FACA XC State Rankings #2

After the passing of Hurricane Dorian and a couple of weeks of racing around the state, let's see what our FACA pollsters think about the top teams and individuals in the state! Updated to include 3A Girls Rankings.

1A Girls Rankings

By Sue O'Malley (FLCHS) somalley@fatherlopez.org

Team Rankings: The season is in full swing!

Commentary: Here are the team season rankings! Teams have been in action for the past two weeks. Even with Hurricane Dorian could not disrupt the season. There were some exciting meets these past two weeks and as we enter the meat of the season the teams will start to kick it into gear!

> Nice to see two Catholic Schools in the top 15! Father Lopez #5 (Father Lopez was the first priest to ever to say mass in the US) and St. John Neumann (who was the first bishop ever to be canonized and first male US citizen to be canonized).  

> New teams in the mix are The Geneva School, St. Johns Neumann and Miami Country Day School

> The Circle Christian Centurions under their new coach Tyler Jagen, still are the top team but will have their work cut out for them with 4 other teams right on their heels-Cambridge Christian School, Oak Hall, Maclay and Father Lopez. 47 seconds separate these 5 teams within the team averages!

> Let's continue the great racing! "All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them."

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (1) Circle Christian = Defending Champions! 20:03 team average. The Centurions raced on 9/5 at the George Whitmire Classic and finished 2^nd with a team score of 20:19. Sinkenesh led the team with a 3^rd place finish and a blistering time of 18:36. The team will be off this upcoming weekend to prepare for the Alligator Lake XC Invitational on 9/21.

2. (NR) Cambridge Christian=When Citrus Park School shut their doors this spring, the team transferred to Cambridge Christian. This team is one to keep your eyes on! They have a team average of 20:20. The team finished 3^rd on 8/30 at the Babe Zaharias Challenge and won the IRCS Invitational on 9/5 taking spots 1-3-4-5 to finish with a team average of 20:37. They will race on 9/14 at Seffner Christian Invitational and 9/20 at North Port XC Invite.

3. (2) Oak Hall= Runner-ups last season! The Eagles had a strong and impressive race this past weekend at Ocala Horse Park. The Eagles finished 2^nd in the very competitive fields with a team average of 20:37. They were led by Lauren Jones 4^th place finish. The Eagles will not race again until 9/21 at the Elite division of the Katie Caples Invitational.

4. (6) Maclay = The Marauders jumps 2 spots from the last rankings! Team average of 20:45. The Marauders looked impressive at the Ocala Horse Park Invitational this past weekend. The team was led by 8^th grader Grace Koeppel. The team finished 6^th at the Big Bend Invitational on 8/31. They will be racing this weekend at the Red hill XC Invite and will make the trip to Jacksonville to compete in the elite race at Katie Caples on 9/21.

5. (3). Father Lopez=Aiming for that podium and definitely a dark horse team! The green wave team is definitely making some noise! The team won the Mt. Dora Invitational on 8/31 and won the Astronaut Invitational this past weekend with a team average of 20:50. The Green wave will be in action this weekend at Hawk on the hill Invite and their home meet at Embry Riddle on 9/21.

6. (4.) Canterbury School (Ft. Myers)= Team  average of 21:58. The Cougars finished 8^th at the DD Sommer Invitational on 8/31 and was led by Jessica Edwards. The Cougars competed at the Fort Meyers Invite this past weekend. The Cougars will pounce on their next components at the Triton XC Invite on 9/14 and 9/20 at the North Port XC Invite.

7. (13) Shorecrest Prep=The Lightning Bolt team knows when to strike on the course and team standings. They bolt their way up 6 spots for this rankings! Team average of 21:58.The team won the Green devil Inivte on 8/31 with Isabelle Saunders leading the way for the team. The team placed 3^rd at the IRCS Invite on 9/5. The team will compete this weekend at the Seffner Christian Invitational then on 9/21 at the Mitchell Invite.

8. (7) Lakeland Christian=The Vikings always have a solid team.  Team average of 22:13. The team competed on 8/31 at the Kowboy Invitational and was led by Lauren Bayes. They competed this past weekend at the George Whitmire Classic this past weekend. The Vikings will compete this weekend at the Ridge Community High School Invitational.

9. (5) Holy Trinity=3^rd last season at the state meet. Team average 22:32.  Not sure the direction of this team for the rest of the season. They just lost their coach. Coach Sully led this team last season to an impressive 3^rd place finish at the state meet. The team has not competed the past 2 weekends. But hopefully will get back on track with competition this weekend scheduled at the Bayside XC Invite and then Kaite Caples on 9/21.

10. (NR) Miami Country Day School=Team average 22:30. The team competed at the Kings Academy XC Invitational on 9/7 and finished 8^th as a team. They will compete this Friday night at the Spanish river XC Invite and then on 9/20 at the Pine Crest XC Invite.

