Michael Toppi 14:41 State's Fastest 5K Ever At RunningLane


Viera senior Michael Toppi recorded the fastest 5K cross country time in Florida high school cross country history with his 14:41 effort to finish 31st in the championship gold division race at the Garmin RunningLane National Cross Country Championships in Huntsville, Alabama.

Part of a historically deep field on an incredible fast course in ideal conditions, Toppi seized the opportunity to move ahead of Rheinhardt Harrison's 14:45 performance earlier in the season at the New World Fall Spectacular. Toppi had finished 10 seconds off Harrison as a runner-up in that race with a 14:55 effort as his prior 5K best before today at RunningLane.


A reasonable 14-second season best improvement for Toppi after 2 months of training and racing against a field so deep and fast that he might not see even the same level next week when he travels to San Diego to Eastbay XC Nationals and might have to wait until he qualifies for a NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Nationals next at Florida State University.

Next week, Toppi will finish out his high school career in cross country in San Diego, California for the Eastbay Nationals (formerly Foot Locker) and hopes for a top 20 finish and potentially top 15 All-American finish. 

The next fastest Florida boys performance came from Cypress Creek junior Zack Poekert as his 15:17 clocking placed him 123rd remarkably in the championship gold race and only a few seconds off his season best time from his conference meet. Poekert had run 15:32 on the track just weeks ago at the West Orange Distance Carnival.

In the silver division race, Berkeley Prep senior Ethan Lipham was the state's top finisher with a 5K personal best time of 15:22 for 38th place and just head a trio of Florida runners also ending their season with their fastest times ever under 15:30 in IMG Academy's Joshua Bergers (49th, 15:25), Buchholz's Emerson Miller (5th, 15:27), and HB Plant's Ryan Maney (59th, 15:28). 

A total of 16 runners from Florida broke 16 minutes on the day at the 2021 Garmin RunningLane Championships to conclude a historically deep and fast year for the state with 54 runners over the course of the season also going sub 16 minutes for the 5K distance.

Florida Boys Times @ Garmin RunningLane Champs

RANKTIMEATHLETE/TEAMGRADEMEET DATE PLACE
114:41.45
Viera HS
2022
215:17.35
Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel) High School
2023
315:22.20
Berkeley Prep HS
2022
415:25.74
IMG Elite
2022
515:27.84
Buchholz HS
2023
615:28.94
HB Plant HS
2022
715:30.05
Sunlake HS
2022
815:35.50
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
2022
915:37.82
Miami Vice Project
2022
1015:38.67
Boca Raton HS
2022
1115:40.91
Seffner Christian
2022
1215:43.37
Viera HS
2022
1315:47.38
Rockledge HS
2023
1415:49.68
Viera HS
2023
1515:50.19
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
2023
1615:54.22
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
2023
1715:57.06
Pensacola Christian Academy
2023
1816:01.41
Viera HS
2023
1916:17.34
IMG Elite
2022
2016:19.71
Viera HS
2022
2116:20.80
Palm Harbor University HS
2023
2216:23.40
Niceville HS
2023
2316:30.92
Sarasota Riverview HS
2022
2416:33.91
IMG Elite
2022
2516:38.38
Rockledge HS
2023
2616:40.57
Niceville HS
2023
2716:40.98
Sarasota Riverview HS
2023
2816:41.60
Rockledge HS
2023
2916:41.86
Viera HS
2025
3016:41.99
Marathon MS/HS
2022
3116:45.65
Dunedin HS
2022
3216:49.29
Niceville HS
2024
3316:50.45
Berkeley Prep HS
2022
3416:50.79
Space Coast HS
2023
3516:53.79
Buchholz HS
2022
3616:54.31
IMG Elite
2023
3716:57.16
Miami Vice Project
2024
3817:05.74
Pensacola Christian Academy
2022
3917:14.06
Emerald Coast Track Club
2022
4017:14.33
Berkeley Prep HS
2022
4117:15.49
Miami Vice Project
2024
4217:27.31
Pensacola Christian Academy
2024
4317:32.98
Pensacola Christian Academy
2023
4417:40.53
Rockledge HS
2024
4517:48.19
First Baptist Academy
2022
4617:55.50
Viera HS
2022
4717:58.57
Pensacola Christian Academy
2023
4818:02.59
Miami Vice Project
2024
4918:03.46
Viera HS
2022
5018:13.59
IMG Elite
2022
5118:21.45
Palm Harbor University HS
2025
5218:29.60
Viera HS
2024
5318:31.91
Miami Vice Project
2023
5418:39.64
Rockledge HS
2024
5518:52.69
Pensacola Christian Academy
2023
5619:01.62
Miami Vice Project
2023
5719:28.76
IMG Elite
2022
5819:30.20
Sarasota Riverview HS
2023
5921:49.90
Rocky Bayou Christian School
2025
6024:37.85
Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel) High School
2023