It's been a few weeks that have passed for the competitive racing season of 2015, so let's see how our volunteer FACA pollsters have broken down each state race by gender and classification!
1A Girls Rankings
By: Mark Caulfield, Circle Christian School, markscaul@aol.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: No change in the Top 5 with Holy Trinity remaining the
team to beat in Girls Class 1A. Oak Hall has spent a quiet two weeks and only
ran a few of their top 5. Maclay opened up their season with a strong finish at
Katie Caples finishing 20 points ahead of Circle Christian in the Elite Race.
First Academy Orlando continue to improve each week along with Community School
of Naples who moves up to 6th this poll. The biggest jump comes from
Providence School who jumps to 7th with strong showings at UNF and
Katie Caples.
Rank. (Previous Rank) Team, Region = Comments
1. (1), Holy Trinity, Region 3 = Solid win at the Astronaut Invitational (short course) followed by a win at the Raider Classic (22:34 avg.) where the top 4 did not compete. Season best 20:43 team average at Spikes and Spurs (8/29). Potentially 3 of the top 10 in Class 1A keeps this team on top.
2. (2), Oak Hall, Region 2 = Full team has only run 1 race together (Jim Ryun Inv.) to start the season but hard to deny the talent within. Stays at #2 with high expectations in the upcoming UF, FLrunners, and Pre-State meets in the next 3 weeks. Season Best 21:44 team average at Jim Ryun Inv. (8/29).
3. (3), Maclay School, Region 1 = Opened up with full team at Katie Caples where they finished 4th in the Elite Division behind a strong 7th and 12th place finish by Lindsay James and Caroline Willis. When a couple of their key runners come fully back from early season injuries, they could contend for top 2.
4. (4), Circle Christian, Region 3 = The Centurions had solid 3rd and 5th place showings at Martin County Under the Lights and Katie Kaples Elite Race (21:57 avg.) but has yet to all run well together. Season Best 21:45 team average at Martin County (9/4). Young talent and a solid summer has this team competing well early.
5. (5), First Academy, Region 3 = Finished 2nd at the Haggerty Invitational with a season best 21:34 team average and 1:11 top 5 split on the fast UCF course without one of their top 3. Eighth grade newcomer Isablle Crist leads the way for a talented and experienced team looking to move up and compete for Top 3 spot.
6. (7), Community School, Region 2 = A strong 3rd place showing at the DDD Invitational (22:36 team average) shows this team is rounding into shape. With a strong Top 3 and all 7 returning from last year's 6th place State Finish this team is capable of being in the Top 3. Season best 21:57 at the Riverdale Invitational (9/5)
7. (NR), Providence School, Region 1 = Opened up the 2015 season with a 6th place finish at the UNF Invitational (21:48 avg. / 2:57 split) and a 9th place finish (22:16 avg. / 3:19 split) in the Elite Race at the Katie Caples Invitational. Strong at 1 and 2 with youthful talent at 3 through 5. A team to definitely watch.
8. (8), Westminster Christian, Region 4 = A couple of new and talented 7th and 8th graders have joined the mix of a team that returned 3 of their top 7 from last year's 5th place State team. A win at the Westminster Academy Invitational shows this team is progressing well. Season best 22:37 team average at Dade Youth Fair (9/3).
9. (NR), Shorecrest Prep, Region 2 = A 2nd place finish at the Indian Rocks Invitational with a season best 22:51 team average shows this team is moving up. Team has some talent to keep an eye on.
10. (NR), St. Johns Country Day, Region 1 = Opened up the 2015 season with a 9th place finish at the UNF Invitational (22:58 team average) followed by a 3rd place showing in the Varsity Division at Katie Caples (23:18 team average). Newcomer 6th grader Mackenzie Glenn looks like one to watch in the years ahead.
11. (6), Bishop Snyder, Region 1 = After a strong start at the Bob Hans Invitational the lady Cardinals stumbled a bit at Katie Caples without their #3 with a 14th place showing in the Elite race (24:13 average). Team has the talent to be Top 10 with improved depth. Season Best 22:17 team average on the fast Bob Hans Inv. course.
12. (NR) Boca Raton Christian, Region 4 = A young team strong at #1 with one of the best. Finished 6th in the 1A/2A Division (22:42 team avg.) at Martin County and a 2nd place finish at the Westminster Home Meet.
Watch List:
Calvary Christian, Region 2; Benjamin School, Region 3; Miami Country Day, Region 4; Kings Academy, Region 3.
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: Things are about to get very interesting in Class 1A competition. While Rebecca Clark maintains the top spot with the 2nd fastest time in the state (all classifications) and 60 seconds faster than Hannah Brookover in the second spot, the next 8 are all within 40 seconds followed by 9-20 all within another 30 seconds. The biggest jumps this poll include Lindsay James from Maclay School and Audrey Woods from Providence who bound into the 10 and 11th spots following impressive showings at Katie Caples. With big meets coming up at UF, FLRunners, and FSU, this should be exciting times as each of these talented runners jockey for positions in head to head competitions leading towards the State Series.
Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade -- Team = Comments
1. (1), Rebecca Clark, 9th, Mount Dora Christian = Season Best 18:06 win at the Hagerty Invitational on a fast UCF course followed an easy win at the Lecanto Invitational (18:53). Last year's State CC Runner-up is off to a great start.
2. (3), Hannah Brookover, 12th, Calvary Christian = Opened up the season with a strongly contested 3rd place finish (19:06) at the UNF Invitational over a moderate rated UNF course.
3. (4), Lindsay Tomaini, 12th, Community School of Naples = A strong summer has Tomaini primed for a great season evidenced by a convincing 20:27 win at the Estero DDD Invitational on the slow Estero Community Park course. Season Best 19:27 (2nd) at Riverdale Inv. (8/29)
4. (2), Shelby Smith, 12th, Holy Trinity = Won the Astronaut Invitational with a 17:12 time on the short 2.8 mile course (19:12 conversion +/-). Season best of 19:30 on the fast Spikes & Spurs course (8/29).
5. (5), Grace Blair, 10th, Oak Hall = Followed her win at Jim Ryun with a solid 19:39 ninth place effort at the Florida Horse Park Invitational on the moderate rated and slightly long Ocala Horse Park Course.
6. (8), Maya Espinosa, 8th, Baker School = Opened the season with a 19:31 win at the Gulf Coast Classic with hopes of improving upon her 5th place State finish in 2014.
7. (9), Sydney Smith, 12th, Holy Trinity Academy = Finished 3rd at the Astronaut Invitational with a 17:28 time on the short 2.8 mile course (19:28 conversion +/-). Talented Senior looking to finish strong.
8. (6), Samantha Folio, 11th, Holy Trinity = Finished 4th at the Astronaut Invitational with a 17:37 time on the short 2.8 mile course (19:37 conversion +/-). Season best of 19:40 at Warrior Jamboree (8/22). .
9. (11), Jasmine Hinapie, 8th, Boca Raton Christian = A strong 2nd place 19:46 finish at Martin County Under the Lights on the moderate rated Halpatiokee Regional Park Course moves the talented 8th grader into the top 10. Keep an eye on this one. She is fearless on the race course.
10. (NR), Lindsay James, 7th, Maclay School = The first sweet surprise of the season has this talented 7th grader jumping into the rankings with an impressive personal best 20:13 clocking while finishing 7th in the elite division at Katie Caples on the moderate rated and muddy Bishop Kenny course.
11. (NR), Audrey Woods, 9th, Providence School = The second sweet surprise as Woods ran 20:24 to finish 10th in the Katie Caples Elite Race over the moderate rated and muddy tract at Bishop Kenny.
12. (13), Kaytlyn Buschman, 10th, Pensacola Christian = Ran a 19:57 Personal Record to finish 5th at the Gulf Coast Classic on the fast West Florida Tech course. Has also run 20:37 and 20:49 this season.