11. (10) Providence=The Stallions are tough throughout the season. Team average of 22:44. The Stallions raced into 5^th place finish at the Cecil field Hurricane Make up meet on 9/6. They will race into Trinity Christian Academy XC Invite on 9/14 and then gallop and race at the Wingfoot XC Classic in Georgia on 9/20 with some of their team and looks like maybe racing some of the team at Katie Caples on 9/21.

12. (NR) St. John Neumann=Team average of 23:07. The Celtics finished 8^th at the Zak Lukas Invite on 9/7. The Celtics will compete this weekend at the triton XC and then on 9/20 at the North Port XC.

13. (14) Out of the Door Academy=Team average of 23:08. The Thunder competed at the Venice invitational on 9/7 to finish 6^th as a team. The Thunder will roll into the Seffner Christian Invitational on 9/14 and North Port XC Invite on 9/20.

14. (NR) The Geneva School=23:14 Team average. Great to see this team in the rankings! I miss not being with them in our district! Great team! The Knights competed at the Astronaut Invitational this past weekend. Looking forward to seeing them this weekend at the hawk on the Hill Meet. The knights will compete on 9/21 at Katie Caples.

15. (NR) South Florida Heat=23:07 This team placed 3^rd at the Kings Academy Invitational this past weekend. Next up for the heat will be the Spanish River XC Invite and Pine crest Invite the next two weekend!

Other teams to watch out for:

 St. Johns Country Day School, Bishop Snyder and The 1^st Academy.

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the #1 season rankings! Oak Hall and Father lead the way with 3 girls each in the top 15. Circle Christian, Maclay and Cambridge Christian all have 2 each. Things will start to heat up now the next couple of weeks for sure! Going to be very exciting to watch!

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade - School = Comments

1.  Sinkenesh Parker, (11)-Circle Christian= Sinkenesh is looking like the favorite for that state title! Sinkenesh ran a very impressive time of 18:36 to finish 3^rd overall this past weekend at the George Whitmire Invitational. Sinkenesh will take this weekend off from racing and get ready for the Alligator lake XC Invite on 9/21.

2. (NR) Lydia Friedman, (12)-Cambridge Christian=Lydia competed the past season with Citrus Park school. Citrus Park closed their doors this past spring. Lydia transferred over to Cambridge Christian. Lydia's all time PR is 18:45 from 2016. Lydia ran a 19:58 at the state 2A meet last season and hopes to improve upon that time and is on track to do so. Lydia won the IRCS Invite this past weekend with a time of 19:26.

3. (NR) Lauren McGaffic (9)-Miami Country Day School=19:33 Lauren is definitely a dark horse this season. Lauren as an 8^th grader finished 13^th at the state meet last year with a 19:44. She will compete this weekend at the Spanish River XC Invitational.

 4. (3) Laci Watford, (10)-University Christian=Laci is off to a strong start to her season. This young lady had one fantastic race this past weekend at Ocala Horse Park with a second place finish and a time of 19:35. She lost the race by 4 seconds. Laci will be a contender in the Katie Caples elite division on 9/21.

5. (2)  Brooke McEwen, (12)-Circle Christian=19:44. Brooke ran a 20:54 at the George Whitmire Invitational this past weekend. Look for Brooke to be a strong contender in two weeks at the Alligator Lake XC Invite.

6. (5)  Lauren Jones, (10)-Oak Hall=19:47. This young lady ran a very impressive race at Ocala Horse park with a 19:47, which helped her team to their strong 2^nd place finish. Lauren will be one to watch in two weeks at the Katie Caples race in the elite division.

7. (NR) Elaina Black, (6)-Cambridge Christian=19:53. WOW! Only a 6^th grader and in our top 10! This young lady is going to be very exciting to see as our season continues. Elaina finished 3^rd at the IRCS Invite this past weekend! YGG-YOU GO GIRL THIS SEASON! Keep it rolling this weekend at Seffner Christian.

8. (6) Claire McDonnell, (12)-Father Lopez= 19:56.Claire is starting to make her move with her times. Claire finished 4^th at the Astronaut invitational this weekend to help her team to the team title. Watch for her to have a faster race this weekend at the Hawk on the Hill.

9. (7) Samantha Gayton, (12)-Father Lopez=19:58. Samantha is starting to get the hang of the coaching style at Father Lopez and has been a true blessing to this team. Samantha finished right behind her team mate Claire in 5^th place at the Astronaut Invitational this weekend! We have yet to see Samantha potential.

10. (4) Jessica Edwards, (11)-Canterbury Ft. Meyers=19:59. Jessica finished 2^nd at the fort Meyers Invite this past weekend. Watch this young lady as she will get ready to prepare to be a strong contender at the state final this year. I predict Jessica will win this coming weekend's Triton XC Invitational.

11. (NR) Gracie Koeppel, (8)-Maclay School=20:06. What a race this young lady had this past weekend! Gracie had run a 21:54 the weekend before going into the Ocala Horse Park Race. Then this past weekend Gracie finished 12th at the Horse Park race to lead her team to a 4^th place finish. Definitely need to keep our eyes on her! Let's see how she can race this coming weekend at the Red hill XC Invite. Keep it rolling Gracie!

