- November 23, 2024
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On a morning more suited to wool caps and hot chocolate than sweatbands and sports drinks, 302 athletes took part in the fifth annual Andrew Monroe Memorial Scholarship 5K on Siesta Beach on Sunday, Jan. 7.
Temperatures in the low 40s and a brisk wind greeted participants as they mingled before the race, then made their way to the water’s edge for the event, which headed south from the public park 2.5K before heading back to the finish.
Connor Wozniak, a 17-year-old senior from Pine View School who runs cross country and track for Booker High, was the overall winner at 17 minutes, 43.1 seconds. Emma Paliotta, a 14-year-old ninth-grader at Lakewood Ranch High, was the first female runner across the line at 21:39.7 – good for eighth overall.
Stacey Monroe has organized the event for the last five years for the benefit of senior soccer players at Riverview. Proceeds from the event also go toward the Andrew Monroe Memorial Scholarship Fund through the Sarasota Community Foundation. The scholarship is open for all county soccer players through an essay submission process.
Andrew Monroe was a Riverview High soccer player killed in a 2011 car wreck.