FACA Official Cross Country Rankings #2

The second set of the FACA's Official Cross Country State Rankings of 2014.
Let's see what our pollsters have to say after the first three weeks of competitive racing...

 

Girls State Rankings by Classifications:

 

1A Girls Rankings

Coming soon!! We just picked up our pollster for the season. Thank you, Kyle!

 

 

2A Girls Rankings
By: Mike Becker, Ransom Everglades, mbecker@ransomeverglades.org

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Only gonna go 10 deep this week, will increase after big weekends coming up. Buy your tickets now for the Bolles - Pine Crest State meet Showdown.  If Pine Crest stays healthy, they will take their best shot against Bolles, which might be the best team in any class. Ransom head and shoulders third... if.... they get a fifth. Don't let Miami times fool you, they are good up front.   fter that Lemon Bay looks to lead the rest of the contenders on paper.  Welcome St Brendans to the Honor Roll
 
  Team Name (Prev.)  Comments:
1. Bolles (1) Detsroyed field at Caples- in fact their JV won the second varity race by a ton
2. Pine Crest (2) Won at Mountain Dew - Not as deep as Bolles, but almost equal 1-5
3. Ransom Evereglades (3a) 5th man blues at Youth Fair prevented a victory, but best Ransom team in several years
4. Lemon Bay (10) Talenteed group of runners is back
5. West Florida tech (7) Veteran returning group looks solid
6. Carrollton (3b) Regrouping, they will be up in top 5 soon
7. St Brendans (NR) rookies on the rise
8. Lake Higland Prep (5)  
9. Berkeley Prep (NR)  
10. Titusville (NR)  

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: This is starting to get interesting… Just when it looked like it was certainly a Montgomery- Wilson rematch, there are new challengers to the throne. Yared (the 7th grader) has defeated Montgomery several times, and was second at Mountain Dew.  Archer, meanwhile ran a huge p.r. at Larry and Penny Thompson park when 3 athletes were carted away on stretchers in 90 degree weather. Pujals also not far behind. Gonna get funky if this keeps up. This top 10 is way faster than last year at this point.
 
  Athlete Name – Team (Prev.)  Time, Comments:
1 Yared Tsion- Pine Crest (3) New leader of the pack 
2 Mackenzie Wilson - Bolles (2) Don’t count her out yet
3. Julia Montgomery - Pine Crest  (1) Two time defending state champion until the next race is won
4 Lauren  Archer- Ransom Everglades (4) Her 19:23 at Larry and Penny is worth 18:40 at upstate courses
5. Alyssa Pujals - Gulliver (NR) Right behind Archer
6. Morgan Lucey - Episcopal  (NR) Having oustanding season
7. Ally Hajda- Bolles (5) Would be other teams' top runner
8. Rachel Shapiro - Bolles  (6) Ditto 
9. Leigha Torino - North Marion (NR) Fast at Mountain Dew
10. Abi Weinfeld - Lemon Bay (10) Proven runner deserves to be on list
11. Raleigh Nebitt- West Florida tech (NR) Fast early times
12. Mahdere Yared- Pine Crest (NR) Top 6th grader in state
       
  Be on the lookout:    
  Abigail Weinfled - Lemon Bay (NR)  
  Sofia Fernandez- St Brendans (NR)  
  Nicole Mis- Lemon Bay (NR)  
  Kaysi Roberts- West Florida Tech (NR)  
  Michaela Ashley -Arnold (9)  
  Anita Munoz - Immokalee (NR)  
  Beatriz Ruan - Ransom  (NR)  

 

 

3A Girls Rankings
By: John Stevenson, Sarasota HS, john.stevenson@sarasotacountyschools.net

Team Rankings:

Commentary: The 3A race has the potential to be the race to watch at State finals. There are potentially 6-7 teams that could earn a spot on the podium. We won't see majority of top teams all battle it out till postseason, so the rankings are based on head to head battles and common opponents.
 
  Team Name, Region (Prev.)  Comments:
1. Creekside, 1 (4) Great start to Creekside's season. Came in 2nd at Mountain Dew with 19:33 average. They earned the top spot because of their performance against Bolles at UNF was better then Sarasota's race against Bolles at Katie Caples.
2. Sarasota, 3 (2) Dominated performance at North Port Elite race placing 1st with 70 point victory over Estero. Will need the spread between Angelina Grebe and their 2-3 to shrink.
3. Fort Myers, 3 (10) Big jump from last polls. Very solid team all around! Young team with good leadershtip. Awesome race at Mountain Dew with with 3rd place and 1:21 spread. 
4. Seabreeze, 2 (3) Finished 5th at Mountain Dew just behind Ft. Myers and St. Thomas. 4th and 5th lost a lot of points to Ft. Myers' 4 and 5
5. Estero, 3 (1) Solid top 4 girls, looking for a 5th. Not sure when sophomore Megan Giovanniello will be back to help solidify their top 5. Placed 2nd at the North Port Invite Elite race.
6. Ocala Vanguard, 2 (6) Dominated the Horse Park Invitational with 38 points over Chiles.
7. Merrit Island, 4 (12) They are racing very well! Big showing at UF with 6th place and 20:30 average.
8. Columbia, 1 (15) 20:41 average at Mountain Dew. Young team with big upside. Watch out
9. Niceville, 1 (11) 1st place at North Bay Invitational and Bay Invitational
10. King, 3 (NR) Good group of 3 runners. Looking for making it to states this year. Beat Lakewood Ranch and FWB at North Port.
11. Fort Walton Beach, 1 (5) Not a great showing at North Port with finishing 7th in the elite race. Look for a rebound at Flrunners.
12. Choctawhatchee, 1 (NR) Tied with Niceville at the Bay Invitational.
13. Chamberlain, 3 (NR) Good race at UF lead by Maggie Parrish. Will need more depth if they want to make it out of Region 3.
14. St. Augustine, 1 (NR) 2nd place at Seminole Invitational with 21:35 average but split is too high. Will need better spread to stay in the top 15.
15. Lakewood Ranch, 3 (7) Young team, but will need to be more consistent. Still a solid team to get out Region 3.
       
