponies, 48 points

Fifth Place: Shorties, 47 points

Six Place: Fast Women: Good Times, 29 points