12. (13) Ella Porcher, (9)-Maclay=20:12. Ella had an outstanding race at the Horse Park this past Saturday with her 20:12. She and her teammate are definitely what the Mauraders to be that dark horse team to win the state title!

13. (11). Mary Peck, (10)-Father Lopez=20:17. Mary is starting to get her groove going as she finished 9^th at the Astronaut meet this past Saturday. She is definitely a young talent to keep our eyes on. Looking forward to seeing her along with our Lady Green wave these next two weekends.

14. (8) Harrison Grooms, (11)-Oak Hall= 20:19. Harrison ran her 20:19 this past weekend at the Horse Park Invitational. Harrison adds a lot of depth to this incredible Eagles team..

15. (NR) Isabelle Saunders, 12-Shorecrest Prep=20:19. Isabelle finished 2^nd at the Green devil Invite this past weekend. I would guess Isabelle had a strong summer of training because she ran her all time PR this past weekend. Isabelle have a great senior year! Looks like you are on your way to it all- ready!

Other individuals to watch out for:

Sydney Miller-Oak Hall, Sarah Bayes-Lakeland Christian, Anagrace Fagot-Circle Christian, Gabby Aulisio-Oak Hall, and Jensen Mayer-Cambridge Christian

2A Girls Rankings

by Patrick Skipper, Weeki Wachee High School (fotoskip@gmail.com)                             

Team Rankings:  New data is rolling in...

Commentary: For entertainment purposes only!

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1.  Bolles (1)

2.  Monteverde Academy (3)

3. Pine Crest (2)

4. Bishop Kenny (6)

5. The King's Academy (9)

6. Trinity Prep (4)

7. Satellite HS (5)

8. Academy of Holy Names (NR)

9. Carrolton School (10)

10. Titusville HS (7)

Other teams to watch out for:

Bishop Verot

St. Brendan

Berkeley Prep

Episcopal School/Jax

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the individual state rankings!  REMEMBER - these are the 2019 Rankings.  I gave some consideration to last year's times - but please be patient...The cream will rise to the top in due time!!!

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade - School = Comments

1.  Tsion Yared (1)                  12        Pine Crest

2.  Lily Henne (2)                   10        Montverde Academy

3.  Emily Faulhaber (3)           12        Pine Crest

4.  Billie Castillo (5)               12        Titusville HS

5. Megan Hughes (4)              12        Academy of Holy Names

6. Karah White (NR)              9          Montverde Academy

7. Isabella Pawloski (NR)       11        Calvary Christian

8. Riley Jaszczak (7)               10        Titusville HS  

9. Kendall Cardwell (6)          11        Montverde Academy

10. Natalie Varela (NR)          12        Gulliver Prep

Other individuals to watch out for:

Sofie Dericks                          10        Clearwater Central Catholic

Audrey McNally                     12        Trinity Prep

Ellie  Tymorek                        11        Saint Andrews

Elizabeth Csikai                      9          Bolles

Ella Mickler                            10        Bolles

4A Girls Rankings

by Ryan Raposo, Florida National University, ryanraposo@gmail.com       

Team Rankings:

Commentary: There was a lot of great racing over the last two weeks including a couple of big west coast head-to-head competitions. Also note that some teams appeared to be practicing their pack work this past week, so don't take everyone's performances at face value. Two bigger jumps were seen by Braddock and George Jenkins who both performed well recently. After the top 9, there is easily a 5-6 team battle for 10th.

Rank. (Previous Rank) School, Region = Comments

1. (1) Creekside, R1 = IDLE; Matanzas was postponed, scheduled for Katie Caples.

2. (2) Chiles, R1 = Runner-up (behind Bolles) at Big Bend with a team avg of 20:09 and a large spread at 3:07 and won George Whitmire with a team avg of 19:50 and another large 3:10 spread; still without their returning #3.

3. (3) HB Plant, R2 = Won Babe Zaharias with a 19:53 team avg and a 2:04 1-5 spread. Then did some teamwork pack running for their 5th place finish at George Whitmire with a 20:56 team avg and a 1:25 spread for 1-7.

4. (7) Braddock, R4 = Picked up the big victory at the fast Horse Park with a 19:58 team avg and solid 55s spread. This week they'll be racing at speedy Spanish River where they are heavily favored.

5. (5) Newsome, R2 = Runner-up by 15 points at Babe Zaharias with a team avg of 20:08 and a spread of 2:31. They ran even with Plant up front however the depth was too much as the Panthers 6-7-8 were inside the Wolves #5. Followed up by a 3rd place finish at George Whitmire with a 20:18 team avg, but a large 3:57 spread.

6. (6) Fleming Island, R1 = Took the at victory at Golden Eagles with a total of 17 team points, a tight 51s spread, and a team average of 20:15. Followed that up with teamwork pack running at the fast Horse Park, dropping their spread to 31s as they finished in 6th place with a 21:34 team average.

7. (10) George Jenkins, R2 = Finished 4th at Babe Zaharias with a 20:42 team avg and a 2:46 spread, followed by a 4th place finish at George Whitmire with another 20:42 team avg and 3:57 spread. Their current weakness is the back half of their varsity / large spread.

