FACA XC State Rankings #6

With District week behind us we can now look to all of the Region Championships to see which teams and athletes look to be advancing to the State Championship. Let's see what our volunteer pollsters have to say about last week's performances and who will make it to Tallahassee next week.

Team Rankings:

Winning district titles this week were: Baker Senior High School (D1), Maclay (D2). Oak Hall (D3). Circle Christian (D4), Cambridge Christian (D5), Canterbury 9D6), South Florida Heat (D7) and Miami Country Day School (D8).

Commentary: All the teams that were predicted to win district titles did so this week. The district meets that were held earlier in the week definitely had cooler weather than those later on in the week. The districts that raced Saturday morning seemed to have the hottest weather because of the humidity factor. Pensacola Christian Academy moves into the rankings with their runner up performance and new team average of 22:10 at their D1 Meet on 10/24. Baker Senior HS only beat them by 1 point! Way to go ladies!

Since we went to 10 teams getting out of the districts, a lot of the teams probably used this meet as a hard training workout and worked out kinks within their team strategies to prepare for the upcoming region meet. Team averages remained about the same amongst the teams.

Toughest Region I see is R2 with Oak Hall, Circle Christian and Father Lopez and probably the most exciting Region to be at for the competition. In this region there are 5 teams ranked in the 7! And this region also has Geneva which is ranked 14th! Region 1 has 4 teams ranked in the top 15 and Region 3 has 4 teams ranked in the top 15. Top 8 teams advance to the big stage on November 9th.

Remember your ponytail is your crown

Your sweat is your magic sparkle

Your racing flats are your glass slippers

Your region course is your castle

And most of all your team is you family!

Best wishes to all the teams this weekend!

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (1) Oak Hall= 19:41. The Golden Eagles won a very exciting D3 meet on Saturday under very hot and humid conditions. Team average was 20:44 at the D3 meet. Team looked very tough and are now soaring their way to a possible R2 title this weekend.

2. (2) Circle Christian=19:33. The Centurions won another district title by beating Lakeland Christian. Their team average was a 20:53 at D4 meet. The Centurions scored a perfect 15 points! They will come into R3 as probably the favorite.

3. (3) Cambridge Christian School = 19:36 team average. Cambridge won their schools first district title I would think. They beat Shorecrest Prep for the sun in D5 with a team average of 22:12. They will make school history this weekend with a region title win in R3.

4. (4) Father Lopez=Team average of 20:01. The Green Wave team is still hungry! They gave Oak Hall a good fight! They finished as runner ups to Oak Hall. This team almost didn't make it to the district meet. Three of the girls were in a car accident leaving school before the meet. Physically fine, emotionally a little unstable, but as true champions do, they get up and keep going! The Green Wave will have a rough fight with Oak Hall again and Circle Christian in R2 this weekend.

5. (5) Maclay= Team average 20:27. The Marauders easily won another district title. I wonder if they had to buy a new trophy case! Their team average at their D1 meet was 20:52. This district probably had the best racing conditions with cooler temperatures and a very nice flat and fast course.

6. (6) Lakeland Christian=21:01. The Vikings finished 2nd to Circle Christian in D4 meet. Their team average at the D4 meet was a 22:28. Look for the Vikings to be tough in R2 this weekend as Holloway Park is home turf for these young ladies.

7. (7) Holy Trinity=Team average 21:08. Team finished 3rd at D4 meet giving Lakeland Christian a run for their money. They had a team average of 22:48 at the D4 meet. They will fight for the 5th spot this weekend in R2.

8. (8) Shorecrest Prep=21:10. The Tram finished as runner ups to Cambridge Christian in D5 meet with a team average of 22:48. This team will probably be the runner ups also at the R3 meet this weekend.

9. (12) Miami Country Day School=Team average 21:17. Won another district title and came close to a perfect score. They scored 24 points to win the D8 title. Their team average at the D8 meet was a 22:18. They will easily win the R4 title!

10. (10) Canterbury School (Ft. Myers) = Team average of 21:12. Team won the D6 title by 11 points over Out if Door. Team average at the D6 meet was 22:12. This team could give Shorecrest Prep a run for that runner up trophy this weekend in R3!

11. (12) Providence= Team average of 21:47 The Stallions moved up 1 spot in the rankings this week. The Stallions placed as runner ups in the D1 meet with a team average of 21:47. Their team average improved by 9 seconds!

12. (11) Out of the Door Academy=Team average of 21:56. Thunder placed 2nd in D6 with a team average of 22:15. Let's see what kind of Thunder they have this weekend in R3! Will definitely move out the right door to states.

13. (14) Baker Senior High School=21:51. Team moves up with their win and District 1 title with their new team average 21:51. Team should finish 3rd in R1 to move to the big stage

14. (13) The Geneva School=22:00 average. The Knights finished 4th in D4 with a team average of 22:35. They will move out the very competitive R2 this weekend.

15. (NR) Pensacola Christian Academy=22:10 Welcome to the rankings! Team finished second in the D1 meet and should finish 4th in Region 1 to move to the big stage on November 9th.

Other teams to watch out for:

International Community School (R2), Bell creek (R1), St. Joseph Academy (R1), Community Christian School (R1) and City of Life Christian Academy (R2)

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the #6 season pre-region rankings! There will be some amazing races this weekend! Region 2 will be the region that will be almost a mini state preview! Region 2 had 7 runners in the top 15 then if you add the athletes to watch then there are 4 more athletes to make a total of 11 runners in the top 20 make up Region 2! Region 3 has 4 runners in the top 15 and Region 1 and 4 had 2 runners. Girls remember when you look at yourself every day in the mirror that you are your true competition! Wishing everyone an amazing region meet!

