The norm is becoming sub 18 minutes every time that Cambridge Christian ninth grader Eliana Black toes the line on a cross country course. Put her on a road. Put her on grass. Put her on trails. The course can be completely flat or several hills. Long straightaways or many sharp turns. She will find a way to see 17 minutes across the finish line and well ahead of the rest of her competition. In her four races prior to this weekend, Black had winning times of 17:46, 17:23, 17:20, and 17:15.
That proved true once again at Apalachee Regional Park on Saturday morning in the elite girls race at the FSU Pre-State Invitational that had virtually all of the top runners in the state of Florida regardless of classification previewing the state meet course. Black built a 12 second field on the field by the first mile with a 5:23 split and nearly doubled that margin by two miles with a 11:11 split.
After running 18:24 at the FSU Pre-State Invitational and 18:26 in the 1A race at the 2021 FHSAA State Finals last year, Black ran a 45 second course PR when she crossed the line first on Saturday with a time of 17:39, which only 17 others have broken 17:40 on the course in prior years.
Among freshmen in Florida, only Carly McNatt at 17:06 (2019) and Ashley Brasovan at 17:07 (2005) have run faster than Black with her 17:15 season best from her North Port Invitational earlier this season. McNatt was a Foot Locker All-American with an 8th place national finish that season, while Brasovan went onto become a Foot Locker National champion in the 2007 season. Pretty good company to be chasing after.
Black still has a month and half of races this season to improve her times too as well as go for her first individual FHSAA state title after winning several FLYRA middle school state titles in cross country and track as a youth.
She already set several state records for her grade as a middle schooler, so no surprise that she will be looking to be one of the fastest freshmen ever in Florida this year.
The Cambridge Christian squad that she leads suffered a setback though as a unit in the FSU Pre-State Invitational as the FL #2 ranked squad coming into the meet ended up finishing a disappointing 4th in the team standings as well as 9 points behind another 1A school in Maclay School. Even though a ninth grader, Black is already a natural leader on the squad being part of the program the last few years and will look to rally the back end of their scoring five to step up with better performances when they race again in Tallahassee on Saturday, November in the FHSAA State Cross Country Championships in order for them to repeat as champions.
She will certainly do her part up front and ahead of the rest.
