South Jones teacher, student claim Band of Braves 5K Run titles

By Don Hill, photo@laurelleadercall.com

— ELLISVILLE — Will Garrett just wanted to help out the band by participating in the Fifth Annual South Jones Band of Braves 5K run.
“I love supporting the band, anything about the band,” Garrett said.
Garrett, a student teacher for South Jones band director Artie Adams, also ran the steeple chase for the Southern Miss track program last semester. The music education major said he hasn’t run a road race in a long time, but Saturday he took first place with a time of 17:32, twenty seconds ahead of Leonard Vergunst, who was second overall but won the Masters division.
“It was excellent weather,” Garrett said. “It was a nice, flat course, but that last hill snuck up on me.”
South Jones junior Amy Benoit was the overall female winner, taking 12th place overall with a time of 21:38.
The Masters’ female winner was Audrey Jackson as Phillip Wedgeworth was the grandmasters champ and Vicki Copeland was the female grandmasters winner.
“The race went great this year, we had a lot of good comments,” said race director and band booster vice-president Marianne Robertson. “We give all the racers opportunity to give us feedback so we can make it a better race next year.”
The money raised for the race will go to new band uniforms at a cost of about $40,000 for about 100 band members.
The youngest runner of the race was 11-year-old Robert Mozingo, winning the 12-and-under division. Anthony Stricker, 13, made a very impressive showing by coming in fourth place overall and capturing the 13-18 age group with a time of 19:48.
James Blansett won the 19-24 age group with a time of 25:46, Kelton Turner had a time of 21:57 to take the 25-29s; Jim Coll was third overall and won the 30-34 age group with a time of 18:44.
Andrew Maxwell won the 35-29 groups, Richie Sumrall, fifth overall, won the 40-44 group, Keith Barrett, seventh overall, won the 45-49 group, Dwight Hollingsworth won the 50-54 group, Steve Ulery won the 55-59 group and Jerry Mayeux won the 60-64 group.
Among the other female runners, Kayla Stricker won the 12-under runners, Shelly Ingwerson won the 19-24 age group, Dawn Smith won the 30-34 group, Pattie Welch took first place in the 35-39 group, Donna Sumrall was first in the 45-49 group and Nancy Phillips won the 50-over group.