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

1. (1) Sinkenesh Parker (11)-Circle Christian=18:15. Sinkenesh will be the favorite in R2. She finished second last year in the region meet with a time of 19:04 and was region champion in 2017.

2. (2) Jessica Edwards, (11) Canterbury Ft. Meyers=18:24.6 Jessica finally after two runners up finishes, she win the D6 title in 19:59. She will be the favorite in R3. Jessica placed 7^th last year 20:26 in the region meet and 3^rd in 2017.

3. (3) Elaina Black, (6)-Cambridge Christian=18:36 This young lady will be one to watch in R3. She ran a 24:40 in the district meet this past weekend.  Future star of XC in the years to come!

4. (4) Laci Watford, (10)-University Christian=18:46.2. Laci finished as runner up this past weekend in D2 with a time of 19:28. Last year at the region meet she ran her all time PR of 18:28 to finish 2^nd in that meet. Laci placed 4^th in the region meet in 2017. 

5. (5) Lauren Jones, (10)-Oak Hall=18:55. Lauren won the D3 meet this weekend and looked very tough! She will have to battle a slew of strong runners this weekend in R2 if she plans on defending her title from 2018 where she ran a 18:56. I am not counting her out for a region title!

6. (6) Claire McDonnell, (12)-Father Lopez= 19:01. Claire finished 2^nd this past weekend in D3. With a 20:01. She should be in the mix of the strong runners in R2 this weekend. Claire placed 4^th last year in regions with a 20:09 and 3^rd in 2017.

7. (7) Lydia Friedman, (12)- Cambridge Christian=19:02. Lydia won the D5 title with a 20:41 this weekend. She will have to battle Jessica Edwards at the R3 meet to win a title. This young lady is a very tough competitor. Will be a great battle in R3! Lydia was in 2A last year and placed 4^th with a 19:37 at the region meet and placed 4^th in 2017.

8. (8) Samatha Gayton, (12)-Father Lopez=19:02. Samantha raced to a 5^th place finished last weekend at the D3 meet. Watch for her to be in the lead pack this weekend at R2. She has what it takes to have a huge race! Samantha was in 4A last season and placed 14^th with a 19:33 and 20^th in 2017.

9. (9) Ella Porcher, Maclay (9) =19:15. Ella sliced 13 seconds off of her PR this past weekend when she won the D2 title. She will be one to keep your eyes on in R1. She and Laci Watford will go head to head again this weekend. Ella placed 3^rd last year in the region meet with a 19:07 and 10^th in 2017.

10. (10) Lauren McGaffic, (9)-Miami Country Day=19:33. Not sure about this young lady. She did not race in her district meet. Hope she is ok. Lauren placed 3^rd last year in the region meet with a 19:56 and 3rd ⁱⁿ 2017. If she is racing, she will be in R4.

11. (11) Anna Grace Fagot, (10)-Circle Christian=19:35. Annagrace laced 2^nd in the D4 meet with a 20:55. She is a key runner this weekend for CC for a region title. Anagrace placed 21^st last year at the region meet. She will definitely move up this year!

12. (12) Katie Beam, (9) First Baptist Academy=19:37. Katie was runner up this past weekend in D6 with a 20:25. She should be 4^rd in the R3 meet. Katie ran a 19:42 and placed 2^nd last year the region meet and 23^rd in 2017. Another bright star in XC in the next few years!

13. (13) Brooke MCewen, (12)- Circle Christian=19:41. Can't believe this young lady is now a senior. Brooke finished the in the D4 meet with a 21:01. Keep your eye on her this weekend in R2, she will be in that lead pack. Brooke placed 5^th last year in the region meet 20:22 and 4^th in 2017.

14. (14) Harrison Grooms, (11)-Oak Hall= 19:42. Harrison placed 10^th in the D3 meet this weekend with a time of 22:07. She will improve on her 49^th place finish in 2017, Harrison placed 12^th last year at the region meet with a 20:37.

15. (15) Cecily Anderton, (9)-Florida HEAT=19:46. Cecily won her first D title this past weekend with a 20:48 in D7. She will be one of the favorites in R4. DEPENDS UPON IF Lauren McGraffic races. Cecily placed 18^th last year at the region meet with a 21:42. She will blow that time away this weekend!

Other individuals to watch out for:

Moriah Friedman (Cambridge Christian), Mary Peck (FLOP), Gabby Auliso (Oak Hall), Sydney Miller (Oak Hall), Ally Means (Oak Hall) and Brooke Demon (International Community School)

2A Girls Rankings

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

Commentary by Dylan Hermelee, Carrollton School

Team Rankings:  Dylan and I were very close on our Team and Individual Rankings - but remember: "For Entertainment Purposes Only"!  Who Am I kidding - Dylan did all the work this week!!!

Commentary: There were some BIG shakeups in this week's rankings. Although we are in "survive and advance" mode, some performances from last week have to be noticed both in the individual and team races! We are going all in this week and providing you with the top 32 teams and 60 individual qualifiers!

Rank. School = Comments

***Please note that we only ranked the top 8 teams from each Region***

Top 10

1. Pine Crest: We spoke with coach Baur and he informed us that the 2A District 7 championship sported 86-degree temps with a heat index over 95. To unofficially quote him "It was worse than King of The Hill." If you have seen the King of The Hill results from this year, you'll understand. With that said, Pine Crest cruised to a 65pt margin of victory while putting 4 in the top 5, without their #1 runner, Tsion. Pine Crest is poised for another State title.

2. Bolles: Bolles would have scored a perfect score if Paxon standout, Leah Pelham, wasn't in their District. Bolles put 5 in the top 6 and 9 in the top 12. They have amazing depth and have a serious shot at repeating as State Champs. They hold strong at #2 and could be considered for the #1 spot if the conditions in District 7 weren't so rough.

