Epic 5K Challenge big success

Published 8:11 pm Tuesday, October 19, 2010

The Final Five and the Aviators were the champion male and female five runner teams at Saturday’s Epic 5K 5,000 meter, 3.1-mile Challenge to benefit the Dylan Reid Faircloth the First Memorial Cross Country scholarship.

The scholarship is named in honor and memory of a former Bainbridge High School Bearcats cross country runner and 2010 Bainbridge High School graduate who tragically lost his life in an automobile accident.

Special guest for Saturday’s event, coordinated by BHS Bearcats and Lady Cats cross country coach Mandi O’Mara, was former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback and Northside Warner Robins High School Eagles head football coach Stan Gann

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Dylan was a was an organ donor and coach Gann received his heart.

In introducing coach Gann and his wife Sissi, coach O’Mara explained that Dylan, who was known to friends by the nickname “the Greatest Man that Ever was Manly” lives on in coach Gann, whose nickname is “Stan the Man.

Following the remarks, coach O’Mara, Dylan’s mother June Faircloth and many of Dylan’s teammates came up and gave coach Gann and his wife Sissi a big hug.

Members of the male champion Final Five team Saturday were Cole Farrington, Greg Waddell, Joseph Ausgood, Anthony Hall and Cody Heard.

On the female champion Aviators team were Perra Harrell, Caylin Walsingham, Amber Braswell, Brittany Williams and Paige Braswell.

The Aviators Perra Harrell and Paige Braswell were also the first and second female individual finishers in times of 22:34.03 and 23:21.24.

Bryton Wenzel of the Hipsters team and Cole Farrington of the champion Final Five team were first and second individually in the male division in times of 18:41.83 and 19:29.46.

Saturdays’s Epic 5K Challenge was followed by the Southwest Georgia Middle School Championship. The male winner was Dylan Bostick of Baconton Charter School with a time of 12:0215 and the female winner was Tara Bostick, also of Baconton Charter School, with a time of 15:59.78.