Ralph's Musings: FL - Runners Invitational

Oct 05, 2009

When did it suddenly become an X? I finally got used to its being called a (lower case, no space) flrunners.com Invitational. Although, I will be the first to admit that adding the X holds great promise. Look what it did for the NFL.

Jason, I have a few suggestions. First of all, think big…really BIG. As soon as you’ve gotten in your week and a half recovery nap, send some E-mails to ESPN, Fox and NBC with a suggested opening bid for broadcasting rights for FLXI. Next, book the Goodyear blimp, which will not only preclude the need to rent the “cross country cam,” but also carry the FLXI logo to new heights.

Be sure to contact the Florida Department of Education with tips on the “Enrich your life through running” writing project. (After all, why should the NFL have a monopoly on good will when, each year, students across America are assigned their much-anticipated, mid-winter, non-homework, writing assignment--“My favorite Super Bowl commercial”--instead of the usual heavy dose of mid-year, weekend homework. And, last but not least, explore the wonderful, enriching world of athletic licensing. We can have an official FLXI sports drink, energy bar, anti-perspirant, odor-eater socks, kettle corn, flavored ice, after shave and--best of all--pace car(t). (Can I drive?)

GIRLS RACE OF CHAMPIONS

Looking through my extra-long Nikon lens at Kathryn Fleuhr (junior, Community School of Naples) flying through the “time portal” that marked the one mile point (what a great idea!), I could have sworn I saw two of her. (Like when the super hero is moving ultra-fast, creating a multiple image.) But then, the second time through (coming back from the other direction), when she had opened up a bigger lead on herself, I realized that there were two of her. I guess that when you’re the fastest female around, it helps to have a clone to train with.

Of course, I’m only kidding. They’re actually twins, and while Kathryn jussst missed a sweet sixteen (17:00.73), Erika (17:24.36) still had a faster time than 1525 other girls (including all of the open/college runners). Joining the Fleuhrs in a finish time close to, or less, than their age were

Shelby Hayes (17:31.29), Stephanie Schappert (17:50.37), Liana Epstein (17:51.78), Nicole Caprio (17:55.71), and Stephanie Strasser (17:56.50).

In addition, there were16 girls in the 18s, and 39 in the 19s (the latter a time that could have won the majority of the girls cross country races this fall).

GIRLS RACE OF CHAMPIONS TEAM RACE

Normally, it would be difficult responding to another team’s 1-2 overall finish, but apparently Winter Park answered quite emphatically. Led by senior Shelby Hayes (a shade under seven seconds behind Fleuhr #2), they placed five in the top 19 (3-12-14-15-19, plus 76 and 80) for 63 points. Lake Braddock had its 17 (Liana Epstein, 17:51.78, in fourth place, team wise; Schappert, fourth overall, ran unattached) and finished with 106 points (4-16-25-28-33-43-50). The Community School of Fleuhrs…I mean Naples, rounded out the top three (1-2-18-46-65-106-127; 132). There were 107 finishers from 20 teams.

GIRLS INVITATIONAL

Excepting for the Girls Race of Champions and the Womens College/Open Race on Friday night, Kayla Vinson’s 18:58.17 was the only other sub-19 claimed by a female runner at FLX. What makes it more impressive was that she did it solo (not that Darlene Hanlon [Baker; 19:09.01] and Abby Badura [Clover Hill; 19:11] put in any less of an effort), and carried a lot of weight in Ridgeview’s fifth place finish in the team race. In all, 15 girls saw a 19-something as they passed under the finish banner. In four cases, two girls even shared the same second: Aja Curth (Estero) and Shanay Mayes (Oak Ridge) in 19:42; Holly Page (Bishop Moore) and Kacy Smith (Estero) in 19:45; Ashley Lesnick (Cypress Bay) and Teressa Gugino (Charlotte) in 19:47; and Maria Frank (Estero) and Lauren Gelzinis (South Fork) in 19:51. Now that is as close to a race of champions as you can ask for!

GIRLS INVITATIONAL TEAM RACE

I have to ask, what do they put in the water down there in sub-tropical Estero (meaning estuary). With three freshman and a sophomore in their top four, Estero won by forty points: 7-10-13-18-49-77-79 for 97 points). (Another team from Estero, Florida Gulf Coast University, had similar success: Their men (1-4-6-11-13; 35) won the college team race with three freshmen in the top five. The FGCU women, with five freshmen, a sophomore, and a junior, finished third (13-16-17-24-27-38-45; 97 points) behind perennial powerhouses Jacksonville and UCF. ) And folks, it is HOT down there! (Sprinting climate, like Jamaica, mon.) We’ll have to up with a catchy phrase, to counterbalance the “District of Death.” Hmmmm, how about the “Estuary of Excellence,” or “Aestus Mortorum.” (Quick, reach for that Latin dictionary.) In this race, there were 230 runners and 32 teams.