3. Montverde Academy - Montverde won arguably the strongest District in 2A, and it was REALY CLOSE. There was a 5pt spread between 1^st and 3^rd and those teams were moving! Wickham Park is historically fast, however, District 4 looks to have 3 top 10 teams in it, and Monverde is that District's Champion.

4. St Brendan - 2A District 8 (formerly 16) always puts on a show. Larry and Penny is arguably one of the toughest flat courses in the State and racing at 5pm in Miami is never an easy task. St. Brendan still managed 20:45 team average to win their District title. Freshman frontrunner Emma Hencock looked strong during the final 100m of the race to take 2^nd. And with 5 seniors in their top 7, you know the Sabres are looking for a podium finish at States!

5. King's Academy -Things could not have gone worse for them at their District Championship, but they still found a way to finish runner-up to Pine Crest. We know the conditions at that meet were horrendous, so we can chalk their poor performance up to that. They won the Select Division at FSU about 2 weeks ago, so we still consider them a top 5 team in the State .... For now

6. Trinity Prep - I had some questions about this team throughout the season, but with a runner-up finish in District 4, this team answered those questions with authority. They sported a 20:54 team average at their District Championships

7. Satellite - Finished 3^rd in District 4 and was defeated by Trinity Prep by only 2pts. They had a slightly faster team average and they were 7 seconds faster o their 1-5 split. This team is always well coached and always shows up when it counts. Look out for them to be pushing for a top 5 finish at the State meet.

8. Academy of Holy Names - Led by Megan Hughes fastest time coming out of 2A, AHN looks to be a real contender. Their 3+ minute split is something to worry about at the State meet, but with a 20:55 team average and a low stick, they are a squad to look out for.

9. Carrollton - I'm always nervous to rank my school, and I hope this doesn't come back to bite me. However, with a 21:03 team average at Larry and Penny at 5pm, they looked like a top 10 team. Finishing 2^nd to a strong St Brendan team at our District Meet by less than 10pts, Carrolton looks to be a top 10 team in the State. We only had 6 runners due to a flue epidemic on campus and several injuries. We will have a full roster at the 2A Region 4 meet.

10. Bishop Kenny - Bolles stole the show, but Bishop Kenny did what they needed to do to easily advance. With a 21:25 team average and a locked up 2^nd place, Bishop Kenny cruised to a sub 70 second team split. They will round out the top 10.

Second 10

11. Berkley Prep - Arguably a top 10 team, but they are the first ones out. They had a solid 21:30 team average at their District Meet, but they needed a win against AHN to be in the top 10, and they fell 8pts short.

12. Gulliver - Gulliver rolled to a 21:28 team average at their District meet, but that was in large part to their low stick Natalie Varela. They put 3 runners under 21:11 at Larry and Penny, but their 5^th runner ran over 23 minutes. Their #2 runner from last season didn't race. If she runs at Regional's or States, they can make a big jump into the top 10.

13: Bishop Verot - They are still missing their #1 and hopefully she comes back this season.  They won the District 3 title with a 21:22 team average and an impressive 1:17 split between their 1-5. I've been on the fence with this team this season and I'm still not sure where they rank with 3 weeks remaining in the season. This is an interesting one to watch.

14: Cardinal Gibbons - I feel like a broken record, but Cardinal Gibbons gets better every week. They finished 3^rd place in their District to Pine Crest (1^st) and Kings Academy (5^th). However, there crazy thing is they were only 1pt out of a runner up finish. Finishing times aside, Gibbons wasn't projected to be anywhere near King's Academy, but they almost beat them. They will race again at Tradewinds for their Regional meet and in 1 week they went from a fringe State meet qualifier to a lock to see race in Tally.

15: Episcopal School of Jax: It seems like they rested this week at their District meet. They hold strong at 15 due to their overall season performances.

16. South Walton: They easily won their District meet. They didn't do anything to WOW during the regular season and it will be interesting to see where they finish at States. For now, they are out of the top 15.

17. Titusville: They have 2 of the best 15 runners in the State on their squad, with their #3 potentially being right up there with the other 2. But their 4 and 5 are holding them out of the Top 10.

18. McKeel Academy: I don't believe we have mentioned them yet this season, but with a 21:30 average at their District meet I think it is about time we did.  

19. Calvary Christian - They have been asleep all season, but they seem to be alive as of this week. They finished 4^th at the District 7^th meet, however, this group of middle schoolers also finished 2^nd at the FLYRA MS State Championship meet 4 days later. They are packed with young talent and assuming they survive the strongest Region in the State, they are poised for a top 20 finish at the State Championship meet.

20. St Andrews - This is one of the most difficult team to rank, but if they can get their 4 and 5 runners under 24 minutes, they shoot into the top 10. Eleanor Tymorek is a true contender for the individual State title. And they also have 2 other sub 20 runners on their roster. Again.... They need help at 4 and 5.

21 through 32

21. Citrus. Very strong showing at their District meet. They are just shy of being in the top 20 discussion.

22. Bishop Moore - They have a low stick in Emma Lorey and 2 other runners under 22 minutes. Their 5^th place finish in the District is concerning.

23. Lemon Bay - They finished 3^rd in their District with a 21:51 average. They should bee in Tally in 2 weeks.

24.  Cardinal Mooney - 21:55 average at their District meet. Should be a lock to make it to the State Championship.

25. South Walton - Ava Flaherty and Patasha Bryan give Paxon a nice 1-2 combo in their region and at States. I'm still trying to figure this team out. They won their District but didn't perform spectacularly well.

