Middle School State: Gibbons, Fitzpatrick Rule at Holloway Park

FLYRA Middle School State Championship
Jason Byrne

On-Site Coverage

Summary

Joseph Fitzpatrick held of fellow eighth-grader Trevor Foley to capture the individual boys state championship 9:48.30 to 9:56.50. Fitzpatrick broke both the meet record of Brandon Marquez from 2011. He along with Fitzpatrick and third place Garrett Schilling at 10:19 were all under the year-old course record of 10:21.

Liza Jackson Prep put a dominant top four in the top 15, with number five sliding in at 60th place to secure a 6-point victory over Miami F.O.R.C.E. 90 with an 11:23 average time to 104 points and 11:26. Trinity Prep finished third with a solid 11:24 average and 116 points.

Rafaella Gibbons and took the individual state championship titles at the FLYRA Middle School State Championship. She had a strong challenge from Tsion Yared of Pine Crest, who was just ten seconds behind Gibbons' 11:05.70.  This effort was a back-to-back championship for the 8th grader, representing the Orlando Runners.  Last year she won the race, on this same course, in 11:41.

Yard's second place finished helped the Pine Crest girls earn the girls team state championship with 64 points over the strong 72 points from Eye of the Tiger Track Club (a.k.a. Lake City Middle School). Pine Crest put their top five in the top 25 with a nice 12:16 team average, while Lake City had four in the top 20 and a 12:21 average.  Tavares Middle looked solid in both genders: their girls took third and boys took fourth.

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