The Wharton boys placed 9th at the 2016 Cross Country Finals and entered 2017 as one of the best teams in 4A. The Wildcats finished 4th at the Jim Ryun Invitational and won the Wiregrass Ranch Run With The Bulls Invitational already this season. Coach Kyle LoJacono, who is in his 4th season as the boys head coach gives us a Scouting Report on this year's squad.
Last season we were able to place 9th at the state meet, which is the best team performance in our program's 21-year history. Prior to that our team hadn't advanced beyond districts since 2008. Last year's team was very young, with no seniors on the varsity team that lined up in the district, regional, or state meet. Going into that year we talked about the team having the potential to be the best in school history, but we all needed to go out there believing it each day to get beyond districts. They placed second in the district meet (2 points behind Steinbrenner), placed 4th at regionals and eventually 9th at states.
What did you take away from 2016?
While everyone was confident that we'd be going to states last year, there was always that slight thought in the back of all of our heads that we haven't done this since 2008. What we took away from last year is the confidence that we absolutely should be there at the top of the district, region, and state, which has given everyone a relaxed and controlled poise in every workout we are doing. They all know they still have to work hard to accomplish our goals, but they now expect to be able to compete with anyone day in and day out.
How is the team looking this year?
We changed up a lot about what we did this summer from previous summers, trying to give them what they needed to help them progress. One thing I believe in is you can't go into a season doing the same thing as last year and expect the athletes to continue progressing at the same rate. There needs to be a shock to their system in terms of the demands being placed on them. I believe we've accomplished that early on and enter this year several steps ahead of last season.
Who are your top five/seven?
I wouldn't presume to know exactly who the top five or top seven will be until we see them line up in a meet. Workouts are one thing, but there's no substitute for what happens on a course when time and points are on the line. What I would say is we have a great group of people who can potentially score for use in any meet, and a group of about 10 people competing for a varsity spot.
What are the strengths of this team?
The strengths of this team right now is no one is content with locking into one position. Last season we had the same person run No. 1 for us at every meet (rising junior Nehemiah "Tre" Rivers). Tre is a very talented distance runner who went from 17:34 to 16:16 to place 9th in the state meet last year, but we have some new boys who lock onto him and refuse to fall back in any practice, and that's pushed the returning guys to do the same. So, the strength of this team is the pack, not any one individual person.
Did you have any key additions or transfers?
We've had several key additions that will make a big impact. Some of them are brand new to Wharton, and others are coming from our middle distance track program. We are looking to have more of our 800/400 runners do XC each year to build their strength, and several of them have jumped right into our top group on both turnover and distance runs. That additional competition has been key to helping us push to another level this summer.
What are the team goals and meets you are keying in on for this season?
Once the joy of last season's 9th-place performance subsided, the first thing we said last November was let's not make 2016 the best team in program history. Let's take another step forward in 2017. The boys have all bought into that mentality. We tend to run a low number of regular season meets as I never want them to be over raced. Our varsity guys will run no more than six regular season meets, with the ideal being five. I think that sets them up the best for postseason success. We are keying on the UF Invitational and FSU Invitational during the regular season, followed by our district, and, hopefully, our regional and state meet. We like to run at those two regular season meets as it helps put them in front of college coaches. I'm big on putting the kids in the best position to get their education paid for with their athletic talents, and I think you get a boost from running where the college programs are. Also, the competition at those two meets is outstanding each year, plus running at FSU gives you the benefit of running on the state course during the regular season. Those two meets are ones that are a must when I'm planning our schedule.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
For years Wharton has been known as a girls program first, and in the last few years the boys have also started to get some recognition. Our current senior class helped to turn the reputation of the boys program into one that can compete on a high level because of their daily efforts. However, Wharton would be nothing in XC or track without the man who started everything, Coach Wes Newton. He stated both programs here when the school opened in 1997, and he's still teaching chemistry each day in Room 323. Whenever I need help with a workout or anything he's always the first man I go to, and he's always willing to do whatever is needed to help the program. We couldn't and wouldn't be anything without that man. He's the coaches' coach here, and everyone should know he has a huge part in everything we do at Wharton.
Current Standings
The Wildcats are currently ranked 6th in 4A.
| 6 | Wharton HS (FL) | 396 | ||
| 1) Nehemiah Rivers | 17:07.20 | 39 | ||
| 2) Sahil Deschenes | 17:19.80 | 53 | ||
| 3) Eric Jurgensmeyer | 17:29.90 | 74 | ||
| 4) Josue Reyes | 17:44.80 | 98 | ||
| 5) Frankie Godbold | 18:05.10 | 132 | ||
| Average Time: 17:33.36 Total Time: 1:27:46.80 1-5 Split: 57.90 | ||||
| 6) Anthony Stephens | 18:34.50 | 208 | ||
| 7) Jackson Blanchard | 18:43.00 | 223 | ||