26. PK Yonge School - They ran well at District 3 and are in a region that they should advance out of.

27. Paxon - Their #1 runner gets them to State, but they will need their #4 and #5 runners to step up id they want to crack the top 20 teams.

28. Clearwater Central Catholic - We will see Sofie Dericks at the State meet, but her team needs to step up if we are going to see the entire squad. They have a 21:48 team average, but that's largely due to Sofie's 19:05.

29. Calvary Christian (Clearwater) - Almost held out, but with the help of the #2 runner in their District, they find a spot at the State meet.

30. Lake Highland Prep - They had a poor showing at their District meet, but they should be able to lock up the final spot in their region.

31. North Bay Prep - With a 22:43 team average they sneak into the State meet.

32. Pensacola Catholic - They will take the last qualifying spot for the State meet with a 23:36 team average.

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the individual State rankings!

Rank) Name (Grade) - School - Region - Comments

***Please note that we only ranked 15 athletes from each Region and 7 athletes per team.***

1) Tsion Yared (12) - Pine Crest - R4 - Holds strong at #1. She didn't run at her District meet, but she's one of the top runners in the country and we can assume she's primed for a State Championship run.

2) Eleanor Tymorek (11) - St Andrews - R4 - Big win at her District Championship race. She ran a solid time in difficult conditions and blew the competition away. She's primed for a State title show down in November.

3) Emily Faulhaber (12) - Pine Crest - R4 - Cruised to a 2^nd place finish at her District meet. No reason to believe she will fall out of the top 3.

4) Megan Hughes (12) - Holy Names - R3 - won her District with the fastest time in the State. Let's see if she can add a Region title to her list of accomplishments for 2019.

5) Maya Beleznay (12) - R4 -Cruised to a 3^rd place finish in her District. She has run several of the top times in the State this season and should be a top 5 finisher in November.

6) Elizabeth Csikai (9) - Bolles - R1 -District Champ. What else is there to say?

7)  Billie Castillo (12) - Titusville - R2 - District Champ and had the 3^rd fastest time on the weekend. She performs well at big meets. No reason to doubt she can be a top 5 finisher.

8) Lily Henne (10) - Montverde - R2 - Ran at her District meet and finished 3^rd. I don't know her health situation, but she has to be in the conversation.

9) Maxine Montoya (11) -Bolles - R1- 2^nd at her District meet. It's tough to rank these Bolles girls since they cruised to an easy win.

10) Mahdere Yared (11) Pine Crest - R4 - 5th at her District meet. She ahs been healthy all year and that has led to some great performances. Always a breakout candidate, but she doesn't need to overachieve to help her team win a State title.

11) Ella Mickler (9) - Bolles - R1 - 3^rd I her district. See above.

12) Natalie Varela (12) - Gulliver - R4 - She won her District meet convincingly. No one wants a 4:50 miler near them at the end of a cross country race.

13) Cristal Gomez (10) - Frostproof - R3 - Not sure where she has been all year, but a District title with a fast time gets her in the conversation.

14)  Avery Fronrath (8)- King's Academy - R4 - had a very rough day at her District meet. We are keeping her up here based on her overall season and her win at Pre-State.

15) Riley Jaszczak (10) - Titusville - R2 - 2^nd to her teammate at the District Championship.

16) Lucy Albright (12) - Trinity Prep - R2 - 4^th on a fast District course and she showed up during championship season.

17) Emily Vargas (12) Avon Park - R2 - Has quietly been an outstanding performer all season. Never finishing worse than 3^rd in her races, she posted a runner up finish in District 6 and is ready to roll.

18) Leah Pelham (12) - Paxon School - R1 - 4^th in her District.

19)  Emma Hencock (9) - St Brendan - R4 - Runner up at her District meet and displayed an outstanding kick the last 100m. We know she has sub 2:30 speed for the 800. She's someone to look out for at the State meet.

20) Julia Lavrador (9) - Satelite High School - R2 - Was a top 10 finisher at her District meet and will be looking to help her team qualify for States.

21) Sofie Derricks (10) - Clearwater Central - R3 - 2^nd at her District meet and sports multiple sub 20-minute performances on the season.   

22) Francesca Suarez (11) Carrollton - R4 - 3^rd place at her District meet. She ran under 20 minutes at a hot and slow Larry and Penny course. She looks primed to run fast in cool Tally weather.

23) Karah White (8) - Montverde - R2 - 5^th place finisher at her District meet.

24) Layne Rivera (11) - Bolles - R1 - 5^th place finisher at her District meet.

25) Emma Nales-Torchio (8) - Mckeel - R3 - 3^rd at her District meet.

26) Isabella Pawliski (11) - Calvary Christian Clearwater - R3 - 3^rd at her District meet.

27) Emma Lorey (12) - Bishop Moore - R2 - 6^th at her District meet but sports a 19:05 PR on the season.

28) Mackenzie Glenn (10) Episcopal Jacksonville - R1 - 7^th at her District meet.

29) Keyli Gomez (12) St Brendan - R4 4^th at her District meet.

30) Mackenzie Scordato (10) Citrus - R2 - District 3 Champ.

31) Noemi Kerjean (12) St Brendan - R4 - 5^th in her district

32) Mia Rodriguez (10) Kings Academy - R4 - 10^th at the District meet.

33) Madison Munroe (10) Ransom - R4 - 6^th at the District meet

34) Hadley Ropp (10) Bolles - R1 - 12^th at the District meet

35) Ava Flaherty (9) South Walton - R1 - Won her District meet.

36) Sierra Stocker (11) Pine Crest - R4 - 4^th at her District meet, but she has silently been one of the top runners in the State for 2 years now.

