In preparation for this weekend's State Championship here are the final FACA State Rankings of the 2022 season!
GIRLS STATE RANKINGS
1A Girls Rankings
By Sue O'Malley (FLCHS), somalley@fatherlopez.org
Team Rankings:
Commentary: Best wishes to all the teams as we are at our finish line!
The State meet is here after 5 months of training and now it's time to make our goals and dreams! It's been a great journey and time to race with our hearts and get to that last race-FSU States!
The whole sport is….repetition. Is…beginning again.
You feel it…in the grind of each day.
Day in. Day out.
Much like life: The sun comes up. The sun sets. We eat, we sleep, we go about our day the best we can.
And…
We run.
It's step after step. One foot in front of the other, Again. Again. Again.
Steps every run. Run every day.
Every week, each week. Every month. All the months, every season. All the seasons, every year. And year after year. Season after season. Month after month. Week after week. Day after day. Run after run. Step after step. Barrier after barrier. Lap after lap. Rep after rep. Race after race.
And sometimes…you break. You falter, you fall, and you miss a lap,
A rep…a season.
There's so many opportunities to give up, to quit. Or let failure get the best of you. Each lap…each rep…each run.
But then there's so many opportunities, to wipe the slate, to begin again. In the next step, the next run, the next rep, the next race. The next season.
Sometimes we win medals. Often we don't.
But running, Much like life, It's an opportunity for another rep.
For us to begin again. And again. And again.
For us to keep building what ours.
One foot in front of the other.
The sun comes up. The sun sets.
And in between we run.
Best wishes for a great State Meet!
This is going to be one exciting race for sure! Maclay and Cambridge Christian come in tied for the top spot with the Marauders getting the nod due to their 1-5 gap being over a minute better than Cambridge! But I am going to give the title to Cambridge!
Rank. School = Comments
1. Maclay = 19:05 team average, Maclay takes over the top spot. The Marauders finished 2nd in the Region 1 Championships. Most of been a very exciting race because they lost to the #3 team ranked in the state which will add into the mix on Saturday. The Marauders have really come on strong in the postseason and the team has closed up their gap between their top 5 over a minute better than the Cambridge girls have.
2. Cambridge Christian = 18:47 team average. The team won easily the Region 3 Title with 4 runners in the top 10 and their 5th runner was 13th. They are my pick to win the title but will have to fight for it for sure.
3. Pensacola Christian Academy = 19:07 team average. This team has been strong all season long and has momentum going into the State meet with them beating the Marauders for the Region 1 Title. Definitely a dark horse on Saturday!
4. Oak Hall = 19:15 team average drops team average over a minute. The Eagles soared away with the team title at the Region 2 Championship with all 5 runners in the top 10. The Eagles know how to race and soar to the top at the right time. Another dark horse team that could steal the show on Saturday.
5. Circle Christian = 19:32 team average, dropped team average by 20 seconds. The Centurions finished 2nd to Oak Hall at the Region 2 Championships and ran as a pack and placed all their top 5 in the top 20.
6. Benjamin School = 20:40. Team won the Region 4 Championship easily and will be well prepared for State's meet.
7. Palmer Trinity = 20:53 team average drops team average by 10 seconds. 2nd to Benjamin at the Region 4 Championships. Team has been strong and consistent all season long.
8. Providence = 21:02 team average Stallions finished 3rd in the Region 1 Championships. Had to fight with the #1 and #3 teams in the state in their region. Always there when it counts and will gallop in ready for the meet on Saturday!
9. Community School of Naples = 21:10 team average. Finished 2nd to Cambridge in the Region 3 Championships. Team has had a strong postseason.
10. Master's Academy (Oviedo) = 20:50 7 Masters finished 3rd in a very tough Region 2 Championships. The top 3 teams in this region ran very smart and tactical races which will pay off next weekend. This team is my sentimental favorite to place in the top 7! Watch this team! I taught them everything they know.
Other teams to watch include:
South Florida HEAT, Holy Trinity, Orangewood Christian, Lakeland Christian and Westminster Academy and my prediction for next season will be Father Lopez lol!
Individual Rankings:Commentary: I am so excited for this race! Good thing the Green Wave boys will be competing for the boy's team title so I can be there on Saturday for this race! There has been a changing of the guard in the top 10 and the individuals who have charged into these spots are ready.
Elaina Black will be your individual champion and will end her season with an undefeated one!
We welcome Rachel Judy, an 8th grade from Circle Christian to the top 15!
The runner up spot will certainly be up for grabs! My pick will be Ava Wyatt from Masters Academy! Ava has been fun to watch and this past weekend she ran an incredible race and what finish she had and she won the District 4 Meet over a week ago.
Best wishes to all the runners who will be competing and especially for all the seniors racing to their last high school finish line!
Rank. Name Grade School = Comments
1. Elaina Black 9th Cambridge Christian = 17:15. Elaina won both the district title and Region title and ran under 18:00 all season long. The race in 1A will be for 2nd!
2. Madeleine Gear 11th Cambridge Christian School = 18:10. Madeline finished 2nd to Elaina at their District meet and 3rd in the region meet. She has had an amazing season! She knows how to race and is mentally tough!
