Edwards, Bennett Lead The Green Wave Tsunami At Lee County Championship

Lee County Athletic Conference Championship
Robert Brown

Complete Results | Photo Album by Robert Brown (Over 600 photos)

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A new course, windy / warm conditions and late afternoon race start times did nothing to level the playing field at the LCAC meet nor did it bode well for anyone looking to PR. Hosted by Mariner HS in Cape Coral, FL. At 3:00pm a fast moving shower cooled the day’s high temperature from 88º to around 84º, and with the sun lowering in the sky an offshore wind picked up, gusting up to 15 knots. The course started in the middle of the school complex, spiraling out and around in a clockwise path until it reached the north campus boarder. Then it straightened out heading due east, dead into the teeth of the wind, for a full mile. A quick U-turn and back along the same path for 6 tenths before turning back into the campus, making a loop around some athletic field and into the stadium for the last 350 meters on the asphalt track.

Girls Varsity – Emily Edwards destroys the field

At 4:45pm the starter pulled the triggered sending the 10 teams of Lee County’s finest bolting towards a narrow 12 foot wide opening in the chain link fence just 155 meters away. Estero, Fort Myers, Cypress Lake and Ida Baker were the top seeds coming in with Emily Edwards, FM, Kacy Smith, Katy Solis and Bethany Jenkins, Estero and Chelsea Manning, Cypress Lake tabbed to be the front-runners. At the mile Edwards and Smith were shoulder to shoulder at 6:05. Solis was off about 10 meters from the lead two. Soon after, despite the head wind, Emily kicked into another gear and pulled away from Kacy. By the two she had a 30 second lead and was still charging with the pack stringing out significantly far behind her. At the finish Edwards crossed in 18:34 a minute ahead of Smith followed by Solis, Jenkins, Manning, Jillian Richter and Breeana Salcedo. Estero won the Girls title posting a 26 by putting all scorers in the top ten. Fort Myers were 22 back trailed by Ida Baker, Cypress Lake and East Lee in that order.

Boys Varsity – Tyler Bennett reigns in the competition

5:35pm saw 90 harriers respond to the gun and vie for front position before reaching the tight gate and the first right turn of the course. As with the girls, Fort Myers, Estero, Cypress Lake and Ida Baker were the top seeds and Tyler Bennett, Ace Brown & Dean McGregor, Fort Myers, Bobby Ormsby, Cypress Lake, Jose Cartagena, Estero and Miguel Casiano, Lehigh were to lead the charge. At the mile Brown, Bennett, Ormsby and McGregor were in a tight pack crossing in 5:04 with a 20 meter lead over the next group. At the turn around Ormsby made a move, surging out in front of Bennett by ten meters by the time he got to the two-mile mark. Once back on school grounds Tyler increased his turn over, catching up to Bobby and finally overtaking him as they entered the track. Bennett finished at 16:00 with Ormsby 6 seconds back shadowed by Brown, McGregor, Brendan McGonagle, Cartagena and Christian Vazquez. Scoring 25 points, Fort Myers took the team crown by packing 4 in the top five with their 5 coming in at 12th. Estero scored 56 for second place followed by Ida Baker, Cypress Lake and home team Mariner.
 
Special thanks go out to Mariner head coach Chris Lewis, Asst. Coach Brynn Currier and their entire staff of volunteers, Fort Myers Track Club for timing and finish line services and all the athletes that came to cheer on their varsity teammates.

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