37) Anna McDermott (10) Berkley Prep - R3 - 5^th place at District championship

38) Lydia Szakacs (12) Saint Andrews - R4 - 12^th place at her District meet, but has multiple races under 20:20 this season, including a 19:44 at Palm Beach County Championships.

39) Jillian Candelino (8)  Bolles - R1 - 6^th at her District meet.

40) Kylie Thomas (9) Bishop Verot - R3 - 4^th at her District meet.

41) Brianna Hiers (11) - Monteverde - R2 - 11^th at her District meet.

42) Katie Hibbard (11) Satellite - R2 - 8^th at her District meet.

43) Kaylee Kraver (10) Satellite - R2 - 13^th at her District meet.

44) Helena Kummings (12) Bolles - R1 - 8^th at her District meet.

45) Ryleigh Sperry (10) Montverde - R2 - 31^st at her District meet, but sports multiple sub 20 performances.

46) Camryn Williams (11) - Keystone Heights - R2 - 4^th at her District meet.

47) Kyra Gardner (10) Gulliver - R4 - 8^th at her District meet and gets the last individual qualifying spot in her region.

48) Mandy Lam (11) Tampa Catholic - R3- 4^th at her District meet.

49) Paige Jaszcak (10) Titusville - R2 - 10^th at her District meet

50) Patasha Bryan (11) South Walton -R1 - 5^th at her District meet.

51) Lauren Mills (11) Bishop Verot - R3 - 20^th at her District meet.

52) Anna Alberteli (11) Bishop Kenny - R1 - 13^th at her District meet.

53) Madeline Rodriguez (11) Holy Names - R3 - 11^th at her District meet.

54) Rachel Jarrett (11) Cardinal Mooney - R3 - 5^th at her District meet.

55) Hannah Kowkabany (8) Episcopal Jacksonville - R1 - 23^rd at her District meet.

56) Alexa Fredericks (12) Holy Names - R3 - 7^th at her District meet.

57) Hallie Monserez (10) Cardinal Mooney - R3 - 25^th at her District meet.

58) Lauretta Piesko (11) Bishop Kenny - R1 - 9^th at her District meet.

59) Catharine Evans (12) Bishop Kenny -R1 - 14^th at her District meet.

60) Maren Pfleger (9) Bishop Verot - R3 - 6^th at her District meet.

61) Gabriella Rybinski (11) Frostproof - R3 - 7^th at her District meet.

 

3A Girls Rankings

4A Girls Rankings

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

Team Region Rankings:

Region 1 Commentary: Based on District results it appears as if there are a clean cut eight teams that will advance based on the natural breaks in the team averages. District 1 should qualify 7 teams to State while only District 2 Champion Oviedo should advance. However, based on season bests two other teams, second and third place District 2 teams, should be in the mix as well; Spruce Creek and Lake Mary respectively. Considering that Lake Mary did not run their #1, 4, 7 at the District, they should qualify to State if those girls are running. Other teams who didn't run their full squads at District include Creekside, Oviedo, and Fleming Island who held out more than half their team.

Region 1 Rankings- with District team avgs and spreads:

1. Chiles- 19:48 avg, 1:56 spread

2. Mandarin- 20:25 avg, 16s spread

3. Creekside- 20:32 avg, 1:50 spread (missing #4)

4. Fleming Island- 21:11 avg, 1:29 spread (missing #1, 3, 5, 7)

5. Buchholz- 20:51 avg, 1:58 spread

6. Oviedo- 21:02 avg, 2:35 spread (missing #3)

7. Lake Mary- 21:55 avg, 1:22 spread (missing #1, 4, 7)

8. Niceville- 21:02 avg, 1:16 spread

On the bubble:

9. Nease- 21:10 avg, 2:20 spread

10. Spruce Creek- 21:26 avg, 1:46 spread

Then... Bartram Trail, Hagerty, Evans, FPC, East Ridge, Lyman, West Orange, Lake Howell, Navarre, Fletcher

Region 2 Commentary: Between Districts 3 and 4 all of the top teams ran their full scoring varsity athletes which should make the qualifying teams and rankings easier to plot out. Additionally, most of the way in which the teams finished mirror the season bests listed in the flrunners database. Although it could happen, it would be unlikely for any other/bubble team to push out the following eight.

Region 2 Rankings- with District team avgs and spreads:

1. Newsome- 19:34 avg, 1:25 spread

2. Plant- 19:39 avg, 1:51 spread

3. Sarasota- 20:10 avg, 1:06 spread

4. Lakewood Ranch- 20:21 avg, 2:41 spread

5. George Jenkins- 20:31 avg, 1:48 spread

6. Riverview- 20:51 avg, 5:43 spread

7. Steinbrenner- 21:04 avg, 2:36 spread

8. Wharton- 21:09 avg, 1:44 spread

On the bubble:

9. Manatee- 21:07 avg, 4:59 spread

Then... Alonso, Gulf Coast, PBU, Venice, Wiregrass Ranch, Celebration, East Lake, Bloomingdale, Sarasota Riverview, Plant City, Ridge Community

Region 3 Commentary: Similar as with Region 1, there are a clean cut eight teams based on District results. Additionally, similar to Region 2, everyone ran their full squads with one exception; Viera missing their #2. Once again, I find it hard to believe any other teams will crack the top eight listed below as the District results and the season best rankings from the database match up very well. Also note, only 18 teams will be competing as only eight teams toed the line in District 6, including a qualifying team with a 29:46 team avg. Sigh...

