Rocket City 5K: Brunick dominates M45-49 with a sub-23 finish

• Daniel Brunick won the M45-49 group in 22:42 (7:18/mi), finishing a full minute ahead of the runner-up.
• Jon Teisher and Michael Holder were separated by just 19 seconds for 2nd and 3rd — the tightest battle on the podium.
• Brandon Chockley rounded out the top four at 24:24, keeping the gap to 3rd under 25 seconds.
• The M45-49 field spread across nearly 26 minutes from first to last, reflecting a wide range of paces across 18 finishers.

Daniel Brunick, running out of nearby Meridianville, made this one look controlled from the start. His 7:18/mi average was the sharpest in the group by a clear margin, and his 22:42 finish left no doubt at the front. The runner-up, Jon Teisher — who made the trip all the way from Old Colorado City, Colorado — came in at 23:43, a 1:01 gap that tells the story of a wire-to-wire lead rather than a late surge.

Behind Teisher, the real drama played out between 2nd and 4th. Michael Holder (Montgomery, AL) crossed in 24:02, just 19 seconds back from Teisher, while Brandon Chockley (Beaverton, OR) was another 22 seconds further at 24:24. Those three were separated by just 41 seconds total — a genuine three-way scrap for the remaining podium spots in a race that was otherwise decided up front.

Jeff Warren was the last man under 27 minutes, finishing 5th in 26:07 (8:24/mi), and then the field spread out considerably. Daniel Schroeder and Brian Quinones ran nearly identical races in the 27:58–28:16 window, while the back half of the field stretched through the 9- and 10-minute miles all the way to Nathan Wallace's 49:01 to close out the 18-man group. A mild December morning in Huntsville — 59°F with a light breeze — gave everyone reasonable conditions; what separated the field was simply fitness.