ECC Places 1st in Tackle the Tar College Run
Edgecombe Community College’s Tackle the Tar team included (front, from left) Heather Pridgen, Sharron Whitley-Pierce, William Parker, Jilianne Leary, Francine Long, (standing) Jaymye Battle, Kim Byron-Barnes, Johanna Underwood, Harry Starnes, Rick Basile, and Ronda King.
Runners on the Edgecombe Community College team won first place in last Saturday’s Tackle the Tar College Run.
Sixteen students, faculty, and staff participated on the ECC team.
Tackle the Tar is a 5K obstacle course race and family fun day sponsored by the Rocky Mount Rotary Club. Proceeds support scholarships for local students attending Edgecombe and Nash community colleges and NC Wesleyan College.
The two fastest runners on the ECC team were student Evan Hill and Dr. Harry Starnes, vice president of instruction. Out of 431 runners, Hill finished 29th with a time of 28:53. Dr. Starnes finished 69th with a time of 34:11.
“I did okay for a 49-year-old guy who sits at a desk!” Dr. Starnes says. “Seriously, it was a great event, and our team was awesome.
“We are very grateful to the Rocky Mount Rotary Club for their hard work and long hours to ensure this event’s success, and especially for their commitment to our students.”
ECC’s team members were team captain William Parker, Rick Basile, Jaymye Battle, Kim Byron-Barnes, Kristian Paige Connor, Evan Hill, Ronda King, Jilianne Leary, Francine Long, Kevin Lynch, Sharron Pierce-Whitley, Heather Pridgen, Starla Pruden, Rebecca Stamilio Ehret, Harry Starnes, and Johanna Underwood.
Samanthia Phillips, dean of students, coordinated the ECC team.
The Tackle the Tar College Run was open to all students, faculty, and alumni from the three local colleges. This was the event’s first competitive race for the college teams.
Tackle the Tar, held May 18-20 at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex, included competitive and fun runs, live entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, and food trucks.
The inaugural 2016 event provided gifts of $36,000 to Edgecombe and Nash community colleges and NC Wesleyan College, with each institution receiving $12,000.