Region 3 Rankings- with District team avgs and spreads:

1. Timber Creek- 19:49 avg, 2:41 spread

2. Winter Park- 20:17 avg, 2:02 spread

3. Spanish River- 20:20 avg, 1:26 spread

4. Dr. Phillips- 20:41 avg, 1:30 spread

5. Jupiter- 20:37 avg, 1:52 spread

6. Viera- 20:55 avg, 2:32 spread (missing #2)

7. Windermere- 21:06 avg, 1:22 spread

8. Boone- 21:12 avg, 2:27 spread

On the bubble:

None. Then... University, Olympia, Boca Raton, Park Vista, St. Cloud, Dwyer, Melbourne, Martin County, Wellington, West Boca Raton

Region 4 Commentary: And once again we have another straightforward Region. Only a couple of schools had athletes missing and the District results played out very similar to the season bests listed in the database. There are a couple of bubble teams who have a shot at advancing, but that will depend on how the Broward teams fair at difficult Larry & Penny where the Miami schools should have a home course advantage.

Region 4 Rankings- with District team avgs and spreads:

1. Braddock- 20:18 avg, 45s spread

2. Lourdes- 20:52 avg, 1:19 spread (missing #5)

3. St. Thomas- 22:20 avg, 1:42 spread (missing #4)

4. Coral Reef- 21:40 avg, 4:30 spread

5. Doral- 23:00 avg, 2:33 spread

6. Ferguson- 22:51 avg, 3:38 spread

7. Coral Park- 23:24 avg, 3:45 spread

8. Ft. Lauderdale- 24:05 avg, 2:22 spread

On the bubble:

9. Coral Springs- 24:18 avg, 2:06 spread

10. Cypress Bay- 24:20 avg, 6:52 spread

Then... Varela, Coral Gables, South Plantation, West Broward, Douglas, Reagan, Goleman, Piper, Cooper City, Nova

Team State Rankings:

Mini Raposo Rant Update: Of the 146 teams in Class 4A, 109 actually ran complete teams. While the 37 incomplete teams is a step up from last year's ~50 teams, that's still only 75% of the state fielding a team, and with 73% of that group advancing to the Regional level. To that I ask, why are we even having Districts? Anyhow, this week 40% of the Region fields will advance to State making up the largest fields ever. While this might not be the case for other Regions (such as 2AR4 for Girls), adding the 7th and 8th place qualifiers for 4A Girls was unnecessary, in my opinion, as none of those teams are currently ranked in the state top 20.

Commentary: A lot of the teams have bounced around in their rankings throughout the season, particularly in the middle part of the top 10 field. This week is no different due to course differences, some teams training through, and due to a lot of inconsistencies. Right now it's looking like a three-way race for the podium, two large groups where anything could happen, and then the bottom tier; all from Region 4. This is one of those years where teams could drop or jump 8-10 places simply because 1-2 girls end up having a day bad or a great day at the State meet. It appears as if anything is possible between 5th and 25th places.

The Contenders:

1. (1) Newsome, R2 #1- 19:34 avg, 1:25 spread

2. (3) Plant, R2 #2- 19:39 avg, 1:51 spread

3. (2) Chiles, R1 #1- 19:48 avg, 1:56 spread

Large Pack #1 = Shooting for Top 5 / Top 10:

4. (4) Sarasota, R2 #3- 20:10 avg, 1:06 spread

5. (6) Braddock, R4 #1- 20:18 avg, 45s spread

6. (BOLO) Timber Creek, R3 #1- 19:49 avg, 2:41 spread

7. (BOLO) Winter Park, R3 #2- 20:17 avg, 2:02 spread

8. (5) Mandarin, R1 #2- 20:25 avg, 16s spread

9. (8) Lakewood Ranch, R2 #4- 20:21 avg, 2:41 spread

10. (BOLO) Creekside, R1 #3- 20:32 avg, 1:50 spread (missing #4)

11. (9) Fleming Island, R1 #4- 21:11 avg, 1:29 spread (missing #1, 3, 5, 7)

12. (10) Spanish River, R3 #3- 20:20 avg, 1:26 spread

13. (7) Lourdes, R4 #2- 20:52 avg, 1:19 spread (missing #5)

14. (BOLO) George Jenkins, R2 #5- 20:31 avg, 1:48 spread

Large Pack #2 = Not likely Top 10, likely Top 15-25:

15. (NR) Dr. Phillips, R3 #4- 20:41 avg, 1:30 spread

16. (NR) Jupiter, R3 #5- 20:37 avg, 1:52 spread

17. (BOLO) Buchholz, R1 #5- 20:51 avg, 1:58 spread

18. (BOLO) Viera, R3 #6- 20:55 avg, 2:32 spread (missing #2)

19. (BOLO) Oviedo, R1 #6- 21:02 avg, 2:35 spread (missing #3)

20. (NR) Riverview, R2 #6- 20:51 avg, 5:43 spread

21. (NR) Lake Mary, R1 #7- 21:55 avg, 1:22 spread (missing #1, 4, 7)

22. (BOLO) Niceville, R1 #8- 21:02 avg, 1:16 spread

23. (NR) Steinbrenner, R2 #7- 21:04 avg, 2:36 spread

24. (NR) Windermere, R3 #7- 21:06 avg, 1:22 spread

25. (NR) Wharton, R2 #8- 21:09 avg, 1:44 spread

26. (NR) Boone, R3 #8- 21:12 avg, 2:27 spread

Bottom 6 aka Region 4 (Keep in mind, most are racing at Larry & Penny):

27. (NR) St. Thomas, R4 #3- 22:20 avg, 1:42 spread (missing #4)

28. (NR) Coral Reef, R4 #4- 21:40 avg, 4:30 spread

29. (NR) Doral, R4 #5- 23:00 avg, 2:33 spread

30. (NR) Ferguson, R4 #6- 22:51 avg, 3:38 spread

31. (NR) Coral Park, R4 #7- 23:24 avg, 3:45 spread

32. (NR) Ft. Lauderdale, R4 #8- 24:05 avg, 2:22 spread

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: These rankings are based off of District results, but keep in mind that many of these athletes likely cruised with their teams or trained through. Also note that only one new athlete cracked the top 20 this week (#17) which means we have a fairly stable group of individuals competing week in and week out and there shouldn't be much change this week either Good luck at your respective Region meets ladies!

