FACA XC State Rankings #4

We're only a week away from the start of the state series and it's time for the fourth edition of the 2021 FACA XC State Rankings!

GIRLS STATE RANKINGS

1A Girls Rankings

By Sue O'Malley (FLCHS) somalley@fatherlopez.org

Team Rankings:

Commentary: We are now getting ready to enter the postseason with these teams being very consistent and racing really well. We welcome the Stallions of Providence to the top 10! I would expect all these teams and the ones to watch will perform very well in the upcoming district meets. Best wishes to everyone as we end our regular season and move into the postseason.

Rank. (Previous Rank) School: Comments

1. (1) Cambridge Christian:  18:33 TEAM AVERAGE   The Lancers won the elite race at Pre state by placing 4 girls in the top 15 taking 3-4-7-11th places. The Lancers also won the Tampa Bay Private School Championships by placing all 5 girls in the top 10!

2. (2) Oak Hall: 19:17 TEAM AVERAGE   The Eagles took a weekend off.

3. (3) Circle Christian: 19:57 TEAM AVERAGE   The Centurions finished 4th in the elite race at Pre state. Don't count this team out as we enter the postseason!

4. (4) Pensacola Christian Academy: 19:57 TEAM AVERAGE   The Warriors are impressing me as a dark horse team for the postseason. The Warriors traveled to Alabama to win the T.R. Miller Challenge XC Meet by taking 1-2-3-5-6 almost a perfect 15 score! The Warriors also won the Panhandle XC Invitational. This team will be going into the postseason hot!

5. (5) Maclay: 20:12 TEAM AVERAGE   Team ran a very strong 5th place finish at the Pre state meet. Never count this team out! They know how to compete, especially in the postseason!

6. (9) Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart: 21:12 TEAM AVERAGE   The Tornadoes blow into the 6th spot. The team placed 2nd at the 305 XC Classic.

7. (7) South Florida Heat: 21:15 TEAM AVERAGE   This team finished 5th at the Pine Crest XC Invitational on October 9th

8. (8) Benjamin School: 21:41 TEAM AVERAGE   Team Orange and Blue competed at the Pine Crest XC Invitational on October 9th to finish 10th.

9. (6) Holy Trinity 21:25 TEAM AVERAGE   Team drops two spots but still racing strong. Team placed 3rd at the Bayside XC Invite on October 9th. Team competed this past weekend in the select race at Pre state.   

10. (NR) Providence School 21;34 TEAM AVERAGE   Welcome to the club! The Stallions gallop into the rankings with strong team performances at the Craig Speziale Invitational on October 9th              

Other teams to look out for:

(10) Lakeland Christian: 22:06 TEAM AVERAGE

(11) Community School of Naples: 22:25 TEAM AVERAGE

Palmer Trinity

Southwest Florida Christian

Out of Door

Individual Rankings

Commentary: A true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart." -- Zeus (Hercules)

All these girls have hero hearts now and continue to use your heart to do great things in the postseason!

Cambridge Lancer Girls hold the #1-2-3-6 positions in the 4th round of rankings! Top 6 girls remain in their positions but there has been changes in 6-15. Welcome Addison Dempsey to the top 15 rankings!  These past couple of weeks have shown girls who have been very strong and consistent with their racing. As we enter the postseason and district meets are right around the corner. These top 20 girls should be dominant in their district meets. Wishing everyone a great postseason! Stay healthy and injury free and keep up the amazing training and racing!

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

1. (1) Mary Ellen Eudaly 12th Cambridge Christian School = 17:51, Remains at the top of the mountain! Mary Ellen won the Tampa Bay Private Schools Championships a week ago and ran a fantastic race at Pre state to finish 3rd with an 18:05.

2. (2) Caroline Lehman 12th Cambridge Christian = 17:59, Caroline finished 3nd to her team mate Mary Ellen at the Tampa Bay Private School Championships and placed 8th Pre states with a strong 18:38 finish time.

3. (3) Elaina Black 8th Cambridge Christian = 18:05, This young lady just keeps her stride going! Elaina finished in 5th at Pre state with an 18:24 time on a very hot morning.

4. (4) Lauren Jones 12th Oak Hall = 18:23, Did not race this weekend.

5. (5) Ava Pouich 11th Evangelical Christian School = 18:28, Ava won the Bishop Vikings XC Invite a week ago and came back with a strong 13th finish at the Pre state meet this weekend with an 18:47.

6. (6) Madeliene Gear 10th Cambridge Christian School = 18:48, Madeline finished 18:52 at Pre state. Madeliene has been very consistent all season with her racing.

7. (11) Susan Grace Koeppel 10th Maclay = 19:05 PR, Susan moves up 4 spots in this rankings! Wow! Susan races to her new PR with her 18th place finish at Pre state under warm conditions! This sophomore will be one to watch now!

8. (BOLO) Addison Dempsey 10th Cardinal Mooney = 19:06 PR, Addison moves into the rankings this week! 1st Clearwater Central Catholic XC Invitational this past weekend. Another dark horse making her move!

9. (7) Sydney Miller 11th Oak Hall = 19:07, Sydney was 7th on October 9th at the Bobcat Classic.

10. (8) Raeanne Tutton 10th Pensacola Christian Academy = 19:10, RaeAnne placed 2nd Panhandle Cross Country Challenge a week ago and won the T.R. Challenge on October 2nd.

