Jaguars, Wildcats Claw Way To 2A-3 Regional Championships

FHSAA 2A Region 3
Andy Warrener

On-Site Coverage

Storm clouds beset the Class 2A Region 3 meet before it ever began. Hours prior to the race, a storm front moved in and drenched the course at Anclote High School in Holiday. Precipitation held on into the start and for the duration of the race, bogging down runners and times. Still some runners were able to shine through the mud and moisture. On the girls side, the Academy of the Holy Names shone brightest. The Jaguars improved on their third place finish a year ago at regionals and took the title with 46 points. Lemon Bay proved a tough runner up as the two teams were tied at the end of the race and the tie had to be broken by the sixth runner. AHN claimed the third, fifth, eighth, 13th, 17th and 21st spots to edge Lemon Bay who took second, fourth, 10th, 14th, 16th, and 32nd.

“This meet was not for time, it was purely for place,” AHN junior Coleen Doherty said. “We just wanted to walk away with that title.”

Doherty was the top runner for AHN, placing third in 20:55.5. It was Dougherty and senior Clare Snyder challenging the lead pack Saturday afternoon. A Lemon Bay tandem of sophomore Abigayle Weinfeld and junior Haley Blem pushed the front group as well. When it all settled out, Weinfeld was second place in 20:54.9 and Blem fourth in 20:55.9. Weinfeld is still not quite 100%, according to her coach, still getting back from a series of injuries throughout the year.

The dark clouds that beset the meet Saturday, beset the Immokalee team two nights before. On Thursday night Jerry Ruiz died from injuries resulting from a car accident. Ruiz was brother to Alejandro Ruiz, a runner on the team, and was a close friend and running partner with most of the team. Alejandro somehow managed to compete and finish in 18:18.80, a testament to the mental toughness of the team.

“This has been the hardest two days of my coaching career by far,” Immokalee coach Hugo Gijan said. “This team is like a family and to lose someone like that, it’s going to be a long drive home.”

While sorrow ate at the mood of the Immokalee team it electrified and inspired its two top runners to resounding victories.

“I ran for someone else today,” Immokalee senior Anita Munoz Trejo said. “My performance the rest of the season, is dedicated to him (Jerry).”

Munoz left no doubt on the course, stretching out a sizeable lead in just the first mile. With no runners to challenge her, Munoz still pressed the pace and extended her lead after each lap, finally finishing in 20:08.30. The time is a graphic example of the course and how runners were not running for time. Munoz was seeded at 19:03, more than a minute faster. Munoz still demolished the field. Her 20:08.30 stood up tall to runner-up Weinfeld with 20:54.9. Munoz was probably still running, 46.6 seconds later when Weinfeld crossed the line.

 

“When I started the kick, I looked down (at my wrist) and I said his (Jerry) name and I said this is for you,” Munoz said.

Munoz had written “Jerry” on the inside of her wrist before the race. The writing was nearly faded by the end but the memory was as vivid as Munoz’ regional title.

Similarly, senior Leonel Delacruz took the memory of his friend and the pain of his loss and channeled it into a heroic performance on a difficult morning.

“It fueled me to drive a lot, especially on that last mile,” Delacruz said. “He (Jerry) used to run with us in middle school, we ran for him today.”

Delacruz was hard pressed in the first two miles. A pack of Jesuit runners who would finish second as a team, presented the first obstacle. The McKeel boys, who won the team title, held four runners together through the first two miles; big, lanky runners that Delacruz finally found a way around. To top it off, Bayshore senior Canaan Meester-Kitterman was on Delacruz’ hip most of the race.

“That last mile I really pushed it, gave it all,” Delacruz said.

Indeed he did as his lead stretched and he zipped past the finish in 16:37.10, a razor-thin time but almost a minute slower than his mark from pre-state. Still, it was more than 17 seconds ahead of Meester-Kitterman. Delacruz was runner-up a year ago at regionals and chopped 23 seconds off of that time.

The boys team title was a battle between the Jesuit and McKeel packs. McKeel would eventually pull away with 58 points to Jesuit’s 65. Immokalee, the defending regional champ, was close behind with 69. Junior Leif Henrikson led the way for McKeel with a sixth place finish in 17:23.80. Junior Duncan Lippincott was ninth in 17:28 and then Dustin White and Caleb Brady were 15th (17:41.10) and 16th (17:41.20) respectively.

“We have seven leaders on this team,” McKeel coach Justin Smith said. “Any one position can push the other, we train that way, we succeed that way.”

Jesuit pressed the McKeel team effort with senior Tim O’Loughlin taking third in 17:03.90, followed by Charlie Gonzmart in eighth with a time of 17:25.60. However, the Jesuit boys came up just short of McKeel’s effort.

The McKeel boys have special motivation in Henrikson’s dad, Randy. Hendrickson’s dad shouts encouragement from different positions throughout the race. When Henrickson’s dad shouts, it would make a circus barker jump out of his sneakers. Not even the meet megaphone could compete with the human labrophone bellowing encouragement into the woods.

“I guess it (the shouting) keeps me focused, it’s like he (Randy) is watching me the whole time,” Henrikson said. “I feel like he’s there the whole time because I always hear him there.”

Elite Performances

Girls Highlights

Boys Highlights