Rocket City 10K: Ella Spangenberg tops the F0-14 age group

• Ella Spangenberg, 14, wins the F0-14 age group in 49:58 — an 8:02/mi pace across the full 10K.
• Erica Sandlin, 13, takes 2nd in 52:17 (8:25/mi), finishing 2 minutes 19 seconds behind Spangenberg.
• Roxie Ogle, 11, completes the three-finisher field in 1:39:02 — a remarkable effort for the youngest competitor on the day.

Three girls, three different hometowns, and a clean podium sweep in the F0-14 age group at the Rocket City 10K. Ella Spangenberg of Franklin, TN set the standard from the start, crossing the line in 49:58 at an 8:02/mi clip to claim the win. At 14, she was the oldest in the group — and she ran like it, building a margin that Erica Sandlin couldn't quite close.

Sandlin, a 13-year-old racing on her home turf in Huntsville, put together a solid 52:17 (8:25/mi) for 2nd place. The gap to Spangenberg was 2:19 — meaningful, but not discouraging for a runner still a year younger than the winner.

Then there's Roxie Ogle. The 11-year-old from Gatlinburg, TN finished in 1:39:02, nearly doubling the distance in her head compared to the pace up front — but she finished, and in a field of three that takes guts. On a mild December morning in Huntsville, all three girls got across the line, and that's the whole story.