11. (9) Jaimee Tutton 8th Pensacola Christian Academy = 19:10, Jaimee beat her sister at the Panhandle XC Championships and finished 2nd to her sister at the T.R. challenge. These two sisters will be ones to watch as we enter the post season for sure.

12. (10) Alivia Dragstedt 9th Oak Hall School = 19:14, Alivia placed 14th at the Bobcat XC Meet on October 9th.

13. (12) Laci Watford 12th University Christian School = 19:22, Laci placed 32nd at Pre state and won the Craig Speziale Invite on October 9th.

14. (13) Andrea Montaner 10th Carroltton School of the Sacred Heart = 19:23 PR, Andrea 2nd place at the 305 Classic this past weekend and sets a new PR by 2 seconds on October 9th with her 3rd place finisher at the Pine Crest Cross Country Invitational

15. (14) Grace DeJeus 10th Circle Christian = 19:25 PR, Grace was 35th at Pre-State and 2nd at the Montverde Eagles XC Invitational on October 9th

Others to watch out for:

(15) Sarah Rudolph 12th Circle Christian =19:32

(BOLO) Reagan Smith Pensacola Christian Academy = 19:35

(BOLO) Katie Beam 11th Baptist Academy = 19:41

(BOLO) Elizabeth Poe 12th Tampa Bay Heat = 19:38

2A Girls Rankings

By David Suarez, Gulliver Prep, dsuarez@gulliverprep.org      

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Round 4 of rankings are out after FSU Pre State. Some teams showed up big time and others ran not as well. ARP used to be a course where everyone would come to run fast, but it seems less people are getting big PR's at ARP. I'm interested in the reasoning why and wondering how it will continue to be, some of it could come down to there being many other fast (and short) courses around the state. Some shifts in the rankings happen as we enter championship season.

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (1) Bolles HS = Showing up when it counts. The Bolles girls finished 2nd overall in the elite race behind a super team in cambridge christian. 19:17 team average spearheaded by their #1 Jillian Candelino, 11 running a very fast 17:36 for 2nd place. This team has it all with depth, a front runner and the ability to run fast when needed. Can't see anyone beating them.

2. (2) St. Brendan HS = The St. Brendan girls did not race this past weekend at FSU but stayed local. At the Bishop Verot meet last weekend they had their #5 run 22:02 which looks to be a huge improvement and could be the deciding factor in their podium push. As we go into championship season we will see how prepared they are.

3. (3) Bishop Kenny HS= 20:59 team average at FSU Pre state in the elite race. Their strength is in the pack. They hold their spot at #3 in this week's rankings. Their 1-4 is very tight knit but their #5 falls behind. Teams behind them can capitalize on that weakness without them having a true front runner. We will see how they enter the postseason.

4. (6) Berkeley Prep = Berkeley Prep while still missing their #3 had a great showing at FSU. 20:53 team average. Their #3-5 need to make somewhat of a drop if they want to be a threat to the podium this season but they look very strong entering the postseason.

5. (Unranked) South Walton HS = South Walton girls stepped up BIG time this weekend at FSU. Finishing as the 2nd ranked 2A team in combined scores. 20:41 team average. Depending on if they can consistently put it together in the next coming weeks they can make a podium push as well. Lacking some strength at the #5 however but a great 1-4.

6. (4) Gulliver Prep = Definitely not a great day for the raiders at FSU. Missing #5, Sick #1 and #4 not 100% healthy. Olivia Torres, 12, stepped up big time for us but we'll need to have everyone on point in the next coming weeks to maintain a high ranking spot.

7. (5) Mount Dora HS = Mount Dora girls showed up at FSU pre state. 20:49 team average. Maintaining the same 1-2 punch of  Hanna Douglas, 9, and Noelle Vu, 10, consistently running under 20 minutes and their #3-4 being consistent as well. Their #5 however is going to cost them big points at big meets and will be an area of improvement for sure heading into championship season.

8. (7) Satellite HS = Satellite girls haven't raced since October 9th at the Bayside XC Invitational. They posted a 20:50 team average there for the win. I'd say they're a team whose podium push comes from the depth in their squad. If they can push their 1-7 in front of a lot of other teams #5 that may give them the advantage in the big meet very similar to Gulliver Prep.

9. (9) Academy of Holy Names= The Academy of Holy Names girls finished 7th amongst 2A schools at FSU Pre State this weekend. With #1 Elizabeth Williamson, 9, leading the pack with some great front running. They need to solidify their 2-5 and push for low scores there if they want to remain a top 10 team.

10. (10) Pine Crest HS = Pine crest HS girls have a very similar squad to the Academy of Holy Names girls. With Brooke Hooper, 10, leading as a front runner chasing a top 5 finish in 2A. Their #2-5 have run well this season but they need to make a bit of a leap in terms of positioning to help their team scores. We all know the 21-22 minute range for girls is extremely packed with points that can make or break a team's finish.

11. (8) Episcopal School of Jacksonville

12. (11) Bishop Verot

13. (12) Lake Highland Prep

14. (14) Montverde Academy

15. (15) American Heritage MS/HS Boca DelRay

More teams to look out for:

Trinity Prep

Clearwater Central Catholic

The Kings Academy

Mckeel Academy

Cardinal Gibbons HS

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Round 4 of rankings come in after some serious performances and power shifts. Here we go!

