Western Illinois University kicked off Military Appreciation week by hosting the 13th annual Fallen Soldiers 5K, on Saturday, Nov. 2. This year’s event drew in more than 450 participants and raised more than $22,000 for student scholarships.
Isaac Jones of Table Grove finished first with an impressive time of 16:37. Meg Simmons, a freshman Agricultural Business major from Macomb, was the top female finisher with a time 21:30.
Proceeds from this annual event support the Fallen Soldiers Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for WIU’s veteran and military service students. In its first 13 years, the Fallen Soldiers 5K has raised more than $237,000 for scholarships.
The event and scholarship fund honor the memory of WIU alumni Capt. Derek Dobogai and Lt. Col. Robert Baldwin, who were both killed in the line of duty.
Other top finishers, by age group, include:
Female (0-14) – Kinley Merrick; Browning
Male (0-14) – Ezra Bithos; Colchester
Female (15-19) – Hattie Mourning; Macomb
Male (15-19) – Ross Stehl; Bushnell
Female (20-24) – Hana Daoudi; Macomb
Male (20-24) – Arnold Estrada; Macomb
Female (25-29) – Colette Norris; Tiffin, IA
Male (25-29) – Joshua Cook; Peoria
Female (30-34) – Kara Sahagian; Macomb
Male (30-34) – Brennan Parks; Macomb
Female (35-39) – Jess Forman; Macomb
Male (35-39) – Nathan Haley; Macomb
Female (40-44) – Abby Fansler; Avon
Male (40-44) – Tim Harting; Macomb
Female (45-49) – Michelle Escapa; Rushville
Male (45-49) – Joel Parsons; Peoria
Female (50-54) – Kami Althar; Dallas City
Male (50-54) – Andres Gonzalez; Colona
Female (55-59) – Julia Burns, Macomb
Male (55-59) – Paul Vincent; Frederick
Female (60-64) – Barbara Drozdz; Hamilton
Male (60-64) – Richard Gambrell; Carthage
Female (65-69) – Connie Clark; Springfield
Male (65-69) – Bob Snyder; Clinton, IA
Female (70+) – Vicky Cox; Macomb
Male (70+) – Skip Skripps; Macomb
In total, more than 450 people participated in the in-person 5K, the one-mile walk or the virtual 5K.
At the pre-race ceremony, the 2024 Fallen Soldiers Scholarship recipients were recognized. This year’s recipients were Skyler Funk, senior Law Enforcement and Justice Administration major from Gibson City; Kimberlyn Raab, senior Engineering Technology major from Warren; James Davis, Business Administration graduate student from Bettendorf, IA; Wade Brady, senior Communication major from Galesburg; and Aaron Steele, Clinical/Community Mental Health graduate student from Knoxville. Steven Wright, a senior Agricultural Science major from Pekin, was also recognized posthumously as a spring 2024 scholarship recipient. Wright passed away in April.
The sponsors for the 2024 event included: T-shirt sponsor – WIU Foundation; bib sponsor – ShaZam Racing; finish line sponsor – Jackie and Dave Thompson; packet sponsor – Pella Corporation Macomb; race route sponsors – The Pirog Family and Dr. Jared Reed. The event partners were Macomb Hy-Vee, Refreshment Services Pepsi and Engraving by Lin.
To see full race results, view photos from the event, and purchase shirts from 2024 and previous years, visit wiu.edu/fallensoldiers/.
***Courtesy of Western Illinois University***