8. (8) Lourdes, R4 = Runner-up (behind Pine Crest) at the absurdly hot King of the Hill with a 21:27 team average and a 1:11 team spread without their #5. Look for their luck to change at this week's speedy Spanish River.

9. (BOLO) Winter Park, R3 = Finished 3rd at the fast Horse Park with a 20:42 team avg and a 2:02 spread. Up next for the Wildcats is Winter Springs on Friday where they're ranked 2nd behind 1A powerhouse Circle Christian.

10. (BOLO) Mandarin, R1 = Runner-up at Jekyll Island in GA with a 21:12 team avg and a 1:01 spread.

Teams to watch (in no particular order):

(4) Sarasota, R2 = Finished 6th at Babe Zaharias with a 21:18 team avg and 2:13 spread without their returning #2, followed by a victory at Fort Myers with a 21:26 team avg and 1:40 spread with their returning #2 running as their #5.

(9) Oviedo, R1 = 4th place at quick Astronaut with a 21:33 team avg and a 1:42 spread.

(BOLO) Spanish River, R3 = IDLE

(BOLO) Timber Creek, R3 = Runner-up at quick Astronaut with a 20:56 team avg and a 3:05 spread.

(NR) Niceville, R1 = Champions at both Panhandle Challenge and Pace Patriot with respective team averages of 21:27 and 21:07 along with respective team spreads of 1:41 and 2:18.

(NR) Buchholz, R1 = Runner-up at Golden Eagles with a 21:32 team avg and 2:16 spread, followed up by a 5th place finish at the fast Horse Park with a 21:08 team avg (24s drop) and 2:13 spread.

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Remember that the last rankings, preseason, were based on the athlete's performances from state last year, so there will be a number of shake-ups this time around. Currently rankings are based on the last few weeks of performances, with some accounting for course variations, and by overall athlete ability levels.

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade - School = Comments

1. (1) Alyssa Hendrix, 12 - Riverview = Champion at East Hillsborough with an 18:21

2. (2) Parker Valby, 11 - East Lake = IDLE

3. (4) Caitlin Wilkey, 11 - Chiles = A couple of first place finishes with 18:36 at Big Bend and 18:16 at George Whitmire

4. (13) Mary Ellen Eudaly, 10 - HB Plant = Champion at Babe Zaharias with an 18:30

5. (15) Keleigh Scallon, 11 - Newsome = Runner-up at Babe Zaharias with an 18:55 and 4th place finish at George Whitmire with an 18:50

6. (6) Alyson Churchill, 12 - Chiles = Runner-up at Big Bend with an 18:48 and 5th at George Whitmire with an 18:57

7. (10) Caroline Lehman, 10 - Manatee = Champion at Venice with an 18:53

8. (3) Alica Ruiz, 11 - George Jenkins = 10th place at Babe Zaharias in 19:52 followed up by 6th place at George Whitmire with an 18:59

9. (NR) Emma Solis, 12 - Newsome = 6th at Babe Zaharias in 19:24 and 7th at George Whitmire in a 19:04

10. (7) Jordan Shapiro, 12 - Palmetto = IDLE

11. (8) Pia Beaulieu, 11 - Boca Raton = IDLE

12. (NR) Jacquelyn Abanses, 11 - Steinbrenner = Runner-up at Lecanto in 19:29 and 8th at George Whitmire in 19:11

13. (BOLO) Krystal Rodriguez, 11 - Coral Reef = Runner-up at FNU at L&P in 19:11.

14. (BOLO) Amber Schulz, 10 - Timber Creek = Champion at quick Astronaut with an 18:59.

15. (9) Elizabeth Iliff, 11 - Creekside = Runner-up at Spikes and Spurs in 19:21

16. (12) Claire Openshaw, 12 - Creekside = IDLE

17. (14) Rylee Pustilnik, 12 - Spanish River = IDLE

18. (BOLO) Naila Etique, 11 - Nease = 3rd place at Spikes and Spurs in 19:24

19. (18) Ashley Klingenberg, 12 - Lake Brantley = Champion at fast Early Hawk with a 19:05

20. (16) Anna Senter, 12 - George Jenkins = 7th at Baba Zaharias in 19:28 and 10th at George Whitmire in 19:40

Dropped from rankings:

(5) Lillian Holtery, 11 - Niceville = Runner-up at Pace Patriot with a 19:43

(11) Mya Bodrato, 11 - Lake Mary = 16th at Astronaut in 20:46

(17) Mei Chiang, 10 - Fleming Island = 6th at Spikes and Spurs in 19:59, Champion at Golden Eagles in 19:46, and 39th at the fast Horse Park in 21:20

1A Boys Rankings

by Paul Opitz, Out of Door Academy, paul.opitz65@gmail.com

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Some good showdown races on the horizon, top teams and individuals were at the Seffner Christian invite at my 3rd favorite course Holloway Park.

