Olivia Niewald won the FHSAA 4A Region 1 meet on Saturday in Gainesville with a stellar winning time of 18:28 for great moment to celebrate, but on a bittersweet note as she will be advancing to the state meet without her Spruce Creek team that just missed being the 8th and final team to qualify out of the regional by only 1 mere point in ninth place with 216 points.
How should XC individuals in FL qualify from district to region and from region to state?
Below are the top 3 individuals from non-advancing team that qualified out of each regional meet in Florida.
There has been debate whether the current system to qualify is the fairest or best way to advance runners through each round of the championship season in cross country.
Would it be better to do a simple top 15 finishers advance regardless if on team qualifier or not compared to sticking to the same system which can vary district to district and region to region where the cut off mark to qualify can vary greatly.
On average for this year's regional meets, the average cut off place actually is 15th place ironically. Of the 32 regional races, 13 races saw the 3rd and final individual qualifier cutoff before the 15th place. Meanwhile, 19 regional races saw the 3rd and final individual qualifier cut off at 15th place or further back in the field.
4A Region 1 Boys
10. Gavin Nelson 12 Mandarin 16:11
13. Price Wheeler 12 Lake Mary 16:19
18. Joel McConnell 12 Dr. Phillips 16:25
4A Region 1 Girls
1. Olivia Niewald 12 Spruce Creek 18:28
5. Sierra Barrera 12 Oakleaf 18:48
9. Layla Fuller 9 Lake Brantley 19:21
4A Region 2 Boys
4. Evan Crane 12 North Port 15:29
6. William Montanye 11 Gulf Coast 15:34
16. Ben Tary 12 Venice 16:11
4A Region 2 Girls
1. Alexandra Raquet 12 Sickles 18:16
2. Malia Hambrick 9 North Port 18:29
9. Gianna Del Pizzo 11 Lehigh 19:27
4A Region 3 Boys
5. Connor Brooks 12 Boca Raton 16:08
14. Joel Jean 12 Harmony 16:33
20. Brexton Hathaway 11 Timber Creek 17:02
4A Region 3 Girls
5. Catalina Edwards 12 Celebration 19:12
8. Lailana Decker 10 Harmony 19:31
9. Katelyn Sadorf 11 Spanish River 19:35
4A Region 4 Boys
1. Zack Zimmerman 12 Fort Lauderdale 16:00
13. Elijah John 12 Nova 17:07
20. Elijah Sherman 12 Fort Lauderdale 17:26
7. Michaela Thompson 10 Miami Palmetto
9. Lauren Vassello 12 Fort Lauderdale
16. Ella Schwartz 11 Douglas
3A Region 1 Boys
11. Nicolas Waddell 11 Mosley 16:37
18. John Syla 11 Stanton Prep 17:00
23. Julio Rodriguez 12 Ridgeview 17:09
3A Region 1 Girls
8. Elyse Carmichael 10 Pensacola Booker T. Washington 19:04
29. Nicole Webber 12 Gainesville 20:59
33. Kennedy Flores 10 Arnold 21:15
3A Region 2 Boys
2. Israel Mirtil 12 Lake Region 16:26
4. Dylan Powell 11 Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel) 16:48
5. Evan Casterline 12 Edgewater 16:56
3A Region 2 Girls
5. Carlie Ortiz 11 Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel) 19:51
7. Summerlynn Kingston 12 River Ridge 20:02
16. Kiley Summerlin 11 Belleview 20:56
