FACA Mid-season XC State Rankings *Update3*


Here are the FACA Mid-season XC State Rankings that have been submitted as of October 2nd. This article was supposed to be released last Tuesday (9/26), but due to multiple rankings not being sent in in a timely fashion, or at all, this article was delayed. In looking toward the future, a request was made looking for pollsters for the respective gender classifications (2A Girls, 1A Boys, and 2A Boys) to put together these rankings for the remainder of the 2017 season. As now all of these positions have been filled and we thank everyone for reaching out to help fill the voids!
Update3: 2A Girls, 1A Boys, and 2A Boys have all been updated.


GIRLS STATE RANKINGS

1A Girls Mid-season Rankings

by Sue O'Malley-Father Lopez Catholic High School somalley@fatherlopez.org

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Hurricane Irma came to Florida and stirred things up for the cross-country season, although our teams quickly got back on course. Citrus Park Christian still holds the #1 spot in the rankings with 5 girls ranked in the top 15. As we come into the mid-season we see Oak Hall making a charge, moving up to No. 3 after beginning the season in seventh. Oak Hall and Circle Christian know what it takes to be on the podium in November. Biggest jump in the rankings for the mid-season are Out of the Door Academy with their very young team and Canterbury School (Fort Meyers), both unranked at the beginning of the season.

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (1) Citrus Park Christian = 19:16.8 team average, 3rd place at the Buffalo Invitational. This team is holding strong with 5 girls ranked in the top 15!

2. (2) Circle Christian = 20:25.0 team average, 2nd place at the Hurricane Irma Invitational. This team is always running circles around their opponents.

3. (7) Oak Hall = 21:12.7 team average, 3rd at the Hurricane Irma Invitational. Injured athletes are now on the mend. This team is now to be reckoned with.

4. (4) Maclay School = 21:29.0 team average, Team moves up 2 spots in the rankings. Always a solid team under a great coach. Team won the Tallahassee Open Championship. 

5. (3) St. Joseph Academy = 21:52.1 team average, 4th place at the challenging Embry Riddle course then came back with the #1A team in the elite race at Katie Caples. 

6. (6) Providence = 22:03.6 team average, 12th place overall at the very competitive Katie Caples elite race. This team are always work horses and always run like stallions. 

7. (5) Lakeland Christian = 21:56.4 team average, Split their up these past two weeks competing at the Buffalo Invitational and NTC XC Invitational. Strong sailing team throughout the season. 

8. (10) 1st Academy = 22:01.4 team average, 8th at the Buffalo Invitational. Won the Knights Dungeon Invitational. Moved up 2 spots in the rankings. 

9. (NR) Out of the Door Academy = 22:17.1 team average, Won North Port XC Invitational with a very young team. Definitely striking with a lot of thunder! 

10. (14) Father Lopez = 22:28 team average, Strong showing in the varsity race at Katie Caples with a 3rd place finish and Claire McDonnell winning the race. Trying to keep the coach sane! 

11. (11) Holy Trinity = 22:12 team average, New coach Sully doing a great job! Struggling with some injuries but will finish strong. 

12. (NR) Canterbury School (Ft. Meyers) = 22:31.7, Won the girls Relief race at the North Port XC Invitational. The team at this meet was led by a freshman, 7th grader and a sophomore. Hurricane Irma didn't damper this team's heart!

13. (9) St. John Paul II = 23:00.1 team average, 4th place at Spanish River XC Invitational. Strong group of seniors leading this team. 

14. (8) Bishop Snyder = 22:57.8 team average, Travelled to Georgia and finished 5th at Bainbridge Invitational. Need to get healed from some bumps and bruises. 

15. (12) King's Academy = 22:54.7 team average, Won Spanish Invitational and roaring their way in the rankings!

Other teams to watch out for:

Tampa Bay HEAT, Indian Rock Christian and St. Stephen's Episcopal School

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Citrus Park Christian (CPC) have 5 in the top 15.Grace Blair takes over the #2 spot and knows how to put it all together when it counts. Circle Christian has 2 girls (Sinkenesh Parker and Brooke Mcewen) now in the top 10. Both of these young ladies were on the state championship team in 2015. 7th grader, Carly McNatt broke out of the dungeon to win at the Knights Dungeon Invitational with a new personal best and cracks into the top 10. With the Flrunners Invitational this Saturday and Pre- State on October 7th, will we see some shake up in the top 15?

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade -- School = Comments

1. (1) Jacqueline Abanses, 9 - Citrus Park Christian (CPC) = 18:26 PR Finished 5th at the Buffalo Invitational with a strong race time of 18:35.6.

