Carter Blunt Breaks Texas Distance Festival 5K Record With 14:41!

Mar 27, 2016

The conditions were perfect on Saturday night for racing at the 2016 Texas Distance Festival. Both the guys and girls races didn't disappoint. In the girls race Allison Esparza and Ashton Endsley took the early lead. Pacing the pack through two miles with a group of runners strung out behind them. Inside a mile to go the lead pack had dwindled down to just three runners. With two laps to go Endsley put in a surge pulling away from the other two girls. She came through for the last lap in 16:02 and dropped a 75 sec 400 to finish the race with a 17:17. Maddie Vondra from Fort Worth Arlington Heights placed 2nd running 17:26.

GIRLS 5,000 METER RUN FINALS
PLACE	ATHLETE		TEAM	RESULT	WIND	H#
1	Ashton Endsley	11	Abilene	17:17.90		1
2	Maddie Vondra	11	Fort Worth Arlington Heights	17:26.70		1
3	Catherine Tracht	10	Southlake Carroll	17:32.20		1
4	Gillian Mortimer	11	Southlake Carroll	17:33.00		1
5	Allison Esparza	12	Southlake Carroll	17:34.80		1
6	Lauryn Barrientos	12	Forney	17:43.80

In the guys race Justin Domangue from Alvarado wasted no time getting out hard and taking the lead. Domangue's lead didn't last long though as the rest of the pack began to chase him down within the first two laps. After that Southlakes Connor Rutledge charged to the lead opening up a bit of a gap on the pack. The pack led by David Strome and Reed Brown again reeled Rutledge back in within 4 or 5 laps. With four laps to go all the big dogs had made their way to the front of the pack. This was when Southlakes Reed Brown began to take over the pace-setting. Strome threw in some surges with six and seven laps to go. The moves were matched by Brown, Blunt and Jenks (OK) Matthew Young. Keller's Carter Persyn was also holding on off the back of the pack as crucial last mile approached.

With four to go it was clear this was going to be a four-man race to the finish, between Blunt, Brown, Young and Strome. All four held their own with three to go with Strome and Young even throwing in a few surges to try and pull away. When the final 800m approached it was Carter Blunt who made the move that locked up the win. Knowing that when it came down to a kick Brown would beat him nine times out of ten Blunt went early to secure the win. Brown held on for the first 200m of the move but Blunt began to power away after that. Blunt dropped a 61-second last lap to finish in 14:41.80. Brown finished just behind him running 14:48.70. Matt Young placed 3rd in 14:50.10 and David Strome was 4th running 14:55.50. All four went sub 15, while another whole pack led by Buster Roberts went sub 15:20. The night was full of PR's from the 800m all the why up to the 5K. Blunt broke his own 5K record with his 14:41.

BOYS 5,000 METER RUN FINALS
PLACE	ATHLETE		TEAM	RESULT	WIND	H#
1	Carter Blunt	12	Frisco Independence High School	14:41.80		1
2	Reed Brown	11	Southlake Carroll	14:48.70		1
3	Matthew Young	11	Jenks High School	14:50.10		1
4	David Strome	12	Colleyville Heritage	14:55.50		1
5	Buster Roberts	10	Luling	15:15.90		1
6	Nicholas Fernandes	11	Southlake Carroll	15:17.20		1