FACA Senior All-Star Classic Girls Preview

(Photos by Cedric Gillette)

The 2015 FACA Senior-All Star Classic returns to Tallahassee after a one year hiatus in Orlando. Apalachee Regional Park hosted the event from 2009-2013 and will once again welcome runners to the "cross country playground" of Florida.  The girls race is loaded with three individual state champions and several who were apart of team championships.

William & Mary signee Julia Montgomery of Pine Crest has the fastest PR in the field along with fellow South teammate Alexa Cruz of St. Thomas Aquinas who have both run under 18 minutes. Montgomery, was third in 2A two weeks ago at the state meet in 18:35.04. She won two individual titles on this same course in 2012 and 2013.Cruz, a University of Alabama has also had success there winning the 4A crown in 2012 and finishing second, third, and fourth in the following three years. If there is a home field advantage for the meet, then it belongs to Chiles Emma Tucker. Tucker can sleep in the comforts of her own house the night before and basically roll out of bed and onto the course. She was the number one runner for the Timberwolves who won the 3A team title in 2015 and comes in with the fastest time of anyone at the state meet when she ran 18:13.02 to finish third. Another runner with rings is Kelly Aponte of St. Augustine who recently signed with FSU. The 2014 3A state champion would like nothing more then to end her high school career on a high note at her future course.

The race for the team title won't even be close. North is LOADED possessing four of the top ten runners from the 3A Cross Country Finals in Tucker (3rd), Chiles teammate Alexandra Wallace (7th), Aponte (8th), and Maddie Fulmer of Fort Walton Beach who was 10th. The North squad has the potential to have all five runners in the top ten in this race and before the East and West teams have three runners in. The East and South will battle for second place. George Jenkins Victoria Jung projects to be a top ten finisher with Tyra Boyd of Pine Ridge and Shannon Grace of Lyman having similar personal bests.

The South boasts a dynamic 1-2 punch in Montgomery and Cruz. Cruz's teammate Lily Kloepfer is a strong number three, but they will need their four and five Nicole Kolisch and Andrea Zumpano to close the gap. West members hope to prove my preview wrong with Lecanto's Claire Farnsworth, Osceola's Emma Grantges, and Estero's Daley Cline as their top three runners.

Girls Virtual Meet (Based On Personal Bests)