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

1. (1) Jillian Candelino, 11 - Bolles HS = Undisputed #1 in 2A. She finished 2nd overall in the Elite Race at FSU this weekend in a very quick 17:36 PR. She is well ahead of any individual competition in 2A and is a definite favorite.

2. (11) Madison Carr, 9 - Astronaut HS - Madison ran an impressive 18:39 PR in the select race to solidify herself as one of the 2A classes top girls. She is definitely going to continue to be a threat as a young freshman with a bright future.

3. (Unranked) Elizabeth Williamson, 9 - Academy of Holy Names = Went completely under my radar due to the lack of legitimate course sample size. She mixed in extremely well in the elite race at FSU finishing 2nd in the select race. Seeing her and Madison Carr in an elite field surrounded by competition would be very interesting to see.

4. (5) Paige Jaszczak, 11 - Titusville HS = 19:09 in the elite girls race at FSU finishing 20th overall. Paige, like Jillian is one of the more experienced elite girls in 2A so that gives her an edge over some of the younger girls. Will be interesting to see how she continues into the championship season.

5.. (6) Brooke Hooper, 10 - Pine Crest HS = 19:14 for 3rd in the select race at FSU this weekend. Continues to be consistent in races all year long and has cracked the 19 minute barrier already this season albeit on a short course. Definitely a promising runner looking to mix in with the ones ahead of her would've liked to see what she did in the elite race.

6. (2) Emma Hencock, 11 - St. Brendan HS = Stayed local this past weekend cruising a 19:46 for the win at the 305 classic. Have no doubt she would've mixed in well with the top girls in the elite race to lead her team to a high finish. She's gone sub 19 this year as well already and will look to do so at the state meet later this year.

7. (4) Avery Frontrath, 10 - The Kings Academy = 19:09 for 20th place in the elite girls race at FSU this weekend. I have no doubts that Avery will continue to be a top runner in 2A and will be interested in seeing how much faster she can go later in the season. Another youngster who can mix in well and thrives in high pressure environments.

8. (8) Ella Mickler, 9, Bolles HS = There are more runners breaking up the Bolles pack now in these rankings but Ella ran a very solid 19:15 for 24th place in the elite girls race at FSU. Another youngster who has been consistently progressing all season and will look to break 19 very soon.

9. (Unranked) Michelle Smith, 10, Montverde Academy = Another girl who flew under the radar until this weekend at FSU where she ran a very solid 19:20 in the select race, PR'ing by over 30 seconds. If in an elite field I'm sure it would've been by more. Definitely one to keep an eye on going into championship season.

10. (13) Hannah Douglas, 9, Mount Dora HS = Once again a youngster who will mix in well with the top pack. 19:24 for 5th place in the girls select race at FSU. I think the top 15 in 2A will all run very very fast once all lined up together on November 12th.

11. (10) Elizabeth Mcclure, 9, Bolles HS

12. (Unranked) Hannah Buchanan, 12, South Walton HS

13. (Unranked) Morgan Cox, 11, Trinity Prep

14. (7) Elizabeth Csikai, 11, Bolles HS

15. (Unranked) Carlyn Bobo, 11 - Lake Placid HS

Other names to look out for:

Lucrezia Gowdy, 9, Episcopal School of Jacksonville

Mackenzie De Lisle, 9, Bishop Verot HS

Julia Reitz, 11, Bishop Verot HS

Noelle Vu, 10, Mount Dora HS

Hannah Kowkabany, 10, Episcopal School of Jacksonville

3A Girls Rankings

by Bonnie Fleming, The Pine School, bfleming@thepineschool.org            

Team Rankings:

4A Girls Rankings

by Dylan Hermelee, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, coachhermelee@gmail.com    

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Hello all, and welcome back to the 4th edition of the 2021 4A Girls Rankings! We are now entering the State Series portion of the season and teams are starting to hit their stride. This weekend saw many of the top 10 teams face off head-to-head at the FSU Pre-state Invite which caused some movement in the rankings. What's even more impressive is that 8 4A teams had between 20:20 and 20:34 team averages at FSU. YEAH! It's that close.

Rank. School = Comments

1. Newsome HS = Newsome had a solid showing at FSU finishing 6^th overall and was the highest placing 4A team. Surprisingly, they didn't have a true "front runner" this race, with Kendall Hughes crossing the line first in 36^th place with a 19:43 time. Even so, they held a 66 second spread and keep the #1 spot again heading into the District Championship week, even though the MileSplit rankings might say differently.

2. Buchholz HS = MileSplit says Buchholz is #1, but I say you got to beat the best to be the best. They ran a team in the FSU Elite race, but it wasn't their A-team. A couple weeks ago they won the Bobcat Classic over defending 1A state champions Oak Hall. They also ran a blistering 19:43 team average in the process. You might ask, "what else do they have to do to be ranked first?" And I'd probably with, "beat Newsome."

3. Timber Creek HS = Timber Creek finished 7^th at FSU this weekend. Number 1 runner and recent High Point commit Schultz lead the way with a 7^th place finish. In the elite race. After finishing just 13pts behind Newsome, Timber Creek has officially joined the conversation for potential State Champion squads.

