I suppose it is only appropriate that the back-to-back national outdoor champions are slated in the #1 position headed into the collegiate indoor track & field season.  Despite two outdoor national crowns, the Seminoles have yet to win a national indoor title.  Last season, they finished second to Wisconsin.The indoor preason rankings are not, however, a subjective rankings; to determine the positions they analyze the best returning times from last indoor season.  With superstar Walter Dix and a great group of othes returning for the Noles this year indoor and back-to-back-to-back outdoor titles are certainly within reach.Giving the Seminoles company in the top five is the University of Florida.  The Gators, no doubt proud of Heisman winner Tim Tebow, should also be proud of their indoor track program--ranked #4. The Gators also have the only women's team preason ranked in the national top 25 indoors.  The Lady Gators find themselves in 13th position.Congrats to both teams!  GO 'NOLES! (and although I can't bring myself to say it without putting it parenthesis since I bleed garnet and gold--GO GATORS!)

With a good amount of support pledged on the forum, the wheels were put in motion to create the first true high school indoor track & field meet in Florida in years.  While the meet is of course not an FHSAA sanctioned event, it will be targetted at the high school age bracket--rather than just being a couple of high school events tacked on to a college meet.The event will take place on February 2 at the O'Connell Center at the University of Florida campus in Gainesville -- the state's only indoor track.  It is sponsored by the Gainesville Sports Commission, with the goal of signing on some sponsors and making it a major annual event.  There will also be races for open and masters divisions. More Information 

Cypress Bay cross-country and track star Emilie Amaro said she would follow her heart to make the best college decision. In the end, Amaro's heart led her to Stanford. The senior announced Sunday that she has made a verbal commitment to run cross-country and track for the Cardinal.''This was a kind of a gut instinct,'' said Amaro, a four-time state runner-up in cross-country. ``I really like the combination of athletics and academics. On my trip there in mid-October they were not trying to sell me on the social life. More as a student-athlete.''Full Story at MiamiHerald.com

 Oh there were plenty of doubters!  There were doubts that she could qualify through Footlocker South--a course that jinxed her for the prior two years.  And then there were doubters after she qualified with a 6th place finish out of the South region.  But you'd be hard pressed to find any doubters today!Ashley ran what was described by many as the "perfect race" and it was exactly what Coach Doug Butler had prescribed that she do.  Brasovan went out conservatively, hanging roughly around 10th place.  Then slowly she started moving up in the pack... to 7th... to 5th.  At about the 1.75 mile mark, she really started to make her move.  At that point, Jordan Hassay of California had a big lead and looked like she would take it home--although some said Hassay looked weathered even early in the race despite her leading.  Ashley moved into second place just before the 2.5 mile mark.  She then whiddled away at Hassay's lead and finally took the lead for good with about 600 to go.  Her lead grew and Hassay got caught.The rest of the Florida girls also ran great races.... four girls qualifiers and national championship!  What a great day for Florida!  Tons of coverage, photos, videos, results, and articles are up.  Click the headline for coverage.

It was a great year for Florida girls!  Four Floridians qualified for this year's prestigious Foot Locker Nationals race in San Diego:  Kayla Hale, Emilie Amaro, Brittany Koziara, and Ashley Brasovan.  This is the most historic and significant cross country race for a high school individual and an experience that will no doubt forever be a highlight in these ladies' lives.The girls and their crews have already arrived on the West Coast for tomorrow's race.  I will be joining my our MileSplit coverage team out there on Friday night, bringing our total to six.  We will be bringing you a flood of thousands of photos, hours of video interviews and race footage, and plenty of articles, race summaries, and analysis throughout the weekend.  There is also a live webcast and will be live updates posted during the race on the forum and our national portal.  Look for results within the hour after the race.Click Here for More on Our MileSplit Us National Portal... 

It would probably have been difficult for the organizers of the first Ed Root 10K in 1983 to imagine the popularity and success that this race would achieve.  Ed, a member of the family that has been synonymous with commercial and cultural growth throughout the Daytona Beach area, was a well-known personality and talented runner in his own right.  It is quite possible, however, that less than a handful of the 600 runners in this race ever met him.  Nevertheless, when row after countless row of runners lined up on Pine Street in New Smyrna Beach for the start of the 24th Annual Ed Root, it was a lasting tribute to the man behind the race.

Joseph Franklin beat out Eric Larson in a close one with fantastic times at Miccosukee Greenway.  Franklin bounced back from an off day at Foot Locker South last weekend in North Carolina to mount an impressive 15:23 to Larson's 15:29.Devin Spoerle meanwhile took care of business in the girls race with a time of 18:39. Lindsey Lucas was second in 19:09.The 3A Boys and 2A Girls each easily won the team titles.  This is the first year that the All-Star meet has been run on classification-based teams, rather than region-based teams.Complete Results are posted.  Pictures to follow.