As we start to close out September, this cross country season is really beginning to unfold. Let's see what our pollsters have to say about all of the top teams and individuals around the state.
GIRLS STATE RANKINGS
1A Girls Rankings
By Sue O'Malley (FLCHS) somalley@fatherlopez.org
Team Rankings:
First month there has been some exciting races! As we enter the last week of September and beginning of October, the air had a hint of fall and cooler temperatures, but this season is about to get hotter!
The next couple of weeks will be exciting competition as teams start to think of their post season dreams!
Commentary: Cambridge Christian will take over the #1 spot and right on their heels are three other teams! Circle Christian, Oak Hall and Father Lopez are all chasing each other for the podium. The Father Lopez Green Wave should change their name from Green Wave to the Green Tsumni!
These girls have won every Invitational this month and tied for first in their first Invitational (Jim Ryun). They are certainly a dark horse. 11 teams all under 22:00 team average!
Let's continue the great racing!
"Don't Just Fly, Soar"!
Best wishes for all the teams to soar these next couple of weeks!
Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments
1. (2) Cambridge Christian School = 19:45 team average. This is team definitely one to watch! They won the Seffner Christian invite with a team average of 20:50. The team finished 2nd in the Elite race at North Port this past weekend where they ran their team average of 19:45.
The team will compete at Big Pirate Invite this weekend and Flrunners on the 27th.
2. (1) Circle Christian=19:55 team average. The team finish 2nd at Alligator Lake XC with a team average of 20:11. The Centurions will be at Hagerty Invite this weekend and then not race until PreState Meet on 10/11.
3. (3) Oak Hall= 20:06 team average. The Golden Eagles finished 2nd at the Bale-n-Trail Meet to Bolles on 9/14. Team was led Lauren Jones. They had a team average of 20:27. The team had a very impressive showing at Katie Caples this past Saturday night. They finished 5th in the Elite race with a team average of 20:14 and again was led by Lauren Jones. The next three weeks the team will race at The Bobcat 10/5 and then Pre states on 10/11. Next weekend will be an off weekend for the team.
4. (5) Father Lopez=Team average of 20:23. Aiming for that podium and definitely a dark horse team! This Green Wave team goes undefeated for the month of September winning all of their Invitationals.
Green Wave ladies won the Hawk on the Hill on 9/14 and Won the Embry Riddle Asics Classic this past Saturday. They will take this weekend off and then travel to NC to the Great American Race on 10/5 and Disney on 10/11.
5. (4) Maclay= Team average 20:45. The Marauders had a team average of 23:59 at the Red Hill XC Invite on 9/24 and a 21:44 average at the Katie Caples in the Elite race this past weekend. The Mauraders will compete at the Crusader XC Classic and or at the Live Oak Twilight Meet on 9/27. Missing the past two meets has been Ella Porcher.
6. (6) Canterbury School (Ft.) Myers)= Team average of 21:16. The Cougars had a team average 21:43 at the North Port XC Invitational this past weekend. Cougars will compete on 9/24 at the Private 8 Conference. They will compete on 9/27 at Flrunners or/and at Ava Invite on 9/28.
7. (8) Lakeland Christian=The Vikings move up a spot with a new team average of 21:26 almost a minute faster than 2 weeks ago. The Vikings competed on 9/14 at the Ridge Community H.S. Invite with a team average of 22:14. Nest weekend they will compete st Flrunners and then compete on 10/5 at the Land of Lakes Gator Invite.
8. (9) Holy Trinity=Team average 21:53. Team moves up 1 spot and drops team average by almost a minute with their strong performance at the Katie Caples elite race. They will compete at Viera Fall Classic next weekend and at Windermere on 10:5.
9. (13) Out of the Door Academy=Team average of 21:59. Big Drop for The Thunder. Team moves up 4 spots! The team had an s stage of 23:01 at Seffner Christian Invite on 9/14 and then there was lots of Thunder for the team at North Port this past weekend!
Team finished 2nd in the large school race with their new team average of 21:59.
10. (10) Miami Country Day School=Team average 21:47. Team won the Spanish River Invitational with a team average of 22:42 and finished 4th this past weekend at the Pine Crest Invitational with an s stage of 23:35 for the team. Team will travel to Flrunners next weekend and then the Orange Bowl Invitational on 10/4.
11. (7) Shorecrest Prep=The Lightning Bolt team average stays the same from two weeks ago of 21:58. Thru competed at the Seffner Christian Invitational on 9/14 and had a team average of 24:48 and finished 6th this past weekend at the Mitchell Invite. The Lightning Bolts will be at Flrunners next weekend.
12. (11) Providence=The Stallions are still tough as the season continues. Team average of 22:14. The Stallions won the Trinity Christian Invite on 9/14 with a team average of 23:30. The team traveled this past weekend to the Winged Foot XC Classic in Georgia. Team competed in the Varsity A race with s team average of 23:05.
This weekend they will compete at Craig Speziale Invitational and then on 10/4 at the New World Fall Spectacular Invitational.
13. (NR) Bell Creek Academy=Team average of 22:14. Bell Creek goes from being one of the teams on the Watch List to making it into our top 15 for these rankings! Way to go Bell Creek. The team won the small school race at North Port Invitational this past weekend. They will be competing at Flrunners next weekend and then off to Disney on 10/11.
14. (NR) St. Joseph Academy=Team average of 22:46. Team finished 2nd at the Trinity Christian Invitational on 9/14 in the high school race with a team average of 23:31. They competed in the elite race at Katie Caples and held their own with a strong team average of 22:44. Way to crack into the rankings!
15. (14) The Geneva School=22:44Team average. The Knights has a team average of 23:46 at The Winter Springs Invitational on 9/15 and raced in the elite race at Katie Caples to finish with their new team average of 22:44.
Other teams to watch out for:
St. Johns Country Day School, South Florida HEAT, First Baptist Academy and St. John Neumann
Shout out to International Community School (a program that had started a few years back and keeps on getting better because hard work beats talent anytime and this team is definitely a team that is hard work and all heart! A team of the future!)
