At his core, a runner is a nomad. Perpetually in motion, he seems driven by the most basic need of human subsistence—spiritual fulfillment. His endless quest is to satisfy a thirst for something that promises to be just ahead—better and better times.
For these travelers, the allure of Chain of Lakes Park is like that of a desirable oasis. This year, more than ever, it lived up that metaphor. Assembled beside its waters—as had occurred 13 times before--were thousands of the sport’s disciples. Runners, coaches, parents, siblings, and friends filled the landscape with an activity defying control (in some cases, much to the dismay of its well-meaning overseer). Surrounded by others of a similar ethos, all were in their glory, reveling with a clamor that echoed like thunder…or was that the real thing?
It was all good. Even the sudden (and at times dramatic) downpours refreshed, rather than dampened spirits. No one was left unfulfilled, for the journey was just as meaningful as the destination.
At the gathering’s conclusion, each tent was folded and packed—every crease full of memories—to be carried by car-a-van to the next spring. For those who were not there, what follows in an account of this adventure.
Day 1
Race 1: Girls JV Blue
If, in looking at the photos, it might seem that the winner of the first race of FLR XIV was a little young, that’s because she was. (All redundancies aside, please pardon my frequent use of the word “first” in this capsule.)
“I’m in sixth grade,” clarified Audrey McAnally of Trinity Prep. “It wasn’t my first win, though. I won the Astronaut Invitational (22:32.70), on this same course. It was the JV race.”
That was on September 7th. She also won the Trinity Prep Twilight Invitational, her first race, on August 31st (23:19.70); the Overbay-Monte Carlo Invitational on September 21st (20:37.30); and now the FLR XIV, September 27th (21:11.10). Four firsts in four weeks. In researching this, I couldn’t help but click on the Graph icon. It came up “undefined.” (No doubt because her dramatic drop in times, from 23:19 to 20:37 within three weeks, is a first. The line illustrating that just could not compute.)
“I started running when I was eight. At Margaret Mary School, I always tried to beat the boys. My PE teacher, Mrs. Levi, told me that I should go out for a running team. My mom (Lisa) and my dad (Alexi) don’t run at all. They were surprised that I could run so fast.”
Join the crowd. Now, in addition to Mom and Dad, add the 167 finishers in this race to a growing list of believers.
“Those last two race wins taught me to start out at my own pace, and go faster, eventually. In this race, the girl in green was ahead (probably either Sidney Oakse-Lotridge, second in 21:42.30, or Isabelle Koflin, third in 21:53.30, both from Ft. Myers). My plan was to move up and catch her, eventually. It happened at about two miles. I just picked it up. At first, she tried to stay with me, but eventually I just took off. No one challenged me after that.”
And, eventually—as Audrey is prone to say—that may come to pass in a much broader sense. Is it my imagination, or was Audrey the first “Class of 2020” runner in the country to win a high school cross country race?
Team Race – With a 2-3-5-13-14-18-19 order of finish, first place finisher Fort Myers had half as many points as either Oak Hall (4-6-11-25-28-34-55; 74), or Lake Highland (9-10-12-22-23-35; 76), second and third, respectively. 167 runners and 16 teams finished.
Race 2: Boys JV Blue
Following the finish of this JVB race through the lens of my Nikon, I did a double take. So alike were the first two runners that they could have been brothers, and no wonder. Mamush (age 12) and Kayamo (11) Galloway share the same last name, and in conversation the same sentence. Their PRs—17:35.70 for Mamush and 17:44.40 for Kayamo (both were run at this past September 21st Overbay-Monte Carlo Invitational)—are indications of a shared destiny.
Mamush: “I started running when I was eight, in second grade.”
Kayamo: “I was nine, and started that same year.”
Mamush: “We run at school, Trinity Prep, every day.”
Kayamo: “During the summer, we did about four miles. We were doing AAU track and field. I did the 800, 1500, and 3000.”
Mamush: “I also did the 800, 1500, and 3000. My best time in the 800 was 2:29. In the 1500 I ran 5:04, and in the 3000 10:01.”
