117 race to support "United is the MSU Way"

Contact: Jim Laird

Eleven-year-old Kate Mattox of Starkville was the female overall winner in the "United is the MSU Way" 5K race with a time of 21:24. The Oct. 16 fundraising event for Mississippi State's United Way campaign saw 117 runners and walkers participate in the 3.1-mile event.
Eleven-year-old Kate Mattox of Starkville was the female overall winner in the "United is the MSU Way" 5K race with a time of 21:24. The Oct. 16 fundraising event for Mississippi State's United Way campaign saw 117 runners and walkers participate in the 3.1-mile event.

STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State University hosted 117 runners and walkers recently for the "United is the MSU Way" 5K run/walk, a popular fundraiser for the land-grant institution's United Way campaign. Held on a picture perfect autumn Saturday, this year's race took participants over the university's rolling hills on tree-lined roadways by landmark buildings and new construction projects.

Organizers were pleased with the turnout and have plans to build on that success next year.

"We had a great morning," said race director Brandy Akers, senior accountant for the university's High Performance Computing Collaboratory. "Perfect weather, a beautiful course, and a team of dedicated volunteers set the stage for an awesome event."

Joseph MacGown was the first runner to cross the finish line in front of McArthur Hall with a winning time of 17:34, while Kate Mattox was the female overall winner with a time of 21:24.

Male age-division winners were 15 and under: Ethan Musser, 19:34; 16-22: James Wright, 19:34; 23-29: Brent Wallace, 21:06; 30-39: Kent Marett, 19:55; 40-49: Joe MacGown, 18:41; 50-59: Sule Alli, 20:59; and 60-plus: Graham Wells, 39:03.

Female age-division winners were 15 and under: Lake Little, 28:04; 16-22: Neshay Vickers, 26:35; 23-29: Ann Leed, 26:13; 30-39: Misty Hunt, 26:38; 40-49: Gabby Davis, 26:48; and 50-59: Susie Stewart, 30:49.

Sonya Anderson, 42:33, and John Brown, 43:54, were the overall winners in the walking division. Four-year-old Mabel Oswalt was the youngest competitor, and she finished the 3.1-mile course with a time of 50:01.

Human Resources Management and the Division of Budget and Planning at Mississippi State sponsored the race with additional support from Walmart, Northeast Mississippi Coca-Cola Bottling Company Inc., University Police Department, MSU Facilities Management, MSU Amateur Radio Club, and the MSU Alumni Association.

Volunteers for the 5K included MSU staff members Meg Arnold, Robert Cadenhead, Faye Channel, Leslie Corey, Terri Johnson, Pam Kilby, Kelly Kolb, Shirunda Miles, Juli Rester and Cindy Wall.

Photos from the race are online at http://www.facebook.com/MSUUnitedWay5K.