Georgia State Great Baby Race Celebrating Anniversary Too

Georgia State may not have invented the Great Baby Race, but 11 years ago they were among the very first to use it as a piece of halftime entertainment during a Panther basketball game. Now, 11 years later, it is a staple of halftime promotions throughout the country on both the professional and collegiate level.

Through the years, babies have won, lost, cried, and were even disqualified – for getting up and walking of course. There have been several close races, a couple of blowouts, and everything in between.

It has become arguably the most popular halftime "act" on the Georgia State Basketball schedule and over the years has attracted a great deal of media attention.
Recently Sam Crenshaw, the ESPN+ voice for Georgia State basketball, sat down with two former champions who make up the only "dynasty" in Georgia State Great Baby Race history. Landon (7) and Hannah (4) are two of the winners of the from the 11-year history of the event and a part of the only family to win the race on more than one occasion.

The duo happen to be the children of Georgia State Associate Athletic Director for Sports Communications Mike Holmes, along with his wife Monica.

"We were obviously proud of our children way before they won the race," Holmes said. "However, I am a pretty competitive person and take pride in assisting our coaches in any way possible when it comes to winning games and championships. It's probably safe to say I 'trained' my kids up before each of the races – at least as much as you can train a 13 or 14-month old, and they get that competitive spirit from me. All these years later, they still make me proud every day."

There is no doubt that the Georgia State Great Baby Race will continue for many years to come and many more babies will be crowned champions. And who knows what surprises may come from an event where crawling is the best thing you can do.

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Players Mentioned

Mike Holmes: AssocAD; Redshirt

Players Mentioned

Mike Holmes
: Redshirt
: AssocAD