13. (7), Caroline Willis, 11th, Maclay School = Ran 20:34 to finish 12th on the muddy tract at the Katie Caples Elite Race. Season Best 20:15at Cougar XC Inv. (8/29).
14. (10), Olivia Rovin, 11th, Shorecrest Prep = Ran 20:28 at the Seffner Christian Inv. to finish 5th on the moderate rated Holloway Park Course. Season Best of 19:53 at the fast Indian Rocks Open course (9/3).
15. (12), Sophie Barry, 12th, Community School = Ran 20:52 at Ft. Myers Optimist (8th) and a strong 3rd place finish in 21:37 at the Estero DDD Invitational. Season Best of 20:48 at Riverdale Inv. (8/29)
16. (NR), Josie Garba, 9th, Tampa Prep = Ran 20:41 at the Seffner Christian Inv. to finish 4th on the moderate rated Holloway Park Course. Season Best of 19:43 on the fast Indian Rocks Open course (9/3).
17. (NR), Katherine Messer, 11th, Providence School = Opened the season with a 21:00 (22nd) and 21:09 (19th) efforts at the UNF Invitational and Katie Caples Invitational
18. (14) Karah Hammontree, 12th Circle Christian = Ran 21:02 to finish 13th at Martin County Under the Lights on the moderate Halpatiokee Regional Park Course. Season Best of 20:49 at Jim Ryun Inv. (8/29).
19. (16), Ekaterina Loshkareva, 12th, Community School of Naples = Ran 21:21 at the Fort. Myers Optimist and 21:57 at the Estero DDD Invitational. Season Best of 21:00 at Riverdale Inv. (8/29).
20. (NR), Isabel Crist, 8th, First Academy = Ran 20:46 at Hagerty Invitational on the fast UCF course to finish 8th. A talented young runner looking to help lead a Top 5 team with her equally talented sister.
Watch List:
Lindsay Rosenberg, 9th, Oak Hall; Natasha Stump, 11th, Westminster Christian; Lauren Perry, 11th, Oak Hall; Caroline Crist, 10th, First Academy; Jaden Ault, 9th, Circle Christian School; Sierra Oliveira, 8th, Evangelical Christian; Kenzie Farrish, 11th, Holy Trinity; Emma McLaughlin, 9th, Tampa Bay Heat
2A Girls Rankings
By: Mike Becker, multiple high schools
Team Rankings:
Commentary: Still murky with few head to head match ups of top teams, wet weather, courses that are clearly different (and some short). But it is clear we are heading for a colossal Bolles/Pine Crest showdown in November. Early indication is that Pine Crest, believe it or not is actually stronger than Bolles through 3 ( now that cross county transfer Pujals is on board)… and Yared is back to state champion form. Hard to imagine Julia Montgomery as a number 3 or any team beating a team that has a 10:45 3200 runner running as 3. That being said, Collier may be best of the Pine Crest/Bolles dual meet in crunch time… Wilson is a provem champion… and Shapiro and Hajda means Bolles has a better 4 than PC (though little Yared improving)….. , Bolles has a clear edge at 5 with depth (although they didn't show it at Caples)… so on September 14, I still give number one to Bolles
After these two titans bash heads… the rest of the butch remains murky. Satellite's results are skewed because their varsity is a combo of state eligible and state ineligible participants. I am guessing that even though team dynamics change when half a varsity is removed, that they are 4th
Rank. Team… Comments
1. Bolles … Cleaned up at Katie Caples through 5… 6th way back uncharacteristically…
2. Pine Crest… Top 3 are best in state at any class ( including Winter Park)… but it takes 5 …Their destruction of field at Horse Park last week is just the beginning of more annihilation
3.. Ransom… narrowly lost Youth Fair in Dade County and remains clear 3….
4 Satellite… 4 ( think) with eligible athletes
5. Eastside
6. Lemon Bay
7. Lake Highland
8. St Brendans
9. West Florida Tech
10. Berkeley Prep / Trinity Prep
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: Collier Beat Torino and Torino beat Yared….. so it's a mess….. I stick with my original premise of no clear favorite and I believe that any of this top 9 could win the gold. This is the best AA has ever been, and no disrespect to AAAA, this is the toughest top 10 in class to make . In 7 weeks, the swami will predict a favorite…. But this early… no way… no how
Rank. Name… Comments
1. Caitlin Collier…. Is a narrow front runner… only defeat is to Delay (who might be best in state after Gibbons)
2. Leigha Torino… actions speak louder than words… 18:46 and beats PC Pack
3. Tsion Yared… as said in a famous movie "I'm back"
4. Lauren Archer.. Beats good field at Youth Fair Dade County slow mucky (and sorry guys) longest course in state
6. Alyssa Pujols… Solid openers… would be top runner at other schools.
7. Nicole Matysik… Key West--undefeated through two meets. Let's watch her closely. Hope Key West travels with her to big meets
8. Julia Montgomery... clearly putting a multiple state champ as number 7 is understating her ability… wouldn't shock me if she won in November or if this ranking ticks her off
9. Natalie Varela Gulliver… end of the top 10… 2nd to Archer at Youth Fair
10…20 a mystery…. and to show you how much depth AA has…… this "best of the rest" includes Ruan (two time state runner up… Wilson a sub 10:50 3200 runner, Zeller (a 2:11 800 runner)… Hadja and Shapiro (who both easily could be top 5 let alone 10)… Then there are newcomers like Cardwell from Monteverde….
3A Girls Rankings
By: Steve Farnsworth, Lecanto HS, farnsworthfarm@yahoo.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: The rankings are now based solely on 2015 times - teams that didn't run or didn't run well have been dropped from the rankings. This poll has now moved to listing the top six teams in each region, plus the next best team as a wild card. Teams that are top-25, but are bumped out by being in a tough region are listed under honorable mention. Team averages are given for reference only and are not the only basis for rankings, and do not follow them completely -- course conditions, head to head competition, and consistency in performance is also considered.
Rank, (Previous Rank), Team, Region, Team Average. Comments
1. (6) Niceville, 1, 20:04. The Eagles claim the top spot after two big wins.
2. (3) Chiles, 1, 20:15. The Timberwolves defeated Ponte Vedra at the FL Horse Park Invite.
3. (1) Ponte Vedra, 1, 20.29. The Sharks have not been able to repeat their strong opening week performance.
4. (2) Ft. Myers, 3, 20:48. Need to close the gap between their No. 1 runner and the rest of the team.
5. (5) Ft. Walton Beach, 1, 20:54. The Vikings have won two meets lacking strong competition.
6. (9) Creekside, 1, 21:30. The Knights defeated Nease at the UNF and Katie Caples Invite.
7. (12) Osceola (Seminole), 3, 21:14. The Warriors put up fast times in winning Green Devil Invite.
8. (4) Nease, 1, 21:06. The Panthers have not been able to match their big opening week performance.
9. (8) Ocala Vanguard, 2, 21:33. The Knights were fourth behind Ponte Vedra at the FL Horse Park Invite.
10. (7) Columbia, 1, 21:27. Need to the close the gap between their top two runners and the rest of the team.
11. (14) Estero, 3, 21:39. Beat Charlotte and Palmetto Ridge on slow courses.
12. (18) Land O'Lakes, 2, 21:57. The Gators were a close second at their own invitational.
13. (10) Merritt Island, 4, 22:09. The Mustangs were second at the Astronaut Invite, no comparable time.
14. (22) Palmetto Ridge, 3, 22:13. The Bears beat Charlotte at the Ft. Myers Optimist Invite.
15. (11) Charlotte, 3, 22:06. The Tarpons have run two slow courses in a row.