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

1. (1) Alyssa Hendrix, 12 - Riverview = 17:19, Champion in District 4

2. (4) Parker Valby, 12 - East Lake = 17:29, Champion in District 3

3. (9) Caroline Lehman, 10 - Manatee = 18:03, Runner-up in District 4

4. (5) Amber Schulz, 10 - Timber Creek = 18:13, Champion in District 5

5. (12) Mary Ellen Eudaly, 10 - HB Plant = 18:31, Runner-up in District 3
6. (15) Emma Solis, 12 - Newsome = 18:49, 3rd in District 4

7. (3) Caitlin Wilkey, 11 - Chiles = 18:54, Champion in District 1

8. (6) Jessica Neal, 10 - Lakewood Ranch = 18:56, 4th in District 4

9. (BOLO) Ariana Jimenez, 12 - Apopka = 18:58, Champion in District 2

10. (20) Arlie Rubin, 10 - Plant = 19:01, 3rd in District 3

11. (16) Emma Noel, 11 - Winter Park = 19:01, Runner-up in District 5

12. (10) Keleigh Scallon, 11 - Newsome = 19:02, 5th in District 4

13. (2) Alyson Churchill, 12 - Chiles = 19:04, Runner-up in District 1

14. (13) Ashley Klingenberg, 12 - Lake Brantley = 19:07, Runner-up in District 2

15. (7) Krystal Rodriguez, 11 - Coral Reef = 19:09, Champion in District 8

16. (8) Jacquelyn Abanses, 11 - Steinbrenner = 19:17, 4th in District 3

17. (NR) Isabella Babilonia, 11 - Viera = 19:23, 3rd in District 5

18. (11) Elizabeth Iliff, 11 - Creekside = 19:25, 3rd in District 1

19. (BOLO) Anna Sentner, 12 - George Jenkins = 19:27, 6th in District 4

20. (14) Rylee Pustilnik, 12 - Spanish River = 19:28, Champion in District 6

Other individuals to watch out for:

(17) Mei Chang, 10 - Fleming Island = DNR

(19) Blake Petrick, 11 - Creekside = 19:51, 5th in District 1

(18) Lillian Holtery, 11 - Niceville = 20:07, 8th in District 1

(BOLO) Alica Ruiz, 11 - George Jenkins = 20:14, 15th in District 4

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

Team Rankings:

Commentary: State Bound predictions. If I didn't mention your team, use that as some kind of motivation.

Region 1

1. Maclay - Dist 2 champs at Live Oak avg 17:11

2. Pensacola Christian Academy - Dist 1 champs at Eastpoint? avg 17:53

3. Bishop Snyder - Dist 2 runner up avg 18:06

4. St John Country Day  

5. Blounstown - Dist 1 runner up

6. St Joesph Academy

7. Paxton

8. Rocky Bayou Academy

Region 2

1. Oak Hall - Dist 3 champs at Santa Fe College avg 17:43 close 5 pt victory over...

2. Mt Dora Academy - avg 17:46

3. Circle Christian Academy - Dist 4 champs at Holloway Park (Lake)

4. St Francis Catholic

5. Father Lopez

6. Lakeland Christian Academy - Dist 4 runner up

7. Geneva

8. Foundation Academy

Region 3

1. Seffner Christian - Dist 5 champs

2. Cambridge Christian - Dist 5 runner up, on a muddy course

3. Marco Island - Dist 6 champs in Fort Myers, nice pack running

4. Indian Rocks Christian

5. Southwest Florida Christian - Dist 6 runner up

6. OUT OF DOOR ACADEMY

7. St Stephens Episcopal

8. First Baptist Academy

2A Boys Rankings

by Zach White, Mount Dora Christian Academy

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Learned quite a bit from the District 4 meet. Five of the top 10 teams are in District 4. The head to head matchups were good to see. However, I will note that it was very tight between Lake Highland Prep, Bishop Moore, Astronaut, Trinity Prep, and Cocoa Beach. Those five schools were not separated by much. Lake Highland Prep and Bishop Moore did prove to be the strongest contenders though outside of the dominant Satellite. Biggest move this week goes to Labelle. I still am anxious to see them in some head to head matchups against some of these top 10 teams, but they dominated their District with a team average a whole minute faster than anybody else in their District. I am not sure how they stack up in this top 10, but I know they are good 1-5. We will get to see them up against Berkeley Prep this weekend.

Here are the TEAM RANKINGS Pre-Region

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comment

1. (1) Satellite- Did exactly what they were supposed to do. Won handedly.

2. (2) Bolles- No need to press in District race. They won with ease.

3. (3) Berkeley Prep- Dominated at Districts.

4. (8) Labelle HS- I'm going to go ahead and bring Labelle into the top 5. They dominated at their District Meet. Excited to see them in more head to head matchups against major players.

5. (5) Lake Highland Prep- Pulled off the Runner Up finish in loaded District 4.

6. (4) Bishop Moore- Was edged out by Lake Highland Prep at District 4 and went home with 3rd.

7. (6) Saint Andrew's High School- Won District 7 and edged out King's Academy.

8. (7) King's Academy- Runner up by 1 point at District 7. Strong team.

