Shamrock'n 5K F50-54: Kasie Gee edges Baginski by a single second

• Winner: Kasie Gee (Sacramento, CA), age 50 — 25:30 at 8:13/mi, topping a field of 121 in F50-54
• One second: Emily Baginski crossed in 25:31 — same displayed pace, but Gee had the edge where it counted
• Podium: Helena Hart-Rathbun rounded out the top three in 25:56, with Norma Andrade (26:05) and Lorell Cooke (26:14) close behind
• Tightest non-podium battle: Anita Finner (15th, 31:33.44) and Nicole Strickland (16th, 31:33.58) — separated by just 0.14 seconds

Kasie Gee won the F50-54 age group in one of the tightest finishes of the morning. Her 25:30 at 8:13/mi was enough to hold off Emily Baginski, who crossed in 25:31 — a margin so slim it barely shows on the clock. Both women ran the same displayed pace, but the timing chip told the real story: Gee by a single second. At 50, she tops an age group that stretched 121 finishers deep on a cool, clear Sacramento morning.

The podium itself was a compact cluster. Helena Hart-Rathbun came in third at 25:56 — 26 seconds off the winner but comfortably clear of fourth. Norma Andrade (26:05) and Lorell Cooke (26:14) kept the pressure on, with only 18 seconds separating 3rd through 5th place. After that, Millicent Barajas (6th, 27:14) and Maria Andrade (7th, 27:35) formed a second wave, each running notably slower than the lead pack at 8:46 and 8:53 per mile respectively.

Further back, the race produced one more moment worth noting. Anita Finner in 15th and Nicole Strickland in 16th both clocked 31:33 on the display — but the timing system separated them by just 0.14 seconds, with Finner holding 15th by the thinnest of margins. It's the kind of finish that makes you glad there are decimal places. The field continued through 20 named finishers and 101 more beyond, a strong turnout that made the F50-54 age group one of the deepest of the day.