16. (NR) Robinson, 3, 22:14. The Knights have no star runners, but rely on a tight pack.
17. (15) Seabreeze, 2, 22:25. The Sandcrabs were seventh at the Florida Horse Park Invite.
18. (NR) Matanzas, 2, 23:04. The Pirates finished eighth at the Florida Horse Park Invite.
19. (NR) Mainland, 2, 23:09. The Buccaneers were fourth at the Rockledge Raider XC Classic.
20. (24) Miami Northwestern, 4, 23:23. The Bulls were fourth at the King of the Hill CC Invite.
21. (NR) Harmony 2, 22:53. The Longhorns placed fourth at the St. Cloud Invite.
22. (NR) South Fork, 4, 23:22. Defeated Dwyer at the Martin County Under the Lights meet.
23. (21) Dwyer, 4, 22:52. The Panthers dropped off in their second meet of the year.
24. (NR) Viera, 4, 24:06. The Hawks placed 11th in the large school race at Martin County Under the Lights.
25. (NR) Mater Academy, 4, 24:26. The Lions are the sixth best team in Region 4.
Honorable Mention:
St. Augustine, 1, 22:15. The Yellowjackets could move back into the poll if their No.1 runner is at full speed.
Tate, 1, 22:10. The Aggies are a good team in a tough region.
Choctawhatchee, 1, 22:30. The Choctaws' have not lived up to their pre-season rankings.
King, 3, 22:32. The Lions run well on courses with asphalt, not so well on courses with dirt.
East Lake, 3, 22:35. The Eagles won two small meets that didn't report their results.
Bartram Trail, 1, 22:44. The Bears are in a tough spot in Region 1.
Freedom (Tampa)
3, 22:48.
The Patriots are still in the hunt in Region 3.
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: 2015 times are being used exclusively for the rankings now. Runners who have not run in 2015, or have not run well have been dropped from the rankings and will have to earn their way back in. 2015 season bests are listed, but are not the sole factor in rankings - course conditions, head to head competition, and consistency in times is also considered.
Rank, (Previous Rank) Name, Grade, Team, 2015 XC SB / Comments
1. (1) Kristlin Gear, 11, Ft. Myers, 18:47. Took it easy the last two weeks, but still holds on to the top spot.
2. (2) Emma Tucker, 12, Chiles, 19:07. Placed third at Florida Horse Park Invite.
3. (4) Bridget Morse, 10, Columbia, 19:00. Another big win at the Arrowhead Classic.
4. (9) Lauren Stanford, 11, Bartram Trail, 19:13. Finished fifth at the UNF XC Invite.
5. (5) Claire Moritz, 10, Ponte Vedra, 19:13. Lost close race to Stanford at the UNF XC Invite.
6. (NR) Brittany Gill, 12, Dillard, 19:13. The Panthers' track star shows that she can run cross-country, too.
7. (17) Claire Crist, 11, Niceville, 19:22. Won Mosley Dolphin Dash.
8. (10) Alexandra Wallace, 12, Chiles, 19:23. Placed sixth at Florida Horse Park Invite.
9. (25) Maggie Parrish, 12, Chamberlain, 19:18. Has two big wins, but times have been up and down.
10. (15) Claire Farnsworth, 12, Lecanto, 19:30. Won LOL Gator Invite, 2nd at Lecanto Invite.
11. (6) Abby Reimer, 12, Ponte Vedra. 19:24. Hasn't been able to duplicate opening week time.
12. (20) Emily Onimus, 12, St. Augustine, 19:32. Finished ninth at the UNF XC Invite.
13. (7) Kara Funke, 11, Leesburg, 19:41. Placed tenth at Florida Horse Park Invite.
14. (NR) Hannah Schneidewind, 10, Niceville, 19:37. Third at Gulf Coast 5K Series #2.
15. (22). Emma Rudman, 12, Ft. Walton Beach, 19:41. Won Washington Wildcat Invite.
16. (NR) Haley Kling, 11, Pace, 19:41. Finished just behind Rudman at Washington Wildcat Invite.
17. (NR) Natalie Abernathy, 9, Land O'Lakes, 19:41. The Gators may have found a star runner.
18. (NR) Tyra Boyd, 12, Pine Ridge, 19:50. A surprising second at Hagerty Invitational.
19. (3) Tara Openshaw, 10, Creekside, 19:56. Has opened season much slower than expected.
20. (NR) Claudia Howes, 12, Niceville, 19:55. One of the reasons Niceville is ranked No. 1.
21. (13) Cassie Pierron, 10, Columbia, 19:58. Hasn't kept pace with other improving runners.
22. (NR) Emma Grantges, 12, Osceola (Seminole), 19:59. Having a breakout senior year.
23. (14) Kianna Bonnet, 12, Seabreeze, 20:06. Lost a likely great time in the Astronaut Invite course length fiasco.
24. (12) Kelly Aponte, 12, St. Augustine, 20:19. Hasn't run to her potential yet this year.
25. (16) Daley Cline, 12, Estero, 20:21. Will run better when she gets to faster courses.
On the Bubble:
Patricia Root, 11, Pace, 19:54.
Rahyah Andressohn, 8, Mater Academy, 19:56.
Vanessa Bolen, 9, Harmony, 19:58.
Ana Wallace, 10, Chiles, 20:02.
Maddie Fulmer, 12, Ft. Walton Beach, 20:04.
4A Girls Rankings
By: Ryan Raposo, John A. Ferguson HS, ryanraposo@gmail.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: A few weeks of racing and there have only been a few shake-ups to the team rankings. The top three remain solid, and there really wasn't a lot of change in the bottom eleven, however for the whole middle of the pack, 4th through 13th, there was noticeable shuffling. Regions 1 and 2 continue to dominate the top of the list while Regions 3 and 4 fill up the back half. A lot of this is due to harder courses existing in South Florida, but most of it is because of better teams up north. A few tricky courses (both hard courses and short courses) make a few teams hard to rank, but I tried to organize them by team average and their placement in competitions; whatever made sense based on the legitimate information available. Hopefully we'll see all of these teams on similar courses in the upcoming weeks at Flrunners and/or Pre-State to get a better picture.
Rank. (Previous Rank) Team, Region = Comments
1. (1) Winter Park, 1 = 20:04 Team Avg. & 1st place @ Benson Double Dip (Georgia, Hard course)
T-2. (T-2) Sarasota, 2 = 20:15 Team Avg. & 1st place @ Wiregrass Ranch
T-2. (T-2) Dr. Phillips, 1 = 20:48 Team Avg. & 4th place @ Benson Double Dip (Georgia, Hard course)
4. (11) Winter Springs, 1 = 19:18 (We'll call it 21:03) Team Avg. & 4th place @ Astronaut (which was approximately 2.8 miles in length). They haven't run a full team on a legitimate course.
5. (12) Wharton, 2 = 21:01 Team Avg. & 2nd place @ Wiregrass Ranch
6. (NR) Lake Mary, 1 = Hard to rank because they haven't run a full team on a legitimate course.
7. (NR) Lake Brantley, 1 = 19:22 (We'll call it 21:07) Team Avg. & 5th place @ Astronaut (which was approximately 2.8 miles in length). They haven't run a full team on a legitimate course.
8. (5) Plant, 2 = Has not raced their varsity the past two weeks. They opened the season with 21:15 Team Avg. & 1st place @ Jim Ryun Opener
9. (NR) Newsome, 2 = 21:16 Team Avg. & 1st place @ East Hillsborough Invitational (suspect course)
10. (8) Sarasota Riverview, 2 = 21:26 Team Avg. & 3rd place @ Wiregrass Ranch
11. (7) George Jenkins, 2 = 21:24 Team Avg. & 4th place @ Wiregrass Ranch
12. (10) Spruce Creek, 1 = 21:33 Team Avg. & 1st place @ Savanna Mohney
13. (4) Lourdes, 4 = 22:03 Team Avg. & 2nd place @ King of the Hill (without their #1, and with a completely interchangeable varsity group making them hard to rank.)
