Pine Crest, Wilson End Season On High Note At NXN


The Pine Crest ladies and Satellite's Justin Wilson ended their season on a strong foot at Nike Cross Nationals this weekend. 

The Panthers brought strength and grit to Oregon and it showed with their top 15 performance -- the highest NXN team showing by any Florida girls team in history. 


As a three-time NXN qualifier, Tsion Yared, led her team to close out her senior year. She fought through the muddy conditions to finish 46th overall with a time of 18:42. Maya Beleznay (19:16), Emily Faulhaber (19:30), Mahdere Yared (19:44), and Sierra Stocker (20:57) closed out Pine Crests top five scoring positions. 

This has been one big season for this squad of five seniors, conditions were not ideal, but these ladies laid it all out on the course for one last time this season. 

Florida's lone national qualifying boy, Justin Wilson, was surprised by Coach Butler prior to race day. Wilson, who is only a sophomore, shocked the state last week when he ran an epic 15:11 to qualify for NXN. 

This weekend, Wilson walks away hungrier and more excited to bring the Satellite squad with him next season. He finished 75th overall with a time of 16:03 after slipping and sliding all around the muddy golf course. 

NXN concludes Pine Crest and Wilson's cross country season, but in just a few weeks we can expect to see them on the indoor track and dominating the outdoor distance scene. 

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