On August 11, 2000, the Board of Directors of the Citrus road runners established as a priority policy the support of youth running activities in Citrus County and the surrounding areas for the remainder of 2000 and 2001.  This policy was to be implemented through a community outreach program within the area middle schools, high schools and public recreation facilities.  While this approach was something that had been informal policy since the club's formation, the board action formalized the plan.

We immediately established the first phase of this as providing financial support to the Lecanto Girls Cross Country Team for summer running camp and to provide timekeepiing support to all in-county cross country meets.  We continued this local support into the track and field season and provided timekeeping services to all Citrus High School track meets.  While this ongoing support continued, we established liason with the local high school coaches and began planning a summer running program for middle school, high school and college runners. This program was a basic maintenance program and received input and involvement from many of the coaches. This program was implemented as an eight-week program beginning in June and ending August 1, 2001. Runners participating in this program received a club logo T-Shirt as well as free entry into the Citrus Road Run which occurs two weeks before school starts and traditionally signals the beginning of cross country season.

In conjunction with our youth running program, we provided a cross country run in Whispering Pines Park called the Citrus Summer Showdown.  The principal architect and promoter of this race was Milton Lyons, a Citrus High School cross country runner. This had been a dream of several classes of Citrus runners, but it took the combined efforts of the Citrus Road Runners, Milton Lyons and a small group of enthusiastic area runners to make the dream a reality. Originally conceived as a low budget affair with no trophies, shirts or amenities, the idea picked up support of club members, young runners, coaches and the business community. While the Club was the major underwriter of this event, Stumpknockers Restaurant on the Square, Nature Coast Title Company and Publix Supermarket provided major sponsorships. In addition, individual club members made donations of money, food and condiments as well as voluntary support on race day. As a result of the massive collaborative effort we were able to provide a cookout and social occasion after the race with nice shirts and award trophies. In addition, a high quality video and many outstanding still photographs were provided by Sommer Gray and Jonathan Feldt. These may be viewed on our web site as well as the flrunners.com forum.

This race was a showcase of top talent from across the state in current high school running stars as well as legends of the past.  Several former state champions were present as well as future champions.  Awards went five deep in the three school categories for male and female.  Adult recreation runners had to compete with the college group and they did very well with Jennifer Schmidt, mother of two children and the area's top female runner, capturing the women's overall title.  Sean McManus, a former state champion from Lecanto High School and an All Big East selection at the University of Notre Dame, captured the overall men's title. Local businessman Chris Moling provided music and entertainment throughout the morning.

Among the groups coming from top state running programs were Les Adler and fifteen runners from his Miami-based Top Gun Running Camp. This group was hosted in area homes by families of runners. Among the other coaches present were:

Joe McKinney - Father Lopez, Daytona Beach
Ernie Chatman - Hernando High, Brooksville
Bob Goddard and Bruce Nelson - Citrus High, Inverness
Bruce Sheffield and Dan Epstein - Lecanto High
Ricky Quintana - Eastside, Gainesville
Frank Buono - Academy of Holy Names?
Chris Chartier - St. Andrews, Boca Raton
Bob Braman - FSU

Numerous highly favorable comments have been received from coaches, runners and visitors. This praise has been directed mostly to the Whispering Pines Park as a great cross country course, the planning and conducting of the race, the amenities provided, and the hospitality. Most have singled out just a few highly visible individuals in the production. I would like to identify some of the others and recognize their enormous contributions. First and foremost, the one absolutely essential person in my work is my wife Robbie. Without her I don't function. Others in no particular order are John Bianco, Club Vice President, and Jonathan Feldt, Webmaster/Artist/Thinker and much, much more. The families: Charlie, Pam and Diana Blaisdell; Dan and Colleen Epstein; Gordon and Connie Ripley; Bob Goddard, Erwin Korff, Valerie Rutledge, Terry Wisecup, Ted Stauffer, Judy Tolliver, Dave Bierley, Frank Delucia, Chris Moling, John Murdock, Dan Quick, Toni Martinazzi, Delane Bauer, Paul Dorey, and Richard Vaillancourt. Jeff Wood for providing massage. In addition, Milton Lyons did an outstanding job of promotion, course measurement and setup and handled many details with the assistance of Caitlin Montgomery. To the host families of the Top Gun group, C. J. Bryant and his grandparents, Milton Lyons and family, Caitlin Montgomery and family, Dan and Colleen Epstein, a heartfelt thanks.

Several of the favorable comments made about the Citrus Summer Showdown were found at flrunners.com which has, among other features, a discussion forum for high school runners. The comments were originally submitted as email entries at the discussion forum and, consequently, may lack the proper format and elegance that we expect from articles written for other media.

Coach F. Buono
Coach Joe McKinney
Coach Les Adler
Coach Ricky Quintana
Coach Bob Braman
Coach Chris Chartier

Anyone who wants to contribute comments or photographs may submit the material to the webmaster.

This electronic scrap book was authored by Colon Joiner, founder and president of Citrus Road Runners.