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: Here are the #3 season rankings! Oak Hall, Cambridge Christian and Father lead the way with 3 girls each in the top 15. Circle Christian has two girls in the top 15. Things will start to heat up now the next couple of weeks for sure! Going to be very exciting to watch! Past two weeks we have the top girls dropping their times and warming up as we head into the homestretch of the later part of this season. Lauren McGaffic from Miami Country Day has not raced since late August and Brooke McEwen has been running 4-5th runner for Circle Christian. Ella Porcher from Maclay had not raced the past two weeks. Hope these three young ladies are not hurt.
All top 15 girls have broken the 20:00 barrier!
Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, (Grade) - School = Comments
1. Jessica Edwards, (11)-Canterbury Ft. Meyers=Jessica jumps 9 spots to take over top ranking in the state! Jessica finished 7th at the North Port XC Invitational this past weekend. Time of 18:24.6 all new PR for this young lady! With her track experience she will be a very strong contender come November 9th.
2. (1) Sinkenesh Parker (11)-Circle Christian=18:36. Sinkenesh ran a 18:59.7 this past weekend at Alligator Lake XC. Don't count this young lady out! She is one fierce competitor.
3. (2) Lydia Friedman, (12)- Cambridge Christian=19:02 All time new PR!
Lydia ran 5th at Seffner Christian with a time of 20:15 then ran one blistering time of 19:02 at North Port XC this past weekend.
4. (7) Elaina Black, (6)-Cambridge Christian=Big Jump for this 6th trader!
Elaina Juno's 3 spots to #4!
Can't wait to see this young lady the next couple of weeks! Eliana ran an all time PR of 19:04.5 this past weekend at North Port XC Invitational! She finished 6th overall! Elaina ran a 20:30 at the Seffner Christian Invite on 9/14. YGG- You Go Girl!
5. (4) Laci Watford, (10)-University Christian=19:10.1. Laci keeps improving each week. Laci finished 5th at the Bale-n-Trail Invitational on 9/14. Laci finished 16th in the elite race at Katie Caples this past weekend with a strong rime of 19:40.
6. (6) Lauren Jones, (10)-Oak Hall=19:27. Lauren ran her season's best this past Saturday night at the Katie Caples elite race. Lauren places 12th overall in the race. She placed 9th at the Bale-n-Trail Invitational on 9/14 with a time of 19:30. Very consistent racer!
7. (8) Claire McDonnell, (12)-Father Lopez= 19:29. Claire is starting to make a big move to the front! This young lady started her career 4 years ago as 25 5k runner and has worked very hard to become the runner that she is now. Claire finished 5th in 9/14 at The Hawk on The Hill Invitational. This past weekend she did double duty. She raced at Embry Riddle very challenging course to finish in 6th with a time of 20:49, then competed in the elite race at Katie Caples to finish in 12th with a very impressive time of 19:29, a season's best and was 2 scandals behind Lauren Jones of Oak Hall and finished ahead of Laci Watford of University Christian!
Can't wait to see what she has in store in the next month ahead.
9.(NR) Katie Beam, (9) First Baptist Academy=19:37. Katie welcome to the rankings! Katie ran her 19:37 at North Port XC Invitational this past weekend to finish 23rd overall. Katie ran a 21:00 at Seffner Christian on 9/14. What a drop in time! She is only a 9th grader!
10. (9) Samatha Gayton, (12)-Father Lopez=19:39. Samantha ran her season's best at The Hawk on the Hill on 9/14. She finished 2nd overall in that race. Samatha also did double duty this past Saturday because college coaches are looking at her for scholarship programs. Samatha finished 3rd at Embry Riddle with a time of 20:15 then raced in the elite race at Katie Caples to finish 17th with a very impressive time of 19:41. Another Lopez runner that is going to be exciting to watch this next month.
11. (14) Harrison Grooms, (11)-Oak Hall= 19:42. New all time PR! Harrison moved up 3 spots this ranking! Harrison ran a 20:55 at Bale-n-Trail on 9/14 and ran her new PR at Katie Caples Saturday night in the elite race.
12. (5) Brooke MCewen, (12)- Circle Christian=19:44. Hope this young lady is not have an injury. Brooke ran her 19:44 back at the end of August and had been running in the high 20's the past few weeks. But don't count her out!
13. (NR) Moriah Friedman, (10)-Cambridge Christian=19:55.9. New all time PR! Another Friedman in the top 15! What a talented family! Moriah ran a 21:11 at Seffner Christian on 9/14. This past weekend she dropped her time by over a minute to run a 19:55.9 at the North Port XC Invitational.
14.(13) Mary Peck, (10)-Father Lopez=19:57.2. Mary finished 4th at Hawk on The Hill Invitational with her 19:57.2 time. Mary finished 5th this past weekend at Embry Riddle with a time of 20:22. This is one fierce competitor. She is my Powderpuff girl Blossom of the team.
15. (NR) CeCily Anderton, (9)-South Florida HEAT=19:58. CeCily ran her all time PR at the Spanish River Invitational. She also won the race.
CeCily ran a 20:57 at the Pine Crest Invitational this past Friday night
Other individuals to watch out for:
Gretchen Caswall (Lakeland Christian), Grace Koeppel (Maclay), Jensen Meyer (Cambridge Christian), Anagrace Fagot (Circle Christian), Paige Seville (South Florida HEAT)
2A Girls Rankings
by Patrick Skipper, Weeki Wachee High School (fotoskip@gmail.com)
Team Rankings:
Commentary: Major Shakeup in 2A Girls??? Not really - Just letting it all play out!!! 2A Girls probably have 3 of the Top 5-6 teams in the state including ALL classifications. For entertainment purposes only!
Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments
1. Monteverde Academy (2) = 5 in the top 25 Trumps 3 in the Top 10
2. Bolles (1) = Difficult not to put them at 1
3. Pine Crest (3) = Only other team that can beat 1 or 2
4. The King's Academy (5) = The best of the rest
5. St. Brendan (NR)
6. Satellite HS (7)
7. Bishop Verot (NR)
8. Bishop Kenny (4)
9. Carrolton School (9)
10. Academy of Holy Names (8)
Other teams to watch out for:
Trinity Prep
Titusville HS
Gulliver Prep
Episcopal School of Jax
Berkeley Prep
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. Name (Previous Rank) Grade - School
1. Ellie Tymorek (NR) 11 St. Andrews
2. Tsion Yared (1) 12 Pine Crest
3. Lily Henne (2) 10 Monteverde Academy
4. Emily Faulhaber (3) 12 Pine Crest
5. Natalie Verela (10) 12 Gulliver Prep
6. Maxine Montoya (NR) 11 Bolles
7. Elizabeth Csikai (NR) 9 Bolles
8. Ella Mickler (NR) 9 Bolles
9. Sofie Dericks (NR) 10 Clearwater Central Catholic
10. Billie Castillo (4) 12 Titusville
Other individuals to watch out for:
Megan Hughes 12 Academy of Holy Names
Avery Fronrath 8 The King's Academy
Leah Pelham 12 Paxton School
Karah White 9 Monteverde Academy
Isabella Pawloski 11 Calvary Christian (Clearwater)
3A Girls Rankings
By Ghost Writer, ryanraposo@gmail.com
Team Rankings
Commentary: The battle for top 5 has seen some exciting changes, with St. Augustine, Robinson, and Harmony making big leaps towards a podium finish. We have seen competitive elite races across the state, with the Bale-N-Trail Invitational, Katie Caples Invitational, North Port Invitational, Spanish River Invitational, and the Pine Crest Invitational. Many key teams will be competing at FLRunners, which will allow for more head-to-head competition, or at the very least, teams competing on a common course. We saw super-fast times again due to large amounts of concrete/asphalt on a course, this time at North Port, with approximately 1 mile being concrete. It is imperative to take this into consideration (along with Zak Lucas) as we compare teams who raced at those meets versus teams that have not. At this time, I anticipate more shifting amongst teams as we head towards championship season. Current race averages seem to be more reasonable data, with the subjectivity of courses considered, as opposed to utilizing season bests. There is no doubt that October will bring some excitement in 3A!
Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments
1. (6) St. Augustine HS- The St. Augustine Yellow Jackets proved themselves at Katie Caples! Led by Reilly Barber with a huge PR of 18:59, these ladies have established themselves as a frontrunner in 3A. Overall team average of 20:30 puts them at the top of the podium, with convincing performances 2 weeks in a row on known XC courses in Jacksonville. Too bad we won't see this team in the ROC at FLRunners, but they will go head-to-head with other giants, such as Ponte Vedra and Creekside, at the Craig Speziale Invitational.
2. (2) Sunlake HS- The Sunlake girls haven't raced since Sept. 14, where they had a convincing win at the Shark Invitational in Brooksville. Prior to that meet, they raced at Zak Lucas, with super-fast times across the board (mostly concrete/asphalt course). Looking forward to seeing what the Seahawks can do in the Race of Champions at FLRunners, amongst other competitive teams on a true cross country course! 20:39 team average ranks 2nd in 3A, with no consideration for Zak Lucas essentially being a road race.
3. (13) Harmony HS- The Longhorns fell just short at the West Orange Invitational, but finished with an impressive 20:29 average. Many runners saw season bests, which improves their season average to 20:56, ranking these girls 3rd in 3A. Will we see a podium finish in November?
4. (8) Robinson HS- All 5 ran personal or season bests at the North Port Invitational and beat out both Estero and Osceola! Their current team average of 21:58 should drop as we get into October meets.
5. (1) Osceola (Seminole) HS- The Warrior's 21:09 season average, including Zak Lucas, ranks 6th in 3A. Osceola fell to Sunlake early in the season, both at Zak Lucas and Lecanto. Will be fun to see what happens at FLRunners, as we will see Osceola match up to many formidable teams in the ROC.
6. (5) Winter Springs HS- We didn't see a full team compete at Katie Caples, but their 20:56 current season team average is solid. Led by an impressive 18:19 from Caroline Wells at Katie Caples, this team is no doubt one to watch!
7. (3) Ponte Vedra HS- Competed at Katie Caples without Tori Balser (#1), but were able to edge Winter Springs (competed without #2 and #6). The Sharks have an impressive 48 second 1-5 split that will be dangerous to other teams as the season progresses! Their 21:14 season average will improve as the season continues.
8. (11) Estero HS- These ladies beat Ft. Myers in the head-to-head battle at North Port and have a 21:38 team average.
9. (4) Dillard HS- The Panthers enjoyed a win in the 3A race at Spanish River. As usual with the course, times were pretty fast. These girls look poised to win this weekend at the Ave Invite, as they like to get out fast and hang on! Team average of 21:20
10. (9) Ft. Myers HS- Finished in 9th place over Naples at North Port, led by Stephy Ormsby in a blazing fast new PR time of 17:56! Looking forward to seeing what this team does in the ROC!
11. (10) Naples HS- 21:47 current team average, took 2nd in 3A to Dillard at the Spanish River Invitational; Look for results head-to-head in the ROC to see how this team will fair
12. (12) Ft. Walton Beach HS- Took first place at the Wildcat Invitational, with a tough course to navigate; Led by the still undefeated Kambry Smith, the Vikings competed without both Orcutt sisters (#2/4). These girls will need to focus on closing the gap between runners 3-4 if they want to make the top 10.
13. (14) Braden River HS- Competed at the North Port Invitational and led by Grace Marston in a huge PR of 19:13; defeated Cape Coral head-to-head. With a 21:57 current season average, this team has potential for a top 10 finish.
14. (7) Mitchell HS- Finished 5th at the Mitchell Invitational without their #1 and #2; 22:05 season average, but they are being hurt by an almost 5 minute 1-5 split.
15. (18) Cape Coral HS- Impressive 1:12 1-5 split; solid effort at North Port
16. (17) Matanzas HS- Finished 13th in the Elite field at Katie Caples, outrunning South Fork head-to-head; 21:59 current season average, they are solid 1-5 and will continue to push each other. Look for these ladies to move up!