BOYS RACE OF CHAMPIONS

Tyler Davidson (Cocoa Beach), the winner of the Astronaut Classic on this same course two weeks earlier (15:45), knew he had to be up front from the start, and took a gutsy lead in the early going. Although he was first among the front pack of twelve through the mile (4:47), by two miles he overtaken, first by fatigue, then by five other runners, all of whom (including Davidson) would go on to shatter Derek Wehunt‘s 2008 course record (15:24). Slugging it out for the win, from there on in, were Matt Mizereck (Leon), Armando Del Valle (Columbus) and Erick Montoya (Estero).

In reading the list of entrants--both individual and team--you couldn’t help but think that this was going to be the BIG ONE. Despite the absence of Colin Barker, Will Stanford (the flu), and Brian Atkinson (who was in Cary, NC, winning the Great American in 15:13), Matt Mizereck had a good idea he’d have to go under 15 to win. Throwing down the gauntlet with splits that would be considered by thousands of the meet’s other runners to be PRs for the 1600 and 3200, respectively, he backed up a 4:48 first mile with a 9:47 for two. It was apparent that Mizereck was prepared to put the big hurt on anyone who was up front to challenge him. Nonetheless, he suspected that it would come down to the wire.

“I expected an all-out sprint to the finish,” Mizereck explained. “When I made the turn (to the finish), I was ahead by about, maybe, one second. With about three hundred to go, he (Del Valle) went right by, passed me, so I had to pretty much give it my all to keep up with him.”

In so doing, Mizereck’s level of training and all of his past accomplishments may have taken a back seat to adrenalin and desire. The involvement of the other runners and coaches that lined the last hundred yards of race course screaming encouragement transcended their role as spectators; their shouts to break 15 minutes crowded out any thoughts of fatigue on the part of the two cross country runners turned sprinters.

When Mizereck and Del Valle crossed the finish line, it took electronic timing to separate what appeared to be a two-headed, four-legged runner: Mizereck’s chip registered first in 14:56.51, Del Valle’s next in 14:56.84; two winners, but only one victor.

“This is probably, besides States and Nationals, one of my biggest races. I (knew I’d) have to… step up my game.”

And that, he certainly did.

BOYS RACE OF CHAMPIONS TEAM RACE

While all eyes were on the two front runners, solid finishes by Novian Middleton (team wise, fifth in 15:32.59) and Alex Mund (seventh team finisher in 15:40.51) laid the foundation for a Dr. Phillips team title (5-7-19-22-28-66-78; 81). With the memory of a Mt. Dew championship still relatively fresh, it wasn’t altogether surprising; they’re a very talented team. However, what was interesting, is that, in both total and average times, Dr. Phillips (1:19:44.61;15:56.93) finished second to Columbus (1:19:22.81;15:52.57), while their team finishes were reversed. 184 runners competed for 25 teams.

BOYS INVITATIONAL

Coming around the last lake--about a half mile before the finish—Chamberlain’s Max del Monte was being chased by Coral Reef junior Dylan Cook, West Broward’s Sanders Payne, and a pack of five runners (North Broward’s Tim Hendricks, Columbia’s Brandon Scott, Vero’s Dominic Patrick, and Lake Mary’s Diego Blanton) led by a determined Daniel Schmidt (Oviedo).

“I was surprised. I wasn’t feeling too great during the middle of the race,” Max del Monte later confessed. “It was kind of hot. (At some point) I told myself, ‘This is what I’m here for.’”

Going through the mile in about 4:55, and the two in 10:30, he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings, not only among the 242 runners he started with, but ahead of the entire field when he was within sight of the finish line.

“I didn’t really recognize many of the runners here. But this meet is pretty important—along with the state championship—as far as a race is concerned.”

Had he run his previous PR (16:46), he would have placed somewhere around 18^th place at the conclusion of this race. Running the race of his life, however, he held on to a lead that seemed tenuous at best.

While stretching a half-stride advantage over Cook to one of four seconds, Max couldn’t afford the time to glance back at was unfolding behind him. He crossed the finish line first in 16:06.16; a personal best by over forty seconds. Schmidt broke the pack he was with, passed Payne, and closed in on Cook. The latter somehow managed to hang on to second, reaching the finish line in time to find sanctuary from Schmidt’s final surge; Cook was second in 16:10.37, Schmidt third in 16:10.81, a .44 second difference.

With 15 upper classmen behind him in this race, and only 28 ahead of him in the Race of Champions, sophomore Max del Monte’s future as a Florida runner looks bright indeed.

BOYS INVITATIONAL TEAM RACE

34 teams and 243 entrants in the field add up to a lot of possible points. Boone, with 196, won by a margin of 45 (8-22-34-39-93-109-146) over St. Thomas Aquinas (17-36-43-61-84-124-126; 241).

