The defending two-time 4A state champion in cross country in Nease senior Rheinhardt Harrison tops the list of our pre-season individual rankings for Florida boys.
Throughout the 2021 cross country season, we will be maintaining all-classification subjective cross country rankings for the state of Florida. Our initial release this week will be pre-season top 25 rankings for individuals and teams for the state of Florida.
Our rankings are done by one individual in site editor Brandon Miles, so all rankings critiques can be emailed to brandon.miles@flosports.tv. These rankings take in numerous factors including performances from the last cross country season as well as improvements made during the track season.
FACA rankings for each classification should be hopefully released at some point next week.
Wednesday 8/11 - Top 25 Girls Individual Rankings
Thursday 8/12 - Top 25 Boys Individual Rankings
1. Rheinhardt Harrison (Nease) - The 4:01 miler and 8:47 3200 state record holder Rheinhardt Harrison begins his final year of high school running as the expected leader of the pack aiming to win his third straight 4A cross country state title. Harrison has the fastest returning 5K PR from last fall at 14:55 from his district meet. He also clocked a 15:08 performance on the Apalache Regional Park course in Tallahassee winning an AAU national title as well. If
2. Patrick Koon (Leon) - The only underclassmen ranked inside the top 10 is a special talent in Leon's Patrick Koon, who clocked sensational times last year as a freshman including a 15:55 5K to finish 5th in the 3A state finals race. He went onto do even greater things on the track breaking the Florida freshman 3200 state record with a 9:07 runner-up finish at the FHSAA State Finals. Koon also chipped in a 4:21 performance for 1600 meters during the spring. Koon will be a legit contender for the 3A state title this fall as a sophomore.
3. Michael Toppi (Viera) - The top runner for one of the state's expected best teams returning this fall, Michael Toppi checks all the boxes as a strong performer in both cross country and track this past year. Toppi was a top 50 finisher at the RunningLane Champs at season's end of 2020 XC season with a sizzling 15:08 PR run after finishing 5th (15:56) in the 4A state finals race. Toppi had a stellar double at the state outdoor track meet to close his spring with PR's of 4:15 in the 1600 and 9:08 in the 3200 finishing no worse than 4th in either race.
4. Adam Magoulas (Belen Jesuit) - With Javier Vento graduated, Adam Magoulas takes over as the clear front runner and star for the storied Belen Jesuit program. Magoulas will have individual aspirations competing against the likes of Patrick Koon and others for the 3A state title this fall. Magoulas had his best race at FSU's home course at Pre-State Invite with a runner-up 15:26 run, while having an off day at the state meet later on the same course with a 15:57 run for 8th place in the 3A race. During the track season, Magoulas lowered his times down to 4:15 in the mile and 9:13 in the 3200 while finishing as a state runner-up in the 1600.
5. Justin Wilson (Satellite) - The top holdover from a historically great 2020 Satellite squad who took major graduation losses to their lineup, Justin Wilson dipped under 16 minutes in nearly a handful of 5K races last fall including a 15:02 in the post-season on their home course at Wickham Park. Wilson will be a top contender to compete for the 2A state title this fall after finishing 4th in the state finals last November. Wilson went 9:24 for 3200 meters and 4:21 for 1600 meters this past spring.
6. Nick Carpenter (Trinity Prep) - Another legitimate contender for the 2A state title will be Nick Carpenter of Trinity Prep, who was a state runner-up this spring in the 3200 and had a season-best and PR of 9:12. Carpenter last fall end his season with a 15:20 5K PR at the RunningLane Champs along with a 7th place finish in the 2A state finals race. Carpenter also dipped under 16 minutes at Apalachee Regional Park with a 15:54 performance at the Pre-State Invite.
7. Jake Rogers (Leon) - Rogers is the highest-ranked runner without fast track times or many races at all to back up his cross country credentials, but his races from last fall he can sit on and elevate him as one of state's top returnees. Rogers was a 3rd place finisher in the 3A state race with a 15:46 PR run at Apalachee Regional Park. As a junior with sophomore teammate Koon, Rogers make up one of the state's best 1-2 punches. Rogers only ran one race this past track season, so might be recovering from an injury.
