ORANGE PARK - Luke Klingenberg must have had a good premonition on Friday when he asked Clay Today Sports Editor Randy Lefko if he would be at the Run to the Sun 5K on Saturday, the next day. The Florida Striders staged event is a fundraiser for the elementary school Run/Walk clubs with the One mile fun run dedicated to the top milers in Clay County elementary schools.
Klingenberg, 24, a Fleming Island High athlete in his day, now a lifeguard at Barco Newton YMCA, smashed the field by more than minute with his 16 minute, 24 second trek down River Road from the BestBest of Orange Park start point.
In second behind Klingenberg, Logan Haley, 15, had a good run to preview his upcoming high school districts with his 17:12 finish just steps ahenad of Luke McRae, 29, third in 17:13.
In the women's race, Episcopal High School track standout of Stella Krueger, 17, and a recent 5:04 district miler going to her region meet, got a little more company with her ride with her 18:45 winning time just eight seconds ahead of Michelle Mccreary, 41, with Ranoin Holiday, 18, just a few steps behind Mccreary in third at 19:39 in one of the closest womens races in recent history.
With their district track championship meet scheduled for Tuesday, April 22, the Fleming Island High School track boys and girls made their races a tempo run, but got a solid look at past and present runners with Sydney Fallin, 19 and Allie Knotts, 19, both finished on top of the 14-19 age group at 21:14 followed by Fleming Island's top distance runner this season, Brooke Reynolds, 17, who was thir in 21:14 as well.
The remaining finishers was a listing of the Fleming Island girls team with Even Schlottauer, Madison Moore, Karissa Lou and Karissa Lou leading a strong Golden Eagle contingency across the finish line.
In the boys 14-19, Fleming Island senior Jacob Campbell led his own cadre of Golden Eagles runners with Campbell, Jacob Sanders and Marcos Serrano all in at 18:19 for a 1-2-3 age group finish followed by Andrew Boyer, Ryder Muyres and Jack Loehr in the top seven under 20 minutes.
In masters, Michelle Krueger, 49, and Stella Krueger's mom, won the female awart in 20:19, with Gary Myers, 52, winning for the men in 17:43 in fourth overall.