  Dropped from Ranking:
  Leon, 1 (8)  
  Pace, 1 (9)  
  Chiles, 1 (13)  
  Naples, 3 (14)  

Individual Rankings: 

Commentary: Looks like the battle for individual title seems wide open after the first couple weeks of season. Mountain Dew's traditional fast times came out this week. North Port usually has blazing times, but the muddy conditions caused a slower course than usual. Mountain Dew gives a good head to head battle. 
 
  Athlete Name, Grade – Team (Prev.)  SB, Comments:
1. Colleen Openshaw, 12, Creekside (9) Fantastic start to the season for Colleen and her teammates. Ran 18:33 at UF
2. Julie Wollrath, 12, Melbourne (1) 18:41 @ Hagerty. Still looking to get into form
3. Devin Molloy, 10, Barron Collier (3) 19:17, Two runner-up finishes this year at DDD and Ft. Myers. Had the flu over the weekend.
4. Angelina Grebe, 12, Sarasota  (5) 18:53, Elite champion at North Port. 18 second victory.
5. Jessica Taylor, 12, Creekside (NR) 18:46 @ Mountain Dew. Huge start of season!
6. Alyssa Bayliff, 12, Seabreeze (15) 18:51 @ Mountain Dew
7. Kianna Bonnet, 11, Seabreeze (8) 18:43. Ran 18:56 at Mountain Dew
8. Audrey Carpenter, 12, Ocala Vanguard (19) 18:57; 19:17 @ Florida Horse Park
9. Kara Funke, 10, Leesburg (NR) 19:04 @ Mountain Dew. 2nd place with 20:35 @ Mount Dora
10. Daley Cline, 11, Estero (4) 19:11, 3rd place at North Port. Still regaining 2013 form from being out over the summer. 
11. Emma Rudman, 11, Fort Walton Beach (2) 19:37; Was in the lead back at NOPO but tough finish. Chalk it up for a bad day.
12. Olivia Adams, 11, Estero (6) 19:35, Rough race at North Port
13. Tara Openshaw, 9, Creekside (NR) 19:12 @ Mountain Dew. 2 races for freshman and both in 19's
14. Mikaela Hakamaa, 12, Merritt Island (NR) 19:17 @ Mountain Dew. 3 races this season with 3 PR's
15. Maggie Parish, 11, Chamberlain (NR) 19:20 @ Mountain Dew
16. Rachel Kling, 12, Pace (18) 19:08; 5th place at JD Mac Invite with 19:24
17. Kristilin Gear, 10, Ft. Myers (NR) 19:29 @ Mountain Dew, running very well at Optimist with 3rd place
18. Micaela Torres, 10, King (10) 19:32; Becoming the norm to finish in top 5 in her races
19. Elizabeth Mulford, 12, Ocala Vanguard (21) 19:18;  Ran at Horse Park with 19:53
20. Brdiget Morse, 9, Columbia (NR) 19:31 @ Mountain Dew
21. Bethany Hardcastle, 12, South Fork (13) 19:32 @ Mountain Dew
22. Claire Farnsworth, 11, Lecanto (NR) 19:40; Two wins in a row
23. Yaranel Abreu, 12, Nease (NR) 19:41; 7th place at Katie Caples
24. Mackenzie Brown, 10, Sarasota (NR) 19:42; 8th place at NOPO. 
25. Shawna Lindsay, 10, Choctawhatchee (NR) 19:22; would be higher but 21:06 at Bay Invite

 

 

4A Girls Rankings
By: Ryan Raposo, John A. Ferguson HS, ryanraposo@gmail.com

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Just as every year, there is a large discrepancy in the structure and measurement of courses from around the state, some meets really fast and a little suspect for length, while other course are difficult and measured on point, so there will be a lot of time adjustments in these rankings, somewhere between 30-45 seconds of an adjustment in some cases (although it could be more depending). Also, for any new readers, my rankings reflect the top 6 teams in each Region and I rank the top 24 teams as if it were a mock state meet. So if you're the 10th best team in the State, but also happen to be the 7th best team in your Region, then your team wouldn't qualify to state, which would be reflected in the rankings.
Meet Notes: The faster meets for ranking purposes were UF, Bayside, and Hagerty; the slower meets were Seminole, Youth Fair, Jupiter, East Meets West, and Cobra; I know North Port is typically a fast meet, but was muddy this year, so not as fast as it traditionally is. And while a virtual ranking has many teams higher or lower, realize that head-to-head racing and course adjustments all figure in for the rankings below.
 
  Team Name, Region (Prev.)  Comments:
1. Winter Park, 1 (1) 20:23 Avg, 1st @ Carrollton GA; A harder course in Georgia makes the Wildcats not look as invincible as they were before, and only having three girls sub 20 minutes isn't good enough to win a state meet this year. But I feel like they haven't brought their A-game just yet.
2. St. Thomas Aquinas, 4 (2) 19:50 Avg, 4th @ UF; A strong opening performance for STA, and that's without their Brianna Rischar, their #3 girl based off of PR (18:24). Slide her into the results and they beat WP on 4 of the top 5 positions head-to-head.
       
  Top Five Hopefuls:    
3. Lourdes Academy, 4 (5) 21:19 Avg, 12th @ UF (while resting their #1-2-4-5 runners); Huge amounts of depth currently with 10 girls running 22:01 or faster. They should be at full strength this week at the Spanish River Invitational. Should be exciting to see them race the next team on this list...
4. North Port, 2 (6) 20:42 Avg, 3rd @ North Port; Not making too much noise just yet, but they showed at their home invitational just why they're a top five team this year. They'll be traveling to the east coast this weekend to race Lourdes head-to-head at Spanish River.
5. Timber Creek, 1 (T-10) 20:39 Avg, 1st @ Hagerty; Currently running a sub 60 second spread has helped move up in the rankings, and they just had a head-to-head win over DP. They look to be a definite top 10 team right now, and in contention for a Region 1 Runner-up trophy.
6. Dr. Phillips, 1 (T-10) 20:39 Avg, 2nd @ Hagerty & 20:37 Avg, 7th @ UF; If you take the best performances from their top five girls between their first three meets of the season, DP looks to be the strong #3 team in the state right now; their #3-4 girls didn't have the best day at UF.
7. Lake Mary, 1 (3) 20:34 Avg, 4th @ Hagerty & 21:22 Avg, 1st @ Seminole; They had a good day at Hagerty, but after an early #3 ranking, the bullseye was on their back as one of the top Region 1 teams. They have a great team average, but their spread is too large to be a top five team.
       
