RUNNING TO VICTORY: Mississippians finish first in annual 10K, 5K spring runs

Published 6:06 am Sunday, April 24, 2016

Another Double Decker Spring Run came and went Saturday with a pair of Mississippians claiming the overall titles.

Madison’s Chad Berry won the 10K race in a time of 35 minutes, 6.3 seconds while Joseph Chebet of Itta Bena finished with a time of 15:31.1 to win the 5K run. Berry, 28, averaged 5:39 per mile with the 24-year-old Chebet blazing a pace of 5 minutes even.

Berry and Oxford’s Todd Griffith led the field in the 10K from the start with Griffith, who also ran in the 25-29 age group, finishing runner-up with a time of 36:10.3. Charlie Dawson, 40, of Oxford claimed second place in the 5K with a time of 17:57.8. Rounding out the top 3 finishers in each race were Oxford’s Weston Liefer (36:58.9) in the 10K run and Brent Gobbell of Oxford (18:53.7) in the 5K.

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The top female times also came from a pair of locals. Oxford’s Erin Ball, 36, finished the 10K in 43:21.6 while 26-year-old Morgan Winkel, also of Oxford, was the top finisher in the 5K, running a time of 19:33.

Oxford’s Van Berry was the top finisher in the 20-24 age group in the 10K with a time of 37:58.7. Stephen Whatley of Batesville topped the 30-34 age group with a time of 39:01.7 while Drew Meisenheimer of Germantown, Tennessee (35-39; 39:55.5), Oxford’s Marvin King (40-44; 42:08.1), Belden’s Esther Sanders (45-49; 46:50.1), Jackson’s John Noblin (50-54; 42:28.8), Germantown’s Charles Hurst (55-59; 50:45.1) and Oxford’s Richard Raspet (60-98; 41:01.1) turned in the best times in their respective age groups.

Other age-group winners in the 5K were Oxford’s Rowan Thompson (1-9; 22:39.9), Oxford’s Sam Shelton (10-14, 20:21), West Point’s Michael Pyles (25-29; 19:30.2), Oxford’s Jacob Jordan (30-34; 19:43.9), Pope’s Adam Berryhill (35-39; 19:51.5), Oxford’s Rick Kagey (45-49; 22:45.3), Batesville’s Jeff Magee (50-54; 24:51.7), Oxford’s Paula Smith Akers (55-59; 26:58.8) and Larry Tidwell of Batesville (60-98; 25:05.1).