17. (15) South Fork HS- The Bulldogs held their own in the Elite field at the Katie Caples Invitational, finishing 17th (ranked 20th). Led by Hannah Martin with a huge PR of 19:20 in the dark, this team has a solid 3-7 pack that can push their team up the rankings if they stay healthy and aggressive.
18. (19) Leon HS- 21:59 season average with a solid 1-4; this team needs to focus on their 1-5 split if they want to see improvement. No meet since September 14.
19. (25) Charlotte HS- 22:41 season average
20. (26) St. Petersburg HS- The Green Devils have the perfect set-up 1-5 to push each other to the next level. Let's see what they do at FLRunners!
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: With several front runners still undefeated and athletes beginning to drop fast times, it will be fun to watch results over the next couple of weeks! We should see some exciting matchups in the ROC at FLRunners!
Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade - School = Comments
1. (1) Valerie Lastra, 12- Mater Academy = 18:36 average; remains undefeated!
2. (2) Caroline Wells,10 - Winter Springs = 18:19 at Katie Caples
3. (6) Stephy Ormsby, 12- Fort Myers = Huge PR of 17:56 at North Port
4. (3) Kambry Smith, 11- Fort Walton Beach = 18:57 average; remains undefeated!
5. (5) Liina Winborn, 12- Sunlake = 18:54 average over 4 races, including super-fast Zak Lucas
6. (9) Reilly Barber, 10- St. Augustine = 18:59 at Katie Caples
7. (12) Madison Niederriter, 12- St. Augustine = 19:11 average; huge PR of 18:45 at Bale-N-Trail, 19:08 at Katie Caples
8. (7) Meadow Millett,11 - Mitchell = 19:07 average, including super-fast Zak Lucas (no meet since)
9. (4) Taylor Stone, 12- Osceola = 18:55 at North Port; 19:17 average
10. (18) Alanie Rivera, 10 - Harmony = 19:40 at West Orange; 19:52 average
11. (14) Hannah Martin, 12- South Fork = 19:20 at Katie Caples
12. (8) Elayna Blair, 12- Winter Springs = no meet since Sept. 7
13. (NR) Ellie Fluman, 12- St. Augustine = 19:52 at Katie Caples
14. (11) Avery Calabro, 11- Leon = 20:03 average over 3 meets
15. (10) Shannon Gordy, 11- Sunlake = 18:53 at super-fast Zak Lucas; 20:04 average
16. (19) Christiana Coleman, 8 - Dillard = 20:08 average
17. (15) Brooke Mullins, 11- Harmony = 19:58 at West Orange
18. (NR) Kamari Dawn, 11- Rockledge = 20:23 at Katie Caples
19. (NR) Kya Cadieu, 12- Auburndale = 20:34 average over 4 meets
20. (NR) Grace Marston, 10- Braden River= 19:13 at North Port; 20:26 average
Other individuals to watch out for:
Andrea Ballestero, 10 - Osceola
Ashley Spires, 11 - Sunlake
Ellie Kunze, 12- Lake Minneola HS
Ashton Rainey, 10 - Robinson
Kana Kosaka, 9 - Robinson
Killian Morgan, 11- Mitchell
Victoria Joyce, 10- Rockledge
Ashley Fitzgerald, 8 - American Heritage
4A Girls Rankings
by Ryan Raposo, Florida National University, ryanraposo@gmail.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: Thanks to a lot of big competitions and strong head-to-head racing over the past two weeks, the performance charts have basically been written over. Now it's really beginning to feel like we're in the middle of cross country season. I can't wait to see what's to come at flrunners this weekend and FSU beyond that. Here are your updated rankings...
Rank. (Previous Rank) School, Region = Comments
1. (3) HB Plant, R2 = Got the huge victory at quick North Port running a 19:21 team avg with a 1:58 spread. Also important to note is the team depth as their 6-7-8 are all legitimately fast enough to be a scorer on almost every team in Class 4A, with exception to only the second and third teams ranked on this list.
2. (2) Chiles, R1 = Picked-up the win at Red Hills (without their #2) running a cruising 20:54 team avg and a 2:20 spread, followed by a solid Runner-up (behind 2A Bolles) at Katie Caples running a 19:39 team avg and a 2:47 spread. The large spread and weaker #5 is preventing them from claiming the top spot on the rankings.
3. (4) Braddock, R4 = Edged out the close 5-point win at speedy Spanish River (without their #4) with a 20:32 team avg and 2:09 spread. This was followed up by a 4-point victory as they picked up their third consecutive Dade County Championship, at difficult L&P, with a 21:04 team avg and 1:38 spread (without their #1).
4. (5) Newsome, R2 = Finished in third at quick North Port with their five of their top six running PRs as they hit a team avg of 19:34 and a spread of 2:49. With continued progressions like these, they could be in contention for a podium position when its all said and done.
5. (7) George Jenkins, R2 = Picked up the easy victory at Ridge Community running a cruising 20:46 team avg with a 2:59 spread (without their #1). This was followed up by a fourth place finish at quick North Port, merely 10 points behind Newsome, as they ran a 19:47 team avg and a 2:22 spread.
6. (1) Creekside, R1 = Finished third at Bale-n-Trail with a 20:34 team avg and 1:41 spread, followed up by a fourth place finish at Katie Caples with a 20:14 team avg and 1:59 spread. They continue to race without Claire Openshaw, last year's #1, which hurts them greatly, but they picked up a solid freshman who is their new #3.
7. (6) Fleming Island, R1 = Trailing only 5 points behind Creekside at Bale-n-Trail, they finished in fourth with a 20:35 team avg and a 2:08 spread (without their #4 and #5), followed up by a sixth place finish at Katie Caples running a 20:36 team avg and a 1:49 spread (without their #4).
8. (10) Mandarin, R1 = Finished just 6 points behind Fleming Island at Bale-n-Trail, they ran a 20:46 team avg with a 1:05 spread. This was followed by a seventh place finish at Hare & Hounds at 100m short McAlpine Park (Yes, I've measured it), where they ran a 20:14 team avg with a 49s spread.
9. (NR) Lakewood Ranch, R2 = Finished fifth at quick North Port running a team avg of 20:07 with a spread of 2:20. Note their top 5 runners ran PRs and they have a new #3.
