BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
When it’s about helping the football teams of T.A. Dugger and Elizabethton High School, Cyclone Nation shows up and shows out.

Such was the case when 300 participants showed up to participate in the First Annual Friday Night Lights 5K Run and Walk and block party that was held at Brown-Childress Stadium.

With funnel cakes, lemonade, and other tasty offerings for those who weren’t running, there was something for everyone including tons of smiles all around.

As for the race, Steven Hensley of Bristol, VA took first overall clocking a time of 18:06, just 18 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher Corey Henson of Glade Springs, VA who finished at 18:24.

Johnson City’s Michael Smelser finished in third place while Nathan Gibson also of Johnson City finished in fourth.

Rounding out the top five was Josh Lilly of Elizabethton who crossed the finish line with a time of 20:14.

Brandon Shell of Elizabethton was sixth, Alex Marlow of Hampton seventh, Jason McKinney of Elizabethton crossed in eighth, Kingsport’s Robert Norton in ninth, and Caleb Rice of Johnson City rounded out the top 10 overall finishers.

Other finishers in the top 25 included:
11. Jonathan Minton – Elizabethton
12. Mark Bailey II – Watauga
13. Caleb McDaniel – Watauga
14. Thomas Lyon – Johnson City
15. William Snodgrass – Elizabethton
16. TJ Brown – Johnson City
17. Michael Pope – Kingsport
18. Thomas Proffitt – Elizabethton
19. Danny Birkner – Elizabethton
20. Solange McDaniel – Watauga
21. Lili Zaldana – Elizabethton
22. Maddox Tressler – Johnson City
23. Patrick Johnson – Elizabethton
24. Geophrey Odero – Watauga
25. Zach Pierce – Bristol, TN