By Katelyn Needham/ managing editor
Photos by Peter Matthews/The Collegian
Even with dreary overcast and chilly temperatures, Toro Dash participants came out to race.
The Toro Dash, a 5K and 10K charity race that helps raise money for the TCC Student Wellness Scholarship and fund, took place Nov. 5 at the Panther Island Pavilion in Fort Worth.
Damian Smith won the men’s 5K race with a time of 16 minutes, 56 seconds. Elijah Cardenas came in second, and Kevin Frost finished in third place. First-place winners received Luke’s Locker gift certificates and plaques.
“It feels good to win,” Smith said. “I was expecting it to be pretty competitive, and I feel like it was as such. There were enough competitors to push me along most of the way.”
Megan Popple came in first in the women’s 5K with a time of 21 minutes, 48 seconds. Allisyn Roglin finished in second, and Elaine Kaster placed third.
“I go to Founder’s Classical Academy in Lewisville,” Popple said. “Our school is running in state next week. So this 5K was a way to warm up for that in our off-week. The race was organized, most of the path was flat and the race went really fast. I would come back again because it’s one of the best ones I went to.”
Awards were also given out for the 10K race. Jeff Alexander won the 10K men’s race with a finishing time of 40 minutes, 31 seconds. Daria Mrugala took first among women at 45 minutes, 16 seconds.
Second-place winners were Kyle Cook and Anne Marie Disney. Third-place winners were Yipsi Schulz and Olban Alvarenga.
“I didn’t expect to place in the top three overall,” Schulz said. “I run the Cowtown [Marathon] race every year and this one as well. I have been doing this race since the very beginning. I believe in education and fitness, so I support it.”
In addition to the race winners, the campus with the most participation also received an award. SE Campus won for the second year in a row.
“I ran in the 5K race, and once you hit the 2K mark, you can either push or you can slow down and die. I chose to push,” SE Kinesiology Club president Jordon Holiday said. “I don’t run frequently, but our teacher, Mr. [Craig] Burnside, was offering 10 points if we beat him. Me and one other person did.”
After the race, participants could go to The Shack and eat complimentary sandwiches and listen to a DJ while they waited for awards to start. Racers also won door prizes, like free rounds of golf at Tierra Verde Golf Club.
“Everything went off great with the new location,” race co-chair LaTonya Price said. “The whole purpose of the event is raising money for the Wellness Scholarship and Wellness Fund. I love seeing the turnout and how the community comes out for this event.”
