In just the second weekend of the Florida cross
country season, things are already in full swing, with
big meets dotting the Florida landscape. Battles
between top teams with coveted fifteen and nineteen
minute barriers broken, can this only be September?
The highlights and elite performances:
Edgewater Invitational
ORLANDO- Arguably the biggest race of the early
season, the Edgewater Invitational at Cypress Grove
Park lived up to its billing. The top performance was
by Sean Burris of Rockledge, racing to a personal best
time of 14:55, out-pacing Cape Coast Conference rival,
Junior Alex Stewart, who led his upstart Satellite
Scorpions (3a #11)to the Class 1a-3a division title.
Once again, the apparently "Chinch-less" Flagler Palm
Coast, #2 in Class 3a, came up just a little bit
short, capturing a very respectable second place. On
the 4a side, Winter Park ran away with the team title,
placing all seven runners in the top twenty. Boone's
Daniel Parker blazed to a 42 second victory, out
pacing the field to a 15:09 in the large school
division.
The 4a girls race was a fight between youth and
experience as Lake Mary's Jessica Zabel (4a #1,
Defending state champion) outlasted sophomore Laverra
Morris of Orlando's Oak Ridge High School, both easily
besting nineteen minutes. Zabel's performance,
coupled with three more teammates in the top ten
helped #1 Lake Mary take the trophy going away. In
the 1a-3a division, the race for team champion was a
barn-burner. The 1-2 finish of Cocoa Beach's Class 2a
champion, junior Elly Kabboord and recent transfer,
sophomore Shannon Miley allowed the #7 Minutemen to
cature a two point victory over #6 Bishop Moore,
despite placing two of their own in the top ten.
Ridgeview Invitational
ORANGE PARK- The Ridgeview Invitational saw a battle
between a few of North Florida's finest runners.
Vanguard's Steve Hassen finished with a Florida best
14:49, leaving the defending Class 2a champion, Nick
Wilson, six seconds behind. Rounding out the top five
were Ridgeview's dynamic duo Lee Yaracs (3rd) and
Tyrone Bell (5th), with the pride of Belleview High,
Ryan Ripley, the only man between them. The FACA's 3a
#1 team, host Ridgeview, took the team standings.
The women were just as impressive. With times as
blazing as the Florida sun, nineteen minutes was never
gazed upon by three women. The race was taken by
Buchholz's Marah Borgman, followed by Karen Edmonds
(Clay) and Courtney Hall (Bishop Kenny). On the team
side, Buchholz of Gainesville edged the newly 2a
perrenial power, Bishop Kenny 78-86.
HEALTHSOUTH CC Classic
SUNRISE- The HealthSouth Cross Country Classic, hosted
by St. Thomas Aquinas, saw some of South Florida's
toughest competition. Both races were competitive
affairs, placing four teams under the century mark in
points each. Lourdes' Jenny Gomez showed why she is
2a's "first" lady, out-running the Shark's Gaby
Polhemus, both with mid-eighteen minute times. The
team results were a mirror image, with the ladies of
Lourdes more than doubling up on
Spanish River.
The gentlemen provided close outcomes in both the
team standings and indivdual finishes. Estero
squeaked by Belen Jesuit 63-66, even without a top 5
finisher. Upperroom Christian saw their own Omar
Osbourne victorious over track sensation Erick Ward
(Suncoast) in a tight race, finishing with a time of
15:45.
Lincoln Invitational
TALLAHASSEE- Football power Lincoln showed that they
can run too, hosting their meet at treacherous Tom
Brown Park. Super sophomore Ryan Deak coasted to
16:31 and helped 1a favorite Maclay to a 22 point
performance. The girls were no different, with 1a #2
Kara Newell posting an impressive time, winning in
19:31 with her Maclay team also capturing top status.
Lincoln swept the runner-up positions, with Scott
Poindexter and Allie Hunter taking the honors,
respectively, leading their teams.
Gulliver Invitational
MIAMI- Larry and Penny Thompson Park saw elite
racing, as Gulliver Prep brought their invitational to
town. Dan Daly overtook flrunners.com correspondent
Jordan Adler on the grassy and coral patched course,
winning in 15:43.13. Carrollton's Lara Del Rio ran
18:48.53 to take the female title. By scoring all
five runners in the top eight, the host Raiders walked
away victorious on the boys side, while 1a's Ransom
Everglades took an eight point advantage to the podium
on the girls' side.
Another week of racing is in the books, with ranking
shuffles and new additions sure to come in the near
future. Regardless, that November morning at Ed
Radice Park is when legends are made and positions
finalized. Next week will be the first preview, as
the USF/Jesuit Invite takes center stage. Circle your
calendar.
In just the second weekend of the Florida cross
country season, things are already in full swing, with
big meets dotting the Florida landscape. Battles
between top teams with coveted fifteen and nineteen
minute barriers broken, can this only be September?
The highlights and elite performances:
Edgewater Invitational
ORLANDO- Arguably the biggest race of the early
season, the Edgewater Invitational at Cypress Grove
Park lived up to its billing. The top performance was
by Sean Burris of Rockledge, racing to a personal best
time of 14:55, out-pacing Cape Coast Conference rival,
Junior Alex Stewart, who led his upstart Satellite
Scorpions (3a #11)to the Class 1a-3a division title.
Once again, the apparently "Chinch-less" Flagler Palm
Coast, #2 in Class 3a, came up just a little bit
short, capturing a very respectable second place. On
the 4a side, Winter Park ran away with the team title,
placing all seven runners in the top twenty. Boone's
Daniel Parker blazed to a 42 second victory, out
pacing the field to a 15:09 in the large school
division.
The 4a girls race was a fight between youth and
experience as Lake Mary's Jessica Zabel (4a #1,
Defending state champion) outlasted sophomore Laverra
Morris of Orlando's Oak Ridge High School, both easily
besting nineteen minutes. Zabel's performance,
coupled with three more teammates in the top ten
helped #1 Lake Mary take the trophy going away. In
the 1a-3a division, the race for team champion was a
barn-burner. The 1-2 finish of Cocoa Beach's Class 2a
champion, junior Elly Kabboord and recent transfer,
sophomore Shannon Miley allowed the #7 Minutemen to
cature a two point victory over #6 Bishop Moore,
despite placing two of their own in the top ten.
Ridgeview Invitational
ORANGE PARK- The Ridgeview Invitational saw a battle
between a few of North Florida's finest runners.
Vanguard's Steve Hassen finished with a Florida best
14:49, leaving the defending Class 2a champion, Nick
Wilson, six seconds behind. Rounding out the top five
were Ridgeview's dynamic duo Lee Yaracs (3rd) and
Tyrone Bell (5th), with the pride of Belleview High,
Ryan Ripley, the only man between them. The FACA's 3a
#1 team, host Ridgeview, took the team standings.