  Top Ten Chasers:    
8. Mandarin, 1 (T-10) 21:26 Avg, 5th @ Katie Caples (w/o #4); Mandarin slides up a few spots with a good showing at Katie Caples, but they really seem to be a decent margin removed from the top 7 positions. They're at the top of the pack of teams chasing top ten, but don't currently appear to have a shot at top five.
9. George Jenkins, 2 (9) 20:57 Avg, 6th @ North Port & 21:21 Avg, 1st @ Wiregrass; Holding strong in the 9th position as some teams moved up and others moved down. They continue to appear a solid top ten team, but some squads below will be fighting for it.
10. John A. Ferguson, 4 (13) 21:26 Avg, 1st @ Youth Fair; The Falcons move up three slots as their young runners start coming into their own and filling out a much depleted varsity. The progression of their pack will determine how much farther they can move up this list this year.
11. Coral Reef, 4 (7) 21:55 Avg, 2nd @ Youth Fair (w/o #3) & 21:40 Avg, 6th @ Katie Caples; Seemingly not quite yet at full strength due to sickness or injury, the Barracudas dropped a few spots from their early season ranking. They have the talent and ability to be a top ten team, no doubt.
12. Sarasota Riverview, 2 (14) 21:03 Avg, 8th @ North Port; A solid showing at North Port but right now they're hurting in the back half of their varsity, particularly in the #5 slot. They'll need to reduce that spread if they want to shoot for top 10 this year, but appear to be a solid top 15 team.
13. Winter Springs, 1 (T-10) 21:04 Avg, 5th @ Hagerty & 20:58 Avg, 10th @ UF; The final Region 1 team to make my list, but with a slew other rival schools that are looking to claim that coveted spot
14. Vero Beach, 3 (12) 21:08 Avg, 2nd @ Bayside; 22:12 Avg, 3rd @ Terrier (w/o 1 & 2); Looking solid early on, and has the potential to be a top ten team. They're currently the top dog in Region 3, but with plenty of teams right on their heels.
15. Wellington, 3 (15) 22:46 Avg, 1st @ Jupiter (w/o #3) & 22:38 Avg, 2nd @ East Meets West (w/o #3 & #4 injured?); Another team we've yet to see at full strength, I see tremendous amounts of potential for this squad to possibly jump 3-4-5 slots once they all put it together.
16. Dwyer, 3 (16) 21:13 Avg, 11th @ UF & 22:54 Avg, 2nd @ Jupiter; Dwyer closes out what I feel is an EXTREMELY interchangeable pack of teams from 9th though 16th. All of these schools are separated by mere seconds, so one athlete having one good day or bad day can make all the difference.
       
  The Back Half:    
17. St. Cloud, 2 (NR) 21:35 Avg, 18th @ UF & 21:31 Avg, 2nd @ Terrier.
18. Wharton, 2 (NR) 21:43 Avg, 1st @ North Port Invite & 21:51 Avg, 3rd @ Wharton.
19. Newsome, 2 (NR) 22:04 Avg, 14th @ North Port.
20. Martin County, 3 (NR) 21:48 Avg, 20th @ UF & 22:22 Avg, 5th @ Terrier.
21. Douglas, 3 (NR) IDLE, except #1 runner who ran UF.
       
  State Hopefuls:    
22. Jupiter, 3 (NR) 23:04 Avg, 1st @ Cobra (w/o #4) & 23:31 Avg, 5th @ Jupiter (w/o #1).
23. Coral Gables, 4 (NR) 24:42 Avg, 13th @ Youth Fair.
T-24. Sunset, 4 (NR) 24:56 Total Team Avg between last two races, NTS @ Youth Fair.
T-24. South Dade, 4 (NR) 25:04 Total Team Avg between last two races.
T-24. Coral Park, 4 (NR) 25:14 Total Team Avg between last two races.
       
  Teams to watch:    
  Fletcher, 1 (NR) 20:48 Avg, 3rd @ Katie Caples.
  Olympia, 1 (4) 21:00 Avg, 13th @ UF.
  Lyman, 1 (NR) 21:36 Avg, 6th @ Hagerty & 21:30 Avg, 14th @ UF.
  Hagerty, 1 (NR) 21:53 Avg, 9th @ Hagerty & 22:55 Avg, 3rd @ Seminole.
  West Orange, 1 (8) 21:54 Avg, 9th @ North Port.
  Plant, 2 (NR) 21:56 Avg, 11th @ North Port; Plant is missing a couple of their top returners from last year in these early season results. Is this strategic Coach Harrison? Or a weaker team this year?
  Lake Brantley, 1 (T-10) 22:24 Avg, 4th @ Seminole.
  Parc Vista, 3 (NR) 22:34 Avg, 1st @ East Meets West & 23:24 Avg, 2nd @ Cobra (w/o #4) & 23:31 Avg, 4th @ Jupiter (w/o #4 injured?).
  Flagler Palm Coast, 1 (T-10) 22:49 Avg, 18th @ Carrollton GA.
  Boca Raton, 3 (NR) 23:39 Avg, 3rd @ Cobra.

Individual Rankings: 

Commentary: Because it's still early in the season, I listed everyone off of their season best times and didn't look specifically at head-to-head racing. This list is all of the girls who broke 20 minutes so far. Times based on course adjustments, from down south (-30s) were made for three girls, and only one girl in the top 30 hasn’t raced yet this season.
 