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (1) Oak Hall = 9th at stacked and fast FL Horse Park avg 17:27. Holding top spot still, but look out for Seffner Christian

2. (3) Seffner Christian Academy = 5th at one of the best venues in the state, the George Whitmire Classic avg 17:19

3. (6) Maclay School = 16th at fl horse park led stud Mr Brown avg 17:59

4. (7) Cambridge Christian = won IRC invite at Taylor Park led by the brothers Legg avg 18:03

5. (4) Circle Christian Academy = 7th at George Whitmire Classic avg 18:19

6. (5) Pensacola Christian Academy = 6th at the Pace Patriot Invite avg 18:45

7. (NR) Mt Dora Christian Academy = 24th at Horse Park avg 18:52

8. (11) Father Lopez Catholic = 14th at superfast Astronaut Invite avg 18:19

9. (12) Indian Rocks Christian = 2nd at their own invite taylor park avg 19:12

10. (8) St Joseph Academy = 30th at FL horse park avg 19:13

11. (NR) St Johns Country Day School = 5th at Hurricane meet avg 19:26

12. (10) Trinity Christian Academy = 6th at Hurricane meet avg 19:49

13. (13) Southwest Florida Christian Academy = 7th at Ft Myers invite

14. (NR) St Stephens = nice 3rd place showing at IRC invite avg 19:22

15. (15) OUT of DOOR ACADEMY = 4TH at Venice Invite avg 19:55

Others to watch for:

Marco Island, (9) Providence, (14) Lakeland Christian

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Finally some races to go by...

Rank. Name, Grade, School = Comments

1. (4) Junious Brown, 12, Maclay = 1st at Big Bend ARP in 16:13 beat some fast plant runners,  2nd at Horse Park and the only so far 1a guy under the coveted 16 barrier in 15:48

2. (1) Austin Motini, 11, Oak Hall = 5th at Horse park in 16:10

3. (7) Reed Legg, 12, Cambridge Christian = 1st at IRC invite taylor park in 16:33

4. (5) Matthew Stratton, 10, St John Country Day = won at New World Golf in 16:33

5. (2) Joseph Anderton, 12, South Florida Heat = won tough  King of the Hill in 16:43

6. (6) John Mckenzie, 12, Seffner Christian Academy = 3rd at Whitmire Invite in 16:24

7. (3) Jonathan Pitchford, 11, Marathon = 4th at king of the hill in 17:19

8. (9) Xander Peacock, 12, Blounstown = won the Dolphin Dash in 17:13, I wonder what was the overall award for that race?

9. (BOLO) Adam Nipper, 11, Seffner Christian Academy = 12th at Whitmire Classic in 16:50

10. (NR) Jack DeJesus, 09, Circle Christian Academy = 13th at Whitmire Classic

11. (NR) Riley Noveck, 09, Mt Dora Christian Academy = 25th at Horse Park in 16:46

12. (12) Paul Mckenzie, 12, Seffner Christian Academy = 15th at Whitmire Classic in 16:57

13. (NR) Asher Dorbin, 10, Oak Hall = 39th at Horse Park in 16:59

14. (13) Tristan McWilliam, 10, OUT OF DOOR ACADEMY = N/R

15. (NR) Tom Valente, 12,  Mt Dora Christian Academy = 41st  at Horse Park in 17:03 

Other individuals to watch out for (in no particular order):

(10) Steven Cartwright, 10, Providence 

(11) Caden Montini, 09, Oak Hall 

(BOLO) Braxton Legg, 09, Cambridge Christian

(15) Seth Martinez- Lakeland Christian

(14) Phillip Henderson - Admiral Farragut

(8) Mitchell Curtis, 11, Mt Dora                                                                                  

(NR) Jacob Braun and (NR) Mateo Luna - Indian Rocks Christian

2A Boys Rankings

by Zach White, Mount Dora Christian Academy

Team Rankings:

Commentary: To put it simply, Satellite is good. REAL good. This team has proven in these first few weeks that they are not just pushing to be the best team in 2A, but the whole state of Florida. The other top 5 teams right now in 2A are running well for early in the season, but they are going to have to work really hard if they hope to effectively close the gap between them and Satellite. Here are the TEAM RANKINGS as we begin this season.

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comment

1. (1) Satellite- (#1 Montague is running outstanding. Pack is extremely tough)

2. (5) Berkeley Prep- (I mentioned two weeks ago that this team might make a big jump with their 1-5 returning. Up to a 17:07 team average now.)

3. (2) Bolles- (Doesn't seem to have run a 5K in the last few weeks. Again, this team is always dangerous.)

4. (4) Astronaut- (Have proven to have a tough 1-4. If they get that 5 guy to push up with the pack, this team can certainly make a run for the podium.)

5. (6) Lake Highland Prep- (17:36 team average. However, the most impressive thing about this team is that their 1-5 split is hanging just over a minute. If they can tighten that up even more and improve together, then they will be a major player come November.)

6. (UR) Trinity Prep- (Wow- Trinity Prep is off to a great start. Not only do they have a 17:47 team average, but they have a 1-5 split that less than 40 seconds. That means this team has an awesome pack working together. A pack of 5 working together can be dangerous.)