4. Niceville HS = Niceville finished 8^th at FSU, only 6 points behind Timber Creek and 19 points behind Newsome. Their strong pack of 7 runners under 20:55 keeps them in the potential State Champion conversation.

5. HB Plant HS = HB Plant finished 9^th overall at FSU and was the 4^th place 4A team. Yes, that means the 4A teams went 6-7-8-9 and only 29 points separated them. Definitely keep HP Plant in the contender conversation.

6. Lakewood Ranch HS = Finished 11^th overall in the FSU Elite race and was only 50pts behind #1 ranked Newsome. Are you seeing a trend here?

7. G Holmes Braddock = Braddock moves back on spot to 7^th this week. They finished 4pts behind Olympia in the Elite race, but when you filter the results to only 4A teams, they beat the Titans by 18pts. Needless to say, they make the 4A championship even tighter.

8 Olympia HS = Olympia finished 13^th place in the FSU elite race, but as stated earlier, they finished 7^th out of 4A teams. They need help from their 5^th runner to have a shot at the podium.

9. Viera HS = Viera makes a big jump to 9^th after an impressive 16^th place finish in the Elite race at FSU. With a 20:44 team average on the state course, they are a team to take seriously. 

10. Creekside HS = Creekside falls to 10^th in the rankings after finishing 18^th in the Elite race at FSU. They ran their A-team without missing anyone, so they were in fact the 9^th 4A team that day.

11. Spanish River = Spanish River finished 21^st in the Elite race at FSU. Their top 2 runners both placed inside the top 45 runners, but they need help from their back pack of runners.

12. Flagler Palm Coast HS = 25^th in the Elite race at FSU, Flagler stays in the top 15 entering the state championship series.

13. Winter Park HS = They had a great 2^nd place showing at the Tohpekaliga Invite a couple weeks ago and finished 28^th in the Elite race at FSU.

14. Park Vista HS = Park Vista finished 8^th in the Select race at FSU with a 21:23 team average.

15. West Orange HS = West Orange finished 9th in the Select Race at FSU with a 21:20 team average.

Other teams to watch out for:

16. Dr. Phillips

17. Mandarin HS

18. Bartram Trail HS

19. George Jenkins

20. Wharton HS

21. Sarasota HS

22. Chiles HS

23. Evans HS

24. Windermere HS

25. Palm Harbor Univ HS

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: We have some new names this week with lots of movement in the rankings. With lots of recent head-to-head battles at FSU this weekend, the individual race is starting to heat up!

Rank. Name, Grade -- School = Comments

1. Amber Schulz, 12 -- Timber Creek HS -- 7^th overall and the 1^st finisher from 4A in the Elite Race at FSU. She's looking strong to defend her title.

2. Kate Drummond, 11 -- Buhholtz HS -- She did not run at FSU, but she's had an impressive enough season that there is no reason to move her.

3. Penelope Sosa, 12 -- Coral Park -- Sosa moves up to 3 this round after a strong 10^th place finish in the Elite race at FSU and being the second 4A finisher.

4. Brooke Reif, 12 - Wharton HS -- Reif finished 1 spot and 3 seconds behinds Sosa at FSU this weekend.

5. Emily Knopfle, 9 -- Olympia -- Knopfle finished 12^th overall in the Elite race and was the 4^th finsher from 4A.

6. Kendall Houghes, 12 -- Newsome HS -- She had an off race at FSU, but I'm confident she will bounce back.

7. Annabella Cardona, 10 -- G Holmes Braddock HS = She finished 23^rd overall in the Elite race at FSU.

8. Jada Williams, 11 -- Flagler Palm Coast HS = Jada was 28^th overall in the Elite Race at FSU.

9. Haley Thornton 11 -- Palm Harbor -- She didn't run at FSU, but her work this season keeps her in the top 10. Alanie Rivera, 12 -- Harmony HS -- The definition of do it on the same day and on the same course. Alanie jumps into the top 10 after finishing 7^th at FSU in the Select race but running one of the fastest 4A times of the day, with a 19:29.

11. Megan Dolan, 11 -- Boone HS -- Also in the select race, Dolan finished 9^th overall with a 19:30.

12. Ella Klyce, 10 -- West Orange HS -- She was 11^th in the Select race at FSU and ran a 19:31

13. Zoe Pustilnik, 12 -- Spanish River -- 37^th in the Elite race at FSU.

14. Grace Marston 12- Lakewood Ranch -- 41^st in the Elite race at FSU,

15. Hannah Foley, 11 -- Boone HS -- 13^th in the Select race at FSU.

Other individuals to watch out for:

16. Lucy Voss, 10 -- Buchholz HS

17. Catalina Edwards, 11 -- Celebration HS

18. Julianna Courville, 12 -- Venice HS

19. Hannah Clayton, 11- Dr Phillips HS

20. Isa Bella Narvaez, 11 -- Viera HS

21. Kayla McCarthy 10 -- Lake Brantley HS

22. Brooke Gerrits 11- Viera HS

23. Delaney Stephens, 11 -- Spruce Creek HS

24. Lailana Decker, 9 -- Harmony HS

25. Annie Loehle 12 -- Mandarin HS

BOYS STATE RANKINGS

1A Boys Rankings

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

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the fourth state rankings for your 1A boys! It is so close between top 3 teams. For now it's…

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (3) Circle Christian = 11th in FSU elite race   avg 16:52   347pts