3. Ava Povich SR. Evangelical Christian School = 18:16. Ava won the D6 Championship and finished 2nd to Elaina in the Region Championships. Ava will be in there for the fight for 2nd! Best Ava has placed 7th at the State meet the past 2 years! Let's make this a magical one has Ava will race to her last finish line and run for that individual title.
4. Ava Wyant Jr. Masters Academy Oviedo = 18:18 New PR Ava won the D4 Title with a stunning race! Ava ran a very tactical race at the R2 Championship and is my favorite to be the runner up at the state meet. Ava has run smart and with confidence this season and ready for a huge breakthrough this weekend! Her coach learned everything from me!
5. Ella Beckett SR. Kenswick Christian = 18:23. Ella drops one spot but has had a strong postseason. Ella finished 3rd in D5 Championships and 4th in the R3 Championship. She is a senior and has had a great 4 years of running! Watch for Ella to run an amazing race as she races to that high school finish line for the last time.
6. Susan Gracie Koeppel Jr. Maclay School = 18:25.Susan won the D2 Title and 3rd in R1 Championships. She is a big reason why her team will be battling for that team title! What a year Susan has had, strong and consistent from day 1 of the season!
7. Morgan Cox Jr Trinity Prep = 18:25 New PR. Morgan ran her PR at the D4 Championships. Morgan placed 3rd in the R2 Championships. Morgan has had an amazing season. Morgan will be another one of my favorites to have a huge breakthrough race next weekend! She could finish in the top 5!
8. RaeAnne Tutton 9th Pensacola Christian Academy = 18:36.2 Jaimee won both the D1 Championships and R1 Championships. Jaimee will help her team on Saturday vie for that team title. She is young but races a very experienced runner.
9. Jaimee Tutton Jr Pensacola Christian Academy 9th = 18:36.07 Jaimee finished 2nd to her sister in their championship events these past 2 weeks. This 1-2 punch for this Pensacola team will be deadly on Saturday. Will be exciting to watch these 2 sisters work together as team mates! Two amazing Sole Sisters!
10. Rachel Judy 8th Circle Christian = 18:38 PR Welcome to the top 10! Rachel ran an incredible race at the D4 Championships to place 3rd and placed 18th in the R2 Championships. Rachel helped her team to win the runner up spot in the R2 Championships,
11. Sydney Miller Sr. Oak Hall = 18:40. I have watched this young lady for a number of years and she gets better and better every time she toes the line. Sydney won the D3 Championships and had an incredible kick at the R2 Meet where she came from behind to win the R2 Title and did it with a new all-time PR! Another young lady who has been at the state meet who will fight to her last high school finish line but she will do it with a medal! Last year Sydney just missed a medal by 1 place! Sydney will soar on Saturday!
12. Reagan Smith 9th = 18:52 Pensacola Christian Academy. Regan finished 3rd in D1 Championships and 4th in R1 Championships. R1 is a very competitive region and Reagan ran strong and knows how to compete. Her race on Saturday will be critical for the team to win a title but she runs like a seasoned runner for sure.
13. Lillian Koeppel 9th Maclay School = 18:53 Lillian ran 2nd in the D2 Championship and 5th in R1 Championships. If Lillain stays on course and runs with her teammate and sister they will be a threat to win that title!
14. Mackenzie Klein Jr. Oak Hall = 18:54.14. Mackenzie placed 3rd in D3 Championships and 6th in R2 Championships. Mackenzie has shown a strong consistency during this postseason. This is why the Eagles keep soaring to that top spot!
15. Alivia Dragstedt Soph. Oak Hall = 18:59 Alivia placed 2nd in D3 Championships and 4th in the R2 Championships. Alivia is a team runner for sure. She helped her teammate Mackenzie and Sydney run as a pack at the R2 meet. Pack running is what wins the meet!
2A Girls Rankings
By Dylan Hermelee, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, CoachHermelee@gmail.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: Hello again! It is finally STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK!!! For my final set of rankings, I will be ranking all 32 teams that have qualified for the state championship meet, and the top 15 individuals. I am giving extra weight to Region Championship performances. As always, not all cross country course are equal, but fast times at the end of the season earn more points than fast times from August.
Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments
1. (1) Bolles HS = Defending Champions! They have been ranked first every week this year and they stay atop the list for the final rankings. Milesplit scores them at 52pts for the virtual meet, which is 113 points better than 2nd. They are in control of their own destiny.
2. (3) Bishop Kenny HS = Bishop Kenny were Region 1 runner's up to Bolles and they are also in a great position to be state runner up. They had a 19:45 team average at their region mee, which was the second fastest team average in 2A. They will look to finish 2nd this weekend.
3. (6) Pine Crest HS = Pine Crest won the 2A Region 4 title by just 1pt last week, defeating St Brendan 62 to 63. Their 19:49 team average was the 4th fastest team average in the state. They have a real shot at a runner up finish.
4. (4) St Brendan HS = They were runner up at the Region 4 Championship losing by just a single point. They finished 2nd at the state meet last year an have the talent to do it again this year, they just need everyone to show up on them same day.
5. (2) Episcopal School of Jacksonville = In my opinion, there is a 4 team race for 2nd, and Episcopal School of Jacksonville is right in the hunt. They ran well this season at FSU and at their District meet, but finished 3rd in their Region. They will need to pull an upset to make the podium.