2. (5) Grace Blair, 12 - Oak Hall = 18:22 PR. Finished 2nd at the Buffalo Invitational with a time of 18:46.7. Definitely a favorite to keep on winning!

3. (2) Lydia Friedman, 10 - Citrus Park = 18:45 PR Finished 6th at Buffalo Invitational.

4. (3) Brooke Santiesteban, 12 - Citrus Park = 19:15 PR Came close to setting a new PR at Buffalo Invitational with a 9th place finishing time of 19:19.0.

5. (6) Sinkenesh Parker, 9 - Circle Christian = 19:18.9 PR 6th place finish at Hurricane Irma Invitational and missed a new PR by 5 seconds. She is a very consistent racer.

6. (4) Josie Garba, 11 - Tampa Prep = 19:27 PR Strong 3rd place finish at the Mitchell Invitational.

7. (11) Jasmine Hincapie, 10 - Westminster Academy = 19:11 PR Won the Spanish XC Invitational with a solid time of 19:35.3.

8. (NR) Brooke Mcewen,10 - Circle Christian = 19:33.5 PR Strong race at Hurricane Irma Invitational with a 7th place finish and missed PR by 2 seconds. Another strong consistent racer. 

9. (NR) Carly McNatt, 7 - Holy Trinity = 19:42.1 PR Carly ran her new PR by winning the Knights Dungeon Invitational. Top middle schooler in the top 15. 

10. (12) Sydnee Calder, 8 - Boca Raton Christian = 19:40.8 Runner-up at the Spanish XC Invitational.

11. (7) Jensen Mayer, 10 - Citrus Park = 19:47 PR 7th runner for CPC at Buffalo Invitational 

12. (8) Kemper Reback, 11 - Jupiter Christian = 20:00.9 PR 7th place finish at Spanish River XC Invitational. 

13. (9) Linda Mayer, 8 - Citrus Park =20:01.0 Ran a 21:27.1 at Buffalo Invitational. 

14. (10) Mia Rodriquez, 9 - King's Academy = 20:03.1 PR Strong 4th place finish at Spanish River XC Invitational with a time of 20:33.9 to help lead the lions to the team title.

15. (NR) Olivia Watt,12 - Marco Island Academy = 19:45.8 PR 4th place finds at North Port Invite race with a time of 20:14.0.

Other individuals to watch out for:

Lauren McGaffic, 7th grader from Miami County Day

Hannah Hosay,10th grader from Maclay School 

From CPC: Grace D'Angelo,12th grader and Moriah Friedman, 8th grader

Emma McLaughlin, 11th grader from Tampa Bay HEAT 

Claire McDonnell, 10th grader from Father Lopez 


2A Girls Mid-season Rankings
by Carlos Maymi, St. Brendan HS / St. Thomas University, maymicarlos@yahoo.com

Team Rankings:

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (1) Pine Crest HS = In a deep 2A field the defending champs are still cream of the crop.

2. (2) Bolles HS = I don't think we have seen anything near what this team can do yet.

3. (4) Montverde Academy = Probably the most impressive team of the season so far. This group has shown they can be real contenders and break up the Bolles and Pine Crest party at the top.

4. (3) Satellite HS = Solid coach, solid program. This pack is impressive 1-5 split of 47.60

5. (7) Trinity Prep = This team is one to watch for extremely solid and well coached. Beat a good STB team no problem at all, while holding back a little.

6. (NR) Academy of Holy Names = Will improve on its state finish last year if they keep on running the way they are. 

7. (NR) West Florida Tech = Team time of 21:43 early in the season.

8. (NR) Rockledge Hs = Won Bayside and holy Trinity classic this season.

9. (6) St. Brendan = Won on two tough courses this year at Estero and Embry riddle, but haven't been tested on a fast course yet. 

10. (NR) Episcopal School of Jacksonville = Winners of The Golden Eagle invitational

11. (5) Tavares

12. (NR) Berkley

13. (NR) Lake Highland Prep

14. (12) Titusville

15. (9) Cardinal Gibbons

Other teams to watch out for:

(10) Ransom Everglades, (NR) Frostproof, and (NR) South Walton

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the individual state rankings!

