Girls Preview
Individuals:
The 2A girls race is straight up loaded with talent as 12 of the top 20 runners from the 2015 Cross Country Finals return for their chance at a state championship. When you think of last year's race the first words that come to mind are heart break. Less than 10 meters away from a title, Bolles sophomore Caitlin Collier collapses with the 2A crown in her grasp, just inches, and slipping away, Pine Crest senior Alyssa Pujals swooped in for the victory.
Flash forward, one year later, and Collier is coming off of a superb track season that saw her win the 800, 1600, 3200, and finish fifth at the Adidas Boost Boston Games, and 6th at Junior Nationals in the 800m. If this race comes down to a kick, the sure fire bet would be with the Bulldogs speedster. But not so fast Todd. Collier's season best of 18:19.93 is the FIFTH best of any 2A runner. She's a true competitor on a team that has won four straight, and just recorded wins at both the district and regional levels.
Flash forward, one year later, and Collier is coming off of a superb track season that saw her win the 800, 1600, 3200, and finish fifth at the Adidas Boost Boston Games, and 6th at Junior Nationals in the 800m. If this race comes down to a kick, the sure fire bet would be with the Bulldogs speedster. But not so fast Todd. Collier's season best of 18:19.93 is the FIFTH best of any 2A runner. She's a true competitor on a team that has won four straight, and just recorded wins at both the district and regional levels.
So who has run faster than Collier? Natalie Varela has the third best time in the entire state when she ran 17:46.53 to finish second behind 2015 4A state champion Bailey Hertenstein. She's familiar with Collier too. The two raced outdoors with the Gulliver Prep freshman placing second behind her in both the 1,600 and 3,200. Varela has grit and and toughness and a me versus the world attitude. She can't stand to lose and that pure hunger will keep her in this race.
The breakout performer of the classification has to go to Melbourne Central Catholic senior Amanda Beach. Beach ran 5:05.86 for 1,600m at the FSU Relays in the spring, and was third behind Collier and Varela in the 3,200m at state. She kicked off the 2016 cross country campaign with a state leading 17:47.60 at the Holy Trinity Classic. While some people claimed the course might be off, she proved the doubters wrong, and that her talent was legit winning the UF Mt. Dew Invitational, and third in the flrunners.com Race of Champions with another sub 18 time of 17:48.79, where she finished behind Hertenstein, and Varela. She still remains uncommitted to a college and has UF, FSU, and Duke among her top three, and would like nothing most to put an exclamation point on her cross country career with a title.
Pine Crest's Tsion Yared was 4th at Flrunners and was the 2014 Cross Country Finals state champion. Can she continue the Pine Crest tradition of individual champions? She's finally healthy and back to her title winning form. Her personal best of 17:52.84 is one of the best in the state. Look for her to be in the front group in one of the best races of the morning.
Others to watch include Leigha Torino of North Marion who looked very strong an a difficult Holloway Park Course and was sixth ahead of Beach at last year's Cross Country Finals, as well a slew of Pine Crest athletes, and 1A runner-up from 2015 Rebecca Clark who is now at the Villages.
Others to watch include Leigha Torino of North Marion who looked very strong an a difficult Holloway Park Course and was sixth ahead of Beach at last year's Cross Country Finals, as well a slew of Pine Crest athletes, and 1A runner-up from 2015 Rebecca Clark who is now at the Villages.
Teams:
The 2A team race will be one of the closest, but the teams fighting for those two spots on the podium, is pretty clear. Bolles and Pine Crest have done battle in the last four Cross Country Finals and the Bulldogs have won every single meeting. Fortunately, for Coach Baur's Panthers they are young and hungry. Tsion Yared won the state meet in 2014 and has been back to her form of two years ago. Fellow freshman Maya Beleznay has been a welcomed addition combined with Yared's 8th grader sister Mahdere and Emily Faulhaber. Senior Simone Vreeland anchors the group that has their top five all with SB's under 19:40. If Bolles wants to win number five, they will need better production out of the back half of their line up.