6. (5) Berkley Prep HS = Berkley Prep easily won their Region by a 29pt margin and 40 second team average. They should be a lock for a top 10 team.7. (8) Mount Dora HS = Mount Dora won Region 2 over Bishop Moore by 15pts and put all 7 of their runners in front of Bishop Moore's #4. They have the depth to be a top 10 team this weekend.
8. (7) Bishop Moore HS = Bishop Moore was Region Runner's up last week. They put 3 runners in the top 10 and had a 20:48 team average.
9. (9) North Bay Haven = North Bay finished 4th in a fast Region meet that saw 5 teams have 20:23 team averages of raster. They will look to put 2 individuals on the podium this year, on their way to a top 10 finish.
10. (10) South Walton HS = South Walton stays at 10 this week after finishing 5th at the Region 1 meet with a 20:23 team average.
11. (NR) The Kings Academy = They finished 3rd at the Region 4 meet with a 20:29 team average. They are lead by the #6 runner in 2A, Avery Fronrath.
12. (NR) Cardinal Gibbons = They were 4th at the Region 4 meet with a 20:57 team average.
13. (NR) Calvary Christian (Clearwater) = They finished Region runner up in Region 3, which was run on the Challenging Holloway Park course. They had a 21:17 team average.
14. (NR) Ransom Everglades = They finished 5th in a fast Region 4 race where they had a team average of 21:05.
15. (NR) Wakulla HS = They were 6th at the Region 1 meet and had a 21:27 team average.
16. (NR) Gulliver Prep HS = They were 8th at the Region 4 meet with a 21:14 team average. They were also District 8 runner up.
17. (NR) Robinson HS = They were 3rd at the Region 3 meet with a 21:43 team average.
18. (NR) American Heritage (Boca) = They were 6th at their Region meet with a 21:15 team average.
19. (NR) Academy of Holy Names = They were 5th at their Region Meet with a team average of 21:50. They also have a contender for the individual title in Elizabeth Williamson.
20. (NR) Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart = They were 7th at the Region 4 meet with a team average of 21:06.
21. (NR) McKeel Academy = They were 7th at their region meet with a 21:50 average, but they have had a strong season.
22. (NR) Cardinal Mooney HS = They have 2 runners projected to make the podium at the state meet, so that might be enough to help keep them in the top 25.
23. (NR) Tocoi Creek HS = They were 7th at the Region 1 meet with a 21:27 team average.
24. (NR) Oasis HS = They were 4th at the Region 3 meet with a 21:48 team average.
25. (NR) Fernandina Beach HS = They were 8th at the Region 4 meet with a 21:32 team average.
26. (NR) Montverde Academy = They were 4th at the Region 2 meet with a 22:12 team average.
27. (NR) The Villages HS = They were 3rd at the Region 2 meet with a 22:08 team average.
28. (NR) Lake Highland HS = They were 5th at the Region 2 meet with a 22:27 team average.
29. (NR) Lemon Bay HS = They were 8th at the Region 3 meet with a 22:57 team average.
30. (NR) West Shore HS = They were 6th at the Region 2 meet with a 23:10 team average.
31. (NR) Edgewood MS/HS = They were 7th at the Region 2 meet with a 23:20 team average.
32. (NR) Astronaut HS = They were 8th at the Region 2 meet with a 23:11 team average.
Individual Rankings:Commentary: Same as above. Not all courses are the same. Regional meet and head-to-head competition is heavily weighted. Let's ride!
Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade -- School = Comments
1. (1) Jillian Candelino, 12 -- Bolles HS = She is the defending 2A State Champion and she has the fastest time in the state this year. The back to back title odds are in her favor.
2. (NR) Addison Dempsey, 11 - Cardinal Mooney HS = Who is Addison Dempsey and where did she come from?? I was caught off guard when she ran 17:29 to win her District. Then I was even more caught off guard when she ran 18:08 to win her Region by 50 seconds and defeated the defending 1600m State Champ in the process. I say she's legit and she is a legit threat to Candelino repeating as champion.
3. (2) Ella Mickler, 12 -- Bolles HS = Teammate to Candelino, and she is 1 of 4 girls under 18 minutes this year.
4. (3) Emma Hencock, 12 -- St Brendan -- She won her District and her Region. She was also 3rd in the Elite Race at FSU, she has a shot at the title.
5. (6) Brooke Hooper, 11 -- Pine Crest -- She was District Champion and Region Runner-up. All of her races have been under 18:35 this year and she just PR'd last week.
6. (5) Mackenzie De Lisle, 10 -- Bishop Verot HS -- She has the 5th fastest time in 2A and she was District Runner-up to Dempsey.
7. (4) Avery Fronrath, 11- Kings Academy HS- She was District Runner-up to Hooper and 3rd at her Region meet.
8. (NR) Elizabeth Williamson, 10- Academy of Holy Names -- She won her District meet easily and was 4th at her Region meet. She has a top 10 time in the state and the defending 1600m champ was 3rd at the State meet last year. She is here to compete.
9. (7) Madison Carr, 10-- Astronaut HS -- She was 2nd at her District meet, but came back to win her 2A Region 2.
10. (9) Elizabeth Csikai, 12 -- Bolles HS -- She was 3rd at her District and Region behind Candelino and Mickler. It will be exciting to see what she does at the State Meet.