14. (14) St. Thomas Aquinas, 4 = Has not yet debuted this season.
15. (15) Ferguson, 4 = 21:50 Team Avg. & 1st place @ King of the Hill
16. (16) Vero Beach, 3 = 22:43 Team Avg. & 1st place @ Martin County
17. (18) Park Vista, 3 = 23:32 Team Avg. & 3rd place @ Key West XCursion
18. (19) Boca Raton, 3 = 22:44 Team Avg. & 2nd place @ Boca Raton
19. (20) Wellington, 3 = 22:48 Team Avg. @ 3rd place @ Boca Raton
20. (17) Coral Reef, 4 = 23:16 Team Avg. & 3rd place @ King of the Hill
21. (NR) Martin County, 3 = 23:20 Team Avg. & 4th place @ Martin County
22. (21) Jupiter, 3 = 23:16 Team Avg. & 5th place @ Martin County
23. (NR) Braddock, 4 = 24:07 Team Avg. & 6th place @ King of the Hill
24. (NR) Cypress Bay, 4 = 25:59 Team Avg. & 5th place @ Key West XCursion
Dropped from Rankings:
(6) West Orange, 1 = Hard to rank because of a short course (Astronaut) and a very hard course (Key West). We'll say they're about 22:11 Team Average for now (+1:45 Astronaut, -45s KW).
(9) Hagerty, 1 = 21:43 Team Avg. & 3rd place @ Hagerty, also 10th place @ Astronaut
^ With Lake Brantley and Lake Mary moving in, West Orange and Hagerty get boxed out of Region 1.
(13) North Port, 2 = 21:28 Team Avg. & 1st place @ Canes Classic
^ With Newsome moving in, North Port becomes the 7th team in Region 2.
(22) Douglas, 3
(23) Coral Gables, 4
(24) Cooper City, 4
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: After a couple of weeks of racing the individual rankings are starting to come together. Unfortunately there are a few issues from short courses, to suspect courses / performances, to some top individuals still not making their season debut. So that being said, I ranked everyone based on where I believe they truly are and on legitimate (or at least seemingly legitimate) courses over the past two weeks, and not based on what times are in the database (which has already been muddied this season). And if I'm way off base, then go prove me wrong! Show me that girls who PR by 45 seconds in the first month of the season is not just reserved for JV girls running in the high 20s, but that any top tier girl in the state can do it as well! Also, a couple of adjustments were made for some notoriously difficult courses.
Rank. (Previous) Name, Grade -- Team = Times; Comments
1. (1) Rafaella Gibbons, 10 -- Winter Park = 18:43 @ Benson Double Dip (Georgia, hard course, -30s)
2. (5) Daniela Urzua, 11 -- Lake Mary = 18:41 @ Spikes & Spurs
3. (2) Kayley Delay, 11 -- Fletcher = 18:44 @ Katie Caples
4. (3) Alexa Cruz, 12 -- St. Thomas Aquinas = Has yet to debut.
5. (7) Bailey Hertenstein, 10 -- Riverview = 18:59 @ Seffner Christian
6. (13) Janet Annika Sison, 12 -- Dr. Phillips = 19:55 @ Benson Double Dip (Georgia, hard course, -30s)
7. (12) Megan Hannah, 10 -- West Orange = 20:23 @ Key West XCursion (hard course, -45s)
8. (8) Hana Herdon, 11 -- Winter Park = 20:10 @ Benson Double Dip (Georgia, hard course, -30s)
9. (15) Sage Lyons, 11 -- Sarasota = 19:42 @ Wiregrass Ranch
10. (10) Emily English, 11 -- George Jenkins = 19:50 @ Wiregrass Ranch
11. (BOLO) Mackenzie Brown, 11 -- Sarasota = 19:51 @ Wiregrass Ranch
12. Melanie White, 10 -- Winter Park = 20:21 @ Benson Double Dip (Georgia, hard course, -30s)
13. (NR) Allison Wright, 12 -- Sarasota = 19:52 @ Wiregrass Ranch
14. (NR) Sara Mott, 10 -- DeLand = 19:58 @ Hagerty Invitational
15. (9) Katherine Kuhn, 12 -- Winter Park = 20:30 @ Benson Double Dip (Georgia, hard course, -30s)
16. (BOLO) Nicolette Worrell, 11 -- Hagerty = 20:05 @ Hagerty Invitational
17. (11) Elizabeth Jenkins, 11 -- Winter Park = 20:38 @ Benson Double Dip (Georgia, hard course, -30s)
18. (NR) Charis Ivey, 9 -- Dr. Phillips = 20:40 @ Benson Double Dip (Georgia, hard course, -30s)
19. (BOLO) Victoria Jung, 12 -- George Jenkins = 20:10 @ Wiregrass Ranch
20. (NR) Alexandria Baba, 11 -- Winter Park = 20:13 @ Hagerty Invitational
21. (BOLO) Anna Grzeszczak, 12 -- Mandarin = 20:15 @ Katie Caples
22. (NR) Alisha Deschenas, 10 -- Wharton = 20:15 @ Wiregrass Ranch
Dropped from the Rankings:
NR. (4) Sinclaire Johnson, 12 -- Lake Brantley = 20:42 @ Spikes & Spurs
NR. (6) Sabrina Quijano, 11 -- Lourdes = 21:23 @ Dade County Youth Fair
NR. (14) Isabella Whelan, 12 -- Buchholz = 21:45 @ Half-Mile Timing Invitational
1A Boys Rankings
By: Mark Caulfield, Circle Christian School, markscaul@aol.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: For the first time, we have a tie at the top spot for Class 1A boys. Both Maclay School and Father Lopez have put forth near identical efforts on very similar courses. Both teams mimick one another. At this point in the season Maclay seems to have a stronger top 3 while Father Lopez has a tighter 1-5 which will make for a very interesting October and possibly November. in times. Some newcomers to the rankings this week include Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville at 6th following a strong opening at Half Mile Timing Invitational, Seffner Christian Academy at 7th following their impressive showing in the 40+ team Seffner Invitational, and Miami Country Day, Providence School and Oak Hall coming in at 9th, 10th, and 12th.
Rank. (Previous Rank) Team, Region = Comments
1. (1), Maclay School, Region 1 = The Mauraders hang on to the top spot but have company. Maclay's best showing came Saturday in the Elite Race at Katie Caples where they placed 7th with an 18:09 team average and 2:02 Top 5 split on the Bishop Kenny mud course.
1. (2), Father Lopez, Region 3 = A tight pack of 6 and a strong showing at the Florida Horse Park Invitational (7th place / 18:08 avg. / 1:39 split) move the Green Wave to a tie for the #1 spot. Their continued improvement over the last few years building into this season sets up a great showdown at Pre-State in a few weeks.
3. (7), Westminster Academy, Region 4 = Finished 3rd at Martin County Under the Lights (18:41 avg. / 1:47 split) on the moderate rated Halpatiokee Regional Park Course and then finished 7th at the Lion Prowl meet (18:13 avg. / 1:43 split) the following week on the fast rated (and short) Lake Nona Course.
4. (4), Shorecrest Prep, Region 2 = Took the win at the Indian Rocks Open (9/3) with an 18:14 average and 3:05 Top 5 split over the fast rated Indian Rocks course. Five days earlier they ran 19:02 team average at Jim Ryun.
5. (3), Bishop Snyder, Region 1 = Finished 7th at Half Mile Timing Inv. with a 19:14 average over the slow Hal Brady Complex Course and then followed up with a 15th place showing in the Elite race at Katie Caples (19:00 avg. / 1:14 split) over the moderate rated (and muddy) Bishop Kenny Course.
