Gianna Forte is your girls performer of the week.
The Bishop Snyder senior won the UNF invitational by 11 seconds with a PR of 18:55. The race was strategic, with Forte locking eyes on first place, making her move, and finishing strong.
Forte's improvements over the past year are incredible. She went from running 20:50s consistently for the 5k all last cross country season, to this season, in just two races, breaking the 19 minute barrier. During track, Forte had her breakout season running 11:23 in the 3200m and 5:22 in the 1600m.
In a year, Forte has become one of the fastest athletes in 1A and medaled in both the 1600m and 3200m races at the track state meet a few months ago.
Forte opened up her senior cross country season at the Cecil Field Pre-Season Classic with a PR of 19:21, nearly a minute and half faster than her state performance last season.
With only two races under her belt thus far, we can expect to see her make her way up as one of the best in the state.
Forte's 18:55 PR ranks her at #3 for the 1A girls and her team at #7 for 1A teams. Forte leads her team along with teammates Hannah Johnson, Kaitlyn Frost, Miranda Serrano, and Blythe Stanley.
Read: Florida High School Girls 5k Rankings FHSAA 1A
This weekend the Cardinals will venture across state lines over to the Brainbridge Bearcat Invitational in Georgia.