11. (8) Charleen Elizondo, 12 -- North Bay Haven -- She won her District and finished 4th in her Region behind the Bolles trio.
12. (10) Paige Mccaul, 12 -- Bishop Moore -- She won her District and finished 2nd in her Region behind Maddison Carr.
13. (NR) Margret Bartlow, 10 - North Bay Haven -- She was 6th at a very tough Region 1 meet.
14. (NR) Hannah Latif, 11 -- Berkley Prep HS -- She was Region Runner up at the 2A Region 3 meet.
15. (NR) Jacey Lane, 10 -- Lincoln Park Academy -- She has been consistently improving all year. She PR's at the Region 4 meet where she finished 4th.
3A Girls Rankings
By Cash Tampa, Alumni of Creekside High School, cashtampa96@gmail.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: It is here, the meet everyone has been training for all season. The best teams and individuals have survived and advanced and on November 5th, it GOES DOWN!!! Ponte Vedra has proved to be the likely favorite looking to repeat with exceptional performances in their district and regional meets, but Osceola is looking to dethrone the champs with dominant performances in the district and regional meets as well. A slate of teams behind them looking to step up and steal away a podium spot if those top teams slip up on race day. Anything can happen on any given day which is the beauty (and pain) of this sport. This is how I foresee things playing out.
(Prev. Rank) Rank. School - Comments
(1) 1. Ponte Vedra HS -- The returning champs are ready to repeat with excellent performances throughout the postseason, showcasing strong depth partnered with an elite top 3 have this team looking nearly unbeatable as likely the overall #1 in all classifications. The problem is, one of the other top squads in all classifications is here in 3A. They'll need to bring it to hold off teams behind them to solidify their quest for the repeat.
(2) 2. Osceola HS (Seminole) -- This team has been getting the job done every week stacking win upon win. The question is, what can they put down on a faster course with good conditions? They've been running in tough conditions (including their DOMINANT performance at region 3. That question will be answered this weekend but right now I have Ponte Vedra with the edge.
(9) 3. Dillard HS -- Don't say I didn't warn you! The Dillard ladies pulled of an upset winning Region 4 over some other top 10 teams. A new leader emerges for them in Christiana Coleman with a breakout performance. If track is any indicator, they save their best for the State Meet, and if just 1 more of their 4 5 6 or 7 can make that last step, a State Title is not out of the question.
(3) 4. Leon HS -- Tang and Moore are as good of a 1-2 as you can get and their 3-5 had a 5 second gap at regional leading me to believe some tactics were employed. The most experience with ARP will surely give this team an edge and perhaps we can see that 3-5 move up a bit more utilizing that knowledge to run the course efficiently.
(5) 5. Our Lady of Lourdes -- Olivia Fraga continues to lead these ladies to strong finishes, but I see another Fraga rounding out the top 5 with Comas-Sanchez right behind her. Consistency was the problem for them before, but throughout the post-season thus far they have shown that they cleaned that up. I would be surprised to see them fall out of the top 5, the upside of this team will have them finishing on the podium if they have their best day.
(NR) 6. Fort Walton Beach HS -- Catapulting themselves into the 6th spot are the ladies from Fort Walton Beach with a strong showing at Region 1. Beating out Fleming Island and St. Augustine by using their depth, they may be able to do the same at the state meet.
(6) 7. Fleming Island HS -- Continuing to show tremendous consistency lands Fleming Island here at 7. It appeared to be a tempo run day for them at region 1 saving it for state. I don't know if they have enough to be able to crack that top 5 but with fresh legs next week, they may be able to sneak up into make a run at that podium.
(10) 8. Winter Springs HS -- Winner of Region 2, Winter Springs finds themselves at 8 in these rankings. They have a potential 1-point scorer with Monaco as well as a history of showing up big on State Meet Day. It'll be interesting to see what they can get out of their 3, 4, 5 to see if they can jump up a few spots come Saturday.
(NR) 9. St. Thomas Aquinas -- A solid showing against the strong Region 4, St Thomas jumps back up into the top 10. They'll be battling with some solid schools around them to see if they can hang onto a top 10 spot on meet day. If Finneran is on her A game, they can move up in these rankings even more.
(4) 10. Satellite HS -- Sliding a bit in the rankings is Satellite but like Fleming Island, it appeared to be more of a tempo day at Regionals while trying to solidify their top 5. It will be interesting to see what they do on fresh legs next weekend. This team will not finish lower than the top 10 but has potential to move up considerably when running fresh and their best on Saturday.
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: Looking virtually unbeatable all season I have Ashley Fitzgerald taking home the individual title. One of her few losses came at the hands of Malinda Underwood at their regional just a few days ago. An amazing field of girls all capable of running low 18-minute 5ks and some even breaking into the 17s, this race should be fast and furious from the gun, with a large pack of girls fighting for that top spot for their teams.