10. (9) Winter Park, R3 = Finished 21st at Wingfoot in Georgia with a team avg of 20:24 and a spread of 2:41. Not sure on the speed of the GA course, but six of the Wildcat top seven ran PRs.
Teams to watch (in no particular order):
(8) Lourdes, R4 = Runner-up at speedy Spanish River with a 20:41 team avg and 1:01 spread. That was followed up by a third place finish at Dade County Youth Fair with a 21:21 team avg and 1:18 spread (without their #1).
(BOLO) Sarasota, R2 = Finished tenth at quick North Port (without their #3 and #6) running a 20:38 team avg and a 1:39 spread.
(BOLO) Timber Creek, R3 = Picked up back-to-back wins at St. Cloud and fast West Orange running team avgs of 20:49 and 20:17 respectively, with respective spreads of 3:08 and 2:31.
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: Just as I said with the team rankings, the performance charts have been completely rewritten thanks to a few quick meets the past two weeks including North Port, Spanish River, West Orange, and the night meet Katie Caples. Fast and "fast" courses, plus fast competition, means fast times. Here's the individual breakdown for the past two weeks...
Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade - School = Comments
1. (1) Alyssa Hendrix, 12 - Riverview = Runner-up at Seffner Christian running an 18:17, followed up with a 17:41 for the win at quick North Port.
2. (7) Caroline Lehman, 10 - Manatee = Finished behind Hendrix at Seffner Christian running a 19:02, followed by a breakthrough race at North Port finishing third and running a PR of 17:58.
3. (3) Caitlin Wilkey, 11 - Chiles = Won two more consecutive meets, make that four in a row, cruising at Red Hills and winning Katie Caples with a new PR of 18:09.
4. (6) Alyson Churchill, 12 - Chiles = Runner-up behind her teammate at Katie Caples finishing with an 18:11.
5. (12) Jacquelyn Abanses, 11 - Steinbrenner = Fourth at North Port with a new PR of 18:14.
6. (4) Mary Ellen Eudaly, 10 - HB Plant = Fifth at North Port in 18:17, only 3s off her PR.
7. (5) Keleigh Scallon, 11 - Newsome = Sixth at North Port with a new PR of 18:20.
8. (13) Krystal Rodriguez, 11 - Coral Reef = Breakthrough race and a big PR to win 4A at Spanish River in 18:29, followed up by a third place finish behind a couple of state champions at Youth Fair at L&P in 19:21.
9. (NR) Arlie Rubin, 10 - Plant = Finished eighth at North Port with a huge 30s PR running an 18:37. I was waiting for her to break through; skies the limit with her.
10. (14) Amber Schulz, 10 - Timber Creek = Picked up her second and third individual championships running 18:48 at St. Cloud and 18:29 at West Orange.
11. (9) Emma Solis, 12 - Newsome = Finished ninth at North Port with a new PR of 18:46.
12. (8) Alica Ruiz, 11 - George Jenkins = Finished tenth at North Port in 18:46.
13. (NR) Ariana Jimenez, 12 - Apopka = Runner-up at West Orange in a new PR of 18:44.
14. (NR) Jessica Neal, 10 - Lakewood Ranch = Finished 11th North Port in a breakthrough race with an 18:48 PR.
15. (20) Anna Sentner, 12 - George Jenkins = Won Ridge Community in 19:17, and finished 12th at North Port in 18:50.
Dropped from rankings / Injured reserves / BOLO:
(NR) Emma Noel, 11 - Winter Park = Ran 18:47 at Wingfoot in GA
(2) Parker Valby, 11 - East Lake = IDLE; any updates?
(10) Jordan Shapiro, 12 - Palmetto = IDLE; just started to get back into running after her injury
(11) Pia Beaulieu, 11 - Boca Raton = IDLE; any updates?
(15) Elizabeth Iliff, 11 - Creekside = Ran 19:33 at Bale-n-Trail; 19:04 at Katie Caples
(16) Claire Openshaw, 12 - Creekside = IDLE; any updates?
(17) Rylee Pustilnik, 12 - Spanish River = 4A Runner-up at Spanish River in 19:42
(18) Naila Etique, 11 - Nease = Ran 19:11 at Bale-n-Trail; 19:46 at Katie Caples
(19) Ashley Klingenberg, 12 - Lake Brantley = IDLE; any updates?
BOYS STATE RANKINGS
1A Boys Rankings
by Paul Opitz, Out of Door Academy, paul.opitz65@gmail.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: Some nice head to head races took place these past weekends among the top 1A schools.
Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments
1. (1) Oak Hall = 9th at the Nowicki invite avg 17:26, 11th at the elite division at Katie Caples avg 17:30, watch your footing
2. (2) Seffner Christian Academy = closing the gap to the top spot, Seffner Christian took second at their own invite with a very impressive race.
3. (4) Cambridge Christian = 3rd behind the Crusaders at Seffner, took 9th in the elite div at North Port with an avg 17:10, fast and accurate course
4. (7) Mt Dora Christian Academy = 13th at Katie Caples avg 18:17 making a move, with the return of Mr Curtis 17:18
5. (3) Maclay School = 15th at Katie Caples might have been missing one of their top runners, 4th at the Red hills invite avg 18:22
6. (9) Indian Rocks Christian = 2nd at the Open div at Seffner Christian
7. (8) Father Lopez Catholic = won Embry Riddle classic tough course avg 18:50, 5th at Hawks on the Hill
8. (13) Southwest Florida Christian Academy = 19th in Elite race at North Port avg 18:01
9. (5) Circle Christian Academy = 7th at Alligator Invite pts 204 avg 18:16
10. (NR) St. Francis Catholic HS = 8th at Alligator Invite pts 228 avg 18:31
11. (15) OUT of DOOR ACADEMY = ran great at North Port got 3rd in large school div team avg 17:58 school record
12. (12) Trinity Christian Academy = 9th at Katie Caples avg 19:01
13. (10) St Joseph Academy = 10th at Katie Caples v-div avg 19:11
14. (6) Pensacola Christian Academy = ran wildcat invite
15. (NR) Lakeland Christian School = ran 2nd at Ridge Invite avg 18:24
Others to watch for:
(11) St Johns Country Day School, (14) St Stephens
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: A few changes some runners, had some really fast times these past two weekends, finally getting a little cooler, no change at the top. Mr. Brown is one of the better runners in the state.