  Athlete Name, Grade – Team (Prev.)  Season Best Time, Comments:
1. Alexa Cruz, 11 - St. Thomas (1) 17:56 @ UF; Once again, this is the Alexa Cruz show.
2. Emily Headley, 12 - Olympia (4) 18:22 @ UF
3. Sinclaire Johnson, 11 - Lake Brantley (2) 18:27 @ Hagerty
4. Rafaela Gibbons, 9 - Winter Park (3) 18:27 @ Astronaut
5. Autumn Bartlett, 12 - University (5) 18:28 @ UF
6. Kayley DeLay, 10 - Fletcher (6) 18:31 @ UNF
7. Fatema Jaffer, 12 - Lake Mary (7) 18:36 @ Spikes & Spurs
8. Elizabeth Jenkins, 10 - Winter Park (13) 19:03 @ Astronaut
9. Kaley Schmick, 12 - Cypress Creek (12) 19:10 @ Hagerty
10. Emily English, 10 - George Jenkins (19) 19:11 @ North Port
11. Margaret Schloss, 12 - St. Thomas (8) 19:13 @ UF
12. Annika Sison, 11 - Dr. Phillips (27) 19:16 @ UF
13. Emily Zwijacz, 12 - Newsome (NR) 19:17 @ East Hillsborough
14. Grace Miller, 12 - St. Cloud (28) 19:30 @ Terrier
15. Aylwyn Hernandez, 12 - Ferguson (11) 20:02 @ Youth Fair
16. Abigail Grant, 12 - Sickles (NR) 19:35 @ UF
17. Courteney Zboyan, 12 - Jupiter (NR) 19:35 @ Martin County
18. Danielle Van Liere, 11 - Fletcher (9) 19:39 @ Katie Caples
19. Hana Herdon, 10 - Winter Park (17) 19:42 @ Astronaut
20. Lily Kloepfer, 11 - St. Thomas (NR) 19:43 @ UF
21. Isabella Torres-Padin, 12 - Fletcher (NR) 19:48 @ Katie Caples
22. Ania Grzeszczak, 11 - Mandarin (NR) 19:51 @ Katie Caples
23. Meaghan Slack, 10 - Mandarin (24) 19:53 @ Spikes & Spurs
24. Jennifer Lima, 10 - East Lake (NR) 19:55 @ North Port
25. Sabrina Quijano, 10 - Lourdes (20) 20:25 @ King of the Hill
26. Victoria Jung, 11 - George Jenkins (30) 19:56 @ North Port
27. Robyn Natherson, 11 - Sarasota Riverview (NR) 19:56 @ North Port
28. Shanon Grace, 11 - Lyman (NR) 19:59 @ Astronaut
29. Lauren Gavulic, 12 - Ferguson (21) 20:30 @ Youth Fair
30. Brianna Rischar, 12 - St. Thomas (15) IDLE

 

 

Boys State Rankings by Classifications:

 

1A Boys Rankings
By: Mark Caulfield, Circle Christian School, markscaul@aol.com

Team Rankings:

Commentary: As we move into our 2nd Boys 1A Rankings, we begin to see an interesting movement of teams and their approach to the early season.  We have some teams who have already run 4 meets while others just 1. Some teams show evidence of a solid summers while others not so much. Some teams look for fast courses to boost confidence while others could care less about time at this point. But, the one constant that seems to remain is Holy Trinity and the Maclay School are back on top once again at 1 and 2. With the talent and depth already being displayed, HTA looks unbeatable this year and with its youth, it could maintian that position for years ahead. Two early season top pics to compete for the runners up spot, Shorecrest Prep and The Geneva School have started slow but have the talent and experience to move up quickly as the season progresses. The biggest movements this poll involve Indian Rocks into 4th and Melbourne Central Catholic into 9th positions. Both teams have shown early season success and quality performances. With the big October meets of FlRunners and Pre-State coming up soon a clearer picture of teams and rankings are soon to emerge.......
 
  Team Name, Region (Prev.)  Comments:
1. Holy Trinity Academy (1) Finished 5th at the prestigious Carrolton Georgia Invitational and winning the Inaugural Bayside Bears Invitation with an impressive 16:31 team average. With 16 runners already under 18:50 at this early part of the season this may be one of Coach Butlers deeper competitive teams. Don't see this spot being vacated for a couple of years. 
2. Maclay School (4) With a 17:45 top 5 team average and a 1:24 gap for runers 1-7 positions the Mauraders move back into the runners up spot in this weeks poll. A team with a rich tradition of success, Coach Gary Droze is reloading with a fresh and new group of talented Harriers. 
3. The Geneva School (2) Finished 10th in the Elite Division of the Hagerty Invitational with an 18:20 team average despite missing two of their top 5 runners. Team is loaded with potential and talent that hopefully begins to rise to the top as the bigger October races begin. 
4. Indian Rocks Christian (9) Opened up their season with a win at their own Indian Rocks Christian Invitational over Shorecrest Prep with an 18:30 tearm average followed by another win at the George Blackwell Invitational.  This team is looking to continue where they left off at last years 5th place State finish.
5. Westminster Academy (5) Coming off a win at the SACC Open Meet with 22 points and a team average of 18:28, this veteran team, with a history of success in South Florida, will be there when it counts. Strong up front and well balanced team in need of a fast course to show their stuff.
6. Pensacola Christian Acad. (6) A 6th place finish at the J.D. Mac Invitational with an 18:16 team average on a fast course. Good team depth but will need top runners to move further up for a chance to break into the Top 5.
7. Shorecrest Prep (3) This team has started slow but with 4 of 5 returners from last years 3rd place State team, it should be only a matter of time.  Finished 13th on a fast tract at the North Port Invitational with an 18:32 team average. 
8. Circle Chrisian School (10) Ran an 18:25 team average on a fast but wet and muddy Jim Ryun Invitational. Potentially strong through their top 4, the team is young, talented, but vulnerable with depth. If they stay healthy and a #5 comes along, they could battle for a top 5 spot. 
9. Melbourne Central Catholic (NR) MCC has caught some early season attention with a pair of impressive showings at the Terrier Invitational (7th) and Bayside Bear Invitational with a nice 18:04 team average. Good depth and a tight pack but will need improvement up front to compete well in the bigger meets.
10. Father Lopez (8) A fourth place finish at the Mount Dora Bible Bulldog Invitational and a 5th place finish at the Jim Ryun Invitational (19:08 team average) keeps them in the top 10.
11. Miami Country Day (NR) An 7th place finish at the 38 team Miami Dade County Youth Fair Invitational with a 19:20 team average of the moderate Larry and Penny Thompsom Park course. A darkhorse team that could very well be much better in the months ahead.
12. Westminster Christian (7) An 8th place finish at the Miami Dade County Youth Fair Invitational with a 19:26 team average of the moderate Larry and Penny Thompsom Park course. Strong returning team that should continue to improve.
13. Oak Hall (NR) Opened season with an 18:52 Team average at the fast UF Mountain Dew Invitational.
14. Cardinal Mooney (NR) 19:05 team average a the North Port Invitational (18th place). A team that could surprise.
15a. P.K. Yonge (NR) 19:12 Team average at the Florida Horse Park Invitational (13th Place). Well balanced. 
15b. Seffner Christian Academy (NR) 19:13 Team average at North Port Invitational (21st Place). Strong up front at #1 spot.