GIRLS VARSITY OPEN RACE

Great deeds needn’t be accomplished amidst fanfare. East Lake’s Alicia Aldridge ran a smart, controlled race, winning over one hundred and seventy nine other competitors in 20:03.94. Perhaps she was disappointed to miss that 19, but when it was all over, she was standing on that stage, indicative of being the best on the course at that time.

GIRLS VARSITY OPEN TEAM RACE

Buchholz (2-8-23-53-57-97; 143) just slipped by Bloomingdale (17-24-28-35-42-59-66; 146) and Springstead (7-21-36-43-45-96; 152) for the first of twin Bobcat wins in the Varsity Open. There were 180 runners representing 26 teams.

BOYS VARSITY OPEN RACE

By 9:30, the scheduled start of this, the sixth race of the morning, it was getting noticeably hot. Signs of it were everywhere: more spectators were lined up at the Sno-cone booth than along the race course; sun-splashed squatters were claiming all available folding chairs, unclaimed blankets and even uncovered chip buckets (ouch!); runners were shedding uniforms faster than catholic school students on the last day of the school year; and that curious alligator that had been cruising offshore all morning long was getting closer and closer to shore, its scales rising above the water for the first time. (Breakfast time, or was it a cleverly disguised robotic gator-cam launched by a UF cross country coach?)

For 15 year old Chris Godwin, it was show time. The Buchholz sophomore, with a 16:57 personal best at the Mt. Dew Invitational, had a definite plan when he stepped onto the starting line, and it was to run within himself.

“I planned to run it with my team for the first mile, mile and a half. After that I was going to pick it up, and one by one, catch up to the leader,” he explained after the race.

That leader was Jon Brown, of Merritt Island High School. Brown went through the mile first in 5:07, and still seemed to be in control at two. Godwin had moved up, however. He was six seconds behind, in third place, at two miles.

“I ran with him for awhile, and when he got tired, I passed him.”

By the time Chris had come off the lake and turned toward the finish line, he was in command of the lead, and Brown—who was carrying a lot more muscle on his frame—seemed to show the effects of the heat.

“I was planning to run negative splits, and it seemed to have gone well.”

Godwin was first in 16:41.14, twelve and a half seconds ahead of Brown (16:53.92). Tyler Brennalt (South Fork) was third in 16:55.26; Morgan Earp (West Orange) fourth in 16:56; Corey Freeman was the last runner under 17 for the day (16:58.81).

BOYS VARSITY OPEN TEAM RACE

Chris Godwin must have the satisfaction of a double win: placing first overall and contributing to a second Buchholz team victory (1-7-13-14-19-37-58; 54 points) in the Open division. 228 runners competed for 32 teams.

FOOTNOTES: In order for an event of this magnitude to have enjoyed the success that insured a tenth year anniversary, the equation reads something like this: f1+f2+f3=F. The first f represents friends and family, and running guru Jason Byrne has certainly been blessed in that category. The second f is faith. The Flrunners.com website has grown to become a powerful beacon to the followers of Florida running. We automatically assume that it will be there to use and enjoy, and so it naturally follows that its invitational will too. The third f is funding. It takes Big Buck$ to get this kind of event off the ground. If it is to continue to be there for us and our children in the years to come, anyone who has a business—or has accumulated a financial fortune, and hates his relatives--and shares a love of running with the people reading this, consider being a sponsor to either the website or the invitational. That will help ensure the last F: fun.

Here’s a handy-dandy GUIDE to FLX. Better than being there, you can memorize its names and numbers, amaze your friends and maybe even win the cross country trivia contest on the next long bus ride. Quick: How many races were there in the two days (not counting the referees’ bathroom breaks)? The total number of teams? Of runners? Of Sno-cones sold…sorry, I can’t help you with that one.

RACE WINNER/TIME TEAM/POINTS FINISH/TEAMS

G JVBlue Katelyn Garvey (21:13.09) Pearl River (18) 180 runners/16 teams

B JVBlue Chris Sanchez (17:58.93) Wireglass Ranch (29) 297 runners/26 teams

G Small Sch Brittany Olinger (19:10.43) Episcopal (74) 189 runners/28 teams

G Large Sch Kristen Yocom (19:25.22) Pearl River (38) 85 runners/13 teams

B Small Sch Nicholas Palermo (16:35.64) Arch. Molloy (54) 194 runners/28 teams

B Large Sch Sean Running (16:14.18) Lyman (53) 90 runners/13 teams

College Wom Elizabeth Goshu (18:01.49) Jacksonville (15) 99 runners/10 teams

College Men Cameron Marantz (14:53) FGCU (35) 89 runners/9 teams

MS Girls Lauren Archer (12:44.53) Ransom Ever. (29) 34 runners/3 teams

MS Boys Ken Castro (10:52.22) Belen Prep (24) 78 runners/5 teams

G ROC Kathryn Fleuhr (17:00.73) Winter Park (63) 152 runners/20 teams