Race day: Pine Trail Elementary sees record number of Pioneer Mile qualifiers

Over 120 students ran a mile in less than nine minutes during the annual race.

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In his 30 years of teaching, Pine Trail Elementary Coach James Vollinger has seen hundreds of students cross finish lines.

And on Friday, March 1, during his last Pioneer Mile race as coach, he watched 121 more students do just that. 

"I take pride in seeing how well they perform," said Vollinger, who will be retiring at the end of the school year. "I feel like I had something do with it — helping them find out how good they are at something. So that's why I do it. It's a cool deal."

Vollinger, who is also Pine Trail Elementary's Teacher of the Year, created the race initiative 30 years ago and has introduced it at every school in which he's worked. To qualify for the annual race, girls must run a mile in nine minutes or less, and boys in eight minutes or less.

This year, fifth grader Maxwell Bosang came close to beating the school's record of 5 minutes and 57 seconds. He ran a mile in 6 minutes and 3 seconds. 

The number of kids that qualified this year — 66 boys and 55 girls — was a record number, Coach Christina Wingard said. A few years ago in 2021, Wingard said, only about 40 kids qualified. 

Some students qualified the day of the race.

"It's just a big thing for everybody," Wingard said. "... Kids that were faster were coming in the morning before to help kids qualify. It was a really big team bonding."

The race is also an example of Vollinger's dedication and support for students, Wingard said. 

"I feel the legacy of grit and determination that he has left will continue as lifelong lessons in these students," she said. 

Vollinger said it doesn't get old to watch kids accomplish their running goal. In fact, he'll probably come out next year as a spectator.

"That many kids running a sub-nine minute mile — I challenge any school in the state of Florida to match up to that, middle school included," Vollinger said.

 

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