Individual Rankings: 

Commentary: For many coaches and athletes, September meets are more about training evaluation and fitness assessment, than about competitive times. The State meet is still 8 weeks away and emphasis is generally about incremental progression through developmental training. With that being said, fast and competitive times are still being run early and this weeks poll begins to move away from last years successes to this years current reality. Reigning 1A champion, Franco Martins rightfully returns to the top of the poll with a nice 15:54 runner up finish on the quick North Port Invitational course. Cacciatore and Kattenberg continue to battle each other in meets pushing one another towards consistent competitive finishes. Gonzalez from The Geneva School seems to be knocking off some of the racing rust with a quality run last week as he inches closer to the Top 3. While still early in the season, lots of quality times are being run on some fast (and sometimes maybe short) courses over these last few weeks. Either way, the cream already seems to be rising to the top as teams gear up for the usual hyper competitive October with FLrunners and Pre-State just around the corner. 
 
  Athlete Name, Grade – Team (Prev.)  Time, Comments:
1. Franco Martins, Senior - Windermere Prep (3) Initial concerns over a late summer injury scare seems to have diminished as the defending 1A CC Champ realed off a nice 15:54 runner up finish at the North Port Invitational setting up a big showdown at Pre-State with Cacciatore and Kattenberg.  Until someone from 1A defeats him though, he is still deservedly, the man at the top.
1. Andrew Cacciatore, Senior - Holy Trinity (1) Ran 15:48 in winning the Bayside Bears Invitational on a fast but sloppy course coming back from a 3rd place finish in Carrolton behind teammate Trevor Kattenberg. Three sub 16 minute efforts so far though shows this Senior is consistent, fit, and ready for Pre-State. Big summer is paying huge dividends early!
3. Trevor Kattenberg, Sophomore - Holy Trinity (2) Finished 2nd at the Carrolton Invitational ahead of Cacciatore and then ran an impressive 15:57 second place finish at the Bayside Bears Invitational. Combine that with a 15:52 and 15:59 clockings in his first two meets and this talented sophomore is off to a great start with big goals ahead.
4. Nicholas Gonzalez, Senior - The Geneva School (4) Ran a solid and controlled 16:11 at the Haggerty Invitational to finish 4th. Seems to be rounding back into racing shape and looks to close the gap with the top 3 at Pre-State.
5. Cal Davidson Turner, Senior - Cardinal Mooney High School. (5) Ran 16:34 on a fast tract at the North Port Invitational to finish in 11th place. Shows consistent progression through the first part of the season and should be one to watch in October. 
6. Micah Kemp, Senior - Jay High School (9) Ran 16:16 in winning the JD Mac Invitational on a course that typically seems to run 20-30 second fast. Even still, this Senior seems poised to make a big jump into the Class 1A elite level. 
7. Noah Perkins, Junior - Seffner Christian (7) Followed up his early season 16:41 with a 16:38 13th place showing at the North Port Invitational. His early meet consistency shows positive signs for what lies ahead. 
8. Patrick McNamara, Senior - Admiral Faragut Academy (NR) Has opened up the season runing 16:43 and 16:44 at the Bradenton Invitational and North Port Invitational.  This Senior always seems on the verge of a big breakout. Hopefully this is the year.
9. Egan Kattenberg, Sophomore - Holy Trinity (8) Has run 16:45, 16:46 and 16:43 so far this season. The latest comes with a 3rd place finish at the Bayside Bears Invitational for this talented Sophomore.
10. Tucker Hindle, Junior - Boca Raton Christian (10) Ran 16:47 to finish 3rd at the Cobra Invitational and 16:55 to finish 5th in an impressive field at the Pine Crest Invitational. This rising Junior seems poised and ready to make a run towards the top. 
11. Austin Perry, Senior - Oak Hall Academy (NR) Opened up the season with a 16:35 PR clocking on the sizzling UF golf course in the Mountain Dew Classic.  Seems to love this course as his PR last year (16:45) came at the same meet. 
12. Luke Peterson, Junior - Shorecrest Prep (6) Ran 16:55 at Indian Rocks Invitational and 16:59 at the North Port Invitational. As a 9th place finisher at last years State Meet, he has the talent and experience to move up as the season progresses.
13. Casey McCracken, Senior - Westminster Academy (NR) Finished 22nd in last years CC State Meet and opened up this season with a 16:59 finish at the TKA Lions Invitational followed by a win in the SACC Open Meet.
14. John Cacciatore, Sophomore - Holy Trinity  (NR) Ran 16:57 at the Bayshore Bears Invitational for 6th place.  Another young and talented athlete from HTA coming up the ranks. 
15. Jake Mazziotta, Sophomore - Maclay (NR) Ran 17:17 in winning the Bainbridge Wildcat Invitational. Looking to improve upon his 26th place State finish last season.
       
