A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
More than 300 runners participated in the Sawdust 5K in Cloquet on the Fourth of July.
Sawdust race director Sam Jacobson works the mic at the race last week. This is the last year that Jacobson and wife Julie will run the race.
Fast times were recorded by men's and women's race winners Matt Welch and Sarah Wills, who also won the 1-mile race downtown.
Impressive weather and equally impressive showings made for a great morning on July Fourth as the Sawdust 5K run/walk was held again in the Pinehurst Park area of Cloquet.
"It was an awesome day and the weather couldn't have been better," said Sam Jacobson, who is co-race director along with his wife, Julie. "It was a little humid, but times were fast and we had good numbers."
More than 300 runners participated July 4, but the most impressive run was turned in by former Proctor and University of Minnesota runner Matt Welch. Welch, who has run in the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials and is a former Minnesota State Cross Country champion, turned in a time of 15 minutes, 41 seconds for top honors in the men's open division and best overall time. The 29-year-old also won the 16-29 men's age group.
"Matt was so fast that some of the volunteers on bikes, who lead the runners around the course, struggled to stay ahead of him on the uphills," Sam Jacobson said.
Sarah Wills, 26, won the women's open division and 16-29 age group in a time of 18:19, which was 1 minute, 36 seconds faster than runner-up Emaleigh Olesiak, who just graduated from Cromwell-Wright this spring.
The U-16 race in the boys division was also scintillating, as Evan Rothamel won in a time of 19:22, just 2 seconds faster than runner-up Aiden Korby, and 17 seconds faster than Tyber Augustine. All three of those runners are just 15 years old.
Josh Cerra was the winner of the men's 30-39 age group. Duluth's Louis St. George squeaked by Cloquet alum Daniel Lundquist in the 40-49 age group. Barry Fischer easily won the 50-59 age division and the 60-plus age group winner was Bill Mills, who was 7 seconds faster than Bill Helwig.
While Wills won the women's open division, there were also some other fine performances as 14-year-old Gillian Moser easily won the girls U16 division in a time of 20:34. Anne Hyopponen was the 30-39 age group winner. The 40-49 age group was a close one between Amy Hinnenkamp and Amber Kantonen as the two 48-year-olds battled with Hinnenkamp eventually hanging on for a 25-second win.
Sara Zimmer was the 50-59 age group winner and the 60-plus age group champion was Elizabeth Baltich in 30:31.
"Not only did we have a large field of runners, but we also had a lot of runners who did the Jimmer Challenge," Jacobson said.
In the Jimmer Challenge runners go out and run the 5k race and then turn around and run the course in reverse in honor of legendary local runner Jim Hagerl.
"It was just an awesome atmosphere and a great day of running," Jacobson said.
Following the Sawdust 5K, runners could also participate in the LaVonna Prevost 1-mile race in downtown Cloquet prior to the annual parade. Many, including Welch, participated.
"There is no actual chip timing or official results," Jacobson said. "It is a way to honor a great person in LaVonna who was well known in local running/walking circles."
This will also mark the last year that Sam and Julie Jacobson will co-chair the race, three years after they took over from race founders Jeff and Alyson Leno. Future races will be in good hands as LaVonna's children - Andy Prevost and Kristi Vork - have stepped up to take over as race directors/organizers. It's not an easy task.
"We've had a lot of local businesses who help put this race on and a lot of volunteers," Jacobson said. "We've really enjoyed our three years, but we are not going away. We'll still be around to help out, but just in a different capacity."
