In a photo finish, 16-month-old Joshua Reese of Austell, Ga., won the inaugural Great Baby Race at halftime of the Georgia State men's basketball game versus Northeastern, Saturday at the GSU Sports Arena.

Runner-up Emma Madison, a 13-month-old from Atlanta, raced to the front of the pack, but Reese made up ground and caught her at the finish line.

The race featured nine highly-rated contestants, who traversed the 40-foot course across the Sports Arena court, cheered on by their parents.

Reese recorded a personal best time of 4:02, with Madison right behind at 4:06. Kendall Evans of Fairburn, Ga., just eight months old, placed third.

"Wooo Hoo, Joshua is so excited, mommy's happy, daddy's happy," said Joshua's mother, Shatanese Reese, the former director of the GSU Employment Office. "We had such a wonderful experience and we were proud to come out on top."

Looking ahead to next year's Great Baby Race, Mrs. Reese added, "Keep your eye on the prize, and most importantly drink a lot of milk. Go Panthers!"

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