(Photos courtesy of Coach Stevenson)
The Sarasota High School girls cross country team was fourth at last year's 3A Cross Country Finals and earned the schools first ever regional title and top five finish at state. Angelina Grebe, the team's top runner, who was 8th at the state meet, has graduated and is now attending Fordham University. Don't worry though. The Sailors return six of their top seven from a year ago. Coach John Steven realizes that cross country is a team sport and says that every runner needs to be on board to be the best team possible.
"Our team has a solid top 7-8 girls, but our top five is pretty clear: Mackenzie Brown, Aubrey Kilduff, Sage Lyons, Hadleigh Schwartz, and Allison Wright. I'm excited to see who will step up for our back end of varsity. I can see it rotating throughout the season."
The strength of this team will definitely be their experience with most of the girls being a part of the program for at least two years. Stevenson says that is a huge asset because they are learning the system, taking care of their bodies, and becoming fitter and stronger. Another factor in their success this year will be their pack running and a very low 1-5 spread which will serve them well in large meets.
Brown and Lyons are coming off track seasons that saw them dip under 5:20 for 1,600m, while Lyons and Wright also looked strong in the 3,200m. This year, with a more experience group, the Sailors have experienced higher mileage this summer and incorporated more doubles for the upperclassmen. Stevenson adds that the majority of their runs are social runs, but they also work in tempo work throughout the summer.
"I'm a big proponent of general fitness during the summer so we do boot camps, general strength, and weight strength, along with cross training."
To round out the summer the Sarasota coaching staff put together a running camp of four nights and five days. Stevenson notes the outing Ellijay, Georgia, his sixth running camp, was one of the best ever.
"The girls got in around 40 miles during the 5 days including a tough 10+ miler at Fort Mountain State Park that included over 2000 feet of climbing. We got to enjoy some down time on the Ocoee River for whitewater rafting!
Coach Stevenson's Final Thoughts
"We are looking towards the three weeks of unbelievable competition starting with Mountain Dew at UF, followed by Flrunners, and finishing with Pre-State. Those three weeks will be great to get into racing shape. I would love to see everyone make gains this year whether it's a PR or placing better at races. All the girls can agree that the #1 goal is to get back to the state meet and compete with the best in the state."
2014 Returner's Top Times
Girls 5k (XC)
| 5:19.02 | Brown, Mackenzie | FHSAA 3A Region 3 | 2015-04-23 |
| 5:19.59 | Lyons, Sage | FSU Relays | 2015-03-27 |
| 5:28.99 | Kilduff, Aubrey | FHSAA 3A Region 3 | 2015-04-23 |
| 5:31.65 | Wright, Allison | Sarasota County Championship | 2015-04-02 |
| 5:38.94 | Holmes, Morgan | FHSAA 3A District 10 | 2015-04-15 |
| 5:46.56 | Schwartz, Hadleigh | Out of Door Academy Invite | 2015-03-21 |
Girls 3200m Run
| 11:46.75 | Lyons, Sage | Trinity Prep Distance Showcase | 2015-05-08 |
| 11:58.25 | Wright, Allison | FHSAA 3A Region 3 | 2015-04-23 |
| 12:21.11 | Schwartz, Hadleigh | Sarasota County Championship | 2015-04-02 |
| 12:24.88 | Kilduff, Aubrey | Sarasota County Championship | 2015-04-02 |
| 12:54.25 | Brown, Mackenzie | Charlotte Quad | 2015-02-27 |
Girls 1600m Run
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