Rank. Name, Grade, School = Comments
1. (1) Junious Brown, 12, Maclay = 2nd in elite div at Katie Caples in 15:47, won Red Hills invite in 15:54
2. (2) Austin Motini, 11, Oak Hall = 4th in elite div at Katie Caples in 16:06, won the Nowicki Invite (bale n trail) in 16:13
3. (3) Reed Legg, 12, Cambridge Christian = 4th at elite div North Port in 15:55, 3rd at Seffner Christian invite in 16:28
4. (6) John Mckenzie, 12, Seffner Christian Academy = 4th at his own invite 16:36
5. (4) Matthew Stratton, 10, St John Country Day = won Embry riddle classic in 16:44, tough course
6. (5) Joseph Anderton, 12, South Florida Heat = won 1a div at Spanish River in 16:05, won Pinecrest Invite in 16:33, he does a lot of wining
7. (7) Jonathan Pitchford, 11, Marathon = 2nd at Spanish River 16:38, 3rd at Pine Crest 17:00
8. (NR) Ethan Tank, 11 - Southwest Florida Christian Academy = 17th in elite div at North Port in 16:25
9. (8) Xander Peacock, 12, Blounstown = won dolphin dash, hasn't raced much this year.
10. (14) Tristan McWilliam, 10, OUT OF DOOR ACADEMY = won large school race at North Port with a New School record 16:05, he crushed it.
11. (9) Adam Nipper, 11, Seffner Christian Academy = n/r
12. (12) Paul Mckenzie, 12, Seffner Christian Academy = n/r
13. (13) Asher Dorbin, 10, Oak Hall = 17:01, 30th at Katie Caples
14. (BOLO) Seth Martinez- Lakeland Christian = won ridge invite in 16:46
15. (11) Riley Novack, 09, Mt Dora Christian Academy = 17:07, 33rd at Katie Caples
16. (BOLO) Steven Cartwright, 10, Providence = 17:10, 37th at Katie Caples
Other individuals to watch out for (in no particular order):
(10) Jack DeJesus, 09, Circle Christian Academy
(15) Tom Valente, 12, Mt Dora Christian Academy
(BOLO) Mitchell Curtis, 11, Mt Dora
(BOLO) Caden Montini, 09, Oak Hall
(BOLO) Braxton Legg, 09, Cambridge Christian
(BOLO) Jacob Braun and (NR) Mateo Luna - Indian Rocks Christian
(BOLO) Phillip Henderson - Admiral Farragut
2A Boys Rankings
by Zach White, Mount Dora Christian Academy
Team Rankings:
Commentary: We got to see some great head to head matchups these past few weeks. We are beginning to get a clearer picture of who is who. One thing is for sure. There is Satellite and then there is everybody else. These other teams will have to make a significant jump in the next month if they hope to effectively challenge for the State Title. Here are the TEAM RANKINGS Pre-Flrunners
Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comment
1. (1) Satellite- (This is a complete team with a lot of depth. They will be extremely difficult to beat. There leader, Gabe Montague is running with loads of confidence.)
2. (3) Bolles- (Very nice showing at Katie Caples. They beat Trinity Prep and Astronaut in the head to head. However, they still have a ways to go if they hope to catch Satellite.)
3. (2) Berkeley Prep- (They did not race this weekend and they did not run a full team the weekend before. However, we know based on previous races that this team is dangerous. I look forward to seeing them compete this weekend at flrunners.)
4. (6) Trinity Prep- (Beat Astronaut, Lake Highland Prep, and Bishop Kenny at Katie Caples. Not to mention, they were not far from Bolles at Katie Caples. This team is proving that they are once again, a contender.)
5. (4) Astronaut - (Finished ahead of Lake Highland Prep and not to far off of Trinity Prep at Katie Caples. They need to lessen their 1-5 split.)
6. (5) Lake Highland Prep- (Had a solid 17:58 team average at Katie Caples and was not far behind Astronaut. They definitely have been consistent this season in their performance.)
7. (UR) Labelle High School- (Labelle has certainly run some fast courses and it has made it hard to compare them to some of these other schools, but with that being said- their 1-5 split is terrifyingly good. Their 1-5 are coming in within 30-45 seconds of each other almost every meet. If they work real hard and bring that pack average down then this team is going to be very dangerous come State Meet.)
8. (8) Bishop Moore- (Won the Buffalo Invitational and beat a good Tavares team. Their 1-5 split was 1 minute at the meet this weekend. Like Labelle, if this team can tighten that 1-5 just a little bit and bring that pack average down then they will be a dangerous crew as well.)
9. (UR) Saint Andrew's High School- (They beat the King's Academy head to head this past weekend at the Pine Crest Invitational. They have a solid team average this season of 17:39. They are proving to be a very tough team.)
10. (10) King's Academy- (Have been consistent and are still running well. I placed them behind Saint Andrew's this week simply because they barely lost the head to head to them at Pine Crest. Still a very good team.)
Other teams to watch out for:
Monteverde, West Shore, Cypress Creek, Cocoa Beach, Bishop Kenny
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: Gabe Montague is having just an absolutely marvelous season thus far. Beyond his brilliance, we had some other guys really prove themselves to be top 5 guys this week! Gavin O'Brien finally had the race I was waiting on and I know he's got even more in the tank. Will Brady also really established himself this week as a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention, his teammate Cole Rutkowski is beginning to step onto the scene. It is going to be a fun State Meet!
Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade - School = Comments
1. (1) Gabriel Montague- Satellite (Watched him again this weekend at Katie Caples and continues to impress. It will be exciting to see what this young man does when he takes his talents to the Tallahassee course and to the North Carolina meets. That 15 barrier could be in sight.)
