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The good news is that no one died… at least in the conventional sense. Although there were some disappointments, they were more than offset by very fast times, happy teams, proud coaches, excellent meet organization, and picture-perfect weather.
First the times. In all, 79 boys ran under six minutes per mile and 48 girls were sub-seven. To put this in perspective, I’ve created a table that compares the times for the eight 4A districts in the state of Florida. The first table is boys, the second is girls. Times are truncated depending on whether they are more or less than .5 of a second: ex. 16:06.25 becomes 16:06, but 16:07.64 becomes 16:08. (Some meets reported times only in full seconds.) I also put the 15th place time (qualification for regionals), the average wining team time, and the 8th place team average (team regional qualification).
District 1 Dist. 2 Dist.3 Dist. 4 Dist. 5 Dist. 6 Dist. 7 Dist. 8
BOYS
1)16:06 16:38 15:49 15:47 16:55 16:31 17:21 16:02
2)16:08 16:40 16:45 16:12 17:19 17:04 17:23 16:15
3)16:14 16:48 16:45 16:30 17:20 17:34 17:58 16:27
4)16:18 16:50 16:48 16:40 17:49 17:38 18:02 16:40
5)16:22 16:53 16:50 16:46 17:54 17:41 18:18 16:46
6)16:25 16:56 16:52 16:51 17:55 17:47 18:18 16:49
7)16:25 16:59 16:55 17:00 17:55 17:50 18:28 16:54
8)16:30 17:00 17:00 17:01 17:56 17:56 18:35 16:55
9)16:36 17:02 17:05 17:18 17:58 18:01 18:36 17:03
10)16:36 17:02 17:06 17:18 17:59 18:11 18:40 17:05
15)16:54 17:18 17:42 17:29 18:12 18:23 18:55 17:23
T-1-16:49 17:05 16:40 16:47 17:56 18:14 17:58 16:45
T-8-17:21 17:59 20:12 18:26 19:41 19:40 21:30 18:40
BOYS
1)16:06 16:38 15:49 15:47 16:55 16:31 17:21 16:02
2)16:08 16:40 16:45 16:12 17:19 17:04 17:23 16:15
3)16:14 16:48 16:45 16:30 17:20 17:34 17:58 16:27
4)16:18 16:50 16:48 16:40 17:49 17:38 18:02 16:40
5)16:22 16:53 16:50 16:46 17:54 17:41 18:18 16:46
6)16:25 16:56 16:52 16:51 17:55 17:47 18:18 16:49
7)16:25 16:59 16:55 17:00 17:55 17:50 18:28 16:54
8)16:30 17:00 17:00 17:01 17:56 17:56 18:35 16:55
9)16:36 17:02 17:05 17:18 17:58 18:01 18:36 17:03
10)16:36 17:02 17:06 17:18 17:59 18:11 18:40 17:05
15)16:54 17:18 17:42 17:29 18:12 18:23 18:55 17:23
T-1-16:49 17:05 16:40 16:47 17:56 18:14 17:58 16:45
T-8-17:21 17:59 20:12 18:26 19:41 19:40 21:30 18:40
GIRLS
1)18:53 17:46 18:56 19:18 18:06 17:44 20:56 19:30
2)18:59 18:31 19:13 20:15 19:27 19:21 22:16 19:39
3)19:09 19:22 19:27 20:40 20:28 20:20 23:10 20:01
4)19:25 20:01 19:56 20:42 20:37 20:27 23:20 20:02
5)19:35 20:05 20:16 20:53 20:47 20:52 23:31 20:02
6)19:43 20:08 20:21 20:54 20:59 21:01 23:36 20:12
7)19:59 20:13 20:33 20:57 21:02 21:11 23:41 20:23
8)20:00 20:17 20:34 21:03 21:07 21:14 23:47 20:28
9)20:00 20:19 20:52 21:09 21:24 21:50 24:01 20:29
10)20:07 20:22 20:58 21:20 21:31 22:07 24:10 20:32
15)20:23 20:33 21:24 21:41 22:01 23:01 25:01 21:09
T-1-19:44 22:45 20:12 21:08 20:59 20:16 23:45 19:51
T-8-21:45 22:45 25:36 23:50 23:36 24:00 28:22 23:41
So, what do all these numbers mean? Could it be that the more intense heat of southernmost Florida adversely affects conditioning and therefore end-of-season times?