2. (2) Oak Hall = 12th in FSU elite race   avg 16:52   355 pts

3. (1) Indian Rocks Christian = led by Mr Luna sub 16, the rest of the team stayed home and took care of matters win at the CCC invite

4. (4) Cambridge Christian = 8th FSU select   avg 17:38

5. (5) Pensacola Christian = won the tough Panhandle Challenge in 17:31 avg

6. (10) Seffner (two time defending state champs) Christian = 17th FSU select   avg 17:37

7. (6) St. Francis Catholic = 20th FSU select   avg 17:55

8. (7) SW Fla Christian = 5th at Bishop Verot invite 17:58 avg

9. (8) Out of Door Academy = got 2nd at BRC invite, without no 2 runner Declan Fiorucci, thanks to their sixth runner, breaking the tie with Manatee, Ian Strang, every runner matters and nice a PR by Collin Dillingham. 4th at LOL invite the previous week 18:04 avg, with Owen Eakle keeping the boys streak, of at least two PRs a week

10. (NR) St. Stephens Episcopal School = 4th at BRC invite in 18:04 avg, this is team that has shown steady improvement all season, great job,,another region 3 team

Other teams to watch out for:

(9) St. Johns Country Day

(BOLO) Maclay

(BOLO) Palmer Trinity

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Wow, what a race! The rankings are a little easier when most of the top runners race each other and other top runners run the same course

Rank. Name, Grade -- School = Comments

1. (1) Matthew Stratton, 12 - St Johns Country Day = 3rd at FSU elite with a blazing time of 15:16, that's almost 30 seconds faster than the next 1A runner

The next 5 I think are pretty darn close…

2. (2) Mateo Luna, 12 - Indian Rocks Christian = 14th at FSU elite   15:43

3. (7) Caden (back in the mix) Montini, 11 - Oak Hall = 16th at FSU elite   15:46

4. (3) Jack DeJesus, 11 - Circle Christian = 20th at FSU elite   15:51

Tied for 5th are two seniors from the powerhouse school Seffner Christian…

T-5. (BOLO) Andrew (he's back) Stowe, 12 - Seffner Christian = 16:09

T-5. 6. (6) Christian Giller, 12 - Seffner Christian = 16:12

7. (5) Tristan McWilliam, 12 - Out of Door Academy = won 1st race of the season in convincing fashion at BRC invite in 16:18, 2nd at LOL invite in 16:21, car got in way would have run faster 

8. (BOLO) Michael Kirwan, 12 - Circle Christian = 47th FSU elite   16:27

9. (10) Asher Dorbin, 12 - Oak Hall = 48th at FSU elite   16:27

10. (NR) Braxton Legg, 11 - Cambridge Christian = 13th at FSU select   16:28

11. (4) Jonathan Tutton, 12 - Pensacola Christian = 5th at Panhandle Challenge 17:02, but must have been a tough course

Other harriers to watch out for (in no particular order):

(8) Andrew Brix, 11 - Pensacola Christian = 17:00

(9) Graham Myers, 10 - St. Johns Country Day = 16:41

(BOLO) Hayden Tank, 11 - SW FL Christian = 16:38

(BOLO) Julian Bautista, 12 - St. Francis Catholic = 16:54

(NR) Clayton Knox, 11 - Maclay

2A Boys Rankings

By David Suarez, Gulliver Prep, dsuarez@gulliverprep.org

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Round 4 of boy's rankings. The top 3 teams continue to dominate 2A and look very even so far this season. However some changes after big racing this weekend will occur.

Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments

1. (2) Bolles HS = After a fantastic performance at FSU this weekend finishing 2nd overall with a 16:18 team average and phenomenal 0:39 second 1-5 split, the boys of Bolles get the #1 spot this week. Stepping up when it counts comes naturally to them as they have proven once again. This battle for the state title will be a close one however.

2. ( 3) Berkeley Prep = Berkeley Prep boys finished 3rd in the elite race at FSU only 32 points behind Bolles. 16:16 team average but a 1:34 1-5 split puts them just behind Bolles. If they can progress their #4-5 forward they can challenge a little bit more against Bolles.

3. (1) Satellite HS = All though the Satellite boys have sat first in the rankings for a while. They have not raced in almost a month since Katie Caples in late september. This causes them to fall in the rankings. Not sure why they haven't been racing but one thing I am sure of is that they will enter the championship season prepared and ready to compete for the team title.

4. (4) Bishop Kenny HS = Bishop Kenny boys finished 3rd amongst 2A schools at FSU this past weekend showing great pack strength. 17:22 team average with a fantastic 0:29 second 1-5 split. They are definitely looking to be a top 4 team behind the power three ahead of them.

5. (Unranked) South Walton HS = The South Walton boys matched the girls' energy this weekend at FSU by showing up under the radar. 0:21 second 1-5 split shows phenomenal pack work. 17:42 team average also and this out of the select race. They lack a front runner but can work that pack well into the scoring.

6. (8) Mater Lakes Academy = Mater lakes boys also had a great showing at FSU continuing to be consistent this season. Finishing 5th amongst 2A teams with a 17:45 team average. They have been great all season and are hoping to continue that going into the championship season. Here around this spot is where things get close amongst teams.

7. (5) Lake Highland Prep = 17:48 team average at FSU with their #1 looking to score low points as the championship season comes around. This will give them an edge over some teams as well as having a tight knit #2-5.