2. (3) Josh Kraver- Satellite-(Continues to have a great season. Dropped a 16:08 at Katie Caples. Proving yet again that he is a contender for the runner-up spot at State.)
3. (4) Gavin O'Brien- Astronaut- (Continues to get better and better each week. This guy will absolutely be a major player come State Meet time. He finished just behind Josh this past weekend with a time of 16:12.)
4. (7) Will Brady- Bolles (It is close between a few guys but I am going to go ahead and give the nod to Will for the 4 spot considering he won the head to head against Justin this past weekend. Will ran a great race and finished with a time of 16:20.)
5. (2) Justin Wilson- Satellite (Justin falls a few spots mostly due to losing in a head to head match-up against the first four. However, he has run amazingly well and consistent this season. He will certainly be a part of that chase pack in the State Meet.)
6. (5) Ethan Lipham- Berkeley Prep- (Ran a respectable 16:38 on a tough Holloway course. Definitely is proving that the Florida Horse Park race was more than just a random breakout race. He's backing it up. Seems to be in great shape.)
7. (8) Ian Noble- Saint Andrew's (Has been consistent and has the 6th best season average out of anybody in 2A.)
8. (6) Robert Pedroza- Key West- (Has been consistent but has not shown us last year's speed or form yet. Based on what he has done so far though, I still believe that he will be a major player at the end of the season. We know he's fast.)
9. (UR) Kai Cheatham- Cocoa Beach- (Has consistently run well and just recently ran a 16:20. I am unfamiliar with the race. It will be interesting to see if he continues to run in that range or even faster. Either way, he has proven to be a solid runner.)
10. (UR) Cole Rutkowski- Bolles- (Seems to have benefited from pacing off his teammate Will Brady. Cole came in 11th at Katie Caples only 10 seconds behind Will and actually beat Justin Wilson (#5). Was a very impressive race from the junior.)
OTHER INDIVIDUALS TO WATCH OUT FOR:
Josh Stern (Seems to be working his way back from something, but we know he's very good),
James Simkins, Brayden Cheek, Hudson Rowan, Cameron Dunn, Aidan Mason, Jonathan Eide, Emile Sow
3A Boys Rankings
by Amanda Vereecke, Fort Myers High School, fhsaa3arankings@gmail.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: The last two weeks have led to some quick times. We saw several teams race at a fast North Port Course. Apologies for the brief rankings, it has been a busy week.
Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments
1. (1) Belen Jesuit = Dominated the Miami Dade County Youth Fair Championship with a team score of 19 and the Spanish River Invite the week before with a score of 17.
2. (2) Robinson = Running a tight top 5, led by stud Ethan Geiger.
3. (NR) Ponte Vedra = Continues to improve every week.
4. (7) Leon = Racing a tough schedule in Tallahassee
5. (11) Estero = 2nd place 3A school at North Port.
6. (5) Naples HS
7. (10) Fort Myers
8. (3) Stanton Prep
9. (4) Sunlake
10. (9) Mitchell
11. (15) Ida Baker
12. (6) Ocala Vanguard
13. (12) Lake Wales
14. (8) Tampa Jesuit
15. (WL) South Fork
Other teams to watch for:
(WL) Palmetto Ridge
(13) Gainesville
(14) Osceola (Seminole)
(WL) Immokalee
(WL) Choctawhatchee
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: My husband told me I use too many exclamation points, so please know I find all of this really exciting but am trying to tone down my use in individual comments!!!! Ethan Geiger continues to have a dominating season, blowing the competition out of the water at North Port, wishing him much well-deserved and continued success! Several of our top teams and individuals raced each other over the past two weeks at Spanish River and North Port. Rankings continue to be based on times, places, head to head success and course conditions.
Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade - School = Comments
1. (1) Ethan Geiger, 12 - Robinson High School = Ran a state leading, course record and PR 15:15 at a fast North Port Course!
2. (3) Diego Gomez, 11 - Belen Jesuit = Won at Miami Dade County Youth Fair Meet and 2nd at Spanish River Invite.
3. (11) Thomas Weiler, 12 - South Fork HS = Strong 3rd place finish at North Port with a time of 15:51.
4. (5) Adam Magoulas, 10 - Belen Jesuit = Consistently in the low 16's
5. (6) Anderson Denton, 12 - Lake Wales= Continues to drop time with a 15:58 for a 3rd place finish at Katie Caples. 15:58/16:0315:59/16:03/16:29
6. (4) Mac Updike, 11- Lake Wales
7. (2) Lewis Benitez-Chaparro, 12 - Ocala Vanguard
8. (8) Christian Fernandez, 11- Belen Jesuit
9. (9) Aiden Villasuso, 11 - Belen Jesuit
10. (7) Dieumerci Ufitimana, 12 - St. Petersburg
11. (14) Gavin Kennedy, 12 - Sunlake
12. (13) Edward Schied, 12 - Sunlake
13. (WL) Francisco Ramirez 11 - Pace HS
14. (15) Liam Holston, 11 - Fort Myers
15. (WL) Franklin Caceres, 12 - Ida Baker
Other individuals to watch out for:
Neal Anderson, Robinson
Kolton Pickard, Estero
Sebastian Castillo, Belen Jesuit
Colby Robbins, Sunlake HS
Colsen Palmer, Fort Myers
Saindeley Dorsainvil, Palmetto Ridge
Richard Bennet, Robinson
Bernardo Barnhart, Immokalee
Alexander Rodriguez, Naples
4A Boys Rankings #3
by 4A Pollster, 4Apollster@gmail.com
Commentary: The barn burner 2019 XC Season continues. It's as if we're watching an epic distance race in slow motion as the season drama continues to unfold week by week. This time it is the Plant Panthers making the biggest jump with their 30-point victory over previously number-two Newsome. Both teams ran great on the fast North Port Course, but the Panthers put two runners in the top five of this elite field. Steinbrenner keeps the number one spot because they remain unbeaten by any 4A team thus far. Hopefully we can see a Steinbrenner v. Plant matchup soon, perhaps at Pre-State as neither seems to be racing at flrunners. Windermere continues to hang with the lead pack with consistently solid racing and Bartram Trail made a nice jump of their own moving from 10th to 5th to join the pack of leading teams. Either of these teams could easily make the short jump to the front soon.
