ORANGE PARK - Two north Florida road running stalwarts did their magic in the Florida Striders Memorial Day 5K run held Monday at the Orange Park Town Hall with Chris McCaffrey and Heather Henning taking the male and female titles in homestretch surges. The race was part of the 1st Place Sports Grand Prix Series.
McCaffrey, 38, had a shoulder to shoulder battle with former Fleming Island High athlete Luke Klingenberg, 24, as the duo made the final right turn for the last three quarter mile stretch of the race that stretched through the Plainfield Avenue section of Orange Park and finished next to the Orange Park Fire Department.

Mccaffrey took command after that final turn, built about a 10 yard lead on Klingenberg, then held off the final surge by Klingenberg to take the win in 16:23 with Klingenberg six seconds back. Aaron Ches, 14, was third in 17:20.
In the girls race, Henning, 38, also a multiple title winner in the north Florida area, kept a 15 second lead on Episcopal standout Katherine Brice, just 15, to win her title in 18:06 with Brice just 15 seconds off the pace and another Episcopal standout, freshman Stella Krueger, also 15, in third at 18:20.


In the masters division, a welcomed return with a win came to former Clay High state champion and former Fleming Island High cross country coach Karen Moritz, 41, who won in 19:07. Bjorn Anderson, 45, won the mens masters race in 18:09.
Age Group female winners in the race were Noa Pope (10-Under), Kate Staten (11-13), Eve Schlotthauer (14-19), Miah Lee (20-24), Liv Ade (25-29), Carolyne Stevens (30-34), Belissa Del Valle (35-39), Allison Bovee (40-44), Michelle Krueger (45-49), Stacie Stemm (50-54) Sabina Minney (55-59), Karen Prewitt (60-64), Kathleen Kaye (65-60), Leslie Hague (70-74), Susan Branley (75-79) and Beverly Welch (80-over).


For the males, age group winners were Luke Perry (10-Under), Alex Chen (11-13), Graham Myers (14-19), Keith Davis (20-24), Ryan Rabalais (25-29), Matthew Stevens (30-34), Alexander Kean (35-39), Kyle Davis (40-44), Scott Tyler (45-49), Gary Myers (50-54), Peter Kotchen (55-59), Mark Grubb (60-64), David Farraday (65-69), Bill Phillips (70-74), Bruce Holmes (75-79) and Tom Graham (80-over).