  Watch List (Alphabetical Order):
  Luke Boeche, Senior - Indian Rocks Christian (NR) Opened up the season with a 17:14 at the Indian Rocks Invitational and then won the George Blackwell Invitational.
  Isak Davis, Senior - The Geneva School (NR) Has only run 1 race (17:49), but his Tenth place showing at State last year warrants a spot to look out for. 
  Matt Doyle, Sophomore - Circle Christian (NR) Ran 17:08 for 3rd place at the Jim Ryun Invitational. Talented and hard working sophomore looking to move up. 
  Jerod Fuller, Senior - Lakeland Christian (NR) Ran 17:17 for a 4th place finish at the Jim Ryun Invitational. Finished 31st at Last years State Meet. 
  Chase Hyland, Sophomore, The Pine School (NR) Followed up his 16:49 clocking at Martin County Under the Lights meet with a win at the Community Christian Academy Invitational.
  Bryce Austin-Wahy, Sophomore - Holy Trinity (NR) Ran 17:08 for 7th place at the Bayside Bear Invitational. Talented Sophomore looking to put it all together.  

 

 

2A Boys Rankings
By: Bryan Garcia, Tampa Plant HS, bcgfalcons@yahoo.com

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Last week I did not write in the commentary because to be honest I didn't see it when filling this out. But it all worked out as it would have been in vain with all the changes in the top 15 teams this week. Trinity Prep has a strong lead as McKeel, Pine Crest, and Pensacola Catholic all swap. Some big surprises back load the top 10. Region 3 claims the most teams with 5 as we head into the final week of September.
 
  Team Name, Region (Prev.)  Comments:
1. Trinity Prep, Region 2 (1) Runner-up at Katie Caples to 3A Creekside. They won in blowout fashion at the Seminole Invite placing all 5 guys in the top 12 and averaging 16:52.  
2. McKeel Academy, Region 3 (4) Finished 8th overall at UF this past weekend. They averaged 17:14 and beat 2A foe Pine Crest as they look to make a run at the podium. 
3. Pine Crest, Region 4 (2) They were 11th overall at UF averaging 17:18. Although they lost to McKeel, the season is young as they have an eye on top 2 in the state. 
4. Pensacola Catholic, Region 1 (4) This was the hardest team to settle on. Coming off a big win at Azalea City in Alabama, this team averaged 17:34, but also won by 36 points. The 2A team to watch into October. 
5. Bishop Kenny, Region 1 (5) 17:38 average at Katie Caples placing 4th as a team, BK makes Region 1 even more interesting. PC and Bolles were spread a good distance from BK, but November is a ways off. 
6. Titusville, Region 4 (6) Holding the same spot, THS placed 19th at UF with a team average of 17:34. This team is good enough to finish in the top 5 in November. 
7. Berkeley Prep, Region 3  (NR) Finished 22nd at UF (17:45 average). The reason for the jump? Max Borland, who medaled in track in 2013 is back which puts them in the top 10 through 3 even with a huge 1-5 gap. 
8. Labelle HS, Region 3 (NR) Second in the Invitational Race at North Port (17:40 average). Another surprising team into the top 10, this team had a 40 second 1-5 gap. Watch for them to close on the top 5. 
9. Tampa Jesuit, Region 3 (13) Although their 5th man was 18:56 on Saturday at North Port, they had an individual in the Invitational race who would have been their 3rd man giving them an average of 17:43. 
10. Bolles HS, Region 1 (14) Finished 5th at Katie Caples two weekends ago averaging 17:55. They were 52 points back of BK, however in a smaller, regional meet it’s a closer race between them, BK and PC.
11. Satellite HS, Region 4 (15) This team was only 2 points away from beating BKP at UF on Saturday with a 17:51 average. This team has raced good and bad as they try to put it together heading into October.
12. Immokalee HS, Region 3 (NR) Another team that has jumped into the top 15, Immokalee averaged 17:53 at North Port to finish 10th 4 points back of Jesuit. This is a good young team bent on making the top 10.
13. West Florida Tech, Region 1 (8) Falling out of the top 10, West Florida Tech finished 3rd at the Mac Invite (17:54 average). Being 18:29-31 for 4 and 5 helps the spread as they look to compete for top 3 in Region 1.
14. Rockledge HS, Region 4 (7) This team tumbled out of the top 10 as well following a 27th place and 18:00 average at UF. This team has the potential, now it just has to get back on track next week at Flrunners.
15. Nature Coast Tech, Region 2 (NR) Moving up into the top 15, NCT won their home meet two weekends ago and then finished 2nd at Crystal River Invite (18:02 average). Placing 4 in the top 10, including going 1-2, this team is dangerous upfront. Watchout for them in Region 2.

Individual Rankings: 

Commentary: Two things concerned me most when doing these rankings. First, I knew some individual's who should be on the list would be forggoten; and second, I was terrified at putting Chas Cook at 7th because I thought he would back up his incredible track season after a decent first meet that saw him finish second to teammate Jesse Milson. And did he ever prove it finishing a few seconds behind Kurt Convey. Also, Zack Weaver has thorougly proven he is the best so far with the fastest time in 2A. And back to forgetting, Joel Lacy was somehow left off even though he finished 8th in XC last season. The season is still young and the individual perfomances are strong. 
 
