Spring Mills hosts annual Rodney Myers Memorial Race

SPRING MILLS — About 50 people competed in the eighth annual Rodney Myers Memorial Run Around Egg Hill on April 9.

The event is held in memory of Rodney Myers, a Penns Valley High School wrestler and an avid runner who often trained in the Spring Mills and Egg Hill areas. Myers passed away in 2005, and the race was established to honor his memory.

Proceeds from this event are used to support the Penns Valley High School track and field and cross-country teams.

According to race organizer Jodi Butler, about 50 male and female athletes, ranging in age from pre-teens to senior citizens, competed as individuals in six age groups. There were also relay classes for team participation. Butler, who is Myers’ daughter, noted that her daughter, 13-year-old Jadyn Butler, was running her first race that day.

At 2:30 p.m., runners gathered at the starting line on Sinking Creek Road, just west of Spring Mills. The starting gun, a Civil War-era cannon, was fired by Jimmy Brown, from Hampton’s Battery F Civil War reenactment group. It produced a loud boom and a cloud of smoke, to begin the race.

The race course took the runners on a 10-mile loop beginning on Sinking Creek Road in Spring Mills, then proceeding through the town to Upper Georges Valley Road, westward to Egg Hill Road, past the historic Egg Hill Church, and then back to Sinking Creek Road to the finish line at the Old Gregg School Community Center. Butler said the race follows the exact route Myers used for marathon training.

Fundraising raffles were held in the Old Gregg School gymnasium. The top prizes were a Cannondale Quick 8 mountain bike, valued at $440 and donated by The Bicycle Shop in State College, and a three-month family membership to the Penns Valley YMCA. T-shirts also were sold.

Race results were tallied by the Dave Eggler, of the Nittany Valley Running Club. Winners and their times were:

■ First overall male, Geno Arthur, 22, Spring Mills, 56:33

■ First overall female, Brianna Bair, 37, State College, 1:16:14 

■ Male, 20-29, Matthew Groves, 29, State College, 58:09 

■ Male, 30-39, Norb Baier, 30, Port Matilda,1:06:12 

■ Male, 40-49, Shundai Li, 43, Boalsburg, 1:03:15 

■ Male, 50-59, Patrick Singletary, 51, State College, 1:01:57 

■ Male, 60 and up, Tom Cali, 62, Woodward, 1:12:01 

■ Female, 19 and under, Anna Beaver, 16, Lemont, 1:36:51 

■ Female, 20-29, Rachel Nye, 20, Union City, 1:22:17 

■ Female, 30-39, Alexandria Housel, 36, Port Matilda, 1:23:07 

■ Female, 40-49, Sarah Farrant, 44, Boalsburg, 1:27:34 

■ Female, 50-59, Lynda Federinko, 53, Spring Mills, 1:26:51

■ Overall team, male, Tall-n-Small, Bob Myers and Colin Davies, 1:11:14

■ Female team, What The Hill, Jadyn Butler, Kelsey Hull, Grace Bressler, 1:32:21 

■ Mixed team, Annie Hall, Annie Klodd, Marvin Hall,1:38:48

■ Family, Team Krager, Deborah Battaglia, Charles Krager, 1:21:42