6. (NR), Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville), Region 1 = In their only race so far this season, the Conquerors finished 8th at the Half Mile Timing Invitational with a 19:17 team average and 2:10 Top 5 Split over the slow Hal Brady Complex Course. With solid depth, TCA could be a team to watch out for this season.
7. (NR), Seffner Christian Academy, Region 2 = At the Seffner Invitational, the Crusaders showed the potential that exists in this young team with their 7th place finish and 18:55 team average over the moderate rated Holloway Park Course. Of course it doesn't hurt to have the top rated runner in Class 1A on your team too.
8. (5), Pensacola Christian, Region 1 = Finished 8th in the Gulf Coast Invitational with an 18:54 average and 2:46 top 5 split over the fast West Florida Tech Course. Looking to improve upon last years 13th place State Finish.
9. (NR), Miami Country Day, Region 4 -- Finished 6th at the Miami-Dade Youth Fair (19:30 team average / 2:21 split) on 9/3 and finished 11th at King of the Hill (19:51 team average / 2:24 split).
10. (NR), Providence School, Region 1 = Team has run 19:46 team average in both the UNF Invitational (9th place) and the Katie Caples Varsity Division Race (4th place).
11. (6), St. Johns Country Day School, Region 1 = Team ran 19:41 team average at the UNF Invitational (10th place) and 20:34 over the moderate rated Katie Caples course finishing 8th in the Varsity Race.
12. (NR), Oak Hall, Region 2 = Finished 12th at the Florida Horse Park Invitational with a 19:46 team average and 1:33 Top 5 split.
Watch List:
The Geneva School, Region 3; Cardinal Mooney, Region 2; Indian Rocks, Region 2; Harvest Community School, Region 1
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: This is always the toughest Poll for individuals due in part to the high volume of fast / short? courses that seem to show up in the early part of the season. At lot of discernment and subjective analysis (aka guessing) goes into this one. Fortunately, at the top it is crystal clear. Noah Perkins from Seffner Christian has started strong as one of the top runners in the State. Following Perkins, Luke Peterson of Shorecrest and Ryan Szklany appear to be the strongest to mount a challenge. Following the top 3 it appears to be a large group of chasers that are looking for a potential podium spot in the Top 10 at State.
Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade, Team = Comments
1. (1), Noah Perkins, 12th; Seffner Christian = No doubt here. Perkins sits at the top again for the second Poll with an impressive 15:57 (3rd fastest time all classifications) runner up finish at the Seffner Invitational on the moderate rated Holloway Park Course where 2 weeks earlier he ran 16:26 to win the Jim Ryun Invitational.
2. (3), Luke Peterson, 12th, Shorecrest Prep = Finished 2nd while running 16:19 at the Indian Rock Open on the fast Indian Rocks course 5 days following his 17:14 run at Jim Ryun on the moderate rated Holloway Park Course. A talented and experienced Senior looking to finish strong.
3. (2), Ryan Szklany, 10th, Highlands Christian = Ran 17:21 to take the win at the Westminster Academy Home Meet on the slow rated WA Course. Season Best of 16:54 (2nd) at TKA Inv. (8/29). 3rd place finisher in the State 3200 meters last Spring.
4. (6), Guilherme Pereira, 12th, Divine Savior = Ran 3 tough meets in 8 days including Miami-Dade Youth Fair (17:16 / 7th place), Westminster Home Meet (17:47 / 2nd), and King of the Hill (17:11 / 9th place). Do not sleep on Miami talent that lately seems to come ready when it counts the most.
5. (12), Gabriel Curtis, 9th, Mount Dora Christian = Recorded two runner-up finishes over fast rated courses at the Lecanto Invitational (16:49) and Haggerty Invitational (16:44). A young talent with a bright future.
6. (NR) Chase Hyland, 11th, Pine School = Opened the 2015 season with an impressive 8th place finish at the Martin County Under the Light Meet in 17:14 followed by a 16:50 win at the Rockledge Classic on the fast (short?) Kennedy Middle School Course.
7. (10), Clayburn Milford, 9th, Maclay School = Ran 17:27 to finish 19th in the Elite Race at the Katie Caples Invitational over the moderate rated and muddy Bishop Kenny Course.
8. (4), Tucker Hindle, 12th, Boca Raton Christian = Ran 17:22 to finish 9th at Martin County Under the Lights Meet over the moderate rated Halpatiokee Regional Park Course. Season Best of 16:58 at Park Vista (8/29).
9. (16), Kyle Lantz, 12th, Sarasota Christian = Won the Canes Classic in 17:19 following his opening 17:28 clocking at Lemon Bay (7th Place). The Senior Transfer from Ohio could be one to watch with 2:00 / 4:27 / 16:31 credentials.
10. (7), Jack Pironti, 10th, Carrollwood Day = Opened up the 2015 season with a 3rd place finish in 16:53 over the fast Indian Rocks Open course followed by a 17:25 clocking and 14th place finish at the Seffner Christian over the moderate rated Holloway Park Course.
11. (15), Timothy Stewart, 11th, Pensacola Christian = Finished 7th at the Gulf Coast Classic running 17:18 over the fast West Florida Tech Course.
12. (9), Justin Nunamaker, 11th, Northside Christian = Followed his season opener 17:36 at Jim Ryun Inv. with a 16:57 fourth place finish over the fast Indian Rocks Course.
13. Noah Van Der Burgt, 11th, Father Lopez = Finished 23rd at the Florida Horse Park Invitational running 17:25 over the moderate rated Ocala Horse Park Course.
14. (8), Jake Mazziotta, 11th, Maclay School = Ran 17:42 while finishing 25th in the Elite Race at the Katie Caples Invitational. Season Best of 17:16 at the Cougar XC Challenge (8/29)
15. (20), Drew De Armas, 11th, First Academy (Orlando) = Finished 9th at the Hagerty Invitational running 17:30 over the fast UCF Course.
16. (NR) Matthew Roof, 12th, Father Lopez = Finished 28th at the Florida Horse Park Invitational running 17:37 over the moderate rated Ocala Horse Park Course.
17. (11), Hunter McCann, 12th, Admiral Farragut = Opened up his 2015 season at the Seffner Christian Invitational running 17:42 over the moderate rated Holloway Park Course. Has a 16:22 PR (2014)
18. (NR), Blake Burchett, 12th, Seacrest County Day School = Ran 17:36 at the Fort Myers Optimist Invitational finishing 16th.
19. (14), Josh Skielnik, 10th, Jupiter Christian = Ran 17:50 at Martin County Under the Lights (11th Place) followed by a 17:25 clocking at the Boca Raton Invitational while finishing 3rd. Season Best of 17:10 at Benjamin Inv. (8/26)
20. (5), Jonas Elliott, 11th, Evangelical Christian = Ran 17:19 while finishing 4th at the Caloosahatcheee Riverdale Invitational. Has not raced since August 29. .
Watch List:
Jackson Neri, 12th, Bishop Snyder; Cooper Labrant, 10th, Indian Rocks Christian; Daniel Wood, 12th, Westminster Academy; George Gwynn, 12th, Maclay; James McClure, 10th, Maclay; Nick Theriault, 12th, Father Lopez.
2A Boys Rankings
By: Bryan Garcia, H.B. Plant, bcgfalcons@yahoo.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: We are heading toward the mid-way point of the season and not much has changed in the top 5. Before we dive into the team battles, more courses were called into question in the past two weeks then the Buc's have wins over the last 2 seasons. With this in mind, both the team and individual rankings are derived from head to head battles and previous performances. The time is important, but place conquers all.