(Prev. Rank) Rank. Name Grade School -- Most Recent Performance
(1) 1. Ashley Fitzgerald JR American Heritage -- 2nd place Region 4, 18:04.00
(NR) 2. Malinda Underwood JR Rockledge -- 1st place Region 4, 17:57.60
(6) 3. Lillee Tang SR Leon -- 1st place Region 1, 18:07.50
(3) 4. Lindy White JR Ponte Vedra -- 2nd place Region 1, 18:24.80
(4) 5. Simone Monaco SR Winter Springs -- 1st place Region 2, 19:01.71
(NR) 6. Addison Boyer JR South Fork -- 3rd place Region 4, 18:14.80
(2) 7. Oliva Fraga SR Our Lady of Lourdes -- 4th place Region 4, 18:17.70
(8) 8. Belicia O'Grady SO Fort Walton Beach -- 3rd place Region 1, 18:31.60
(7) 9. Katelyn Lawrence JR St. Augustine -- 4th place Region 1, 18:34.20
(NR) 10. Avery Latto JR Osceola -- 2nd place Region 3, 19:45.50
(NR) 11. Kennedy Downey SR Osceola -- 1st place Region 3, 19:34.40
(9) 12. Lily Moore SR Leon -- 5th place Region 1, 18:35.10
(NR) 13. Christiana Coleman JR Dillard -- 5th place Region 4, 18:34.90
(NR) 14. Keira Merrick FR Merritt Island HS -- 6th place Region 4, 18:49.20
(5) 15. Grace Finneran SO St. Thomas Aquinas -- 7th place Region 4, 18:53.00
4A Girls Rankings
By Ray Romero, FACA XC Chair / Dunbar, RayHR@leeschools.net
Team Rankings:
Commentary: Regionals has truly separated the fields of contenders at the top. Buchholz put a stranglehold on the top spot with a 19:19 average and a 52-point win over Niceville. G. Holmes Braddock seems to have done the same for the #2 spot with a near perfect regional score of 17 points and the 2nd fastest team average 19:33. Newsome with a 33 second 1-5 spread will take the 3rd spot as they were the only other sub 20 min averaged team besides Sarasota in the 7 spot, but you can't have a 2:41 spread at the state meet and expect to be on the podium. In a 32 State Team field versus a 16 team region those spreads will matter more.
Rank. School
1. Buchholz HS
2. G. Holmes Braddock HS
3. Newsome HS
4. Niceville HS
5. Creekside HS
6. Sunlake HS
7. Sarasota HS
8. Viera HS
9. HB Plant HS
10. Nease HS
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: At the Regional Meets alone there were 14 girls under 19 min. Emma O'day hasn't finished outside of the top 5 in any race this year and I don't expect her to falter at the biggest meet, she holds on as the favorite. Neiwald has come on at the right time to move up the rankings. The top 15 listed girls are separated by 35 seconds (from regional times) it should be fun to watch how it unfolds.
Individual Rankings:
Rank. Name Grad Year School
1. Emma O'day SR Boca Raton HS
2. Olivia Niewald SR Spruce Creek HS
3. Alexandra Raquet SR Sickles HS
4. Malia Hambrick FR North Port HS
5. Emily Knopfle SO Olympia HS
6. Megan Dolan SR Boone HS
7. Annabella Cardona JR G. Holmes Braddock HS
8. Kate Drummond SR Buchholz HS
9. Abigail Williams JR Sunlake HS
10. Alyson Johnson FR Creekside HS
11. Jaade McBride JR George Jenkins
12. Sierra Barrera SR Oakleaf
13. Lucy Voss JR Buchholz
14. Emma White JR Buchholz
15. Hannah Foley SR Boone
BOYS STATE RANKINGS
1A Boys Rankings
By Paul Opitz, Out of Door Academy, paul.opitz65@gmail.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: Here are the final state rankings for your 1A boys! Good luck at State!
Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments
1. (1) Indian Rocks Christian = won Region 3 meet again at Holloway Park, congratulations. It looks like they are halfway there to their 4peat
Close battle for 2nd, it depends on if Mr. Legg will count in the team score
3. (2) Cambridge Christian = 2nd at Region 3 meet
2. (3) Circle Christian = 5th at region 2 on what appeared to be a tempo effort, should have fresh legs for Saturday
Another close race for 4th
4. (4) Pensacola Christian = won Region 1 meet at New World avg 16:51. Congratulations
5. (5) Oak Hall = won Region 2 meet avg 17:26 at Santa Fe college, congratulations
Another close race for the next spot, between 4 (or maybe 5) teams
6. (6) Providence School = 2nd at Region 2 meet at Santa Fe College avg 17:44 avg. Young team should be a contender for years
7. (9) SW Fla Christian = 3rd at Region 3 meet, Holloway park avg 17:28,2nd at District 6 meet
8. (7) Community School of Naples = 4th at Region 3 meet Holloway Park avg 17:48
9. Palmer Trinity = Region 4 winner 17:47 avg, congratulations
10. Holy Trinity = 3rd at Region 2 meet Santa Fe College avg 17:48
Others to watch for...
AFA, SF Heat, Father Lopez, Seffner Christian, and Out of Door Academy who won district 6 for the 2nd year in a row. They also won their tri county race for the 1st time in team history. Congratulations men and Coach Sam Pederson!
Individual Rankings:Commentary: Here are the final state rankings for your 1A boys! Good luck at State!
