Woodhull 6th Grader Finishes Near Top of LI 5K
As Connor Towers walks around Nathaniel Woodhull Intermediate School he looks like any other sixth grader, but the 11-year old is an amazing competitor. The youngster finished eighth out of 563 runners in the 2012 Long Island Marathon 5K last Saturday. It was his first 5K race ever.
Mr. Towers covered the 3.125 mile course in 20:49 for a pace of 6.42 per mile. It was the fastest time for any runner between the ages of 11-19. The seven runners that finished ahead of him included six men ranging in age from 24 to 56 and a 31-year old woman. Drew Falkenhan, a 24-year old from Lynbrook, won the race in a time of 17:28.
The Woodhull sixth grader is also a swimmer and tri-athlete. He swims almost every day after school and even before school on some days. Mr. Towers has been swimming competitively for the past six years. He is currently on the Long Island Aquatics swim team.
Mr. Towers has broken various swimming records and even captured first place in his age group three straight years (2008-10) in the TOBAY Junior Triathlon. The 11-year old also took first in his age group in the Mighty Man Triathlon at the Nassau Aquatic Center two consecutive years. He's even a member of the Jones Beach junior lifeguard program.
The amazing Woodhull student can usually be seen smiling and working hard. He is a member of the school band and also enjoys playing football and tennis.
"Connor's performance in the LI 5K would be remarkable for a person of any age, but especially so for a sixth grader," Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. "The determination he displayed in the race is inspirational for everyone."