7. (8) West Shore- (Running very good with a 17:45 Team Average. If this team's 4 and 5 guys can close the gap on 1-3 then this team could find themselves in the top 5 very soon.

8. (9) Bishop Moore- (Running strong, but need 3-5 to work together into the mid-17's. This team has a lot of pieces in place to have a real good season.)

9. (UR) Monteverde Academy- (Made a big jump in team average this week. Regardless of whether it was a fast course, they definitely have a good team working hard! I'll be excited to watch them run at Katie Caples in a few weeks.)

10. (7) King's Academy- (Has run well but needs to tighten up the 1-5 split. They race at Spanish River this weekend. That should be a good opportunity for a solid time.)

Other teams to watch out for:

Bishop Kenny, Nature Coast Tech, Labelle, Cypress Creek, Cocoa Beach

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: There is only one thing that we know for sure right now in 2A on the individual side and that is that Gabe Montague is the leader in the clubhouse. He dominated at Florida Horse Park. He is going to be hard to beat, especially when much of his best competition are people he gets to train with every day. I am supremely excited to see what all he does this season. This week, there were a few breakout PR's from a number of people. Some of those snuck into the top 10 depending on head to head match ups or what course that PR occurred on. I base most of these rankings on the pattern I see from a number of races (not just PR). So, if a runner can prove to be consistent and back up their PR with other great performances then they could certainly find their way into these rankings. Have a great week!

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade - School = Comments

1.   (1) Gabriel Montague- Satellite- Watched this young man run at Florida Horse Park & WOW! He's impressive.  He is going to be hard to beat. 15:31 this week.

2.   (3) Justin Wilson- Satellite- Did not run this week, but hasn't done anything to lose this spot. Has run two strong races. Best time 16:02. Backed it up with a 16:17.

3.   (7) Josh Kraver- Satellite- Has run very consistent and had a strong race at Florida Horse Park with a time of 16:24. Putting him at 3rd mostly due to his consistency since the beginning of the season.

4.   (8) Gavin O'Brien- Astronaut- Gavin has also been very consistent. He has run three races all between 16:25-16:35. And based on his 2 mile time, he's definitely got the stuff to go sub 16 and challenge some of the guys ranked above him.

5.   (UR) Ethan Lipham- Berkeley Prep- Major PR on a very trustworthy course. It is a flat, fast course, but does not remove the fact that Ethan finished with the likes of Magoulas and Montini (2 proven 16 flat guys). Looking forward to watching this young man.

6.   (2) Robert Pedroza- Key West- We know he's fast from track season and last year's State Meet. He has had a consistent start to the season with three performances all under 17.

7. (6) Will Brady- Bolles- Has not run in a few weeks. Looking forward to seeing the next posted time.

8. (UR) Ian Noble- Saint Andrew's- Ran a great race at Florida Horse Park. 16:27. Was a big PR. However, if he can back that up or improve on that then he could be a serious challenger to the top 5.

9. (UR) Hudson Rowan- Berkeley Prep- Real close between Hudson and Aidan for these last two spots. Both have been consistent so far this season. I am giving Hudson the edge right now because he won the head to head this week at Florida Horse Park. Good runner. Has run 2 races under 17 now and his race at Florida Horse Park was a solid 16:36.

10. (UR) Aidan Mason- Satellite- Has been consistent and continues to get better every week. Ran 16:48 at Florida Horse Park. If he keeps moving on the same trajectory then he will be a big pusher come Post-season.

Other individuals to watch out for:

Josh Stern (Seems to be working his way back from something, but we know he's very good),

Brayden Cheek, Kai Cheatham, Cameron Dunn, Jonathan Eide, Emile Sow

3A Boys Rankings

by Amanda Vereecke, Fort Myers High School, fhsaa3arankings@gmail.com       

Team Rankings:

Commentary: This week saw several top 15 schools go head to head. Belen Jesuit (54), Stanton Prep (281), Ocala Vanguard (289), Tampa Jesuit (386) and Gainesville (412) all raced at Florida Horse Park. At the Fort Myers Invite, held under the lights on a Friday night, Immokalee (204), Ida Baker (160), Estero (88), Naples (85), and Fort Myers (80) went head to head, with Fort Myers earning the victory! Sunlake (17), Mitchell (75), and Osceola (131) all raced at Hernando HS this weekend, with Sunlake taking the win!

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (1) Belen Jesuit = Continues to dominate! Won the Florida Horse Park Race and dominated the DDD Invite last week!

2. (3) Robinson = Opened their season with a runner up finish and top 3A school at the George Whitmire Classic!

3. (NR) Stanton Prep = Second best 3A school at Florida Horse Park Race, won Cecil Field Classic earlier in the season. (inadvertently left out of our last rankings...sorry!)

4. (2) Sunlake = Won the Hernando HS race this week!

5. (5) Naples HS = Ran this week without Brady Gibson, came in a close second at the Fort Myers Invite!

