Good turnout for annual Lakeside run

Last Saturday, July 21, saw the running of the Lakeside 5k at Franklin County High School and the Brookville Lake Dam.

Men, women and youths of all ages took part in the five kilometer event, and 138 people, overall, finished the race.

A cool start to the day led to an 86 degree afternoon that could not have been better for the race.

“It’s hard to believe that it is already over, but things that I worry about like weather and the turnout ended up in our favor,” said event organizer and FCHS cross country coach Jeff Mersmann.

Proceeds from the event went to help the FCHS cross country team.

2012 FCHS graduate Alan Apsley won the men’s division with a time of 17:08, while 2011 graduate Heather Quinlan won the women’s side for the second consecutive year with a time of 20:23.

Apsley finished second in the Lakeside 5k last year.

Both competitors participated in cross country and track during their high school careers.

Quinlan just finished her first year at Anderson University where she has continued to compete in both sports.

“It is a small testimony to the program we’ve developed over the last six years,” said Mersmann. “It is so unique to see the two run winners from the same school.”

The Lakeside 5k is part of Stuart Road Racing, and is the second event in the Southeastern Indiana Racing Circuit, which consists of five total races.

The first was the Trojan Trot 5k on July 14 in St. Leon. The next event, the Indian Run 5k, will be held this Saturday, July 28, in Milan.

The Knight Flight 5k is the fourth event and will be held on August 4 in Aurora. Batesville will be the site of the final race on August 11 with the Bulldog Chase 5k.

“The SIRC-IT series is growing every year, and I’m very happy to be a part of it,” said Mersmann. “Plans are in the works for an even better race next year.”