Interview with Bolles girls cross country coach Tony Ryan, who tied HB Plant High School head coach Roy Harrison yesterday, for most girls' cross country team state titles in Florida high school history with title #12. Meanwhile, the Bolles girls broke a tie with the Plant program with title #13 of the school's rich history of cross country success which 9 of those titles have come under the direction of Coach Ryan.
Coach Ryan's first 3 state team championships as a high school cross country coach came during his time at Bishop Kenny in Jacksonville during the mid-1990s. Coach Ryan talks about his 2021 squad, which had a lot of expectations and pressure on them to perform at their 2020 state champion levels with many returnees coming back as the overwhelming favorites up to race day in the 2A race.
We touch on the individual breakout season for Jillian Candelino and achieving a program first with an individual state champion and team state champion in the same year. While he does not coach the boys' squad at Bolles School (Mike Rivera is the head coach), Coach Ryan enjoyed a special thrill in the boys' team championship on Friday with his son and junior Aidan Ryan running a personal best time of 15:35 to nab an individual state runner-up honor to lead his squad to victory.
Lastly, Coach Ryan finishes with the alumni, tradition, and history of the Bolles program which still has a bright future ahead to keep it going including 5 of their top 7 varsity runners returning for the 2022 season.