I know that if I was a cross country runner, I’d talk my family into moving south of Orlando, but stay away from Miami. The last place I’d register in a 4A school (2228-4742 students) would be in central Florida, in that Orlando-Gainesville-Jacksonville triangle…unless I was as fast as, let’s say, Alex Schanen of Fletcher. Alex (or William as he is sometimes known-see first place in the Boys results), had no problems outrunning death.
“It went exactly as I planned. I planned to take it out with the (lead) group and then see how they were doing at the two mile mark. If they slowed down at two miles, I planned to surge and take it out (myself). They all dropped back except the Buchholz guy (Phillip Wise). I ended up surging at 2 ½ miles to see if he would follow me, and he did.
“We just had to battle it out; who was tired and who was more determined to win. Right around that last turn I lost him. It’s my last year and I just have to do as well as I can.”
“Lost” might be a tad too optimistic a word. Wise was hot on the winner’s heels. When they crossed the finish line, Schanen (16:06.25) was only .89 of a second ahead of the Buchholz senior.
Winter Springs won the boys’ race in a classic example of team effort: keeping contact and pushing each other while their girls team, coaches, and parents lined the course and cheered until they were hoarse.
Although the top ten places were spread among eight teams, there were three purple shirts (11-14-15) right after that. The tight grouping of Brian Derkey (16:37.64), Richard Kamaka (16:50.04) and Brett Hinds (16:54.15) opened an 18 point gap in the score that was punctuated by the stellar 17:19.05, 27th place performance by freshman Timothy Nguyen. These four times, along with that of senior Nathaniel Duby (16:25.04), gave them an average time of 16:49.19, placing them among the top four teams, time wise, in the state. It will be heart to tell who wins.
The girls race was all Bartram Trail. Not only did junior Melanie Novak outrun one of the top runners in the state to win (Mandy Perkins, second in 18:59.38), but she led a fierce foursome of Bears (Callie Cooper was fourth in 19:24.65, Alaina Perez fifth in 19:34.97, and Katy Dunbar tenth in 20:06.94) into the top ten. The scary part--for the teams that they beat--is that they are all underclassmen and are going to be back again next year. Only their fifth runner, Laura Ragland (19th in 20:42.31), is due to graduate. Even their sixth (Rachel Walker in 20:52.22) and seventh (Michelle Meier in 21:03.57) runners are only juniors.
“I was figuring it was a good day to go out hard because of the weather,” Novak told me afterward. “It was cool. I went out and realized I was with the top girl (Perkins) and just decided to go after it and lead the whole way, keep it together and kick it in in the end.”
Her performance resulted in a personal best 18:53.04, a vast improvement over her time of 19:16.80 three weeks earlier on this same course during the Bale-n-Trail meet.
“I really wanted to break 19. Now that it’s a reality, I can just go out with the top people at the regionals and state meets.”
Footnotes: A poem penned by 12 year old Katy after the meet:
1)18:53 17:46 18:56 19:18 18:06 17:44 20:56 19:30
2)18:59 18:31 19:13 20:15 19:27 19:21 22:16 19:39
3)19:09 19:22 19:27 20:40 20:28 20:20 23:10 20:01
4)19:25 20:01 19:56 20:42 20:37 20:27 23:20 20:02
5)19:35 20:05 20:16 20:53 20:47 20:52 23:31 20:02
6)19:43 20:08 20:21 20:54 20:59 21:01 23:36 20:12
7)19:59 20:13 20:33 20:57 21:02 21:11 23:41 20:23
8)20:00 20:17 20:34 21:03 21:07 21:14 23:47 20:28
9)20:00 20:19 20:52 21:09 21:24 21:50 24:01 20:29
10)20:07 20:22 20:58 21:20 21:31 22:07 24:10 20:32
15)20:23 20:33 21:24 21:41 22:01 23:01 25:01 21:09
T-1-19:44 22:45 20:12 21:08 20:59 20:16 23:45 19:51
T-8-21:45 22:45 25:36 23:50 23:36 24:00 28:22 23:41
So, what do all these numbers mean? Could it be that the more intense heat of southernmost Florida adversely affects conditioning and therefore end-of-season times?