Kayamo: “I ran 2:39 in the 800, 5:11 in the 1500, and, like 11:15 in the 3000.”
Mamush: “I think I have the advantage because I’m a little taller, and take longer strides.”
Kayamo: “Well, yeah. Mamush comes in first most of the time, but I try to beat him.”
Mamush: “I feel good about (our) taking first and second today.”
Kayamo: “It’s a family thing. We try to compete (against each other) and get better. I try to beat him. When I try to sprint, he picks it up too. That’s how we win, and get better.”
Mamush: “I think we like the same stuff, like basketball and soccer.”
Kayamo: “We basically like the same things. In football, I don’t like to play tackle, just flag, or two hand touch.”
Mamush: “We just have one class together, fine arts.”
Kayamo: “We love art.”
Mamush: “I want to thank our coach, Coach Dowdy. She trains us hard.”
Kayamo: “And also our parents. They let us do what sports we want to, and take us to races on their time, and watch us run.”
Team Race – One has to wonder, with M & K (17:46 and 17:59, respectively) on their team, how could Trinity Prep lose? Well, only if another team could manage to place their first five in the top ten, which is exactly what Ft. Myers managed to do. Their 3-4-5-7-8-14-15 added up to only 27 points, while TP’s (1-2-6-22-36-39-50) had 67. The Conch Republic…uh, Key West, finished third with 99 (13-17-19-21-29-47. (Talk about a Marathon journey!) 25 teams and 275 runners scored.
Race 3: Girls Small School Varsity
Small school or large, the enthusiasm which washed over each of this year’s 20 races was pretty much the defining statement for the meet. Even as the miles fell behind, and the day wore on, that energy never waned, and there were almost as many all-out sprints to the finish as there were runners. 
At times, the final 100 meters was so crowded with runners trying to outkick each other, that photos became a collage of body parts: hands, necks, knees and elbows. To borrow a phrase from show biz, “they really packed ‘em in.”
The interview of the Small School winner, Lake Highland’s Rachel Stockton, was frequently interrupted by hugs, photos with teammates, and congratulations by runners from other schools. It was a camaraderie that is best illustrated by the sudden appearance by the third place finisher, Madison Larabee--also from Lake Highland—sometime during the interview.
“I knew that she”—Skye Zeller, from Space Coast HS; second in 20:29—“was right behind me,” Rachel explained after the race. “It was at, like, the two mile mark that she started to fade a little. She kinda wasn’t keeping her pace.
“She came up on me (again) at the end of the lake. My coach said ‘Go!’ (At that point) I knew that I didn’t have anything to lose, and that the worst thing that could happen was that I’d just drop back, so I went for it. I knew (then) that I had to kick it. Probably my kick is my strength. It’s a mental thing. My legs were kind of tired, but I knew I could push through it.
“I wanted to break 20, but my hamstring has been bothering me; I wasn’t going to run today. But I’m happy with how I ran the race, staying with her and kicking it in at the end. And I’m happy with how my team ran. Madison—she’s very fast and motivates me to try to keep up with her. I think she’ll help me to get PRs down the road.”
Madison: ““This is my first full year of cross country, but I ran a half season last year. In practice, she”—Rachel—“motivates me to keep going, and run that extra one or two miles after practice. The most important thing that Rachel has taught me is to keep pushing and not believe what your body is trying to tell you (how tired you are). So you go faster, move up, and pass people who are dropping back. That’s encouraging.”
Rachel Stockton, although well off her 19:38.24 best (11/17/2012 at the 2A FHSAA final), was first in 20:18.40, and Madison Larabee was third in 20:30.90. For Madison, it was a new PR, reinforcing her praise of Rachel.
Team Race – With Rachel and Madison leading the way in first and third, respectively, and a tight pack after that--15-16-17-18-20—Lake Highland won with 52 points. Calvary Christian Academy had twice as many points to finish second (105, with a 6-10-22-33-34-63-66 order), and Shorecrest was next closest (4-24-27-30-42-60-61; 127). There were 14 teams and 104 runners in this race.
