Champions of Wellness 5K a big success
By Mike Berger
CHS students and race participants pose with their t-shirts. (Charlie Smith photo)
On a chilly Sunday morning before Thanksgiving, approximately 240 runners and walkers of all ages came together at Memorial Field for the first ever Champions of Wellness 5K road race.
A mix of students, staff, administrators and local residents combined to raise a little more than $5,000 from the event, with the proceeds going to student wellness and mental health initiatives as well as staff training and student scholarships.
Canton was one of the first high schools in the area to hold an event under the sponsorship of KyleCares, an initiative of the Kyle Johnson Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting honest communication about the mental health challenges experienced by teens. According to the program’s mission statement, the ultimate aim of KyleCares is to “eliminate student self-harm and suicide by creating school environments where students and their caregivers have the confidence and support to seek help without shame or hesitation.”
This year’s inaugural race was organized by the CHS Student Wellness Advisory Group (SWAG) under the leadership of seniors Leah Factor and Kaitlin Bigham. Both students had set an initial goal of 200 participants and were pleased that the final turnout exceeded expectations.
The students were assisted by CPS Wellness Coordinator Adam Hughes, CHS Principal Jeff Sperling, and CHS Assistant Principal Dr. Nick Fitzgerald. Superintendent Derek Folan also lent his support and participated as a runner.
Besides KyleCares, other key race sponsors included Donahue Real Estate Co., Mayer Realty Group, C.F. McCarthy’s, and M & M Driving School.
Hughes attributed the success of the event to the 30 students of SWAG, who began planning the race after the close of the 2022-23 school year.
The 5K course began at Memorial Field and continued on to Washington Street, then to Sherman, Beaumont and Chapman streets, and back on to Washington Street before finishing at CHS.
Finishing comfortably in first was Canton’s John Ealy, who completed the 3.1-mile course in 16:57 — more than two full minutes ahead of runner-up Luke Darling, a CHS senior on the top runner on the boys cross country team.
After the race, Ealy ran back to meet up with his son, 9-year-old John Jr., who placed 41st overall and second in the 14-and-under age group behind 13-year-old Luke Erickson (21:58).
Rounding out the top 10 in the 5K race behind Ealy and Darling were Jack Hernon (19:20), Mike Zani (19:46), Parker Allen (19:53), Patrick Burns (19:53.2), Riley Swearingen (19:56), Ben Weaver (19:57), Dominic Gray (21:14), and Brian Flynn (21:19).
The first woman finisher was Meredith Flynn, who placed 11th overall in 21:22, followed immediately by Andrea Widberg in 12th place (21:29). Four seconds after Widberg, Brian Gotsell, head coach of the Bulldog cross country program, crossed the finish line to place 13th overall.
In addition to the 5K race, last month’s event also featured a kids’ fun run on the CHS track, with Hansen fifth grader Rory Flynn claiming the top spot. To view more race results, go to my.racewire.com/results/37696.
Organizers hope that Champions of Wellness becomes a new town tradition, with the race serving as the unofficial kick-off to CHS Spirit Week and setting the stage for the annual Canton-Stoughton Thanksgiving Day football game.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=120375
Posted by Mike Berger
on Dec 8 2023. Filed under High School, Sports.
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