> Trinity Prep has continued its 2A dominance and Pine Crest has distanced itself from the rest of 2A as a top 2 team in the state. Labelle showed up with a huge win this past weekend in Fort Myers. 5 new teams moved into the top 15 in spots 11-15, with 4 of them being from an incredibly packed Region 4. This week includes big races including North Port and UF where we should get a better indication of how these teams stack up against the rest of the state.
Regional Outlook: Expect Bolles, West Florida Tech and Bishop Kenny to be a in a crazy close race in late October for the Region 1 championship. Both Bolles and BK have beaten each other swapping blows in the past two weeks, and throwing West Florida Tech into the mix should make Region 1 the most interesting in 2A. Trinity Prep and Pine Crest have clear holds on Region 2 and Region 4 with Trinity Prep followed by Lake Highland Prep and Pine Crest leading Titusville, respectively. Labelle has Region 3 also in a tight grip, but you cannot count Immokalee out with a month and a half to go. Region 4 has the most teams on the list with 7 teams meaning that someone is not going to make it to the Big Dance in November.
Rank. (Previous Rank) Team, Region = Comments
1. (1), Trinity Prep, Region 2 = Trinity Prep had one of the strongest showings of a team this season with a 54 point win at Katie Caples. They had a 16:54 team average and had 5 guys in the top 20 with 4 of them in the top 10!
2. (2), Pine Crest, Region 4 = After a close 2nd place showing at the Horse Park Invite to Chiles, Pine Crest has locked themselves in to a top 2 finish. With a 17:07 average, a front runner in Michael Kennedy and senior Ryan Welch missing, this makes them one of the best in the state!
3. (4), Labelle, Region 3 = Moving up into the top 3, Labelle had a 15 point win over Fort Myers to win the Optimist Invite over the weekend. Labelle had 6 in the top 20 and a 22 second 1-5 split improving on their state leading 26 second spread from August. Labelle also placed 2nd to Belen Jesuit, one of the best in the state a week ago at Estero DDD. One of those teams to watch with that crazy spread.
4. (3), Bolles, Region 1 = Bolles youth movement is a reason they are a top 5 team. They placed 3 guys in the top 25, 1 sophomore and 2 freshmen. With a 4th place finish at Katie Caples, they got Bishop Kenny by 29 points after losing by 5 to them a week ago at the UNF Invite. Could be a back and forth struggle in Region 1.
5. (6), West Florida Tech, Region 1 = When speaking of Region 1, West Florida Tech has slid its way up into the mix. They went 1-2 and also had 5th place at the Gulf Coast 5k numero dos. They ended up with 5 in the top 20 and a tough 17:22 average that could make them a top 5 team come November.
6. (11), Bishop Kenny, Region 1 = Bishop Kenny has proven in the last few weeks that they are one of the most dangerous teams in the state. After almost beating Chiles a week ago edging out Bolles, BK finished 5th at Katie Caples. They had a 17:44 average on a muddy course and had a 17:25 the previous week that would make them a top 5 team.
7. (9), Immokalee, Region 3 = Immokalee came with 15 points of Labelle a week ago at Estero DDD and was 3rd at the Optimist Invite this past weekend. They had a 17:49 team average and 3 in the top 15. Region 3 will get interesting next month.
8. (8), Titusville, Region 4 = Had a strong showing at Katie Caples this past weekend with an 8th place finish and an 18:20 team average. They also placed 16th at the Astronaut Invite a week ago. With Mason Jones up front and place 3,4, and 5 back to back to back to make them a top 10 contender.
9. (7), Ransom Everglades, Region 4 = Ransom had a strong showing at the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair placing fourth in a stacked field. They had an 18:14 team average and have a runner in Gabriel Correa who can run with anyone in the state.
10. (13), Lake Highland Prep, Region 2 = Lake Highland Prep was behind Titusville at the Astronaut Invite placing 18th. In a race with 51 teams, they faired very well and were the 3rd place 2A team.
11. (NR), Melbourne Central Catholic, Region 4 = Coming away with a big victory, MCC( no not Marvel) moved into the top 25 with a win at the Rockledge Raider Classic. They had an 18:27 team average and came off a close loss to Cocoa Beach at the Astronaut Invite a week ago. Having moved up from 1A, this team will be looking for a top 10 finish.
12. (NR), Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Region 1 = Episcopal had a big first meet placing 10th at Katie Caples. They sported an 18:26 team average. They are on the outside of the three major teams in Region 1, but could still see a top 10 finish.
13. (NR), Astronaut, Region 4 = Astronaut has had a large improvement from last season. They placed 2nd at the Rockledge Raider Classic with an 18:34 team average. They were right behind MCC and Cocoa Beach at the Astronaut Invite and all up in Region 4.
14. (NR), Cocoa Beach, Region 4 = After leading Astronaut and MCC at the Astronaut Invite, they placed 4th at the Rockledge Raider Classic. They were missing their 4th man at Rockledge only 4 points behind the home team.
15. (NR), Rockledge, Region 4 = Placing 3rd at the Rockledge Raider Classic, Rockledge has put itself into the fold of making the state meet in 2015. They will have to out duel similar MCC, Astronaut, and Cocoa Beach squads at the end of October.
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: There was some serious movement in the past two weeks of competition. A new number 1 has taken his place at the top for the first time this year with Michael Kennedy. He will face tough competition from young and upcoming Trevor Foley as well as veterans Gabriel Correa and Caleb Pottorff. Once again, Trinity Prep stacks the list with 4 in the top 10! Leonal Ochoa also had a major breakthrough a couple weeks back and could shock some people in November. As with the team battles, North Port and UF should give us an even better look at the individuals in 2A as they are once again pitted against the best in the state.
Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade -- Team = Time / Comments
1. (7), Michael Kennedy, 11th -- Pine Crest = Emerging from a stacked field at the Horse Park Invite, Kennedy made a statement edging out talented Chiles runners running 16:20. He started off the season with a 4th place finish in 16:53 at Martin County two weeks ago and now could be the man to beat on November 7th.
2. (17), Trevor Foley, 10th -- Hernando = Foley come out the last two weekend and come away with two statement wins. He was 16:34 two weeks ago at Lecanto and ran 16:23 this past weekend at Katie Caples. He will be one to watch in the next month and a half.
3. (3), Gabriel Correa, 12th -- Ransom Everglades = Correa is coming off a 3rd place finish at the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair running 16:49. Correa is a top 3 guy anyway you spin it. He will make it an interesting State Meet in November.
4. (4), Trent Mandato, 11th -- Trinity Prep = Mandato ran a strong race at Katie Caples finishing 3rd in 16:38. He is all up in the top 5 and could do anything at the State Meet.
5. (6), Caleb Pottorff, 11th -- Lincoln Park = Pottorff won Martin County two weeks ago in 16:25. He was second last week at the Tommy Lacayo Invite. He's proven he can be a top runner in the state and will be in the mix at the State Meet.
6. (13), Jesse Millson, 12th -- Trinity Prep = Finishing just behind his teammate, Millson was 4th at Katie Caples in 16:41. He will continue to improve with the talent around him at practice and could be moving up in the coming weeks.
7. (2), Mason Jones, 11th -- Titusville = Just behind the Trinity Prep duo at Katie Caples, Jones ran 16:44 placing 5th. He has finished in the top 5 every meet this season so far and looks to carry that into November.
8. (5), Chas Cook, 12th -- Trinity Prep = Cook finished 6th at Katie Caples in 16:52. Cook has consistently been competitive this season and continues to be a core part of the Trinity Prep championship team.
9. (12), Patrick Salas, 11th -- Trinity Prep = Salas has quietly emerged this season including a 10th place finish at Katie Caples this past weekend with a 16:54 time. With his continued growth, he rounds out a strong Trinity Prep 4.