3A Region 3 Boys
2. Eli Zuppa 11 Northeast (St. Petersburg) 16:11
8. Gabriel Vasquez 12 Brandon 16:55
15. Olmar Bartolon 11 Dunbar 17:09
3A Region 3 Girls
5. Aida Castelli 12 Hillsborough 20:14
7. Sofia Torres 12 South Fort Myers 20:19
8. Elena Workman 11 Spoto 20:27
3A Region 4 Boys
14. Axel Fink 11 Alonzo & Tracy Mourning 16:37
20. Majet Bethely 11 Boyd Anderson 16:59
23. Deion Mejia 12 Felix Varela 17:11
3A Region 4 Girls
14. Jordana Nunez 11 Bayside
17. Samantha Kavanagh 12 Northeast (Oakland Park) 19:59
20. Elicia Bryant 12 Homestead 20:06
2A Region 1 Boys
3. Andrew Marello 11 Wolfson 16:01
10. Xander McLaughlin 11 Pensacola Catholic 16:38
12. Henry Lewis FL 9 Wakulla 16:47
2A Region 1 Girls
7. Niya Coleman 12 Florida High 19:20
24. Addison Sharp 10 Wolfson 20:27
25. Jennifer Mims 11 West Florida Tech 20:31
2A Region 2 Boys
26. Aiden Germain 8 Edgewood 18:27
30. Miguel Gueierrez 9 Williston 18:33
31. Anthony Vazquez 12 Crescent City 18:33
2A Region 2 Girls
17. Remington Lay 10 Hernando 21:57
23. Kira Furton-Sparks 11 Cocoa Beach 22:35
27. Annabelle Shook 10 Eustis 22:37
2A Region 3 Boys
2. Dylan Nolan 12 Clearwater Central Catholic 16:25
7. Cole Summers 12 Lakewood 17:03
13. Douglas Yoder 11 Robinson 17:33
2A Region 3 Girls
3. Mackenzie De Lisle 10 Bishop Verot 19:02
7. Carlyn Bobo 12 Lake Placid 19:52
12. Kylie Thomas 12 Bishop Verot 20:45
2A Region 4 Boys
13. Daniel Saviano 12 FAU High 17:29
17. Reese Gallagher 12 Dreyfoos 17:34
18. Jeronimo Virgil 9 MAST Academy 17:37
2A Region 4 Girls
4. Jacey Lane 10 Lincoln Park Academy 18:54
7. Isabella Fernandez 9 Mater Lakes Academy 19:29
13. Julia McDuffee 12 FAU High 19:57
1A Region 1 Boys
4. Tyson Manley 7 Christ's Church Academy 16:47
14. Richard Nichols 11 St. Johns Country Day School 17:35
17. Andrew Hofman 9 Rocky Bayou Christian School 17:39
1A Region 1 Girls
9. Paige Brammer 10 St. Joseph Academy 20:07
10. Truth King 11 University Christian School 20:24
14. Kira Casane 11 St. Joseph Academy 20:41
1A Region 2 Boys
4. Andrew Nyland 11 Foundation Academy 16:45
6. William Watson 12 Orangewood Christian 16:57
17. Tyler Cannon 11 Foundation Academy 17:37
1A Region 2 Girls
3. Morgan Cox 12 Trinity Prep 18:48
13. Claire Reburn 8 Foundation Academy 20:35
16. Anna Meeks 9 Chiefland 20:49
1A Region 3 Boys
1. Dylan Bailey 12 Canterbury School (St. Pete) 16:14
6. Leonardo Borjon 11 Donahue Academy of Ave Maria 16:54
7. Barrett Poe 12 Tampa Bay HEAT 16:56
1A Region 3 Girls
2. Ava Povich 12 Evangelical Christian School 18:28
4. Ella Beckett 12 Keswick Christian 19:15
6. Reagan Chambless 10 Seffner Christian 20:08
1A Region 4 Boys
3. Jonathan Pena 10 Horeb Christian 16:47
9. Benjamin Francis 8 Highlands Christian Academy 17:45
10. Scott Sanok 9 Boca Raton Christian 17:52
1A Region 4 Girls
1. Sabrina Martinez 9 Riviera Prepatory School
14. Julian Stanish 11 Chaminade-Madonna College Prep 21:19
18. Marissa Tankersley 9 St. John Paul II Academy