8. Jackson Yarbrough (Maclay School) - A near state champion last fall by fractions of a second to Austin Montini, Yarbrough will looking to make sure he has a much greater gap to the rest of the competition in 1A this year to secure that title. Yarbrough seems to run his best races at Apalachee, which is a good thing since Pre-State Invite and FHSAA State Finals are held there. His top two times were run on the course at 15:46 and 15:49 respectively. Another runner that is a different runner on the track (4:35 1600/9:47 3200) compared to XC.
9. Matthew Stratton (St. Johns Country Day School) - Top threat to Yarbrough's plans for winning the 1A state title will be Matthew Stratton, who is coming off a big track season throwing fast times including a 4:22 mile and 9:22 in the 3200. Stratton was a 3rd place finisher in the 2020 FHSAA 1A State XC Finals behind Yarbrough with 15:59. Stratton's 5K PR is actually from two years ago in 2019 when he finished as a state runner-up as a sophomore.
10. Tyler Wadsworth (Port Charlotte) - The senior from Port Charlotte in Tyler Wadsworth is looking to follow up a very successful 2020 cross country season as hovered around 16 minutes flat for much of the season and ultimately finishing 6th in the 3A state race with a time of 15:55. Wadsworth also won the invitational race at the flrunners.com Invite last fall, while running 1:57 for 800 meters and 4:27 in the mile this spring as a state qualifier in the 800.
11. Colby Robbins (Sunlake) - Colby Robbins is one half of a potent 1-2 duo in Sunlake with teammate Alex Pena that could challenge Belen Jesuit in 3A. Robbins was a 9th place All-State finisher in 3A last year and found himself in first place for the vast majority of his races last fall with six major victories. Robbins during the track season posted PR's of 9:33 in the 3200 and 4:36 in the 1600.
12. Robbie Naberhaus (Viera) - The second runner from Viera to crack our top 25 list is Robbie Naberhaus owning a 15:46 5K best returning from last fall. Naberhaus was a 12th place finisher in the 4A state race last November, while continued to progress during track season lowering his 3200 PR all the way down to a very swift time of 9:20. He also posted a best time of 4:23 in the 1600 and could help Viera's pursuit of the 4A state team title as a low scorecard with teammate Michael Toppi.
13. Alex Pena (Sunlake) - The rising junior Alexa Pena from Sunlake was knocking just on the door of sub 16 minutes for 5K at the end of last fall with a 16:02 12th place effort in the 3A state race. Pena consistently ran well into the 16-minute range much of the season as a runner-up in several races behind teammate Colby Robbins. Pena rounded out his sophomore year on the track running solid times of 4:26 in the 1600 and 9:43 in the 3200.
14. Riley Novack (Montverde Academy) - Riley Novack changed schools as well as classifications this summer moving on from Mount Dora Christian to Montverde Academy. A 5th place state meet finisher last year in 1A, Novack will look to see if he can run up with top 2A returnees and the last two state runners-up Yarbrough and Stratton to contend for the title. Novack was a top 20 finisher at the AAU National Championships last year with a sub 16 minute run at Apalachee Regional Park, while ran 15:38 in the post-season at Wickham Park. His track season included PR's of 9:35 in the 3200 and 4:23 in the 1600 as an All-State performer in both events.
15. Ben Kirbo (Chiles) - The third best returnee from last year's 4A state cross country race behind the likes of Rheinhardt Harrison and Michael Topp is Chiles senior Ben Kirbo. Kirbo finished 10th at state meet in 16:05 for All-State honors to end his 2020 season on a high note. Kirbo actually ran faster at Apalachee Regional Park earlier in the season in the FSU Pre-State Invite with a PR time of 15:49. Kirbo also closed his track season with a 9:36 3200 PR at the FHSAA State Finals.
16. Kolton Pickard (Estero) - One of the top distance runners in the Fort Myers area is Estero's Kolton Pickard. A 13th place finisher in last year's 3A state race, Pickard picked it up even more during the track season lowering his times down to 9:29 in the 3200 and 4:18 in the 1600 while being a 5th place All-State performer in the latter event.
