As a freshman at Bishop Kenny, Michael Barr got a taste of what it was like to win a state championship. Now a senior, Barr is hoping to win an individual title and in the process lead the Crusaders to another team title. He finished 9th in 2011 is ranked the top individual returner for 2012. Bishop Kenny lost their number two and five runners to graduation including Cecil Vignutti who placed 13th last year. Returning off a team that placed their top five in the top fifty last year are senior Zachary Perry, and junior David Yarborough. David Barr and Bradley Franco round out the top five. Coach Kevin Curran says there are a couple of promising freshman and new guys coming out from track for the first time, that could crack the varsity roster by the time the postseason rolls around.
On the track, the boys have had successful outdoor campaigns. David Yarborough has the best 3200 meter time coming in with a 9:59.86 set at the Friday Knight Invite. Barr and Perry come in second and third with times of 10:05 and 10:09 respectively. Yarbourough was fifth in the 1600 meters at the 2A state meet finishing in 4:29.56. Zachary Perry finished 16th in 4:42.26. Seven runners have gone 4:55 or under in 2012. Yarborough, Perry, and Barr teamed up to finish 9th at state in the 4x800 meter relay.
The strength of Bishop Kenny is their ability to run as a pack. Barr will be in the hunt for an individual title and that will be a huge help, but the Crusaders depth in their number two thru number five guys might win them the team title. Last year, their 1-5 split at state was 54 seconds. Coming into the season they have a 1-5 split of 1:00.12 which is pretty impressive.That should drop and the Crusaders should make the podium, mostly likely equaling or bettering their second place finish from 2011. Based on the returning 5K times in 2A, Bishop Kenny is 63 points lower than Cocoa Beach who is predicted second.
Coach Curran Says...
"The boys are looking strong. The focus over the past few years has been to rebuild the depth of the program. The entire team has really bought into the concept that even the slowest runner improving helps the team get better. This growing mindset makes this team look like the deepest team we have had in the past five years. We were able to bring twenty-five guys up to a running camp in Brevard, N.C. this year, and they really bonded as a team and got some good running up in the mountains."
"The team goals are similar to previous years, the Varsity and JV teams want to be competitive in the state. The difference this year is that we come in with the target on our backs. On paper we have the best returning team in 2A, but it takes more than past results and paper to win in November. The current group is focused on reclaiming the 2A State Title as a team and they are focused on returning Bishop Kenny to a program that is competitive across all classifications."
"As for the races, the State meet is the end goal, but we want to start by winning our home race, Katie Caples. With boys teams like Holy Trinity, Mandarin, Stanton, and Cocoa Beach already committed this year, winning will not be an easy task, but being competitive under the lights is a big first step for the season. In addition we will be attending Great American. The top guys know that part of rebuilding a great program in the state means seeing how they compare to other teams in the southeastern United States. We will also be attending big in-state meets during the midseason and hoping to compete well, such as Pre-State and Bale-N-Trail."
2012 Returner's Top Times
5K XC
| Bishop Kenny HS | 804 | |||
| 1) Michael Barr | 16:08.90 | 32 | ||
| 2) David Yarborough | 16:46.22 | 129 | ||
| 3) Zachary Perry | 16:50.68 | 152 | ||
| 4) David Barr | 17:08.98 | 245 | ||
| 5) Chris Norton | 17:09.02 | 246 | ||
| Average Time: 16:48.76 -- Total Time: 1:24:03.80 -- 1-5 Split: 1:00.12 | ||||
| 6) Bradley Franco | 17:13.80 | 277 | ||
| 7) Jackie Lewis | 17:50.96 |
511 |
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Boys 3200 Meter Run |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 9:59.86 | Yarborough, David | Friday Knight Invite |
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| 10:05.94 | Barr, Michael | FHSAA 2A District 3 |
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| 10:09.51 | Perry, Zachary | Dale Regan Memorial |
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| 10:32.08 | Norton, Chris | Dale Regan Memorial |
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| 10:40.20 | Sharpe, Alec | Dale Regan Memorial |
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Boys 1600 Meter Run |
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|---|---|---|---|
| 4:33.43 | Perry, Zachary | FHSAA 2A Region 1 |
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| 4:43.56 | Norton, Chris | Friday Knight Invite |
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| 4:44.79 | Barr, Michael | Walt Disney World Invitational |
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| 4:46.36 | Sampayo, Erik | UNF Spring Break Invitational |
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| 4:52.44 | Jaramillo, Sam | Dale Regan Memorial |
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| 4:55.31 | Wagner, Tim | Dale Regan Memorial |
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