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade - School

1. (1) Caitlin Collier, 12 - Bolles HS

2. (2) Tsion Yared, 10 - Pine Crest HS 

3. (4) Nicole Matysik, 11 - Key West HS

4. (5) Mahdere Yared, 9 - Pine Crest HS

5. (NR) Lily Henne, 8- Montverde Academy

6. (3) Natalie Varela 10 - Gulliver Prep HS 

7. (6) Maya Beleznay, 10 - Pine Crest HS

8. (7) Rachel Shapiro, 12 - Bolles HS

9. (11) Kendyl Cardwell, 9 -- Montverde Academy

10. (9) Emily Faulhaber, 10- Pinecrest

11. (NR) Julia Felton, 12 -- Citrus

12. (NR) Ella Mickler 7- Bolles HS

13. (NR) Alexandra Cisneros, 11 - Lake Highland Prep

14. (NR) Cristal Gomez, 8 -- Frostprof

15. (NR) Audrey Mcanally, 10 -- Trinity Prep

Other individuals to watch out for:
(NR) Alain Pisello, (10) Noemi Kerjean, (NR) Marisa Ashley


3A Girls Mid-season Rankings
by Steve Farnsworth, Lecanto HS, farnsworthfarm@yahoo.com

Team Rankings:
Commentary:  The rankings are now based on times and performances since September 12th in order to keep the rankings as current as possible.  There may be some imbalances caused by differential hurricane impacts, but they should be corrected in future polls.  This poll lists the top six teams in each region, plus the next best team as a wild card.  This format will leave out some teams that are top-25, but get bumped out by being in a tough region. 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 team depth is also considered.  Times from known fast courses have had time added to them to prevent ranking skew. 

Rank, (Previous Rank), Team, Region, Team Average/Comments

1. (2) Chiles, 1,  19:18 (+20).  The Timberwolves finally ran their whole team, and finished second at the Buffalo Invite on a fast Villages course.  They were edged by a strong Montverde Academy squad, but beat Citrus Park's all-star team.

2. (1) Niceville, 1,  19:48.  The Eagles won the Wildcat Invite, but didn't run hard, and also the Gulf Coast XC Stampede, but didn't run their whole team.  They will get a chance to reclaim the top spot from Chiles this week at Alligator Lake.

3. (3) Creekside, 1,  NT.  The Knights have not run since September 2nd, but have not shown a reason to be downgraded in rank.

4. (4) Osceola (Seminole), 3,  20:21 (+20).  The Warriors were second on the fast North Port Invite course behind 4A power Steinbrenner.

5. (5) Ponte Vedra, 1,  20:41.  The Sharks looked stronger taking second at the Katie Caples Invitational.

6. (7) Ft. Walton Beach, 1,  20:43.  The Vikings continue to improve, taking fifth at the Gulf Coast Stampede.

7. (8) Gulf Breeze, 1,  21:09.  The Dolphins were seventh at the Gulf Coast Stampede with a tighter spread. 

8. (18) Matanzas, 2,  21:41.  The Pirates were a surprising sixth at the Katie Caples Invitational.

9. (12) Ocala Vanguard, 2,  21:47 (+10).  The Knights placed 27th at the Wingfoot XC Classic in north Georgia.

10. (27) Lincoln, 1,  21:49.  The Trojans grab the wild card slot this week, with Bartram Trail close behind.

11. (16) Charlotte, 3,  21:31 (+20).  The Tarpons took fifth at North Port without their top runner.

12. (11) Robinson, 3,  21:37 (+20). The Knights placed seventh at the North Port Invite.

13. (14) Estero, 3,  21:28 (+20).  The Wildcats took eighth right behind Robinson at North Port.

14. (13) Sunlake, 2,  21:42 (+20).  The Seahawks were seventh at the Buffalo Invite and won the CR Invite.

15. (9) Viera, 4,  22:09.  The Hawks took second at their own re-scheduled invitational.

Other teams to watch out for:

16. (15) Cape Coral, 3,  21:52 (+20).  The Seahawks placed ninth at the North Port Invitational.

17. (20) Land O'Lakes, 2,  21:44 (+20).  The Gators grabbed twelfth at North Port and are working on their depth problems.

18. (6) Ft. Myers, 3,  22:02 (+20).  The Green Wave finished thirteenth at North Port with key runners missing.  They are probably better than this ranking, but didn't show it.

19. (19) Harmony, 2,  22:32.  The Longhorns finished seventh at the St. Cloud XC Invitational.

20. (21) Ocala Forest, 2,  22:27 (+20).  The Wildcats were ninth at the Buffalo Invite, but ran poorly at Katie Caples with key runners out.

21. (25) Mater Academy, 4,  22:20 (+20).  The Lions are back in the Region 4 race with the return of Valerie Lastra.

22. (23) West Shore, 4,  22:54.  The Wildcats were sixth at the Shark Classic.

23. (17) South Fork, 4,  22:53 (+20).  The Bulldogs had an off meet, taking ninth in the large school division at Spanish River.

24. (22) Miami Northwestern, 4,  NT.  The Bulls have not run since September 1st.

25. (NR) Merritt Island, 4,  23:35.  The Mustangs get back in the rankings after taking fourth at the Viera Invite.