17. Ethan Lipham (Berkeley Prep) - The senior leader on a very young and talented Berkely Prep squad, Lipham is hoping to lead his team to a state title in 2A this fall. Lipham consistently ran in the low 16-minute range for most of his races with several wins and high finishes in major invites during 2020 season with a 15:55 season-best. His 9th place finish in the 3A state race ranks him the 3rd highest returnee this fall behind only Justin Wilson and Nick Carpenter. Lipham clocked impressive times of 9:23 in the 3200 and 4:24 in the 1600.
18. William Stone (Osceola) - The reigning Pinellas County champion William Stone is looking to run his best races at season's end after his 2020 season saw his best performances come during the midway point including a 15:56 5K PR at the Land O' Lakes Gator Invite. The state meet did not fair as well with a 25th place showing (16:25) in 3A. No poor finish at the end of his track season with a 9:18 PR in the 3200 for a fifth-place finish in the FHSAA State Finals to propel him into the cross country season.
19. Julian Rodriguez (Belen Jesuit) - The second runner from the always deep Belen Jesuit squad to crack the top 25 is 16:13 5K performer Julian Rodriguez. Rodriguez ran in the 16:10's in both of his races at the Apalachee Regional Park last fall, while thrived in the 1600 during the outdoor season running a best time of 4:21 and an All-State 6th place finisher in the event.
20. Kirin Karver (Berkeley Prep) - Karver is coming off a very solid sophomore year in both cross country and track as an All-State performer in both cross country and track for 2A. Last fall, Karver ran consistently in the 16-minute range topping out with a 16:19 run at AAU Nationals after a 13th place finish in the 2A state race. Karver's track season was steady as well running in the 9:20's to 9:30's range for 3200 with a 9:27 best and 5th place All-State finisher.
21. Brayden Seymour (Hagerty) - The top returning distance runner out of the Seminole Athletic Conference, Hagerty's Brayden Seymour is ready to run out of the shadows of the likes of graduated Aiden Arnold and Sam Austin and be the star out of SAC. Owning a 5K PR of 16:23 from last fall, Seymour really took his running to next level during track season including PR"s of 4:22 in the 1600 and 9:30 in the 3200 as a state qualifier in 4A.
22. Mateo Luna (Indian Rocks Christian) - The 1A classification might include the smallest schools, but seems to be quite large in individual talent including Mateo Luna, a returning 15:44 5K runner from last fall at Indian Rocks Christian. Luna excelled at the 1600 meter run this past outdoor season with a 4:23 season-best and earned All-State honors with a 3rd place showing in the FHSAA State Track Finals.
23. Wyatt Townsend (Chiles) - A second runner from Chiles cracking into the preseason top 25 and following in the footsteps of teammate Ben Kirbo is junior Wyatt Townsend. Townsend's best race last year that should his fullest potential was a sub 16 effort at the FSU Pre-State Invite in an 15:59 5K PR. His second race at Apalachee was a disappointment (27th, 16:39) in the 3A state race, but bounced back in the track season to end his spring with a 9:31 PR race in the 3200 at the FHSAA State Track Finals.
24. Matthew McClure (Bolles) - Bolles is one of the deeper squads in the state and who might be their top runner could change throughout the season, but Matthew McClure is our best guess to lead the squad. A 20th place finisher in the 2A state race last fall and had a season-best of 16:07 for 5K, McClure really stepped up during the track season running 9:31 for 3200 meters and earned All-State honors with a 6th place finish in the event later at the FHSAA State Finals.
25. Caden Montini (Oak Hall School) - The 1A state champion this past spring in the 3200 meter run with a 9:39 PR, Caden Montini of Oak Hall will be attempting to keep the state crown in the Montini household and follow in the footsteps of his graduated brother and last year's champion Austin Montini. His best time last fall for 5K was a 16:21 performance at season's end at the RunningLane Champs.
Just Missed The Cut: Aidan Mason (Satellite), Dylan Nolan (Tampa Prep), Jemesu Picone (Bartram Trail), John Carbone (Brooksville Central), Nicholas Ivonnet (Christopher Columbus), Colin Duhnoski (Bolles), Colton Lawson (King's Academy), Jared Falchook (Celebration), Raekwon Hopkins (Alonso), Christian Giller (Seffner Christian)