I know that if I was a cross country runner, I’d talk my family into moving south of Orlando, but stay away from Miami. The last place I’d register in a 4A school (2228-4742 students) would be in central Florida, in that Orlando-Gainesville-Jacksonville triangle…unless I was as fast as, let’s say, Alex Schanen of Fletcher. Alex (or William as he is sometimes known-see first place in the Boys results), had no problems outrunning death.
“It went exactly as I planned. I planned to take it out with the (lead) group and then see how they were doing at the two mile mark. If they slowed down at two miles, I planned to surge and take it out (myself). They all dropped back except the Buchholz guy (Phillip Wise). I ended up surging at 2 ½ miles to see if he would follow me, and he did.
“We just had to battle it out; who was tired and who was more determined to win. Right around that last turn I lost him. It’s my last year and I just have to do as well as I can.”
“Lost” might be a tad too optimistic a word. Wise was hot on the winner’s heels. When they crossed the finish line, Schanen (16:06.25) was only .89 of a second ahead of the Buchholz senior.
Winter Springs won the boys’ race in a classic example of team effort: keeping contact and pushing each other while their girls team, coaches, and parents lined the course and cheered until they were hoarse.
Although the top ten places were spread among eight teams, there were three purple shirts (11-14-15) right after that. The tight grouping of Brian Derkey (16:37.64), Richard Kamaka (16:50.04) and Brett Hinds (16:54.15) opened an 18 point gap in the score that was punctuated by the stellar 17:19.05, 27th place performance by freshman Timothy Nguyen. These four times, along with that of senior Nathaniel Duby (16:25.04), gave them an average time of 16:49.19, placing them among the top four teams, time wise, in the state. It will be heart to tell who wins.
The girls race was all Bartram Trail. Not only did junior Melanie Novak outrun one of the top runners in the state to win (Mandy Perkins, second in 18:59.38), but she led a fierce foursome of Bears (Callie Cooper was fourth in 19:24.65, Alaina Perez fifth in 19:34.97, and Katy Dunbar tenth in 20:06.94) into the top ten. The scary part--for the teams that they beat--is that they are all underclassmen and are going to be back again next year. Only their fifth runner, Laura Ragland (19th in 20:42.31), is due to graduate. Even their sixth (Rachel Walker in 20:52.22) and seventh (Michelle Meier in 21:03.57) runners are only juniors.
“I was figuring it was a good day to go out hard because of the weather,” Novak told me afterward. “It was cool. I went out and realized I was with the top girl (Perkins) and just decided to go after it and lead the whole way, keep it together and kick it in in the end.”
Her performance resulted in a personal best 18:53.04, a vast improvement over her time of 19:16.80 three weeks earlier on this same course during the Bale-n-Trail meet.
“I really wanted to break 19. Now that it’s a reality, I can just go out with the top people at the regionals and state meets.”
Footnotes: A poem penned by 12 year old Katy after the meet:
You run
You sweat
It’s a race you won’t
Forget.
You sweat
It’s a race you won’t
Forget.
You sprint
You kick
Getting through
The thin and thick
You kick
Getting through
The thin and thick
There’s the finish
You see the end
It’s just around
One last bend.
You see the end
It’s just around
One last bend.
You made it
You got there
You didn’t succumb
You finally finish
The race is won.
You got there
You didn’t succumb
You finally finish
The race is won.