Rank. (Prev. Rank) Name, Grade -- School = Comments
1. (1) Braxton Legg, 12 - Cambridge Christian = If, he is back and eligible
2. (2) Caden Motini, 12 - Oak Hall = won Region 2 meet at Santa Fe College in 16:26, congratulations
3. (T-6) Dylan Bailey, 12 - Canterbury (St. Pete) = won the most competitive region meet at Lake Holloway Park in 16:14, congratulations
4. (T-6) Drew Brix, 12 - Pensacola Christian = won Region 3 meet at New World in 16:18, congratulations
5. (3) Jack DeJesus, 12 - Circle Christian = should have fresh legs, after a not all-out effort at regionals, could finish lower
6. (5) Aidan Griffin, 11 - Indian Rocks Christian =
7. (4) Nicholas Zamora, 11 - Indian Rocks Christian =
8. (8) Sergi Guzman, 12 - CSN = 2nd at Region 3 meet at Lake Holloway in an excellent time of 16:17
9. (BOLO) Henry Stark, 11 - Palmer Trinity = won Region 4 in a time of 16:21, congratulations
10. (11) Hunter Morgan, 11 - South Florida Heat = 2nd at Region 4 meet in a time of 16:37
11. (14) Hayden Tank, 12 - SWF Christian = 3rd at Region 3 meet Holloway Park in 16:28
12. (9) Christian Escribano, 11 - Cambridge Christian = 4th at Region 3 meet Lake Holloway in 16:32
13. (10) Blake Young, 10 - Indian Rocks Christian =
14. (NR) Andrew Sheppard, 11 - Pensacola Christian Academy = 2nd at Region 1in 16:32
15. (BOLO) Declan Fiorucci, 11 - Out of Door Academy = won Tri county race in North Port with a PR of 16:16, 2nd at the Dist 6 meet, long course, 5th at Lake Holloway region 3 meet with an improvement of 45 seconds from the previous year. Keep running smart. Looks like that summer training is paying off
2A Boys Rankings
By Dylan Hermelee, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, CoachHermelee@gmail.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: Hello all and welcome back to round two of the 2A rankings. We are just getting into the State Series and there is a lot of movement in the rankings.
Rank. (Previous Rank) School = Comments
1. (1) Bolles HS = Bolles is projected to score 42pts at the State Championship Meet. That's 166 less points than the team projected to finish 2nd. My money is on them to win.
2. (4) South Walton HS -- There is a 22pt spread on the projections separating 2nd and 4th place. South Walton just beat Bishop Kenny at their Region meet and Bishop Verot finished 3rd in their Region. Edge to South Walton.
3. (2) Bishop Kenny HS = Third in their Region and third in the State. 2A Region 1 is nothing to mess with when it comes to Cross Country.
4. (3) Lake Highland Prep HS = Lake Highland won Region 2 by defeating Astronaut HS by 11 points. Look for them to be in the hunt for a runner up finish.
5. (7) Bishop Verot HS = I am having trouble with this team. On the one hand they dominated their District meet, winning by a 72 point margin and with a 16:51 team average. On the other hand they were 3rd in their Region by only 2pts and had a 17:39 team average. I won't drop them too far, because it seems one of their runners had a very off day, but they need to run better at states if they want to be the runner up team.
6. (8) Berkley Prep HS = Outside of Bolles they have the best 1-2-3 in 2A. That was enough to win their Region, but they will need 4-5-6 to step up if they want to have a shot at the podium this weekend.
7. (6) Mater Lakes Academy HS = They easily won Region 4 but they will need their #5 to step up at the State meet.
8. (9) Astronaut HS = Runner up at their Region meet last year and have one of the best 1-5 splits in 2A. They have a great shot at being top 10.
9. (5) Montverde Academy = They were 3rd in their Region and have a lot of question marks, but they ran well enough this season to lock up top 10 spot in the final rankings.
10 (NR) Calvary Christian Clearwater = They are producing at the right time. They finished 2nd at their Region meet with a 17:34 team average.
11. (NR) The Kings Academy = They were Region 4 Runner-up and they at lead by Colton Lawson who is one of the fastest runners in 2A.
12 (NR) West Florida Tech HS = They finished 4th in their Region with a 17:28 team average.
13. (10) Bishop Moore HS = They were 4th at their Region meet with a 18:12 team average.
14. (NR) Ransom Everglades HS = They were 3rd in Region 4 and had a 17:33 team average.
15. (NR) North Bay Haven HS = They were 5th at the Region 1 meet and had a 17:32 team average.
16. (NR) Eastside HS = They were 6th at the Region 1 meet and had a 17:48 team average.
17. (NR) McKeel HS = They were 4th at the Region 3 meet and had a 18:44 team average.
18. (NR) Jensen Beach HS = They were 4th at the Region 3 meet and had a 18:01 team average.
19. (NR) Episcopal School of Jacksonville = They were 7th at the Region 1 meet and had a 17:50 team average.
20. (NR) Suwanee HS = They were 8th at the Region 1 meet and had a 17:55 team average.
21. (NR) Cardinal Mooney HS = They were 5th at the Region 3 meet and had a 18:52 team average.
22. (NR) Miami Sunset HS = They were 5th at the Region 4 meet and had a 18:22 team average.
23. (NR) Gulliver Prep HS = They were 6th at the Region 4 meet and had a 18:22 team average.
24. (NR) Cocoa Beach HS = They were 5th at the Region 2 meet and had a 18:26 team average.
25. (NR) Pine Crest HS = They were 8th at the Region 4 meet and had a 18:30 team average.
26. (NR) The Villages HS = They were 6th at the Region 2 meet and had an 18:36 team average.