6. (NR) Ocala Vanguard = Third best 3A team at the Florida Horse Park!

7. (7) Leon = Opened their season with a win at the Dueling Summits, did not race this week.

8. (8) Tampa Jesuit = Was the top 3A team at the Babe Zaharias Twilight Challenge last week!

9. (NR) Mitchell = Many PRs on this team!

10. (14) Fort Myers = Beat Estero head to head last week with a full squad to win the Fort Myers Invite!

11. (6) Estero = Came in 2^nd place to Belen at the DDD Invite!

12. (13) Lake Wales = Second place overall and top 3A team at the Astronaut Invite!

13. (15) Gainesville (17:44.42) = Had an early season win at the Wolfpack Invite!

14. (NR) Osceola (Seminole) (17:45.04) = Third place at the Lecanto Invite last week.

15. (11) Ida Baker (17:58.72) = Staying in the mix with a tough schedule this year!

Other teams to watch out for:

(10) Palmetto Ridge

(4) Choctawhatchee

(8) Fort Walton Beach

(12) Immokalee

Rockledge

South Fork

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Most of our returning runners have now begun their season. As expected, Ethan Geiger had a phenomenal opening race. Missing from the action for 2019 is our 2018 State Champ Javier Vento-we will continue to watch out for his potential return. His Belen Jesuit teammates dominate our top 15 list this week.

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade - School = Comments

1. (4) Ethan Geiger, 12 - Robinson High School = Ran a state leading and PR 15:48 at his debut race!

2. (WL) Lewis Benitez-Chaparro, 12 - Ocala Vanguard = Opened his season with a 15:59.7 PR for a third-place finish at the Florida Horse Park Invite!

3. (2) Diego Gomez, 11 - Belen Jesuit = Ran a PR of 16:02 for a 4^th place finish this week!

4. (5) Mac Updike, 11- Lake Wales = Won the Jim Ryun Invite and came in 2^nd at the fast Astronaut Invite this week!

5. (1) Adam Magoulos, 10 - Belen Jesuit = Won the DDD Invite last week!

6. (WL) Anderson Denton, 12 - Lake Wales= Season best with a win at the Astronaut Invite!

7. (14) Dieumerci Ufitimana, 12 - St. Petersburg = Won the Dunedin Invite this week and ran a PR last week!

8. (NR) Christian Fernandez, - Belen Jesuit = Ran a PR of 16:24.9 this week!

9. (WL) Aiden Villasuso, 11 - Belen Jesuit = Ran a PR of 16:29.1 this weekend!

10. (WL) Sebastian Castillo, 11 - Belen Jesuit = Came in 3^rd at DDD last week!

11. (6) Thomas Weiler, 12 - South Fork HS = Season debut at Astronaut Invite with a 16:33!

12. (10) Colby Robbins, 10 - Sunlake HS = Dropped a lot of time at the Hernando HS Race!

13. (11) Edward Scheid, 12 - Sunlake = Dropped a lot of time at the Hernando HS Race!

14. (13) Gavin Kennedy, 12 - Sunlake = Dropped a lot of time at the Hernando HS Race!

15. (WL) Liam Holston, 11, Fort Myers= Has won both races he has competed in this year, won the Fort Myers Invite by 15 seconds on Friday!

Other individuals to watch out for:

(3) Javier Vento, 12 - Belen Jesuit

(7) Darius Johnson, 11 - Choctawhatchee

Michael Collins, 11, Lake Region HS

(WL) Liam Holston, 11, Fort Myers HS

(8) Alexander Rodriguez, 11 Naples

(9) Franklin Caceres, 12 - Ida Baker

(15) Saindeley Dorsainvil, 11 - Palmetto Ridge

 (NR) Francisco Ramirez, - Pace HS

(NR) Nicholas Hidalgo, 11, Belen Jesuit

(12) Brady Gibson, 12 - Naples

(WL) Jackson Yarborough, 10 - Leon

Gavin Hazlett, 12 - Stanton Prep

Matthew Bryan, 12 - Belen Jesuit

Nicholas Cain, 12 - Gainesville

Matthew Hunter, 12 - Robinson

4A Boys Rankings

by 4A Pollster, 4Apollster@gmail.com

Commentary: The race for the 2019 4-A Title is SO ON! Three teams have emerged as the early leaders. Steinbrenner, Newsome and Windermere all seem to be a bit ahead of the rest - for now. The chase pack is thick, however, with teams that look loaded and ready to emerge.

Team Rankings #1

Rank. (Previous) School = (Top-5 avg.) Recent Results: Comments

1. (1) Steinbrenner HS = (16:31) 1^st at Lecanto ./ 2^nd @ Horse Park: This team has incredible depth giving them a super-tight 1-5 spread of 30 seconds. Heck, their 1-7 spread is only 32 seconds!

2. (3) Newsome HS = (16:46) 1^st at Babe Z../ 1^st @ Whitmire: Back to back convincing victories has moves this team up one spot to number 2. Another team with excellent depth and a tight pack.