8. (6) Calvary Christian Clearwater = Last raced at the Tampa Bay Private School championships where they finished 3rd with a 17:31 team average. They've got 2 solid boys looking to score low points and then a good #3-5 to help them out. I think if they would have run at FSU this past weekend they'd be higher in the rankings.

9. (9) Clearwater Central Catholic = Finished 2nd at the Clearwater Catholic XC Invitational. 17:40 team average and 1:13 1-5 split gives them the edge over some other teams to crack the top 10. Another team who I think would have ran well at FSU this past weekend.

10. (7) Montverde Academy = Montverde boys lack the pack in #3-5 and I can see them suffering some heavy points due to that but they have their #1 in Riley Novack, 11, who will most likely score less than 5 points at the state meet. For that reason they are here but if they can move their pack forward they can finish even higher.

11. (15) Miami Sunset HS

12. (Unranked) Sebring HS

13. (Unranked) Lemon Bay HS

14. (Unranked) Trinity Prep

15. (14) Pine Crest HS

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: The boys individual title race will be an awesome one to watch. However with Satellite boys not having raced in a month there were some hard decisions to make in these rankings. Some changes around will leave things open for championship season.

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

1. (2) Nick Carpenter, 12, Trinity Prep = 15:21 for 4th place in the elite boys race at FSU this weekend was an extremely legitimate performance. He has moved into the favorite position for me but this race will still be very open in my opinion come November 12th.

2. (1) Ethan Lipham, 12 - Berkeley Prep = 15:28 for 6th place in the boys elite race. An awesome battle to watch between him and Nick and one I'm looking forward to seeing again later this year. They've traded wins against each other and will continue to battle it out.

3. (4) Kirin Karver, 11 - Berkeley Prep = 15:40 for 13th place at FSU looking to enter a more elite bracket. Don't count him out of anything as he is still only a junior. Excited to see him and Ethan lead the pack up front at the state meet as they look to chase a team title as well.

4. (9) Tyler Wadsworth, 12, Port Charlotte HS = 15:46 in the boys elite race. Tyler made a significant leap with an 18 seond PR on the big stage. He showed he can battle it out with the best in the business.

5. (6) Justin Wilson, 12, Satellite HS = This ranking for Justin is based mostly on his resume and experience. It is too hard to count him out of the individual state title challenge and if prepared come championship season he can make a run for it.

6. (3) Riley Novack, 11, Montverde Academy = The first non senior in the top 6. Riley got out hard and to the front of the pack this weekend at FSU in the boys elite race but slowly faded finishing in 15:51 for 19th overall. If he can work on that he can challenge for more than just top 5.

7. (10) Colin Duhnoski, 12, Bolles HS = Colin finished in 15:55 for 22nd place leading the Bolles pack to their runner up finish. With the eyes on the team title I'm sure here be leaving it all out there later this season.

8. (5) Aidan Ryan, 11, Bolles HS = Bolles' original #1 finished in 16:02 for 25th place this weekend at FSU. On the same boat as his teammate Colin looking to score as low as possible for the team to take the win later this year.

9. (11) William Romac, 12 - Saint Andrews HS = 16:02 for 3rd overall in the select race. One to keep an eye on for when he mixes in with the top dogs in 2A. Think he would've broken 16 had he been in the elite race.

10. (7) Dayton Law, 12 - Satellite HS = Another Satellite boy who had run well this season until their hiatus from racing. If healthy will be back strong for championship season.

11. (Unranked) Colton Lawson, 11 - The Kings Academy

12. (Unranked) William Brady, 12, Bolles HS

13. (Unranked) Andrew Mcgraw, 11, Bolles HS

14. (Unranked) Liam Jordan, 9, Berkeley Prep

15. (15) Aidan Mason, 12, Satellite HS

Other names to look out for:

Andrew Mahorner, 11, Satellite HS

Zackary Florendo, 12, Calvary Christian Clearwater

Daniel Demomnte, 11, Bolles HS

Dylan Nolan, 11, Clearwater Central Catholic

Felipe De Cardenas, 12, Ransom Everglades

3A Boys Rankings

By "anonymous", ryanraposo@gmail.com

Team Rankings:

The Championship series is now amongst us as we move into Conference and then District Championship meets. With 8 teams from each district moving on to the regional competitions, it will be interesting to see how some coaches play out these next few weeks. Top teams don't necessarily have to run their best to make it through and so we may see some strange results as coaches work to squeeze out the last few hard workouts prior to the expected taper just prior to states. Here are the top teams today as we head into the championship series of races.

PreState is a great litmus test for runners and teams and the results are insightful. This installment of the rankings is highly influenced by the results from PreState.

Rank. (last ranking) School, team ave based on ave times -- Comments

1. (1) Belen Jesuit, 16:16 -- Great showing at PreState with the team win in the Elite race. On a roll and no end in sight.

2. (2) Sunlake, 16:42 -- Raced a 16:20 team average at PreState and finished 5^th in Elite race beating the likes of Viera, Plant and Bartram Trail.  

3. (4) Fort Myers, 17:02 -- 14^th place in Elite race at PreState with team average of 16:52. Strong 1^st place finish at Bishop Verot Viking Invite beating Naples. So once again, they flip flop with Naples.