10. (10), Charles Hicks, 9th -- Bolles = Hicks placed 11th at Katie Caples in a 17:06 following a 9th place finish at the UNF Invite two weeks ago where he ran 17:11. Knowing that he was running with the best in the state, Hicks ability to continue to place with those top guys every meet means he could be dangerous at the State Meet.
11. (18), Leonal Ochoa, 11th -- Berkeley Prep = Ochoa is coming off a huge PR at the Indian Rocks Open with a 16:10 two weeks ago. He won the meet and could be poised for top 10 finish as the season progresses.
12. (19), Jake Gilbert, 12th -- Pine Crest = Gilbert had a huge race at the Horse Park Invite where he ran 16:40 finishing 5th. This was a huge race for him as he established himself as one of the top runners in 2A following a 7th place finish in 17:10 at Martin County.
13. (8), Danny Ferro, 10th -- Calvary Christian = Coming off a 5th place finish at the King of the Hill, Ferro remains Calvary's number 1 man. He ran 17 flat and if teammate Joel Lacy is alright, he could get pushed into the top 10.
14. (NR), Alex Caldwell, 12th -- Pine Crest = Another Pine Crest runner popping out of the wood work, Caldwell finished 9th at the Horse Park Invite in 16:52. His opening race of 2015 was Martin County two weeks ago where he ran 17:56 to finish 13th. The improvement level could be huge by the time the season ends.
15. (NR), Zack Purvis, 12th -- Newberry = Purvis burst onto the scene this past weekend with a big PR of 16:40 to win the Arrowhead Classic. Purvis will be looking for not only his first chance to the State Meet, but also a top 15 finish.
16. (NR), Grant Kemp, 11th -- Pensacola Catholic = After a strong 5th place, 16:47 finish at the Azalea City Classic, Kemp has made a stop in the top 20. Following 2 other top 5 performances this season, Kemp could push himself into the top 15.
17. (22), Daniel Dean, 12th -- Middleton = Following back to back 8th place finishes at Estero DDD and the Seffner Christian Invite, Dean finds himself in the top 15 mix. He ran 17:13 this past weekend and will be taking down the time as the season continues.
18. (9), Antonio Gomez, 10th -- Frostproof = Gomez ran 17:24 to place 13th at the Seffner Christian Invite this past weekend. With his first race of the season under his belt, Gomez could find himself in a top 15 spot down the line.
19. (20), Alexander Bullock, 12th -- West Florida Tech = Bullock ran 16:54 to win the Gulf Coast 5k Series #2. The week before, Bullock ran 19:48 at the Wildcat Invite finishing 37th. If he continues to run like he did this past weekend, he will certainly be in the top 15 conversation.
20. (NR), Nathan Jubran, 10th -- Bishop Kenny = Jubran is coming off a 14th place finish at Katie Caples. He opened his season and his high school cross country career the week before with a 16:49 at UNF Invite to finish 5th. He is one of the most dangerous people on here because you do not know what he will do; he could be looking at a top 10 finish by the end of the season.
21. (14), Alejandro Ruiz, 12th -- Immokalee = Ruiz opened his season with back to back top 10 finishes at Estero DDD and Optimist Invite. Ruiz placed 4th at the latter this past weekend with a 17:07 and should be one to watch.
22. (23), Brandon Williams, 12th -- Chamindae-Madonna College Prep = Williams enters the top 20 following two impressive performances at the Astronaut Invite and Lions Prowl 2. He finished 14th at Astronaut and 8th at Lions Prowl 2 as he shows he can be a top runner in 2A.
23. (21), Anderson Bobo, 12th -- Lake Highland Prep = Bobo was just behind Williams placing 19th at the Astronaut Invite. Finishing in the top 20 at a stacked field, Bobo will look to do the same at the State Meet.
24. (15), William Shine, 12th -- Archbishop McCarthy = Shine had an 8th place finish at the King of the Hill running 17:08. It's early in the season and I believe he will "shine" as the season goes along.
25. (NR), Von Littlejohn, 10th -- West Florida Tech = Littlejohn picked up his first career win two weeks ago at the Wildcat Invite with a 17:13 PR only to break it this past weekend where he finished 2nd to teammate Alexander Bullock in 17:01. He has quickly improved and could be one to watch as a top 20 candidate.
Notable name(s) left off:
Joel Lacy ran 18:30 at the King of the Hill placing 43rd. He placed 7th prior to that at the TKA Lions Invite. It's unclear if Lacy is hurt, but you can never count him out as the defending state champion. This will be something to keep an eye on.
Ryan Welch ran 17:07 at Martin County last week to place 6th. He beat out teammate and top 15 runner Jake Gilbert. He did not run this past weekend at the Horse Park Invite, but when he does he will probably be back in the top 25.
After seeing 3 freshmen on the previous top 25 rankings, this one saw Charles Hicks as the lone freshmen. Both Chase Rivera (10th at UNF Invite in 17:12 and 18th at Katie Caples in 17:26) and Troy Smith (1st place finish in the JV race at the Astronaut Invite and a runner-up finish in 17:15 at the Rockledge Raider Classic) ran well this past weekend. The only thing keeping them off were the other impressive performances of others.
3A Boys Rankings
By: Eric Pino, Christopher Columbus HS, epino@columbushs.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: As the discussion on the forum goes on, I struggle differentiating between course difficulties & distances. I'm not as well versed as most on courses throughout the state so please excuse any ignorance on my part when it comes to this. And for what it's worth, I don't think this weeks particular rankings hold any weight, as the majority of these teams will be racing head to head 2 out of the next 3 weeks and that should answer any questions and give a little more credence to the "virtual meet" tab. I created a virtual meet of the top 6 teams and adjusted their times to represent courses that I understand to be accurate. Creekside was 3rd in those standing and Chiles on Belen's heels. This virtual meet, along with head to head, and a little common sense created these rankings. I then compared the remaining teams on my radar and how they fared head to head. I've opened up the top tier to include Chiles. Some more development of the middle of the pack can change everything.
Rank. (Previous Rank) Team, Region = Comments
1. (1) Belen Jesuit, 4 = 3 strong wins this season against quality competition. 3 wins without having all their horses going strong in the same race--Lopez ran coming off injury [assumption] in the first 2 races and Zayas was held out of the King of the Hill. Their 17:16 team average at KOH is impressive missing your number 2/3. The weakness may be in the large drop after #4. It's a 45s gap (not counting Lopez' current time as their 4). That gap will probably not come into play if they continue so strong upfront and continue easing the nicked up boys slowly. If the program continues its trend, a 5 will appear in the coming weeks. 1:20 1-5 Split (adjusted).
2. (2) Creekside, 1 = 17:17 team average at UNF. Same avg. as Belen but course correction gives Belen a decent lead on team average. Creekside beat Chiles head to head at UNF by having a substantially faster 3. We spend a lot of time talking front-runners and #5 but in this case there is a strong gap b/w each respective #3. They came in third at Katie Caples. 1:28 1-5 Split. *Like Belen, waiting for their front-runner Nicholas Deal to get back into it. Even without him they are #2, that's strong!
3. (4) Chiles HS, 1 = 2nd at UNF to Creekside but closed my perceive gap in comparison to the top 2 teams. As mentioned, in my 6 team adjusted virtual, they were on Belen's heels. I don't think that's accurate but they are definitely in the podium mix. They number 3 needs to develop because there is not much room for gaining on the top 2. 59s 1-5 Split.
Seems to be a drop in team quality to the next 3 teams.