Team Rankings
Rank. (Previous) School = (Season-best avg.) Recent Results: Comments
1. (1) Steinbrenner HS = (16:31) 1st @ Alligator Lake (16:44): Still unbeaten in 4A. Deepest Pack.
2. (7) H.B. Plant HS = (16:17) 1st @ North Port (16:17): Biggest jump. Top two runners surge into top-5.
3. (3) Windermere HS = (16:36) 1st @ St. Cloud / 1st @ W. Orange (16:40): Consistently running strong
4. (2) Newsome HS = (16:27) 3rd @ North Port (16:29): Fast times at North Port. Great front-runner & pack.
5. (10) Bartram Trail HS = (16:40) 1st @ Bale & Trail / 2nd @ Caples (16:57): Tightest pack in the state
6. (6) Chiles HS = (16:49) 3rd @ Katie Caples (16:57): Good young talent ready to emerge
7. (5) Columbus HS = (16:49) 1st @ Spanish River (17:04) / 2nd @ DCYF: Best of the South right now
8. (4) Nease HS = (16:39) 8th @ Bale & Trail / 7th @ Katie Caples (17:17): Waiting to see top-3 all together
9. (13) Fleming Island HS = (16:47) 2nd @ Bale & Trail (16:48) / 4th @ Katie Caples (17:05)
10. (9) Creekside HS = (16:57) 3rd @ Bale & Trail (16:59): This team is lurking... Big jump coming?
11. (11) Sarasota HS = (16:51) 5th @ North Port (16:51): Solid young team building for the future
12. (12) Niceville HS = (17:01) 4th @ Bale & Trail (17:02): Solid team progressing "Nicely" (Can't help it)
13. (8) Oviedo HS = (17:03) 9th @ Katie Caples (17:29): Kayamo missing in JAX. Depth an issue
14. (t-15) Spanish River HS = (17:10) 2nd @ Spanish River (17:10) / 1st @ Pine Crest: Just getting started
T - 15. (t-15) St. Thomas Acquinas HS = (17:19) 3rd @ Spanish River (17:19): Just getting started
T - 15. (t-15) St. Cloud HS = (17:07) 2nd @ St. Cloud (17:10): Great front-runner
T - 15. (NR) Doral Academy HS = (17:12) 4th @ Spanish River / 3rd @ DCYF: Nice effort to tie Explorers
Other teams to watch for:
(14) Viera HS = (17:19) 6th @ Spanish River (17:40)
(NR) Mandarin HS = (16:54) 5th @ Bale & Trail / 6th @ Hounds & Hare (16:56
(NR) Ft. Lauderdale HS = (17:09) 5th @ Spanish River (17:15)
(NR) Dr. Phillips HS = (17:20) 3rd @ St. Cloud / 2nd @ West Orange
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: I tried to account for the variety of courses run by various teams and rely as much as possible on most recent head-to-head competition. Big meets like flrunners and Pre-State will give many runners an opportunity to race their way into the rankings. Think you or one of your runners should be on this list? Just go out and beat the guys on it now. Lots of good racing ahead to look forward to!
Send any questions or relevant information to 4apollster@gmail.com
Name, Grade / School Season Best - Recent Results
1. Jake Turner, 12 Armwood 15:53 - 2nd @ Seffner in 15:59
2. Zachary Cloud, 12 St Cloud 15:57 - 1st @ St. Cloud in 15:57
3. Keith Gibson, 12 H.B. Plant 15:42 - 2nd @ North Port
4. Michael Fiore, 11 Fort Lauderdale 16:02 - 1st @ Spanish River in 16:02
5. Ryan Maney, 10 H.B. Plant 16:01 - 5th @ North Port in 16:01
6. Dominic Acosta, 12 Newsome 16:02 - 6th @ North Port in 16:02
7. Onix Ortiz Vazquez, 12 Windermere 16:14 - 2nd @ St. Cloud in 16:33 / 1st @ W. Orange in 16:14
8. Bradley Ball, 11 Nease 16:13 - 8th in 16:14 @ Katie Caples
9. Seth Martinez, 11 Lennard 16:13 - 1st @ Palmetto in 17:06
10. John Lesh, 12 Dwyer 16:13 - 2nd @ Spanish River 16:13 / 1st @ J.I. Leonard 16:40
11. Justin Tackling, 12 Nease 16:18 - 2nd @ Bale & Trail in 16:18 / 9th @ Katie Caples 16:19
12. Joe Wester, 11 Jupiter 16:19 - 3rd @ Spanish River in 16:19
13. Macarius Wright, 11 Newsome 16:17 - 10th @ North Port in 16:17
14. Liam Pirie, 12 Windermere 16:20 - 9th @ Horse Park in 16:20 / 2nd @ W. Orange in 16:32
15. Josh King, 12 Steinbrenner 16:21 - 10th @ Horse Park 16:21 / 3rd @ Alligator Lake 16:38
Other Runners to Watch for:
Rheinhart Harrison, 10 Nease 16:08 - 21:28 @ Bale-n-Trail / 19:05 @ Katie Caples
Wynne Thomas, 11 H.B. Plant 16:23 - 12th @ North Port in 16:23
Gabriel Lara, 12 George Steinbrenner 16:24 - 12th @ Horse Park 16:24 / 5th @ Alligator Lake 16:45
Mamush Galloway, 12 Oviedo 16:27 - 17th @ Katie Caples in 16:49
Blake Walker, 12 George Steinbrenner 16:27 - 15th @ Horse Park 16:27 / 2nd @ Alligator Lake 16:37
Important Reminder:
- Please remember that all of these rankings are done by volunteer coaches and are meant to increase the overall enjoyment of the sport for athletes, coaches, parents, and fans. They are just for fun and should not have a lot of weight put on them. But if you have issues (such as a missed athlete or team), please email the individual pollster for your classification & gender.
- Please direct any major concerns to FACA Rankings Representative: Ryan Raposo @ ryanraposo@gmail.com