Lyons’ Roar, Rivera’s Flow, Mustangs/Rams Bag District Titles at Taylor Park in Largo

Florida XC 2016: The Road To State Series
Andy Warrener


On-Site Coverage

Florida state cross country district meets got underway this week. The Class 4A District 8 meet kicked off Thursday morning at Taylor Park in Largo. The course at Taylor Park is as straightforward as it gets in cross country. Two laps around the Taylor Reservoir make the course with a slight split to the right for the last 10 meters into the finish line.


The girls funneled into the hard-packed sand trail for the first half mile. Crossing a bridge and wrapping around the other side of the reservoir, Sarasota's Sage Lyons and Riverview's Elayna Goodman began to separate from the pack. Into the first mile, Lyons and Goodman put four seconds between them and Manatee runners Allison Ecker and Raquel Lespasio, who had a few seconds on the rest of the field. Coming back down though the packed sand on the side of the starting area, Lyons and Goodman really opened up their lead in the field. Coming around the opposite side of the reservoir the second time, near the two-mile mark, Lyons made her move and separated from Goodman. Lyons put seven seconds on Goodman and Goodman put 10 seconds between her and the rest of the field. 

"This was my first time on this course and I really like that it's two loops," Lyons said. "There were spots of pavement and the sand was really packed so I didn't even use my spikes."

Coming in for the finish it was Lyons in 19:02.09, claiming her first district title in her senior season. Goodman gutted out a second-place finish in 19:11.25, then it was almost 30 seconds before the rest of the field started coming in. Sarasota's Isabelle Jester took third in 19:40.33, then Ecker, then host Palm Harbor's Juliana Barbaccia in fifth. Riverview freshman Terra Ehrhart grabbed 11th making a great case for the Rams coming in. The Rams had just enough to slip past Sarasota 68-73 for their first district title in five years and the first for a core of six seniors on the Rams' squad.


"We knew coming in we had a good, strong team lineup," Goodman said. "This was particularly rewarding for the six seniors who've been here the whole time."


Also qualifying for regionals was Lakewood Ranch (89), North Port (102) and Palm Harbor (108). 

The boys funneled their way into the packed sand after the start with North Port's Louis Dietrich and Lakewood Ranch's John Rivera taking the lead. Into the first mile, the pair put four seconds between them and the field. As runners came back around, completing the first loop, around 1.5 miles, Rivera was still in control but Sarasota's Jordan Gonzalez had moved up to challenge him. Gonzalez and Rivera, now seniors, have competed against each other since they were freshmen and are very familiar with each other.


"We try to pace off of each other," Rivera said. "With about 100 meters to go, I dropped a nice kick in to close it."

Gonzalez didn't challenge but Rivera certainly knew he was capable of it as Rivera took a big, over-the-shoulder look back at the line to check on Gonzalez. Rivera ran a 16:40.42 and Gonzalez settled for second in 16:42.42.


Saint Petersburg's Matthew Wohlwend took third in 16:48.60. Sarasota's Benjamin Hartvigsen grabbed fourth but then the Lakewood Ranch boys closed up the shop as Kyle Wray, Jonathan Reid, Andrew Dean and Brice Easton came in seventh to 10th, respectively, locking up the team title with 35. 

"We've been running well all season and we hope we can put it together for states," Mustang head coach Brian Thomas said. 'We made states in 2013 and 2014 but missed it last year and these guys have a bitter taste in their mouths."


Thomas mentioned that part of why the Mustangs faltered at regionals a year ago was their number two runner, Wray, was diagnosed with low bone density and sat out the 2015 regional meet. Wray has been easing back into cross country and Thomas said that the district meet was his first where he was able to go one-hundred percent.

"We're pleased to see him (Wray) this strong now," Thomas said. 

Also qualifying for regionals on the boys side was Sarasota (52), Saint Petersburg (90), and North Port (95). 

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