  Athlete Name, Grade – Team (Prev.)  Time, Comments:
1. Zack Weaver - 12th - Pasco HS (2) Ran 15:58 this past weekend to place 8th at UF Invite. He had his first win two weekends ago at SVMR and has had a steady improvement as we head into October. 
2. Chas Cook - 11th - Trinity Prep  (7) 16:01 at Katie Caples to place second, then ran away with the Seminole Invite to win in 16:12. He has a great shot at a state championship, team and individual wise.
3. Nic Jacobsen - 11th - St. Andrews HS (3) Won the Cobra Invite this past weekend (16:16). He held off 4A's elite in Ilio Sanchez's showing he can run with the best regardless of classification.
4. Mason Jones - 10th - Titusville HS  (4) After a 16:34 showing to hold off Austin Camps a couple of weeks ago, he had a strong showing at UF running 16:07 and keeping his eye on the best in 2A.
5. Jesse Milson - 11th - Trinity Prep (5) After running 16:28 at Katie Caples and 16:40 this past weekend to place 3rd at Seminole Invite, he's got a legitimate shot at a top 5 finish.  
6. Connor Vaughan - 12th - Wolfson HS  (1) Placed 7th in 16:32 at Katie Caples. After a great opening weekend, he finished just behind Milson and looks to get back into the conversation for top 5 in the state.
7. Leonal Ochoa - 10th - Berkeley Prep  (13) Ran an incredible 16:27 at UF this past weekend to place 21st. The sophomore has catipulted into the top 10 and looks to stay there as the season continues. 
8. Urias Velasquez - 12th - Immokalee HS  (17) Ran 16:26 at North Port this past weekend. After not giving him enough credit two weeks ago, he has established he is state medalist material for his final season. 
9. Joel Lacy - 11th - Calvary Christian Acad. (NR) 16:36 at Jim Ryun for the win. Like the song, he's the one that got away. 6th at the state meet in track in the 1600, he clearly should be on this list and in the top 10.  
10. Austin Camps - 12th - West Shore HS (18) As noted, 16:35 at Terrier Invite getting outkicked by Jones and then a solid 16:33 performance this past weekend at UF. He rose to the occasion and to the top 10. 
11. Michael Kennedy - 12th - Pine Crest  (10) 16:36 at UF just behind Camps. He falls one spot due to head to head, however it could have gone either way and his by no means out of contention for a medal. 
12. Alexander Bullock - 11th - West Florida Tech (19) 16:39 at Mac Invite to place 3rd, his 21 second PR has him aiming for a top 10 position in the state. 
13. Trevor Foley - 9th - Nature Coast Tech (15) 16:41 at Crystal River Invite for the win. The freshmen ceases to amaze as he gets back to back wins (NCI,CRI) and could be on the podium in November.
14. Gabriel Correa - 11th - Ransom Everglades  (6) 16:48 at DCYF to place 4th. Has taken a fall out of the top 10, but I would be foolish if I said he will not be in the mix. One off kilter race will not define his season. 
15. Grant Kemp - 10th - Pensacola Catholic HS  (8) 17:03 at Azalea City in Alabam two weekends ago. It's safe to assume he is in the top part of 2A and will look to hold his own in the top 15. 
16. Casey Brady - 12th - McKeel Academy  (NR) 16:46 at UF this past weekend. He had some fast times in track and should definitely be one to watch as the season goes along. 
17. Kyle Fox - 10th - The Villages  (11) 16:50 at the FHPI two weekends ago. Picked up his first win of his XC career this past week at VHSI (17:19). He's had a great season so far and is one to watch. 
18. Alejandro Ruiz - 11th - Immokalee HS  (NR) Improving his time in every race so far, he ran 16:49 at North Port to place 16th. He looks to gather momentum into October for a top 20 finish. 
19. Trent Mandato - 10th - Trinity Prep  (NR) 16:51 at Seminole Invite placing 4th. He finished 5th in the region in the 3200 (10:08) in the spring and rounds out a top 3 that has TP looking at another state title. 
20. Anderson Bobo - 11th - Lake Highland Prep (23) After a fast 17:12 at Astronaut to start the season, he ran 20 seconds faster at Hagerty to place 14th. The junior is making strides to finish in the top 20.  
21. Sadrick Severe - 12th - Mount Dora HS (NR) 16:55 at UF this past weekend. He was the 26th guy on the first rankings list and has proven he belongs in the top 25. 
22. Edward Neyman -12th - Pensacola Catholic HS (12) Ran 17:11 at Azalea City two weekends ago. He fell out of the top 20, but it will be interesting to see how he fares this weekend at the Gulf Coast Stampede.  
23. Tyler Skidelsky - 12th - Lake Highland Prep (9) 16:55 to open the season at Astranuat, but did not run Hagerty with the team two weekends ago. Hopefully its nothing serious and just SAT/ACT that kept him out. 
24. Jason Caldwell - 12th - Jesuit HS (NR) 16:55 at North Port to put himself and Jesuit on the scene. The senior PR'd and has his name in the top 25 and is someone to keep an eye on as the season goes on. 
25. Hunter Chavis - 10th - Mount Dora HS  (NR) The sophomore busted onto the scene Saturday in 16:57 at UF. Had a good track season and looks to make a name for himself this season. 
       
  Notable names left off:    
  - Several weeks into the season and no sign of Lincoln Park's Caleb Pottorff. Pottorf, who starred as a freshmen, medaled in cross country in 2013 before taking 3rd in both the 1600 and 3200 at states in the spring. If it's any indication, however, Pottorff's background on flrunners is one of someone (most likely himself) skiing. Let's hope it didn't put a "freeze" on his sophomore year.
  - Also, Berkeley is back on the map with the return of Max Boreland and a healthy Vasilis Vasiloudes. Both are seniors, and as mentioned above Borland placed 3rd in the 3200 (9:40) his junior year in 2014. Vasiloudes placed 29th at the state meet last season and we should keep an eye on both as the season progresses. 

 

 

3A Boys Rankings
By: Ryan Lowe, Lake Nona HS, ryan.lowe@ocps.net

Team Rankings:

Commentary: After a couple of races, it looks like things are back to normal in 3A - Belen is the team to beat.  There have been a couple of interesting head-to-head battles that helped determine placement in the rankings and it looks like things are shaping up real nice for some mid-season showdowns.
 
  Team Name, Region (Prev.)  Comments:
1. Belen, R4 (2) Won UF and looked strong in doing so.
2. Chiles, R1 (1) Won @ Horse Park and should continue to lower their times.
3. Bartram Trail, R1 (3) Although their team average is just below Vanguard, they won the head-to-head battle.
4. Ocala Vanguard, R2 (5) The freshman Fitzpatrick is leading this team higher each week.
5. Pembroke Pines Charter, R4 (NR) They had a really good race @ UF but will need their 4 and 5 to improve if they want to contend.
6. Ft. Myers, R3 (NR) McGregor pulled his team along at UF and they have what it takes.
7. Creekside, R1 (6) Top 3 runners are performing well so far.
8. Sarasota, R3 (NR) What a nice 1-2 punch leading this team.
9. Leon, R1 (4) The other runners on this team can only improve by running with the best every day in practice.
10. Fort Walton Beach, R1 (8)  
11. Melbourne, R4 (11)  
12. Gainesville, R2 (13)  
13. Estero, R3 (NR)  
14. Matanzas, R2 (10)  
15. Pace, R1 (7)  

Individual Rankings: 

Commentary: Wow, the races early in the season have been nothing short of spectacular.  It seems that every week we have another battle for the top as the 3A boys are showing the state just how strong they are.
 
