More than 120 runners started Gatewood Schools’ 14th annual 5K for Kaye Swamp Stomp on Sep. 18, with Gatewood 8th grader Cale Ferguson the first to reach the finish line precisely 22 minutes, 5.3 seconds later. It marked just the second career win for Ferguson, 14, who competes as a middle-distance specialist on the school’s track team.
First among female runners was another Gatewood Gator, with 15-year-old track team member Ashleigh Hillin taking the women’s class win home to Great Waters on Lake Oconee.
Meanwhile, George Kirk, 57, of Orlando, Fla., led the Masters’ division from start to finish. Kirk said he’s made the trip each of the last five years just for the Gatewood event, but this marked his first win after placing second in 2021.
The 5K for Kaye Swamp Stomp is a memorial run named for Kaye Gregory Cheshire, a former Gatewood student, athlete, 1985 Honor Graduate, and a member of Gatewood’s faculty.
Kaye was a star basketball player and member of Gatewood’s state championship-winning team during her junior year and was selected to the All-Region team as a senior. She also competed as a member of the track and softball teams, winning multiple region and state championships. As a member of the Class of 1985, Kaye was an Honor Graduate and elected to the Gatewood Hall of Fame.