4. (6) Bartram Trail, 1 = 3rd at Florida Horse Park. They were a decent ways ahead of Vanguard getting 7 in front of their 5. 17:12 is a very strong team average to have. It's faster than what Belen had down in Miami and they are both accurate courses. That's something to get the troops motivated. 58s 1-5 Split
5. (10) Gainesville, 2 = With out Blake Lowery they came in 6 at Florida Horse Park Invitational, 2 spots behind Ocala. If you add him in to the results, assuming he'd be the same athlete that Bob Hanes Invitational, the beat Ocala by 15 points and are on BTs tail. They proved my original rankings wrong, cutting their position in half. Excited to see what they bring in the coming weeks. 1:22 1-5 split (adjusted)
6. (3) Ocala Vangaurd, 2 = 17:40 team avg at Florida Horse Park Invitational which is a legit 5k (perhaps 15m as reported) They moved back a few spots because Joey Fitz. Hasn't raced yet and that makes them the team with the slowest 5 our of the top 15 teams. When you start looking at this range of team at the state meet, the 5 needs to be challenging 4's to try to grab the podium. With that said, they are in 3rd after 3 runners. Hopefully the power up front can motivate the back to push limits. They had a 2 min gap from 4-5 at the race. 27 1-4 split. 2:27 1-5 split. *With Joey Fitz, they are back challenging Chiles for that 3 spot.*
7. (5) Fort Myers HS, 3 = Out of the top 6 teams they have the slowest runner at each number respectively (except their #5). With that said, none of the positions is way out of place. Each is within striking distance of the other teams counter number. This bodes well. This could be made up easily if FM has delayed a speed part of their training, or the boys are coming into their own, etc. The problem with it is they need each runner to improve in the own right. Counting on a guy or 2 is something but needed the entire team to move is another.
8. (N/A) New Smyrna Beach, 2 = Only race is at Spike & Spurs. 20 pts behind Ocala. They don't seem to have a front runner but all there guys seem to have good enough placement to earn them a turn in the top 10 1:17 1-5 Split.
9. (8) Niceville, 1 = They continue to keep the pack tight like they did last year. Tough to compare because of lack of information due to whom they raced and course unfamiliarity.
10. (15) Leon HS, 1 = 2 Front-runners keep them in the conversation. There 5 is running in his zone as well. They loose traction with their 3 & 4.
Teams contending for 10-15
11. (11) Viera, 4 =
12. (12) Pace, 1 =
13. (N/A) Osceola HS (Seminole), 3 =
14. (N/A) Neasae, 1 =
15. (9) Ponte Vedra, 1 =
Off the back end: Maybe they didn't run their best guys. Maybe they are easing in. They didn't perform early on as I thought.
(7) Liberty HS, 2 =
(14) Land O'Lakes HS, 2 =
(13) Fort Walton Beach HS, 1 =
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: I use a virtual meet as my guide but make course time adjustments based on course. Head to head is the determining factor.
Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade -- Team = Time / Comments
1. (1) Steven Cross, 12-- Merritt Island HS = 16:13 Won by 23 seconds in his only race this season.
2. (7) Jonathan Jackson, 12- Nease HS = 16:29 Won UNF. 2 secs over M Clarke.
3. (6) Joshua Collins, 10 --Belen Jesuit Preparatory School = 16:01 at his first race tying his PR. 16:33 at KOH. (He's the 1 in 1-2 punch at Belen right now)
4. (9) Matthew Clark, 11 -- Creekside HS = 16:31 2nd at UNF. 2 secs behind Jackson and 1 in front of Dodson.
5. (10) Austin Dodson, 12 -- Chiles HS = 16:32 at UNF; 16:20 FL Horse Park & outkicked for the win.
6. (3) Adam Wallenfelsz, 12 -- Leon HS = Won the Cougar Challenge but came in 18th in GA behind his teammate
7. (7) Bruno Zayas, 12 -- Belen Jesuit Preparatory School = Didn't run last race but 2 strong races before that.
8. (8) Marshal Dillon, 12 -- Charlotte HS = 16:27 at Ft. Myers Optimist in the win. Came in 2nd to Collins at DDD.
9. (5) Jaime Lopez, 12 --Belen Jesuit Preparatory School = 16:55 After unusual results next to his name, we are now seeing him eased into shape [assuming], Jaime shined at KOH. He'll keep shining and get brighter.
10. (17) Matthew Cashin, 11 -- Leon HS = Came in 4th in GA. Making that 1-2 combo even stronger
11. (N/A) Michael Phillips, 10 -- Chiles HS = been 7 & 2 seconds behind his teammate. Teamwork!
12. (11) Blake Lowery, 12 -- Gainesville HS = Won his first race but didn't run in the second.
13. (N/A) Logan Locascio, 11 -- Gainesville = 8secs behind his teammate at Bob Hans & 4th at the Horse Track.
14. (N/A) Nicholas Roca, 12 -- Belen Jesuit Preparatory School = 16:29 Been steady all season.
15 (12) Austin Camps, 11 -- West Shore = 17:23 Only 1 race in thus far. 8th place.
Studs that are yet to shine but will eventually.
(4) Nicholas Deal, 11 -- Creekside HS = 18:26 at Katie Caples. Clearly not feeling well [assumption]. Looking forward to him coming back into form.
(2) Joey Fitzpatrick, 10 -- Ocala Vanguard = 15:35 last year. Hasn't raced this year.
4A Boys Rankings
By: Jorge Fleitas, Dr. Phillips HS, jfleitas28@gmail.com
Team Rankings:
Rank. Team- Comments
1. Winter Springs- they seem to be the team to beat in 2015, if they can break up Lyman's 1-2-3 as they did at Astronaut. Crown the champions!!!
2. Lyman- Don't put too much stock into Lyman's first two races... Lyman will take the W this weekend at UF in 4A.
2. St. Thomas- they will open up at UF in 2015 and if they run like they did in 2014... Watch out!
4. Ferguson- the emergence of the Falcon Pack may be force in 2015... Can they close the gap on Winter Springs would be the question.
5. Columbus- the injury to Columbus's true #2 puts a damper on the Hellions chances on being on the podium in 2015. If he gets healthy watch out!
6. Sarasota - it's not always pretty but Sarasota is undefeated in 2015 going into UF they had a 17:19 team average this past weekend.
7. Olympia- we will see where they stack up in 2015. They have a pack! Is it as good as Winter Springs? We will see at UF
8. Lake Mary- how do you replace your #1-#2 of 2014 season... Pack Run! If Lake Mary runs as they did this weekend at Lake Nona they may be a top 3 finisher in 2015.
9. Freedom - is the team to beat in 2015. I believe they can win the entire thing... They have not ran there best runner... My sleeper pick in 2015 is Freedom!
10. Winter Park- the team with the most potential. The Park is a work in progress look for them to be in the hunt when November roles around.
Teams to watch:
11. Sickles
12. HB Plant
13. George Steinbrenner
14. Flagler Palm Coast
15. Dr. Phillips
16. North Port
17. John I Leonard
18. Timber Creek
19. Lake Nona
20. Hagerty
Individual Rankings:
Rank. Name-- Team
1. Joshua Jacques - Lyman
2. Carlin Berryhill- Coral Reef
3. Jordan Armstrong- Lyman
4. Adam Bradtmueller- Sarasota
5. Humberto Freire- Columbus
6. Ilio Sanchez - John I Leonard
7. Jean D'Haiti- Dr. Phillips
8. Timothy Doyle - Freedom
9. Tyson Occenat- Olympia
10. Andrew Stivers- Hagerty
11. Johns Volmar- Freedom
12. Joel Santiago- Winter Springs
13. Matt Doyle- Winter Spring
14. Bryce Bell- Lyman
15. Franklin Ivey- Dr. Phillips
16. Leonardo Rodriguez- Ferguson
17. John Lyons- Lake Mary
18. Thomas Daly- Winter Park
19. Carl Schwartz - Dr. Phillips
20. Quasan Markowski- HB Plant
Note:
- 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.
- Please direct any major concerns to Flrunners Administrator / FACA Rankings Representative: Coach Ryan Raposo- ryanraposo@gmail.com