19th White River Water Carnival 4 Mile Classic
(2 August 1997)
Water Carnival foot race lights up birth dates
By Paul Glover of the Guard Staff
Birth dates kept coming up at the White River Classic 4-mile Road Race. Sean Carlson, the overall male winner, was celebrating his 20th. Candace Bennett was proud to defend the women's title, and win her third, in her 40th year. And 70-year-old Kermit Gunther was a little sentimental about running the race one last time, he says, with his daughter and grandson. Carlson, a junior-to-be at Southwest Missouri State University, won on his third try. He finished 2nd in '94 and '95.
How they finished...(53)
| Name | From | Time |
| Sean Carlson | West Plains, MO | 20:59 |
| Brandon Roberts | Pottersville, MO | 21:16 |
| Mason Pickins | Batesville | 21:24 |
| Chad Dixon | West Plains, MO | 21:57 |
| David Allen | Little Rock | 22:54 |
| Terry Smith | Batesville | 24:04 |
| Michael Hanson | Mt. Pleasant | 25:24 |
| John Redmond | Batesville | 25:37 |
| Gene Miller | Melbourne | 25:49 |
| Joe Pool | Batesville | 26:48 |
| Lester Davidson | Jonesboro | 27:35 |
| Candace Bennett | Batesville | 27:51 |
| Joseph King | Russellville | 28:53 |
| Charley Eagle | Little Rock | 29:07 |
| Debbie Newell-Burks | Little Rock | 29:07 |
| Sam Cooke | Batesville | 29:36 |
| Jim Baxter | Smithville | 29:44 |
| Bob Lemke | Forrest City | 30:18 |
| Thurman Heiner | Batesville | 30:20 |
| Jordan May | Rose Bud | 30:21 |
| Dan Gregory | Batesville | 30:24 |
| Brian Shidaker | Wilmington,OH | 30:37 |
| Hadden Moore | Jonesboro | 30:39 |
| Bill Biggs | Jonesboro | 30:39 |
| Glenn Hayne | Jonesboro | 30:53 |
| Ashleigh Smith | Salem | 31:05 |
| Tony Steiner | Locust Grove | 33:04 |
| Andy Buschman | Batesville | 33:21 |
| Mike Hanson | Mt Pleasant | 34:14 |
| Guy Smith | Salem | 34:39 |
| Jackie Franks | Batesville | 34:45 |
| Charles Barnett | Batesville | 35:24 |
| Rick Franks | Batesville | 35:42 |
| Frances Chatman | Jonesboro | 36:41 |
| Lisa Hill | Conway | 36:43 |
| Regina Coe | Batesville | 36:45 |
| Jack Heston | State University | 36:46 |
| Walden Cash | Little Rock | 36:48 |
| Michael Loggains | Melbourne | 36:57 |
| Daniel King | Marcella | 38:24 |
| Kenneth May | Rose Bud | 38:27 |
| Koren Bennett-Schram | Batesville | 39:18 |
| Judi Shidaker | Wilmington, OH | 41:29 |
| Clarence Cash | Little Rock | 41:33 |
| Sue Augustus | Cushman | 41:59 |
| Diane Womack | Batesville | 42:00 |
| Dylan Bennett-Schram | Batesville | 42:19 |
| Susie Davidson | Jonesboro | 43:39 |
| Jessica Franks | Batesville | 43:43 |
| James Anderson | Pine Bluff | 43:47 |
| Kermit Gunther | Batesville | 43:58 |
| Forrest Priest | Batesville | 44:09 |
| Rachel Anderson | Pine Bluff | 44:27 |