University of Tennessee runners Steve Fassino and Phoebe Wright, both Signal Mountain residents and Red Bank High School graduates, were the overall winners Thursday night in the 31st Karen Lawrence Run for St. Jude.
Another alumnus of the Red Bank program, Lee University's Michael Walker, was second to old teammate Fassino in the two-loop four-mile race from the downtown Sports Barn. Fassino finished in 20 minutes, 29 seconds, Walker in 20:50.
"This was a Red Bank reunion," said Red Bank coach Hugh Enicks, the masters winner in 22:56.
Wright's time was 23:53, 13th overall.
Former Chattanooga Christian and Covenant College runner Patrick Hall was third in 21:00, and former Baylor standout Jamey Gifford, now 31 and living in San Francisco, was fourth in 21:11. Gifford's sister, Debby Vannoy, who just resigned as Covenant coach to join her husband in a move to Florida, was the female runner-up in 26:32.
Emily Cooper was the third woman in 26:53, and Jan Gautier was fourth and the masters winner in 27:13.
Fassino and Walker were even after the first loop, but "he dropped me going down the (Sixth Street) hill at about the three-mile mark," the 19-year-old Lee sophomore said. "Actually, he got rid of me just before the hill."
Walker said the Volunteers junior was his "godfather."
"I just wanted to stick with him as long as I could. I feel I did a pretty good job," Walker said.
"They were tremendous," said Hall, 25. "They took off from the gun. I gained a bit going up the hill, but they just shot off."
Fassino said this was his "third or fourth" time in the New Year's Eve race; it was his first win. Wright, 21, last ran it when she was "like 12," she said.
"I support the cause, and I enjoy the atmosphere of road races," she said. "I was just wanted to get in a good up-tempo race and pick it up at the end, and I feel good about it."
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