Race 4: Girls Large School
Sometimes, the best way to interview one person is to interview two. That way, instead of one of them saying “that girl in green,” she can look over and “that girl” can speak for herself. Besides, how are you ever going to make friends in cross country if you run away from everyone you “meet”? In this case, the race was between Abigail Grant, from Sickles, and Lianna Farnesi, from Doral Academy.
Abigail: “Hi, I’m Abigail.”
Lianna: “I’m Lianna.”
Abigail: “You’re good.”
Lianna: “You too.”
Abigail: “I was trying to start to start off with a 6:10, but I ran 5:58. I led for the first two, but it took a lot out of me. It was hard; I didn’t think we were going as fast as we were. Then she took over.”
Lianna: “By about ten or fifteen meters, maybe.”
Abigail: “My coach started yelling at me. I was intimidated—in a good way—and started picking up the pace. I passed her. When I came around the bend, and saw the finish line, I started picking it up even more.”
Lianna: “I tried hanging on, but she took off. I tried to close the gap, but couldn’t. What was your time?”
Abigail: “19:28. What was yours?”
Lianna: “19:39.”
(They shake hands and smile.)
Lianna: “What year are you?”
Abigail: “Junior, you?
Lianna: “Junior.”
Abigail: “What school?
Lianna: “Doral. 3A?”
Abigail: “Mom?”
Mom: “4A.”
(At this point I realized that I was no longer the one asking questions, thereby experiencing a sportswriter’s greatest fear; I had lost control of the interview.)
Abigail: “We don’t see each other during the season?”
Lianna: “No.”
(I went back to taking photos.)
Team Race – Winter Park’s Rachel Singer was the only sub-twenty in the race, and, in third place, the first Winter Springs finisher. After her, they took 6-12-15-21-32-56, winning with 57 points. Grant’s Sickles had 112 (1-19-26-28-38-60-114), and Ferguson has 154 (18-30-33-36-37-43-55). 137 runners and 17 teams competed.
Race 5: Boys Small School
Small as they are—560 total students between middle and high school--Shorecrest Prep in St. Petersburg lists an amazing 203 runners on their cross country roster, ahead of which are Ross Porter and Luke Peterson…this week. (At Mt. Dew it was the other way around.) No doubt with that many runners stampeding through practice every day, fear of being trampled makes you stronger. Both ran almost identical times (16:40.60 and 16:40.90, respectively), but while they were chasing each other, it was a cross-town rival—Joel Lacy--from Calvary Christian that somehow managed to give them the slip. (Don’t ever let that happen at practice, P & P.)
“The first mile was really, really fast,” Lacy said. “Five flat. So I tried to ease up a little. The second was 5:30.
“The guy from Shorecrest was gaining on me in the last mile, but thankfully I got a little bit of energy in the backstretch and was able to kick it in. It was crazy—pretty tiring—and I’m still trying to catch my breath.
“I’m just getting off a hip injury. Pelvic misalignment. I was running during the summer, but the last two weeks I started getting pain in my hips. The first two weeks of the season it hurt really bad. I’ve been going to a chiropractor, and it definitely feels better. I haven’t felt it yet. I’ll keep training, persevere, and hope I can continue. Next week is the Cardinal Givens Invitational, in Fort Lauderdale, and I hope to extend my winning streak.”
Lacy’s time was 16:35.60, a new personal best. (Peterson’s 16:40 was also a best.)
Team Race – Lacy won the race, but the dynamic duo—in second and third—inspired Shorecrest to win the team trophy. With a 2-3-13-16-27-43-66 finish, they closed the book with a 61 point total. Astronaut was second with 121 (5-6-28-38-44-60-86), and Calvary Christian third with 172 (1-4-35-51-81-92-97). 20 teams and 146 runners “chipped in.”
Race 6: Boys Large School
It was an old story, oft repeated: you run your brains out, only to be nipped at the wire.