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: The last two weeks' times and the course adjustments are being used in the same way as in the team rankings.  Two-week season bests are listed, but are not the sole factor in rankings - head to head competition, and consistency in times is also considered.  Athletes that did not run in the last two weeks have dropped in the rankings.

Rank, (Previous Rank) Name, Grade, Team, 2 Week SB / Comments

1. (2) Ana Wallace, 12, Chiles, 17:56 (+20).  Defeated Abernathy by nearly 30 seconds at the Buffalo Invite on a fast Villages course.

2. (1) Natalie Abernathy, 11, Land O'Lakes, 18:25 (+20).  Finished second at both the Buffalo Invite and North Port.

3. (5) Lillian Holtery, 9, Niceville, 18:22.  Won Gulf Coast XC Stampede on what may have been a fast course.

4. (4) Emily Culley, 11, Chiles, 18:33 (+20).  Finished fourth at the Buffalo Invitational.

5. (3) Claire Openshaw, 10, Creekside, NT.  Has not run since Sept. 2nd, is scheduled for Alligator Lake.

6. (8) Alayna Goll, 12, Estero, 18:56 (+20).  Grabbed third at the North Port Invitational.

7. (7) Taylor Stone, 10, Osceola (Seminole), 18:58 (+20).  Finished right behind Goll at North Port.

8. (NR) Kambry Smith, 9, Ft. Walton Beach, 19:13.  Breaks into the rankings with a fourth-place finish at the Gulf Coast Stampede.

9. (14) Claire Coger, 12, Niceville, 19:23.  Took seventh place at the Gulf Coast XC Stampede.

10. (9) Hannah Spooneybarger, 11, Gulf Breeze, 19:26.  Finished right behind Coger at the Gulf Coast Stampede.

11. (23) Claire Moritz, 12, Ponte Vedra, 19:31.  Picked up a big win at Katie Caples when Caitlin Collier didn't run.

12. (NR) Valerie Lastra, 10, Mater Academy, 19:12(+20).  Was top 3A girl in her return to running at the Spanish River XC Invite.

13. (28) Caitlyn Wilkey, 10, Chiles, 19:15 (+20).   Finished eighth at the Buffalo Invite.

14. (19) Erica Fisher, 11, Pace, 19:43.  Claimed the twelfth spot at the Gulf Coast XC Stampede.

15. (NR) Josephine Gregory, 10, Ft. Walton Beach, 19:45.  Finished right behind Fisher at GCS.

Other individuals to watch out for:

16. (17) Lauren Jorgensen, 9, Gulf Breeze, 19:46.  Took fourteenth at Gulf Coast XC Stampede.

17. (10) Vanessa Bolen, 11, Harmony, 19:56.  Placed eleventh in strong field at the St. Cloud Invite.

18. (NR) Liina Winborn, 10, Sunlake, 19:36 (+20).  Fourteenth at Buffalo Invite, won Crystal River Invite.

19. (NR) Isabella Pawloski, 9, Pensacola, 19:31.  Won West Florida Classic, but has not run as well since then.

20. (11) Hannah Schneidewind, 12, Niceville, NT.  Has not run since Sept. 2nd, should run at Alligator Lake. 

21. (26) Erin Eubanks, 11, Niceville, 20:07.  Finished sixth at the Wildcat Invitational.

22. (NR) Erin Phelps, 12, Chiles, 19:52 (+20). Was sixteenth at the Buffalo Invite in first race of the season.

23. (13) Blake Petrick, 9, Creekside, NT.  Has not run since Sept. 2nd, should run at Alligator Lake.

24. (15) Parker Valby, 10, East Lake, 20:23.  Won Mitchell Invite against a relatively weak field.

25. (22) Hannah Jacobbe, 9, Creekside, NT.  Has not run since Sept. 2nd, should run at Alligator Lake.


4A Girls Mid-season Rankings
by Paul Opitz, Sarasota Riverview HS, paul.opitz65@gmail.com                

Team Rankings:

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (1) Winter Park = 5th at the hilly Wingfoot Invite in Atlanta, too bad they didn't run everybody, maybee they could have shown Georgia who rules FLA

2. (2) Newsome = won St Cloud avg 19:53

3. (3) George Jenkins = 2nd at St Cloud  avg 20:22. missing no 4, I believe

4. (4) Winter Springs = 3rd at ST Cloud avg  20:35, Miss Bahr ran JV, don't know, if she is at full strength? coach Ocky

5. (10) Steinbrenner = won North Port Elite race 20:18 avg. team looked strong

6. (16) St Thomas = won Spanish River 20:40 avg. led by 2 sub 20 5k ers

7. (5) HB Plant = won Don Bishop Invite avg 20:54

8. (12) Lakewood Ranch = 3rd at North Port led by Ava Klein, 19:55 showing.