  Athlete Name, Grade – Team (Prev.)  Time, Comments:
1. Sukhi Khosla, 12 - Leon (1) Until he gets beat, Sukhi will continue to lead this poll.
2. Steven Cross, 11 - Merritt Island (7) Steven has looked amazing from summer camp through his race at UF
3. Ryan Rodriguez, 12 - Belen (5) Ryan let everyone in the state know that he is trying to lead Belen to another title.
4. Dean McGregor, 12 - Ft. Myers (6) Dean had a great run at UF and should be in the mix all season.
5. Adam Bradtmueller, 11 - Sarasota (3) Strong run of 15:48 @ North Port
6. Garrett Camps, 12 - Melbourne (4) Garrett and Steven were back and forth at Hagerty Invite.
7. Ryan Aponte, 12 - St. Augustine (17) 15:51 @ Spikes and Spurs to edge out the freshman Fitzpatrick.
8. Joey Fitzpatrick, 9 - Ocala Vanguard (18) 15:54 @ Spikes and Spurs
9. Zack Summerall, 12 - Sarasota (2) 16:00 @ North Port to give Sarasota that 1-2 combo
10. Tomas Gimenez-Beron, 12 - Pembroke Pines (NR) almost went sub 16 @ UF, 16:01
11. Tyler Fisher, 12 - Port Charlotte (11) Right behind Summerall @ North Port with 16:01
12. Avery Bartlett, 12 - Chiles (8) What a finish at Florida Horse Park with a time of 16:01
13. Marshall Dillon, 11 - Charlotte (NR) Edged out Lopez from Belen @ UF, 16:01
14. Jaime Lopez, 11 - Belen (NR) 16:01 @ UF to give us 6 runners within 1 second of each other on this list.
15. Dillon Vallette, 12 - Estero (15) 16:12 @ North Port

 

 

4A Boys Rankings
By: Jorge Fleitas, Dr. Phillips HS, jfleitas28@gmail.com

Team Rankings:

  Team Name, Region (Prev.)  Comments:
1. St. Thomas, Region 4 (9,5) I called it in my last Rankings "STA brings back Statham a top 15 finisher and a lot of potential on his team," Aquinas placed 5 runners under 16:59 to clich the #1 spot in this weeks Rankings.  
2. Lyman, Region 1 (3,1) If there was one team I could choose to take the title away from Aquinas it has to be the Greyhounds. They have the best 1,2,3, in 4A.
3. Columbus, Region 4 (4,6) The Hellions came out strong at Mt. Dew placing 3 runners under the 17 min mark and an additional 7 runners under 18. 
4. Lake Mary, Region 1 (2,2) The Rams looked a little rusty without Degale. Look for them to bounce back the next two weeks.
5. Winter Park, Region 1 (1,4) The Park had an off week, but at Hagerty showed its talent with two of its top 7 missing.
6. Coral Reef, Region 4 (5,8) It looks like the Reef has found a number #5. Will it be enogh for them to compete in 2014? Flrunners should give us a good idea.
7. HB Plant, Region 2 (18,3) Plant didn’t race this past weekend, and had a nice tempo workout at West Hillsborough Conference without there #4 Markowski.
8. Flagler Palm Coast, Region 1 (10,11) Did not race its Varsity this week.
9. Mandarin, Region 1 (6,12) The Mustangs
10. Dr. Phillips, Region 1 (14,10) Has had two weeks of poor racing by its 1 & 3 can DP bounce back and jump into the top 3 by Flrunners.. Dp has lost its #2 runner for triathlon training. Can the team of just 9 members step up and compete in 2014. 
11. George M. Steinbrenner, Region 2 (NR,13) GMS had a great showing at North Port Invite. GMS has a nice pack that should make a run at a top 10 spot.
12. Sarasota Riverview, Region 2 (NR,NR) Sarasota Riverview may have the second strongest 1-2 punch in 4A. If they can find a 4 and 5 they have a shot at top 10 finish in November
13. Olympia, Region 1 (11,19) The Titans are back into the top 15 edging out Sunset at Mt. Dew
14. Sunset, Region 4 (7,9) Nick Diaz 15:21!!! Wow!!! enough said!
15. Ferguson, Region 4 (13,14) The Falcon round up the top 15 with a nice showing at Dade County Youth Fair.
16. Newsome, Region 2 (16,NR)  
17. Viera, Region 3 (NR, NR)  
18. Sickles, Region 2 (8, NR)  
19. Winter Springs, Region 1 (NR,NR)  
20. Spanish River, Region 3 (7,9)  

Individual Rankings: 

  Athlete Name – Team (Prev.)  
1. Nick Diaz- Sunset (1)  
2. Jack Guyton- Plant (2)  
3. Kurt Convey- Coral Reef (3)  
4. Illio Sanchez- John I. Leonard (4)  
5. Joshua Jacques- Lyman (14)  
6. James Zentmeyer- Sickles (5)  
7. Ryan DeGale- Lake Mary (6)  
8. Carlin Berryhill- Coral Reef (7)  
9. Bryce Statham- St. Thomas (NR)  
10. Christopher Rife- Lake Howell (15)  
11. Warran Grajalez- Sarasota Riverview (8)  
12. Sean Barricklow- Martin County (17)  
13. William Christian Aman- Lake Mary (13)  
14. Trenton Liberty- Mandarin (9)  
15. Blake Riley- Sarasota Riverview (11)  
16. Jordan Armstrong- Lyman (12)  
17. Humberto Freire- Columbus (NR)  
18. Anthony Ramcharran- Douglas (16)  
19. Bryce Bell- Lyman (NR)  
20. Justin Pacifico- Flagler Palm Coast (18)  

 

 

*Please remember that all of these rankings are done by volunteers and are meant to increase the overall enjoyment of the sport for athletes, coaches, parents, and fans. They are just for fun and should not have a lot of weight put on them. But if you have issues (such as a missed athlete or team), please email the individual pollster for your classification / gender, or direct major concerns to Flrunners Administrator / FACA Rankings Representative: Coach Ryan Raposo- ryanraposo@gmail.com