4. (5) Leon, 16:59 -- 20^th place in Elite race at PreState with team average of 16:47 on "home" course.

5. (3) Naples, 17:21 -- Didn't race PreState. Placed 2^nd behind Fort Myers at Bishop Verot Viking Invite.

6. (6) Ocala Vanguard, 17:23 -- Marion County Conference Champs. Wildwood Invite Champs. Districts alongside two other ranked teams on this list (Sunlake and River Ridge) is up next for them.

7. (7) Ponte Vedra, 17:35 -- 23^rd place in Elite race at PreState with a team average of 17:06.

8. (8) Winter Springs, 17:43 -- 30^th place in Elite race at PreState with a team average of 17:53

9. (9) Dunbar, 17:48 -- 5^th place in Select race at PreState with a team average of 17:20

10. (12) Bishop Moore, 18:00 -- Haven't raced since 10/9. Citrus League Championships is up next for them on 10/20.

11. (10) Ida S. Baker, 17:58 -- 10^th place team finish at Bishop Verot Viking Invite.

12. (NR) River Ridge, 17:52 -- Placed 25^th in Elite race at PreState finishing ahead of Dunbar in combined results with a team average of 17:14.

Other teams to watch out for:

St. Thomas Aquinas, Cape Coral, Fort Walton Beach, G. Holmes Braddock, Osceola, Tampa Jesuit, Rockledge

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Rankings are skewed to take into consideration the course difficulties raced and average race times (season to date). Racing consistently fast times and/or improving is imperative to be considered for placement on this list.

Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Season Average, Grade -- School -- Comments

1. (2) Patrick Koon, 15:26, 10 -- Leon -- Apalachee is his "home" course, and he took advantage of that familiarity to crush the competition at PreState with a 15:09. He now stands alone as the front runner to win it all due to what may be considered home field advantage. 

2. (1) Adam Magoulas, 15:27, 12 -- Belen Jesuit -- Didn't race PreState.

3. (3) Colby Robbins, 16:00, 12 -- Sunlake -- 15:36 and 10^th place at PreState and getting faster as the season progresses.

4. (4) Josh Ruiz, 15:54, 10 -- Belen Jesuit -- Served in the role of Belen's number 1 admirably at PreState with a 15:34 and an 8^th place finish.

5. (5) Alex Pena, 16:03, 11 -- Sunlake -- 15:40 and 12^th place at PreState -- consistently elite runner.

6. (6) Zack Poekert, 16:11, 11 -- Cypress Creek -- 15:44 and 15^th place at PreState.

7. (7) Kolten Pickard, 16:24, 12 -- Estero -- 15:52 win at PreState in Select race. First time under 16min.

8. (9) Jake Rogers, 16:16, 11 -- Leon -- Part of the Leon 1-2 punch alongside Koon. Finished 16:13 and 32^nd place in Select PreState race.

9. (NR) Cason Meyer, 16:35, 12 -- Sunlake -- Finished 30^th in Elite race at PreState with a 16:09. Part of Sunlake's 1-2-3 punch that will serve this team well in upcoming State Series competitions.

10. (8) Luke Larkin, 16:31, 12 -- Fort Walton Beach -- Finished with a 16:35 at PreState and 17^th place in Select race.

Other individuals to watch out for: (to be considered, season ave should be under 17)

Grant Doherty, 16:36, 12 - Ponte Vedra

Evan Torres, 16:30, 10 -- Belen Jesuit

Kaleb Hollins, 16:45, 11 - Choctawhatchee

Isaiah Barajas, 16:46, 12 -- Naples

Clayton Knight, 16:42, 11 -- Ocala Vanguard

Colsen Palmer, 16:17, 12 -- Fort Myers

Ryan Livinsgston, 16:53, 12 - Dunbar

4A Boys Rankings

by Dylan Hermelee, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, coachhermelee@gmail.com

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Hello all, and welcome back to the 4th edition of the 2021 4A Boys Rankings! We are now entering the State Series portion of the season and teams are starting to hit their stride. This weekend saw many of the top 10 teams face off head-to-head at the FSU Pre-state Invite which caused some movement in the rankings. I'm a fan of head to head racing, so we made some big changes this round.

Rank. School = Comments

1. Creekside HS -- After finishing 2^nd to Viera by 1pt at New World a couple weeks ago, Creekside finished 4^th overall in the Elite race at FSU and defeated Viera by 46 points in the process. That's enough to take the #1 spot over.

2. Viera HS = Viera moves out of the #1 spots after holding it down for months. Viera finished 6^th overall in the Elite race, narrowly defeating HB Plant (7^th) and Columbus (8^th) and Bartram Trail (9^th) in the process. Even crazier, if you remove the 4A results from everyone else, Viera actually finished 5^th among 4A teams. Needless to say, it's gonna be a wild end to the season.

3.  Nease HS -- They ran without Harrison this weekend and finished 21^st. Harrison is arguably worth a 136pt swing and that would have put them right in the mix with the other top 4A teams in the race. We leave them at 3^rd for this round.

4. HB Plant HS = HB Plant finished 7^th overall in the Elite race at FSU and was the 2^nd best 4A team this weekend. They beat Columbus and Bartram Trail in the process and jump of to 4^th in this rounds rankings.