9. (12) Astronaut- Proved they are a team to deal with. Barely finished short of 3rd in District 4. Lost to Satellite, LHP, and Bishop Moore but they beat Trinity Prep and Cocoa Beach.

10. (9) Trinity Prep- Edged out Cocoa Beach at District 4 to round out the top 5 in District 4 meet. Therefore, they grab the 10 spot over Cocoa Beach.

Other Teams to watch out for:

Cocoa Beach, Pine Crest, West Shore, MonteVerde

Individual Rankings: Pre-Region

Commentary: Not a lot of movement among the top 10. Districts is a week where some have to really race and some do not. Therefore, we do not learn a lot from an individual standpoint. However, Gavin O'Brien did solidify that he is a major player. Colby Steger also moves into the top 10. His last three races have been impressive.

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

1. (1) Gabriel Montague- Satellite (Did exactly what he was supposed to do. Led his team to an easy victory and won his District.)

2. (9) Robert Pedroza-Key West (Did not have to press to win Districts. Was able to save his legs a bit for races that await him.)

3. (2) Josh Kraver- Satellite - (Was beat by Justin Wilson and Gavin O'Brien at Districts but I am going to leave him at 3 considering his full body of work and that his team had the victory locked.)

4. (3) Will Brady- Bolles- (Won his District Meet with ease and has already proved throughout the season what we can expect come State)

5. (7) Justin Wilson- Satellite- 2nd at Districts with a 15:50. Very good race. He is the 3rd fastest returning time from last year's State Meet. Keeping him behind Brady, Kraver, and Pedroza because of what those guys did prior to this week.)

6. (8) Gavin O'Brien- Astronaut- I was curious to know if he had sub-16 in him and he proved he does. Very strong race at District. Beat Josh Stern and Kraver from Satellite. Very good performance.

7. (5) Cole Rutkowski- Bolles- Runner-up at his District Meet. Did what he had to do.

8. (6) Ethan Lipham- Berkeley Prep- Won his District Meet with ease.

9. (8) Josh Stern-Satellite 4th fastest returner from last year's State Meet is finally looking like himself. Solid 16:01 at Districts.

10. (UR) Colby Steger-Satellite- Has run very well in his last three races and beat Kai Cheatham, Brayden Cheek, Simon Devoss, and Jai Phillips in his District meet. Finished 6th overall in tough District.

Other Individuals to watch out for:

Hudson Rowan, Cameron Dunn, James Simkins, Colin Duhnoski, Kai Cheatham, Simon Devoss

3A Boys Rankings

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

4A Boys Pre-Region Rankings

by 4A Pollster, 4Apollster@gmail.com

Commentary: These rankings are my attempt to outdo Ryan Raposo in predicting who will advance to state from each of the 4 regions I've had the pleasure of following this season as I have. I did not do individual rankings this week.

Team Rankings Region 1

This is BY FAR the deepest region in the state with 8 of the top 15 4-A boys teams. If I've done my job right this season, these are the 8 that will advance. Look for Buchholz to try to take a spot on the starting line at State from one of these ranked teams.

Region Rank. (State Rank) School (top-5 avg.)

1. (2) Bartram Trail HS = (16:14)

2. (3) Nease HS = (16:08)

3. (7) Fleming Island HS = (16:23)

4. (8) Niceville HS = (16:34)

5. (9) Creekside HS = (16:26)

6. (12) Chiles HS = (16:40)

7. (13) Oviedo HS = (16:46)

8. (15) Mandarin HS = (16:42)

Team Rankings Region 2

Region Rank. (State Rank) School (top-5 avg.)

This region features 4 state-ranked schools who will have no problem advancing. There will be fierce competition for the 4 remaining spots on the state meet starting line up for grabs in this region. I'm going with the 3^rd & 4^th place finishers in their respective district meets taking those spots. They will have to edge out Venice, Gulf Coast and Manatee. Any of those teams can squeak their way in with a strong performance.

1. (1) Steinbrenner HS = (16:08)

2. (4) H.B. Plant HS = (16:12)

3. (5) Newsome HS = (16:21)

4. (11) Sarasota HS = (16:38)

5. (NR) North Port HS = (17:31)

6. (NR) Celebration HS = (17:35)

7. (NR) Wharton HS = (17:36)

8. (NR) Sarasota Riverview HS = (17:49)

Team Rankings Region 3

Though there are only two schools ranked in the top 15 statewide in this region, there are numerous schools on the bubble making the competition to get to state hard to call. I have the 8^th and final spot going to Timber Creek in another squeaker over Olympia.

Region Rank. (State Rank) School (top-5 avg.)

1. (6) Windermere HS = (16:23)

2. (14) Spanish River HS = (16:30)

3. (NR) St. Cloud HS = (16:45)

4. (NR) Vierra HS = (16:50)

5. (NR) Dr. Phillips HS = (16:58)

6. (NR) Dwyer HS = (17:03)

7. (NR) Tohopekaliga HS = (17:12)

8. (NR) Timber Creek HS = (17:10)

Team Rankings Region 4

The southernmost region is also the lightest on competition, making it way more challenging to predict. Something about the word "Coral" in a team's name seems to help as those squads take the final 3 spots.

Region Rank. (State Rank) School (top-5 avg.)

1. (10) Columbus HS = (16:35)

2. (NR) Doral Academy HS = (17:04)

3. (NR) St. Thomas Acquinas HS = (17:03)

4. (NR) Ft. Lauderdale HS = (16:52)

5. (NR) Ferguson HS = (18:08)

6. (NR) Coral Gables = (18:04)

7. (NR) Coral Park = (17:57)

8. (NR) Coral Reef = (17:52)