3. (4) Windermere HS = (16:41) 1^st at Jim Ryun / 3^rd @ Horse Park: A win on the tough Holloway course and a strong 3^rd at the Horse Pack moves the Wolverines up one to number 3. Another tight pack with depth.

4. (5) Nease HS = (16:44) 1^st at Spikes & Spurs: No doubt their top 3 are the best, but with so much depth on the teams just ahead, it's gonna be hard to close the deal without a tighter pack.

5. (8) Columbus HS = (16:53) 3^rd at Fleet Feet. / 5^th @ Horse Park: This south Florida team brings a tight pack of their own. With a 27 second 1-5 spread these guys are off to a great start.

6. (11) Chiles HS = (16:53) 2^nd at Big Bend. / 3^rd @ Whitmire: Two strong finishes and now 4 guys under 16:50. This team is one breakout runner away from vaulting to the top tier.

7. (7) H.B. Plant HS = (17:05) 1^st at Big Bend. / 4^th @ Whitmire: Nice win for the Panthers up in Tallahassee, but then off a bit at Lake Region. Their girls clearly ran a tempo pace, were the boys holding back too?

8. (9) Oviedo HS = (17:03) 2^nd at Early Hawk / 1^st @ Astronaut: This team is starting to emerge. Historically, these guys save their best for last.

9. (10) Creekside HS = (17:04) 2^nd at Spikes & Spurs: Nice start to the season, but haven't seen much of them since.

10. (6) Bartram Trail HS = (17:04) 3^rd at Spikes & Spurs. / 2^nd @ Cecil: Off to a solid start. It feels as if this team keeping their pack together for now and waiting to pounce when it counts.

11. (2) Sarasota HS = (17:19) 3^rd at Babe Z. / 4^th @ Fort Myers: So far it looks like a rebuilding year for the Sailors, but it's early and these guys just might be holding something back for the right time.

12. (13) Niceville HS = (17:17) 1^st at Panhandle. / 1^st @ Pace: Two wins to start the year is "Nice" (pun intended), but it remains to be seen what they can do when they get pushed by better competition.

13. (12) Fleming Island HS = (17:25) 4^th at Spikes & Spurs / 2^nd at Golden Eagles: Two solid races keeps this team safely in the top 15.

14. (NR) Vierra HS = (17:19) 3^rd @ Astronaut: Strong performance at Astronaut puts these guys in the top 15.

t-15. (NR) St. Cloud HS = (17:14) 4^th @ Astronaut: Solid race at Astronaut puts these guys in the top 15.

t-15. (10) St. Thomas Acquinas HS = Waiting for results.

t-15. (15) Spanish River HS = Waiting for results

Other teams to watch out for:

Mandarin HS = (17:27) 2^nd @ Jeckyll

Buchholz HS = (17:25) 8^th @ Horsepark

Braddock HS = (17:35) 11^th @ Horsepark

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: The leaders are starting to emerge, but it's still early in the season and certain teams and athletes have barely competed while others have enjoyed competing in some of the most competitive (and faster) events. There are still limited amounts of head-to-head results, so these rankings are very similar to the database. Some consideration was given to account for (what seemed like anyway) disparities in course difficulty. Enjoy, discuss, critique. Send any questions or relevant information to 4apollster@gmail.com

Name, Grade / School                                   Recent Results

1. Jake Turner, 12 Armwood                       15:53 (1^st) @ Babe Z.

2. Zachary Cloud, 12 St Cloud                     15:59 (1st) @ Vierra / 16:16 (3^rd) @ Astronaut

3. Rheinhart Harrison, 10 Nease                 16:08 (1^st) @ Spikes & Spurs

4. Michael Fiore, 11 Fort Lauderdale           16:12 (1st) @ Conquistador

5. Seth Martinez, 11 Lennard                       16:13 (1^st) @ Green Devil

6. Dominic Acosta, 12 Newsome                  16:39 (3^rd) @ Babe Z. / 16:22 (2^nd) @ Whitmire

7. Onix Ortiz Vazquez, 12 Windermere       16:59 (3^rd) @ Jim Ryun / 16:18 (8^th) @ Horsepark

8. Bradley Ball, 11 Nease                              16:13 (2^nd) @ Spikes & Spurs

9. Liam Pirie, 12 Windermere                       16:20 (9^th) @ Horsepark

10. Josh King, 12 Steinbrenner                      16:29 (1^st) @ Lecanto / 16:21 (10^th) @ Horsepark

11. Gabriel Lara, 12 George Steinbrenner   17:33 (13^th) @ Lecanto / 16:24 (12^th) @ Horsepark

12. Justin Tackling, 12 Nease                       16:27 (3^rd) @ Spikes & Spurs

13. Mamush Galloway, 12 Oviedo               16:53 (3^rd) @ Early Hawk / 16:27 (5^th) @ Astronaut

14. Blake Walker, 12 George Steinbrenner  16:56 (4^th) @ Lecanto / 16:27 (15^th) @ Horse Park

15. Ben Kirbo, 10 Chiles                               16:57 (8^th) @ Big Bend / 16:36 (5^th) @ Whitmire