Tyler Fisher, Port Charlotte: “I’m trying to make a name, that’s all. I led the entire race, but he came back and got me. I don’t know how. I kicked as hard as I could, and in the end I just couldn’t catch him.”
James Zentmeyer, Sickles: “It went pretty much as I planned. The first mile was slow by about three seconds. I wanted to run 5:08 or under, and I ran 5:11. At about the one mile, I was probably in fourth or fifth, and before the two mile, second. I didn’t get first until about 400 to go.”
Tyler: “I gave it everything I had, and expected to beat him, but he just didn’t give in. I don’t know if leading the race the whole way was a smart idea, but I got a PR (16:00.20).”
James: “It was definitely a struggle. I didn’t know if I could get him. Even when I passed him, I didn’t know if he’d come back. I’d say that God definitely gave me the race.”
Tyler: “He ran a great race.”
James also ran a 52 second PR.
Team Race – It was a pretty close race for all three top teams. Lake Highland had 92 points (4-12-17-23-36-52-64) to win. Winter Springs won the only other trophy by one point. They had 104 (7-18-21-28-30-57-80), Sickles 105 (1-6-19-35-44-55-71). 181 runners and 22 teams competed.
College Women’s Race
Thus far this season, UCF’s Anne Marie Blaney has already won the USF Invitational on September 6th (a PR of 16:50, for whatever distance the race actually was); finished third in the UF/Mt. Dew Meet (a 6K PR of 21:20.72 for 6K), and won (consecutive) American Athletic Conference XC Runner of the Week awards based upon those results. This week she might very well receive her third ROW. Not only did Blaney, once again, run away with it, but she did so in a personal record of 17:24.
“All of our girls came out here to run a fast race, because we knew it was a fast course,” Anne Marie told me later that evening. “But personally, I didn’t know what to expect, because I didn’t know what the competition would be like. I guess it wasn’t as big as the high school races.”
At least part of her recent successes might be due to Coach Johnny Gray, who joined the Knights’ staff this year. Gray was a four-time Olympian (1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996), the American record holder in the indoor 800 (1:45), the outdoor 800 (1:42.60), and the world record holder in the 600 (1:12.81).
“I feel, because we run so many miles, that it makes these 5Ks feel so short. There was a lot of support for UCF throughout the course. I didn’t see who they were, but they were wearing orange, so I guess they were working the course.”
(The course volunteers were wearing bright orange “Staff” shirts.)
On running her fastest time, she opined “It’s really exciting. I hope to keep raising standards higher and higher, because it pulls my team along to do better. If I run faster, they run faster. I think, as a team, we’re going to finish really strong, and come in closer and closer together. That’s what we practice; to stick together. Charge on! That’s our thing.”
Team Race – The complete story would take longer than the meet. But suffice it to say that, after UCF’s convincing win (1-3-4-5-10; 34 points*), things started to get really complicated. The saying goes: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Rome, however, was not only a city, but also an empire, so it is unclear whether what followed pertains to the local colleges, or the rulers of the “college empire.”
This year, as in the past, this invitational had 18 high school races and two college races: Men’s and Women’s. Two trophies were awarded (first and second for each).
However, in their continuing effort to keep a clean house, a year ago, the NCAA dusted off a by-law (part to their 500 page rule book) pertaining to DI schools, and aimed at keeping their approximately 300 member schools’ competition level as uniform as possible. This was, no doubt, enacted so that top-tier member schools could not add to their win column by scheduling contests with schools a level (D-2) or two (D-3 or NAIA) lower. One can guess that this was not aimed specifically at cross country, but at the beginning of this season it landed with huge thud anyway.
According to my sources, “While the rule had been on the books before this year, it was in 2012 that it began to be noticed that schools were doing this. They passed a ‘blanket waiver’ for 2012-2013, but that put its member institutions on notice that this scheduling problem had been observed, and in the next year (2013-2014), it would not be allowed.”
