Florida Cross Country State Meet By The Numbers: Top Boys Teams By Decade

Michael Warre takes a look at the top boys teams at the cross country state meet since the 1940's. Check out over seventy years of history!

* = Part of top 10 teams each season

1940's

Starting in 1947 there were only five different teams over those first three seasons. Jacksonville area schools would show their dominance in cross country from the beginning into the 60's.

1950's

During the 1950's there were 11 meets and two of which were held in 1953. The 1st in spring that year alongside track & field and then followed by the normal fall season of cross country. I theorize that the 1953 spring season may have been a makeup season, in a sense, for the 1952 XC season in which only two teams had enough runners to score. The 1953 spring meet was the best attended meet to date with seven teams scoring. This theory could help to explain why Technology of Jacksonville could win state and never show up again. Since many schools did not offer cross country, but did offer track & field and it would have been very easy to gather up a team when you already had all the runners out for track and since all you needed would be to run one more race, but off the track. A second theory could be that it was planned to increase interest in XC by introducing the sport to schools already involved in track & field.   During the 50's there were 33 different teams that competed at state finishing within the top ten. Fletcher would overtake Robert E. Lee for the #1 spot all-time in 1955. No team during the 50's placed within the top ten each of the 11 state meets, but Fletcher was able to do so eight times.

1940's & 50's

1960's

The 1960 season would be the last season for a single class at the state meet. Starting in 1961 they broke the state into 2A for larger schools & 1A for the smaller schools. During the 60's there were 69 different teams making the trip to state with 34 from 2A & 43 from 1A. Three schools would appear in all of these classes, Ribault, Fletcher & Terry Parker. Each of these schools would start in the 1A class and move up to 2A along with four other schools Columbus, Dunedin, Eau Gallie & Winter Park. Once again as in the 50's no team placed within the top ten each year, however, Ft. Lauderdale came close with nine top ten appearances from 1960-68.

Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale 59
Forrest Jacksonville 55
Fletcher Jacksonville 53
Paxon Jacksonville 41
Englewood Jacksonville 40
Boone Orlando 38
Seabreeze Daytona Beach 32
Dunedin Dunedin 30
Boca Raton Boca Raton 29
PK Yonge Gainesville 29
Stranahan Fort Lauderdale 27

1940's - 60's

Fletcher Jacksonville 108
Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale 93
Paxon Jacksonville 75
Boone Orlando 59
Forrest Jacksonville 55
Englewood Jacksonville 40
Stranahan Fort Lauderdale 36
Seabreeze Daytona Beach 32
Dunedin Dunedin 30
Boca Raton Boca Raton 29
PK Yonge Gainesville 29

1970's

The 70's brought on a power shift away from Jacksonville towards the Tampa Bay, Miami areas as well as to Titusville and also brings on the emergence of the private schools. In 1970 they expanded to three different classes, 2A for large schools, 'A' for mid-size schools and 'B' for the small schools and remain three classes into the 80's. However, only after one year they change the classes in name only to 4A=2A, 3A=A & 2A=B. Largo & Clearwater Central Catholic, both in Largo, FL would set some standards to follow for years to come. Largo would win six titles, three runners up & a 4th place during the '70s becoming the only team to be in the top ten each season while the smaller across town CCC would end the decade with four straight titles. Both were feats that had never  been reached before. Chaminade would start the decade matching Largo stride for stride from 1970-74 with three titles & two runners up and end up in 2nd best for the decade. During the 70's there were 109 teams that made the top 10 in their respective classes.  There were 37 4A, 35 3A, 41 2A, 10 A & 9 B schools with Orange Park & Chaminade who were in three different classes while 20 other schools competed in two different classes during the decade.

Largo* Largo 94

Chaminade Hollywood 59
Bishop Barry/St. Pete Cath. St. Petersburg 58
South Plantation Plantation 53
Astronaut Titusville 49
Belen Jesuit Miami 43
Brandon Brandon 43
Clearwater Central Catholic Largo 41
St. Andrews Boca Raton 39
Mt. Dora Bible Mt. Dora 38

1940's - 70's

Fletcher Jacksonville 110
Largo Largo 103
Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale 94
Paxon Jacksonville 75
Bishop Barry/St. Pete Cath. St. Petersburg 74
Forrest Jacksonville 68
Chaminade Hollywood 66
Boone Orlando 60
Stranahan Fort Lauderdale 57
PK Yonge Gainesville 54
South Plantation Plantation 53

1980's

The 80's would open with three classes than added a fourth class, 'A', in 1983. Largo would open the 80's by winning their 7th state title, hurling themselves into the #1 team position in the all-time standings. Leto would better Largo during this decade by winning five state titles to Largo's four. It is interesting to note that if either team was not at state, both would have added two more state crowns to their totals. However, Leto did not win the greatest number of titles for the decade. That honor belonged to Westminster Academy who took control of the new Class A by taking six of the 1st seven titles in that class. Belen Jesuit would become the 1st team to finished within the top ten each season during the 80's at state and yet had never won a title. Belen would also leap frog into number three all-time at state by the end of the decade. Largo also set a record closing the 80's with their 21st straight appearance in the top ten at state. As a matter of fact Largo for 16 years from 1969-84 had never finished below 4th and that only happened once. All of Largo's finishes were either 1st or 2nd and  they would win their 10th and last title in 1987. There were 116 teams that made it into the top ten at state during the 80's.