9. (11) Wharton = 4th at North Port right behind the ranch

10. (15) Lake Brantley = 2nd at the sharks classic avg 21:03, looks like Ashley Klingenberg is back, congrats

11. (8) OLOL

12. (7) Spruce Creek

13. (13) Lake Mary

14. (9) Ferguson

T-15. (6) Lake Minneola

T-15. (NR) Palm Harbor U

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: This is a lot of talented runners; most have worked real hard over the long hot summer. GO Baguba

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade -- School = Comments

1. (1) Bailey Hertenstein, 12 - Newsome = 18:14, won St Cloud Invite

2. (2) Alyssa Hendrix, 10 - Riverview = 18:03, won North Port elite div, I saw the race, boy is she quick

3. (3) Rafella Gibbons, 12 - Winter Park = 18:05, 2nd at the Wingfoot Classic

4. (8) Anna Senter, 10 - George Jenkins = 18:32, close 2nd at St Cloud Invite

5. (4) Mackenkzie Czurak, 10 - Winter Springs = 18:36, 3rd at St Cloud Invite

6. Emma Noel, 09 - Winter Park = 18:50, 14th at Wingfoot classic, coach Mac, says she's the real deal, it looks like it, I heard it was hilly in GA

7. (10) Rylee Pustlink, 10 - Spanish River = 18:54, won her home meet

8. (6) Isabella Bartczak, 12 - Dr Phillips

9. (NR) Mya Bodrato, 09 - Lake Mary = 18:44, 4th at St Cloud invite

10. (7) Camryn Cooney, 12 - Spruce Creek = 19:04, won another race Sharks classic

11. (5) Alexander Del Re, 10 - Jupiter = 3rd at Spanish River

12. (13) Juliana Lazzari, 12 - Palm Harbor Univ. = 19:13, 1st at North Port Invite, looked strong in setting a new school record. CONGRATS

13. (15) Cadi Rowe, 11 - Lake Minneola = 18:55, 5th at St Cloud

14. (12) Natalie Bress - Melbourne = 19:35 2nd at sharks classic, 1st non win of season

T-15. (NR) Ashley Klingenberg, 10 - Lake Brantley = 19:35, 3rd at sharks classic, she back, look out

T-15. (NR) Emma Solis, 11 - Newsome = 19:03, 6th at St Cloud invite

Other individuals to watch out for:

(NR) Alexandra Strauman, 11 - Steinbrenner

(NR) Isabella Jester, 11 - Sarasota

(NR) Bridget Alex, 12 - St Thomas

(9) Alica Ruiz, 09 - George Jenkins

(14) Susie Doyle, 09 - Winter Springs

(NR) Elayna Bahr, 10 - Winter Springs


BOYS STATE RANKINGS

1A Boys Mid-season Rankings

By Anonymous, Ghost Writer HS, ryanraposo@gmail.com

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the team state rankings! Looking like an epic showdown between Mount Dora and Citrus Park -- who are nearly a minute (per man) ahead of the rest of the state in 1A.

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (1) Mount Dora Christian = Impressive 1:04 split between 1-5 - #2 in Sate last year they are hungry!!

2. (5) Citrus Park = phenomenal 1-2 punch in Foley and Legg - need to tighten up #4 and #5

3. (4) Providence = strong young team -- no "stars" but 33 second split! Great team running!

4. (3) Maclay = Perennial west Florida power -- solid and deep -- 1:20 for their 1-5 split

5. (NR) King's Academy = Most improved award for 2017! 1-3 only 8 seconds apart! -- need to work on gap between #3 and #4

6. (9) Palmer Trinity = Good, solid tight pack -- much improved from last year's #15 State finish -- all 5 scorers returned from 2017

7. (13) PK Yonge = Another much improved team -- strong showing against tough field at Alligator Lake

8. (6) St. Joseph's = Very solid 1-3 -- need to work on gap down to 4-5

9. (NR) Northside Christian = No one under 18:00, but impressive 56 second 1-5 split

10. (12) Oak Hall = Strong 10th place finish at Hurricane Irma Invite

11. (NR) Circle Christian = Big season for a team that did not make it to State last year -- running well!

12. (10) Bishop Snyder = 2 strong seniors -- need to close gap between #2 and #3

13. (NR) Blountstown = Surprise team from Panhandle that only finished 8th at Regionals last year

14. (2) Westminster Academy = Last year's champs re-building -- getting better each week

15. (14) Father Lopez = #10 in state last year -- always tough

Other teams to watch out for:

(8) Indian Rocks, (NR) Windermere Prep, (7) The Pine School, (NR) St. Francis Catholic, and (NR) The Geneva School all could threaten Top 15 in coming weeks

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the individual state rankings!