In a nutshell—as it was explained to me--DI cross country teams must (a) run at least five athletes; (b) schedule meets where either the DI schools are scored separately, or at least half the schools are sanctioned on a DI level.
At this meet, there were 12 college women’s teams entered. In that listing, Stetson scored 79 points (to win a second place trophy), and Jacksonville scored 90 (winning nada). Stetson came onstage, received their trophy, posed for photos, then packed it in and went home. Come morning, a different set of results appeared on this website, listing five DI schools on one page, and seven non-DI schools on another. On that second page, UCF is first (now they have 30 points), Jacksonville is second (60), and Stetson third (64). On another page, St. Leo, which had finished fourth (92 points), is now first (21 points), the Florida Running Club moves from seventh (191) to second (68), and so forth. Confused? Try writing about it.
At the root of all this is the three way problem of (a) budgetary constraints, (b) travel limitations, and (c) bragging rights come recruitment time. First (a): On a college level, cross country’s budget is one of the, if not the smallest of DI sports, so (b) they can’t travel far. (Hence, the popularity of Friday night meets, avoiding hotel stays.) In most cases, long trips and sleepovers are limited to once a year, usually the mandatory conference championship.
Stetson, as far as anyone knows, has never been allowed to attend a single NCAA Regional—and pardon me if it happened before I, or anyone now associated with the college, came on the scene—(c) more’s the pity come recruitment time. It was suggested to me, by someone who should know, that what the NCAA might be trying to do is force schools who can’t afford to compete on a DI level, to move down to a non-DI level. But that comment, whether true or not, should be interpreted as speculative.
In summary, UCF won. Beyond that, the choice is yours. (12 teams and 96 now paranoid runners finished.)
College Men
Again, this one starts out easy: In a rare Gator appearance this far south of Gainesville, UF’s Carlos Miranda won in 15:17.60.
“We really don’t come down here that often,” Carlos told me in the rapidly fading light. “Coach Spangler wanted the younger guys to get another race in before the Wisconsin-Adidas Invitational on October 19th (Madison).
“It was a good, hard workout session for all of us. I was trying to put in two little surges at about two miles—a couple of hundred yards to pick up the pace for the finish.
“I ran, like 15:17; that was a good time for all the work we’ve been putting in.
“Now we’re just going to train through for Wisconsin, and then we have two weeks (to prepare) for the conference meet on November 2nd. That’s going to be tough. Our top guys will be up there, in winning contention, for that race. We want it really bad, but we have to take it step by step; put the work in.
“Go Gators!”
Team Race – Gators by a chomp: 1-3-4-5-10 (23 points). St. Leo was second (2-9-11-12-15-16-19; 49), and FIU third (6-8-18-20-22-23; 74)…wait, that’s not it! In D1 it was Gators first (1-2-3-4-8; 18), FIU second (5-7-12-13-15-17; 52) and Stetson third (10-11-18-20-21-25-26; 80). In non DI, it was St. Leo first (1-7 and 15), the Florida Running Club second (8-9-10-11-13-19-22; 51), and Edward Waters College third (14-15-21-23-27-28-32; 100).
Footnotes: For expediency’s sake, this article has been split in two. Day two (Races nine through twenty) will appear tomorrow.
More Coverage
At his core, a runner is a nomad. Perpetually in motion, he seems driven by the most basic need of human subsistence—spiritual fulfillment. His endless quest is to satisfy a thirst for something that promises to be just ahead—better and better times.
For these travelers, the allure of Chain of Lakes Park is like that of a desirable oasis. This year, more than ever, it lived up that metaphor. Assembled beside its waters—as had occurred 13 times before--were thousands of the sport’s disciples. Runners, coaches, parents, siblings, and friends filled the landscape with an activity defying control (in some cases, much to the dismay of its well-meaning overseer). Surrounded by others of a similar ethos, all were in their glory, reveling with a clamor that echoed like thunder…or was that the real thing?
It was all good. Even the sudden (and at times dramatic) downpours refreshed, rather than dampened spirits. No one was left unfulfilled, for the journey was just as meaningful as the destination.