Emma Griffin, correspondent
Richmond Hill High School's marching band hosted its second annual 5K race in J.F. Gregory Park on Saturday. Helping raise money for the Wildcat Band, runners gathered under the pavilion, along with tents selling RHHS Wildcat merchandise. At 8:00 a.m., the runners took off along the 3.1-mile-long trail as the band played to kick off the race and cheer on the participants.
The first place runner, Angel Valentin, took just seventeen minutes and fifty-three seconds to cross the finish line. The male second place runner, Trevor Kuchar finished with a time of nineteen minutes and twenty-three seconds, while the male third place runner, Lukas Nicoloff, finished in nineteen minutes and thirty seconds.
The overall female first place runner, Megan Choma, finished with a time of twenty-one minutes and fifty-one seconds. The female second place runner, Macey Higgason, finished in twenty-two minutes and forty seconds, and the female third place runner, Kaley Hunter, finished with twenty-three minutes and forty-seven seconds.
The winners also included those in the 5K Masters Division, designated for runners aged 40 and older. The male first place runner in the Masters Division, Daniel Mertig, finished with a time of nineteen minutes and forty-two seconds. The male second place runner, Rusty Higgason, finished in twenty minutes and fourteen seconds, and the male third place runner, Joshua Patterson, finished in twenty-one minutes and thirty-two seconds.
The female first place runner in the Masters Division, Kerry Dulina, finished with a time of twenty-three minutes and fifty-nine seconds. The female second place runner, Denisse Torres, finished in twenty-four minutes, and the female third place runner, Amy Torre, finished in twenty-six minutes and fourteen seconds.
The winners can visit Game Changers Running Company on Ford Avenue to collect their prizes. Every runner received a medal for completion and was able to see their time on a list posted near the finish line. The money raised will help fund the Wildcat Band’s operations and ensure the students continue to provide an important musical presence in the community.