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade -- School = Comments

1. (2) Trevor Foley, 12 -- Citrus Park =  Fastest time in state this fall (in any classification) - 47 seconds ahead of #2 (his team-mate)

2. (13) Reed Legg, 10 -- Citrus Park = Solid 10th grade runner gives Citrus Park an enviable 1-2 punch

3. (3) Ryan Szklany, 12  - Highlands Christian = very consistent in "mid-16s" -- 16:23 at FL Runners

4. (5) Sean Snyder, 12 - St. Joseph's = season-best 16:31 at muddy Bale-N-Trail

5. (14) Jackson Pruim, 11 - Mt. Dora = #1 runner (by a nose) on the #1 team

6. (6) Austin Montini, 9 - Oak Hall = big talent for a 9th grader -- speedy 16:41 at Hurricane Irma Invite -- 10th at Alligator Lake

7. (1) Gabriel Curtis, 11 - Mount Dora = big brother 3 seconds ahead of little brother

8. (9) Mitchell Curtis, 9 - Mount Dora = 3rd man in an impressive 1-3 Mount Dora pack

9. (4) Josh Skielnik, 12 - Jupiter Christian = 2nd at Spanish River in 16:50

10. (8) Cooper LaBrant, 12 - Indian Rocks Christian = 2nd at FL Runners Invitational Boys

11. (NR) Paul McKenzie, 10 - Seffner Christian = last of 11 guys under 17:00 this season

12. (NR) Dan O'Dell, 12 - First Baptist Academy = 17:01 best at Northport -- big PR

13. (NR) Jack Anderton, 10 - South Florida HEAT = 17:03 best this season

14. (NR) Fernando Palacios, 12 - Bell Creek = speedy 17:07 at the North Port Invitational

15. (NR) Ethan Bhatt, 9 -- Citrus Park = another young talented 9th grader gives Citrus Park 3 in Top 15

Other individuals to watch out for:

(NR) Tanner Rosolino -- Father Lopez

(NR) John McKenzie - Seffner Christian

(NR) Joseh Aymonin - St. John Paul II

(10) Collin Kane - Oak Hall

(NR) Aldren Biala - Bishop Snyder


2A Boys Mid-season Rankings
by Carlos Maymi, St. Brendan HS / St. Thomas University, maymicarlos@yahoo.com

Team Rankings:

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (1) Bolles HS = Dominates every race they enter, doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon

2. (3) Satellite = FAST PACK! The 1-5 split is 10.58! just wow

3. (2) Trinity Prep = with a lower average time than satellite, they will be a force to deal with at states

4. (5) South Walton = lost narrowly to a good Ocean Springs team at Gulf Coast this team can improve real fast 

5. (6) Lake Highland Prep = finished a solid 3rd in a fast Buffalo Invitational, followed by a solid 2nd at NTC.

6. (4) Bishop Kenny = I don't think this team has shown what it can actually do yet, and that's scary considering what they are running now. 

7.  (9) Cocoa Beach = solid wins in both the Bayside invitational, and Holy Trinity. My sleeper team to crack the top 5

8.  (NR) Astronaut = off to a strong start, looking to finish strong.

9.  (NR)Lake Wales = this team is lead by a stud in Stafford, if the back of the pack moves up a little this team can make some leaps forward.

10. (NR) Titusville = Nice pack from 1-7 it will be interesting to see how they improve at the end of the season.

11. (7) Immokalee

12.  (NR) Tavares

13. (14) West Florida Tech

14. (NR) Bishop Moore

15. (10) Rockledge

Other teams to watch out for:

(NR) Episcopal Jacksonville, (NR) Montverde Academy, (15) Wakulla HS

Individual Rankings:

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade - School

1. (1) Charles Hicks, 11 -- Bolles

2. (6) Paul Stafford, 12 -- Lake Wales

3. (4) Chase Rivera, 11- Bolles

4. (3) Nathan Jubran, 12- Bishop Kenny

5. (7) Trent Turbyfill, 12- Trinity Prep

6. (2) Antonio Gomez, 12- Frostproof

7. (5) Troy Smith, 11 - Rockledge

8. (NR) Sean Leider, 12 - Trinity Prep

9. (9) Jacob Hensley, 11- Citrus

10. (NR) Jacob D'Aleo, 10- South Walton

11. (10) Walker Hirsch, 11- Satellite  

12. (NR) Charlie Dickinson, 12 -- Satellite

13. (NR) Rahul Koshy, 12- Satellite

14. (NR) Alexander Hasting 11- Bolles

15. (NR) Owen Allen 11- Key West

Other individuals to watch out for:

(NR) John Sorensen, (NR) Gabe Montague, (NR) Nathaniel Basford


3A Boys Mid-season Rankings
by Kerry Mowlam, Ponte Vedra High School, kmowlam@yahoo.com                   

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Wow, some teams have put their mark on the season mid-way thru. 3A is not for the weak and faint hearted. A few seconds either way can gain or drop rankings…. Now the fun begins 

Rank. (Previous Rank) School - Comments

1. Ocala Vanguard HS (3) -- There is a new sheriff in town called OV. Impressive win over Chiles at Buffalo Invite, followed by strong team race at Wingfoot XC. Have obtained the top spot and will keep all challengers at bay if they continue their strong season

2. Chiles -- (2) Had first big challenge at Buffalo and was close 2nd behind OV. Will see how they perform this weekend at Lake City and PreState to see if they can get top position

3. Belen Jesuit (1) -- Two more races at Embry Riddle and Spanish River equals 2 more team wins. Need to race the 3A challengers to see where they stack up.

4. Niceville (4) -- Like Belen, two more races and 2 more wins at Wildcat and Stampede.  Tight pack of 24 secs is very impressive. Do have quite bit ground to make jump to 3rd but never count them out

5. Creekside (5) -- Haven't raced since Sept 2, so hold this spot even though shows back to 10th in virtual meet. The team always races/plays smart during the season and will be in mention for top honors at season end.

6. Estero -- (9) Back to the 6th spot ranking with an excellent race at North Port taking 2nd overall and leaping over other 3A teams. 2-5 runners are running very well and are within 10 seconds.

7. New Smyrna Beach (8) -- Stamped their mark at Katie Caples with team 5th place in a very competitive field. Very strong top 3, and when 4/5 runners start getting faster, this team will be one to watch for.

8. Gulf Coast (10) -- Yep, as I said they would, making their way back up the rankings and biting me in touché… They will continue to make their way back to top 5 by post season

9. Robinson HS (6) -- Another great team effort at North Port but dropped few places just to the surging of other teams.  Still top 10 and expect them to stay

10. Fort Myers (13) -- Right behind Robinson at North Port has them right behind them at rankings time. This is prime team that their 5-7 runners hold the key to advancing up or moving down the rankings

11. Bartram Trail (10) -- Tight 58 sec pack between 1-5 runners at NTC Invite last weekend. Another team that paces itself perfectly in preparation for post season where they are a constant fixture

12. Fort Walton Beach (14) -- Team average of 17.35 with runners 1-7 split of 18 secs. That's a pack I want to be part of. Took 2nd place at Wildcat and holding their own in tough Region 1

13. Naples (11) -- Slight drop in rankings, but be warned. Past seasons have them starting slow and racing their way into the post season

14. Lincoln (NR) -- Busted out the big stick with great showing at the Stampede to throw their name in the 3A rankings. Will see how they go with 2 big races at West Orange and PreState.

15. Ponte Vedra (15) -- Solid effort at Katie Caples but in brutal Region 1, where 15th in State won't get you to bug dance. Like other teams, waiting to see how they fare over next 2 weeks

Other teams to watch out for:

Now here is the crazy statistic. All these remaining teams average are within seconds of being top 15. Take a pick and any team would be safe bet to break into the rankings in 2 weeks.

Osceola (Seminole), Viera, Seabreeze, Choctawhatchee, Gulf Breeze, Stanton Prep, Harmony, Land O Lakes, Lincoln, Leon, Nease, Columbia, Venice, Barron Collier, Pace

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Gentlemen, start your engines