Leto* Tampa 92

Largo* Largo 71
Bolles Jacksonville 68
Rockledge Rockledge 68
Belen Jesuit* Miami 66
Westminster Academy Fort Lauderdale 64
Ransom Everglades Miami 58
Palmer Trinity Lake Wales 57
Leon Tallahassee 52
Bishop Kenny Jacksonville 51
Bishop Moore Orlando 44

1940's-80's

 

Largo Largo 174
Fletcher Jacksonville 110
Belen Jesuit Miami 109
Rockledge Rockledge 101
Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale 94
Leto Tampa 93
Astronaut Titusville 89
Leon Tallahassee 78
PK Yonge Gainesville 77
Chaminade Hollywood 76
Titusville Titusville 75

1990's

The 90's would begin with four classes. Later in 1994 they added a 5th, but before doing so renamed all four classes in 1993. Essentially 4A was renamed 5A and likewise down the line 3A became 4A, 2A became 3A and A became 2A. Than in 1994 when the 5th class was added it became known as 6A becoming the new large school class while the 2A remain the smallest school class. After all that shuffling they returned to the same class format they had started with at the beginning  of 90's. During the 90's 135 different schools were represented in the state meet top ten in their respected classes. The 90's had four different teams that each won three  titles a piece, Bishop Kenny, Ransom Everglades, Estero & Bucholz. Bishop Kenny & Belen Jesuit would end the two longest futility streaks by entering the top ten yet failing to win the state title. It would take Bishop Kenny 13 seasons before winning their 1st state title in 1991 and would  start this decade finishing either 1st or 2nd in each of the first six seasons. Belen Jesuit would set the all-time mark of 22 straight appearances without a title ending with their 1st title in 1995. In 1999 Belen Jesuit would pass up Largo as the all-time leader in Florida Boys XC. Ransom Everglades would continue a streak starting in 1987 of never finishing below 5th that would help them lead the decade.

Ransom Everglades* Miami 81

1940's-90's

2000's

In the 2000's, the FHSAA continued with four classes, however, chose to rename Class A to 1A. This decade add the tightest finish ever with only four points separating the top five teams. All but Winter Park were able to finished in the top ten each season. Winter Park missed in 2005 being sandwiched between two of their state titles. As a matter of fact Winter Park would take five titles during this decade followed by newcomer Holy Trinity with four. Maclay would end the 90's and started the new century out with five straight titles a feat that has never been matched. Ransom Everglades would make a top ten appearance each season during this decade but they were never able to finish higher the 4th place which they did four times. Only 132 teams finished within the top ten during the 2000's a small drop from the 90's total of 135.

Belen Jesuit* Miami 83
Bishop Kenny* Jacksonville 81
Trinity Prep* Winter Park 81
Jesuit* Tampa 80
Winter Park Winter Park 79
Holy Trinity Episcopal Melbourne 73
Chiles Tallahassee 68
Maclay Tallahassee 65
Flagler Palm Coast Bunnell 60
Gulliver Prep Miami 50
Ransom Everglades* Miami 50

1940's-2000's

Belen Jesuit Miami 261
Bishop Kenny Jacksonville 223
Ransom Everglades Miami 195
Largo Largo 177
Jesuit Tampa 166
Leto Tampa 165
Trinity Prep Winter Park 162
Rockledge Rockledge 143
Winter Park Winter Park 140
Leon Tallahassee 130

2010's (So Far!)

We are half way through this decade and three teams are on pace to break or tie Largo's record of 94 points in a single decade. This also shows that seven of this top ten are from private schools clearly showing the sport has changed course over the years.  Holy Trinity is on track to tie Maclay's record of five straight titles this next season. While Belen Jesuit & Trinity Prep  both continues to parallel Largo's & Leto's performances of the 70's through the 90's, Holy Trinity is on the way to possible better them both. So far during this decade 86 different teams have made the top ten at the state meet. Also all the classes have remained in tacked. Three teams have had to move up a class this decade, Trinity Prep & McKeel Academy moved from 1A to 2A, while Estero moved from 2A to 3A.

Holy Trinity Episcopal* Melbourne 49

1940's-Present (This list has been updated to include the 2014 results!)

TOP TEN ALL-TIME DECADE PREFORMANCES