There were wieners. There were losers.

After crowds witnessed an initial 12 heats and three semifinal runs, Manford Strecker overtook audience favorite Rufus Sternlof in the final race to triumph as top dog in Oklahoma Gazette's fifth annual Dachshund Dash, held May 9 at the Cox Convention Center Arena. Coming in third overall was Gracie Day Seitz.

A total of 96 doxies " more than previous years' events " duked it out on the track. Audience members bet on the racers in hopes of winning T-shirts and other prizes, with wagering dollars benefiting the Central Oklahoma Humane Society.

Following is a heat-by-heat breakdown of the conquering canines:

Heat 1
First Place: Dorothy Collier
Second Place: Gypsy Claire Koch

Heat 2
First Place: Rufus Sternlof
Second Place: Sophie Robinson

Heat 3
First Place: Ping Pong Bowers
Second Place: Bayliss King

Heat 4
First Place: Gracie Day Seitz
Second Place: Gunther Huffer

First Semifinal
First Place: Rufus Sternlof
Second Place: Gracie Day Seitz

Heat 5
First Place: Moose Frazier
Second Place: Addie Mae Hibbard

Heat 6
First Place: Gracey Arnold
Second Place: Conan Augustus Smith

Heat 7
First Place: Manford Strecker
Second Place: Rudy Bobby Guy

Heat 8
First Place: Charlotte Cricket Love Bug
Second Place: Harley David Johnston

Second Semifinal
First Place: Manford Strecker
Second Place: Charlotte Cricket Love Bug 

Heat 9
First Place: Gidget Wimmler
Second Place: Oscar Mayer Allen Knighten

Heat 10
First Place: Snickers Mooney
Second Place: Cooper Newmeyer

Heat 11
First Place: Princess Tea Artus
Second Place: Tucker Ketchum

Heat 12
First Place: Dixie Ann Crews
Second Place: Bella Neau Brady

Third Semifinal
First Place: Oscar Mayer Allen Knighten
Second Place: Gidget Wimmler

Final Race
First Place: Manford Strecker
Second Place: Rufus Sternlof
Third Place: Gracie Day Seitz

"Rod Lott