5. Christopher Columbus HS = Columbus finished 8^th overall in the Elite race at FSU and beat Bartram Trail by only 7pts in the process. To say the state meet is going to be a close one is a huge understatement.

6. Bartram Trail -- Bartram Trail was 9^th in the Elite race at FSU. They were narrowly edged out by Columbus, but they actually had a slightly faster team average. Either way, keep an eye on them during the state series.

7. Niceville HS = They were 13^th in the Elite Race at FSU and beat Spanish River, Newsome, Buchholz and Chiles in the process.

8. Chiles HS = They finished 15^th overall in the FSU Elite race, but if you separate the 4A teams from everyone else, they were the 11^th 4A team to finish. Ben Kirbo and Wyatt Townsend give them a strong 1-2 punch, but they need more from their 4 and 5 runners.

9. Spanish River HS = They were 16^th in the Elite race at FSU and defeated Newsome, Nease, Buccholz and Palmetto Ridge in the process.

10. Newsome HS = Newsome finished 17^th overall in the Elite race at FSU, but when the 4A results are separated, they were the 7^th best 4A team in the race. It will be interesting to see what they do in the next couple weeks.

11. Buchholz HS = They finished 22^nd in the Elite race at FSU. They ran pretty even as a team, but for now they are just outside of the top 10.

12. Hagerty HS -- Hagerty finished 24^th in the Elite race at FSU.

13. G Holmes Braddock -- Braddock finished 3^rd overall in the Select race at FSU this weekend.

14. Bloomingdale HS -- Moves into the top 15 this round after a 4^th place finish in the Select race at FSU.

15. Melbourne HS -- Melbourne moves into the - 15 after winning the Tohopekaliga Invite last week.  

Other teams to watch out for:

16. Boca Raton HS

17. Palmetto Ridge HS

18. Tohopekaliga HS

19. Timber Creek HS

20. Celebration HS

21. Winter Park HS

22. Sarasota HS

23. Orange City HS

24. Mandarin HS

25. Olympia HS

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: We have some new names this week with lots of movement in the rankings. With lots of recent head-to-head battles between 4A teams at FSU.

Rank. Name, Grade -- School = Comments

1. Rheinhardt Harrison, 12 -- Nease HS = Stays put at #1 even though he didn't race this weekend.  

2. Michael Toppi, 12 -- Viera HS = He just finished 2^nd overall in the Elite race at FSU and was a solid 10 seconds in front of the next 4A runner

3. Ben Kirbo, 12 -- Chiles HS = Kirbo has put together a really nice season. He follows up his big FL Runner performance with a 5^th place finish in the Elite race at FSU.   

4. Ryan Maney, 12 - HB Plant HS = Grabbed a 7^th place finish in the Elite race at FSU and also grabbed a 22 second PR. Maney seems to be peaking at the right time.

5. Brayden Seymour, 11 -- Hagerty HS = 11^th place overall in the Elite race at FSU and ran his second fastest time of the season.

6. Wyatt Townsend, 11 -- Chiles HS = 18^th overall in the Elite race at FSU and PR'd in the process.

7. Jonathon Leon, 10 -- Hagerty HS = He was 23^rd overall in the Elite race at FSU. Not his fastest time of the season, but he helped Hagerty move up in the rankings.

8. Branden McDonald, 12 -- Bartram Trail HS -- McDonald makes the list for the first time after a big race at FSU. He finished 24^th overall and ran a new PR in the process.

9. Emerson Miller, 11- Buchholz HS = He stays put at #9 after an impressive 26^th place finish in the elite race at FSU.

10. Jason Swartzlander, 12 -- Newsome = He was 27^th overall in the Elite race at FSU. 

11. Raekwon Hopkins, 12 - Alonso HS = He was 28^th overall in the Elite race at FSU.

12. Albert Tawil-Brown, 11- HB Plant HS = Not much action from Tawil-Brown, only running 1 race in the last 3 weeks, but he has a solid 3^rd place showing at the TRC Rogers Park Invite.

13. Anthony Matthew, 12 -- Martin County = He makes the list for the first time after an impressive 4^th place finish in the Select race at FSU.

14. Cameron Raney, 11 -- Viera HS = He was only 38^th at FSU in the Elite race, but he has still gone under 16 minutes 3 times this year, for that, he stays in the top 15.  

15. Sam Jaramillo, 12 -- Spanish River HS = He was 31^st in the Elite race at FSU.  

16. Ryan Douihech, 12 - West Boca Raton HS = 2^nd in the Select race at FSU.

Other individuals to watch out for:

17. Bernardo Barnhardt, 11 -- Palmetto Ridge HS

18. Robbie Naberhaus, 12 -- Viera HS

19. Ryan Sarafoglu, 11- Coral Reef

20. Eduardo Diaz, 12 -- West Port HS

21. Gabriel Garcia, 12 -- G Holmes Braddock

22. Zack Zimmerman, 11 -- Fort Lauderdale HS

23. Noah Musselwhite, 11 -- Apopka HS

24.  Joel Mcconnell, 11 -- Dr. Phillips HS

25. Zack Zimmerman, 11 -- Fort Lauderdale HS

26. Aedan Rendek, 12 -- Viera HS

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 there is a concern, such as a missed athlete or team, please email the individual pollster for your classification & gender.

- Please direct any other issues to FACA Rankings Representative: Ryan Raposo @ ryanraposo@gmail.com