27. (NR) American Heritage Boca = They were 7th at the Region 4 meet and had a 18:36 team average.
28. (NR) Frostproof HS = They were 6th at their Region meet and had a 18:59 team average.
29. (NR) West Shore HS = They were 8th at their Region meet and had a 18:45 team average.
30. (NR) Windermere Prep = They were 7th at their Region meet and has a 18:50 team average.
31. (NR) Lemon Bay HS = They were 7th at their Region meet and had a 19:01 team average.
32. (NR) Estero HS = They were 8th at their Region meet and had a 19:07 team average.
Individual Rankings:Commentary: Same as above. Not all courses are the same. Head-to-head competition is heavily weighted. Lets ride!
Rank. (Previous Rank) Name, Grade -- School = Comments
1. (1) Aidan Ryan, 12 -- Bolles HS = Aidan is the top XC returned from last year and he has the top time in the state this year. He is the top contender, but he has a few challengers.
2. (2) David "Chuli" Serra, 11 -- Ransom Everglades = He has been on a tear the last 3 races. He had a top 10 finish at FSU. He won his District. He beat the #3 runner on this list to claim the Region 4 title. If anyone can challenge Aidan, it might be him.
3. (5) Colton Lawson, 12 -- He won his District and has the 2nd fastest time in 2A. But he got beat by Serra at the Region 4 meet, so he slips to 3rd.
4. (3) Christopher Joost, 11 -- Bolles HS = Region 1 Runner-up behind the fastest 2A runner in the state. He's about 15 seconds behind the lead pack, but he might surprise us.
5. (4) Kirin Karver, 12 -- Berkley Prep HS = Kirin won the Region 3 race by a 18 second margin. He is also in the hunt for the individual title.
6. (6) Riley Novack, 12 -- Montverde Academy = He won his District and Region meets with ease. He should be ready to roll and compete for a state title this weekend.
7. (9) Dylan Nolan, 12 -- Clearwater Central Catholic -- Dylan is an interesting one. He suffered his first loss of the season last week to Kirin Karver last week as he finished 2nd in a deep Region 3 field.
8. (NR) Liam Jordan, 10 -- Berkley Prep HS = Liam was out leaned by Nolan and finished 3rd at the Region 3 meet.
9. (NR) Nicholas Colbert, 12 -- Jensen Beach HS - Nicholas finished 3rd at the Region 3 meet with a time of 16:02. He was his District Runner-up with a 15:48 PR.
10. (NR) Andrew Marello, 11- Wolfson HS = Andrew finished 3rd at his Region meet with a 16:01 PR.
11. (NR) Matthew Matson, 12 -- North Bay Haven = Matthew was 4th at the Region 1 meet with a 16:03 PR.
12. (NR) Jeshua Osorio, 12- Mater Lakes Academy -- Jeshua was 4th at the Region 4 meet with a 16:13.
13. (NR) Jonah Kirspel, 11- South Walton HS = Jonah was 5th at the Region 1 meet with a 16:14 PR.
14. (NR) Andrew McGraw, 12 -- Bolles HS = Andrew was 7th at the Region 1 meet with a 16:15. He broke 16 minutes earlier this season.
15. (NR) Alejandro Vinas, 11- Bishop Kenny HS = Alejandro was 6th at the Region 1 meet with a 16:15 PR.
3A Boys Rankings
By Cash Tampa, Alumni of Creekside High School, cashtampa96@gmail.com
Team Rankings:
Commentary: Belen Jesuit is most likely going to be raising yet another 1st place trophy to add to their impressive history, but by how many points can they win by? It will be interesting to see how many individuals they can put on the podium. The real battle here is going to be who joins them on the podium and the Ponte Vedra boys have emerged from the district and regional meets as the favorite to do so. Realistically, any team within the top 9 can take that podium spot and it's going to be determined at the 16:20-16:40 range on state meet day. Let's get into the (Prev. Rank) Rank. School - Comments
(1) 1. Belen Jesuit - Looking to continue their streak of being unbeaten in Florida this year, Belen will come in as overwhelming favorites to this 3A state meet. Nothing is a guarantee, but it will take something crazy for this team to not leave atop the podium. How many guys can get on the podium for Belen?
(3) 2. Ponte Vedra HS - Jumping into the 2 spot as the favorite to join Belen on the podium is Ponte Vedra. They have taken down Fleming Island in back-to-back weeks (handedly) but that won't matter if they can't do it on Saturday. It's going to take everything they have to hold off the surging teams behind them but if everyone runs their best race, I believe Ponte Vedra will finish at 2.
(2) 3. Fleming Island HS - Falling to Ponte Vedra at district and regional they will be seeking vengeance on their Jacksonville rival. Their back end will need to step up to take down the Sharks, but they also need to be aware of a slew of teams behind them who are also eyeing that podium spot.
(5) 4. Fort Myers HS - A dominant win at region 3 seemingly holding back a little bit lands this team at number 4. If they can get a bigtime performance from Koraya on Saturday, they will be a problem for the teams above as they have a very strong 2-7. An easier course with better weather will have this team dropping their team average significantly, but will it be enough?