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade -- School = Comments

1. Michael Phillips 12 (1) -- Chiles -- Still fastest runner in 3A. Rises to each occasion and will continue all year

2. Joey Fitzpatrick 12 (2) -- Ocala Vanguard -- 4 races between 15.31-15.48. Welcome back.

3. Joshua Collins 12 (3) -- Belen Jesuit -- 2nd at Embry Riddle with 1st place last Saturday

4. Diego Lavieri-Sosa 12 (4) - Ocala Vanguard -- backed up 15.57 with 15.54 last week

5. Aidan O'Gorman 11 (5) - New Smyrna Beach -- Consistent start with 3 races all in 16.20 range

6. Hugh Brittenham 11 (NR) -- Estero -- Huge leap into ranking with North Port 3rd place

7. Matthew Newland 12 -- (6) Chiles -- only reason for slight drop as hasn't raced since Sept 2

8. Payne Myer 11 (7) - New Smyrna Beach -- 5 weeks/5 races/5 outstanding results.

9. Alejandro Michel 12 (10) -- Freedom -- Hasn't ran in 4 weeks, so little lower in rankings

10. Paul Reyna 12 (14) - Ocala Vanguard -- Getting faster week

11. Nicholas Kamen 11 (11) -- Gulf Coast -- Ranked lower but had great race placings to hold spot

12. Ethan Geiger 10 (12) -- Robinson -- Racing consistent to hold his rankings spot

13. Kyle Skinner 10 (NR) -- Fort Myers -- made himself known at North Port with 5th

14. Logan Horning 12 (10) - New Smyrna Beach -- Solid result at Katie Caples

Tied 15. Lucas de la Hoz 11 (NR) -- Belen Jesuit -- racing back to his potential

Tied 15. Sam Skiles 12 (NR) -- Stanton Prep -- in top rankings where he belongs


4A Boys Mid-season Rankings

by Ryan Lowe, Lake Nona High, ryan.lowe@ocps.net                                

Team Rankings:

Commentary: I hope and pray that everybody made it through the storms with minimal damage to them and their families.  Running is not at the top of the list when there is water flooding the streets and no power for extended periods of time.  With that being said, some teams did not run for 2 weeks so this past weekend (9/23) was almost like the re-start to the season.  Our top two remained the same but everything else is fluid due to the circumstances.  I hope to have some clarity with the upcoming big races and let's hope that the storm season is over for a while.

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. Oviedo High (1) = they continue to look great while dropping their team average.

2. St. Thomas Aquinas (2) = different year, same results; they just keep winning.

3. George Steinbrenner (4) = Boss Cross is on a mission.

4. Plant (NR) = Perfect score at Don Bishop Invitational

5. Sarasota (9) = Hartvigsen gives them a low number.

6. Columbus (NR) = Runner-up to St. Thomas at Spanish River with 17:12 team average.

7. Fleming Island (6) = Miller has run his way to the top of the rankings.

8. Lake Mary (NR) = edged out Newsome by one point at St. Cloud Invitational.

9. Newsome (NR) = large contingent of runners, all of whom keep running well.

10. Lyman (5)

11. G. Holmes Braddock (14)

12. Wharton (3) 

13. Spanish River (10) =

14. Mandarin (NR)

15. Lake Minneola (NR)

Other teams to watch out for: (In alphabetical order)

Coral Reef, Coral Springs, Ferguson, George Jenkins, Hagerty, Lake Nona, Lakewood Ranch, Palm Beach Central, St. Cloud, Winter Springs, Wiregrass Ranch

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: This was a difficult task due to so many runners not being able to compete and, in some instances, even practice with their team due to Hurricane Irma.  When races have been run, the guys on this list continue to excel and the back-and-forth battles make for entertaining meets.  The head-to-head races will be a nice preview of the post-season that is to come.

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade -- School = Comments

1. (13) Andrew Miller, 12 -- Fleming Island = has not lost to a 4A runner yet

2. (4) Deshay Fernandes, 12 -- Columbus = looking good and ready to contend for the title

3. (15) Tristan Montalvo, 12 -- St. Cloud = great kick to win his home meet

4. (7) Justin Czurak, 12 -- Winter Springs = seems to be getting stronger as the season moves on

5. (6) Canaan St. Lewis, 11 -- Lake Mary = starting to put it together as we near October

6. (4) Tyson Harper, 12 -- Oviedo = part of an interchangeable front pack on his team

7. (1) Bryce Bell, 12 -- Lyman = consistency is the key to helping him succeed

8. (7) Nicholas Rischar, 12 -- St. Thomas = never count out the top guy at St. Thomas

9. (9) Kayamo Galloway, 10 -- Oviedo = another part of the interchangeable front pack at Oviedo

10. (2) Timothy Doyle, 12 -- Freedom (Orlando) = appears to be getting into championship form

11. Noah Quintana (NR), 12 -- Lake Minneola

12. Cavan Wilson (NR), 12 -- Coral Gables

13. Benjamin Hartvigsen (NR), 11 - Sarasota

14. Austin Redondo (NR), 12 -- Coral Reef

15. Jonathan Reid (NR), 11 -- Lakewood Ranch

Other individuals to watch out for:

Isaias De La Puente, 11 -- Forest Hill

Mamush Galloway, 10 -- Oviedo

Hunter Dobbs, 12 -- Coral Reef

Brady Zimmerman, 11 -- George Jenkins

Evan Fuller, 12 -- Fleming Island

Nehemiah Rivers, 11 -- Wharton

Kyler Hodges, 12 -- Lyman

Zachary Cloud, 10 -- St. Cloud

Devin Boyle, 12 -- Lake Mary

Walker Thomas, 12 - Plant


Reminder:

- Please remember that all of these rankings are done by volunteer coaches 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 Site Administrator / FACA Rankings Representative: Ryan Raposo @ ryanraposo@gmail.com