Kaitlin York, an American Christian Academy runner, won the Mule Kick 5K in 19 minutes, 23 seconds. The Tuscaloosa Track Club’s Ed Freeman believes York is the first female to win a coed race in the area. York’s prize is a used horseshoe spray-painted gold.
Dusty Compton | Tuscaloosa News
Published: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at 11:34 p.m.
TUSCALOOSA | Running was once the last sport Kaitlin York might have considered remotely fun. In fact, the first time she ever took a serious fast-paced step, she hated it. Until she ended the run.
“I was about 12,” remembered York, who is now 16, “and my best friend, Olivia Goldsby, made me go to practice with her one day. I did not want to go. I threw a fit about it. She still made me go. I cried. We did maybe 2 miles at NorthRiver (Yacht Club), which is really, really hilly. That day I was pretty dead, but I really liked it.
“There was this guy that I’ve known for most of my life, and there is this hill at the very end, and I beat him on the hill. That kind of made me like it a lot more.”
She joined the track team, and the American Christian Academy junior is now not only outracing guys her age, she made what is believed to be West Alabama road race history two weeks ago at Gordo’s 10th annual Mule Kick 5K. With a time of 19 minutes, 23 seconds, one that’s not even her best and came after taking time off, York was the race winner, besting the field of men, women and children.
It is the first time a female has been the overall winner in Gordo’s Mule Day race. In fact, Tuscaloosa Track Club officer Ed Freeman has been a longtime participant and organizer of running events in West Alabama, and he believes York’s win to be a first in the entire area.
“I’ve been involved with road races here for 12 years, and there’s never been a female in any of our races who has been the overall winner before this. There’s been a girl at UA who came close, but no one that any of us can remember has been the overall winner. And, believe me, as fragile male egos go, I would know. We’d remember,” Freeman said, laughing.
That York is outrunning all of the competition comes as no surprise to her ACA coach, Charles Tiller.
“More than anything in terms of a young athlete is her focus and her drive,” Tiller said. “Most kids today don’t have a lot of goals, or if they’ve got goals, it’s to be well-rounded. They want to do a multiple of things. With Kaitlin, this is what she wants to do. If she had her way about it, it would be the only thing she did. She is so driven. We run a summer program and practice five days a week. Last summer, she missed one day.”
“She’s accomplished a lot, and she’s been consistent at it,” Tiller said of the three-time All-State cross country pick and 2012 and ’13 Tuscaloosa News Springs Sports Track MVP.
York entered her first
5-kilometer race at age 12 at the Nucor 5K in Tuscaloosa.
She is pleased with her accomplishment at the Mule Kick, but she’s taking it in stride.
“I thought some other girls might have won before me,” York said. “I was pretty happy about it, but I think it’s about time for girls to start winning.”
Her prize for the win was a used horseshoe, spray-painted gold, likely the oddest of many trophies that she’ll take home in the coming years.
“I’ve done one 10K, and I loved it,” said York, who typically runs 8 to 9 miles six days a week. “It was long, but it was fun, and my time was decent. I’d like to do it again. I’m not planning on stopping any time soon. I have some pretty big dreams. I want to get into the marathons, the half-marathons someday. It’s something I just really enjoy.”