(4) 5. Leon HS - Patrick will do his job in getting 1 point, a strong number 2 in Carrasquilla will have to be on his A game, leaving 3-5 to be the determinants of this team finishing as high as 2nd place or as low as 9th. Lacking a little bit of depth on the back end it's going to need to be a perfect performance, however, home course advantage and an exceptional coaching staff have me believing they'll end up higher rather than lower.
(9) 6. Satellite HS - Finishing up behind Belen at Region 4, these guys are making their presence felt in the 3A classification. Mahorner will need to do his part up front and trust that the depth of this team will lead them higher up the ranks. Another exceptional coaching staff like Leon makes me think if any team above slips up they will be right there to capitalize.
(7) 7. Cape Coral HS - Fort Myers gave them the business at region 3 where they came in 2nd. But they didn't have to do anything special to advance to State so perhaps they were saving a little bit to really get after it in Tallahassee (excluding Ziomeks finish, he was MOVING!). It's going to take an exceptional performance from them to move up these ranks, but they are not too far removed from a podium finish if a couple of things go their way.
(6) 8. Rockledge HS - A similar team to Cape Coral, Makousky is a phenomenal low stick for them, but they need a little bit more from their 2-7 to have a real shot at the podium. Finishing well behind Satellite at regional, they'll look to have some redemption at the state meet led by a top 5 finish from Makousky.
(8) 9. Naples HS - Rounding out the teams I truly believe have a shot at the podium is Naples HS. They are going to need a lot of things to go their way but an ELITE 1,2,3 punch keeps them in the mix. Can their 4-7 step up for them to finish higher than 9th? Time will tell.
(NR) 10. Ocala Vanguard HS - In a major battle for the 10th spot with the likes of Tampa Jesuit, Fort Walton Beach, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Imokalee is Ocala Vanguard. They were the champions of region 2 and have a potential top 10 finisher in Clayton Knight gives them the edge to round out the top 10.
(Prev. Rank) Rank. Name Grade School -- Most Recent Performance
(1) 1. Patrick Koon JR Leon HS -- 7th place Region 1, 16:27.70
(2) 2. Joshua Ruiz JR Belen Jesuit -- 1st place Region 4, 15:25.50
(3) 3. Graham Myers JR Fleming Island HS -- 1st place Region 1, 15:40.30
(4) 4. Devin Makousky SR Rockledge HS -- 2nd place Region 4, 15:40.00
(11) 5. Evan Torres JR Belen Jesuit -- 3rd place Region 3, 15:43.60
(NR) 6. Declan Ziomek SR Cape Coral HS -- 1st place Region 3, 16:00.10
(10) 7. Grant Doherty SR Ponte Vedra HS -- 2nd place Region 1, 15:50.70
(NR) 8. Joshua Gammage SO Dillard HS -- 4th place Region 4, 15:50.40
(5) 9. Andrew Mahorner SR Satellite HS -- 5th place Region 4, 15:52.70
(8) 10. Joseph Socarras SO Belen Jesuit -- 6th place Region 4, 15:54.90
(NR) 11. Joseph Ruiz JR Belen Jesuit -- 7th place Region 4, 16:01.50
(12) 12. Kaleb Hollins SR Choctawhatchee HS -- 3rd place Region 1, 16:14.10
(NR) 13. Eli Zuppa JR Northeast HS -- 2nd place Region 3, 16:11.80
(15) 14. Clayton Knight JR Ocala Vanguard HS -- 1st place Region 2, 16:16.65
(NR) 15. Joseph Koraya JR Fort Myers HS -- 3rd place Region 3, 16:19.80
4A Boys Rankings
By Ray Romero, FACA XC Chair / Dunbar, RayHR@leeschools.net
Team Rankings:
Commentary: Creekside is holding on to that top spot and look unbeatable. Sunlake and Plant went head-to-head again with Sunlake looking like the number 2 team with Plant a close 3. Hagerty is the big mover for me up to the number 4 spot up from 9th. 4A has 10 teams that averaged under 16:25 for the Regional meets this will be an exciting race to watch at the ARP.Rank. School
1. Creekside HS
2. Sunlake HS
3. HB Plant HS
4. Hagerty HS
5. Viera HS
6. Nease
7. Buchholz HS
8. Christopher Columbus HS
9. Niceville HS
10. Palmetto Ridge HS
Individual Rankings:
Commentary: It is a 5 man race up front for the title. Emerson Miller of Buchholz is a slight favorite, but Bernardo "Nando" Barnhardt appears to be peaking at the right time. Pena of Sunlake and Ryan of Nease were both under 2 seconds behind Miller and Barnhardt and Leon of Haggerty under 4 seconds. This could be the tightest race of all the classes for the individual title.
Rank. Name Grad Year School
1a. Emerson Miller SR Buchholz HS
1b. Bernardo Barnhart SR Palmetto Ridge HS
3a. Alex Pena SR Sunlake HS
3b. Matt Ryan JR Nease
5. Jonathan Leon JR Hagerty HS
6. Cameron Raney SR Viera HS
7. Alec Miller SR Sarasota
8. Evan Crane SR North Port HS
9. Wyatt Townsend SR Chiles HS
10. Tanner Simonds JR Creekside HS
11. Albert Tawil-Brown SR HB Plant HS
12. Mason Kawaja SR Buchholz HS
13. Jack Dravo SR Creekside HS
14. Miguel Pantojas SR Haggerty
15. Alejandro Berro JR University HS (Orlando)
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