FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 14, 2008

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgc.edu

SGC’s Jackson finishes third at CRMC 5K

Daquan Jackson had a big day for the South Georgia College cross country club on Saturday, Nov. 8, placing third overall in the annual Coffee Regional Medical Center Miles for Smiles Fall Fitness 5K (3.1-mile) run. Proceeds from the run benefited F.A.T.E. — Facing Autism Together Everyday — a local organization that offers support for families with autistic children.

The race was the second event of the fall for the cross country club, with the first being the Come Smell the Coffee 5K at General Coffee State Park in October. Jackson was unable to attend that event. He made up for it and then some Saturday.

The CRMC race features a faster course, though its 9 a.m. start time sometime makes heat an issue on a warm day. Saturday, the weather was just about perfect for running, and Jackson responded.

The route took runners from the CRMC parking lot west on Highway 32. At Highway 206, runners turned right and climbed the big hill before turning right and descending to West Walker Street. From there, racers battled three rolling hills on Walker before turning right again, this time on Chester Avenue. From there, the course meandered back to CRMC via Gordon Street and Westside Drive.

The race’s overall winner, Irwin County’s Adam Ross, proved to be a little too quick for Jackson. He made several attempts to push the pace to make up ground, but Ross’ 5:39 per mile average kept him safely at the front.

While Jackson didn’t have the legs to catch Ross, he managed to fend off the rest of the male field, including the other six cross country club members. Austin Smith, who almost missed the race due to vehicle trouble, finished second among the SGC group with a time of 21:26. Justin Johnson was right on his heels, finishing in 21:46. After that came Chris Hendley, Andrew Palmer, Stephanie Spurlin and Lou Fedd.

Jackson, Spurlin and Smith each won age group awards. The cross country club’s next event is the annual Christmas Parade 5K on Dec. 6.

CUTLINE: Top row from left: Lou Fedd, Justin Johnson, Chris Hendley, Stephanie Spurlin and Andrew Palmer. Kneeling from left: Austin Smith and Daquan Jackson.

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is a two-year institution in the University System of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty.