Recap: The Claw Preseason Classic

The Claw Preseason Classic on Friday at USF's golf course in Tampa saw a dozen area high schools competing in their season opener race of the 2023 season.

The Sunlake program in particular was the most dominant among that group of schools with their boys and girls squads highlighted by their girls sweeping the top 5 places led by senior Abigail Williams repeating as the race champion from one year ago in a time of 20:04.

Sunlake girls have been in the shadows of the success experienced by their boys' team this year, but this 2023 season appears to seem on equal footing if not higher ground thanks to an infusion of new young talent added to their roster. 

With Williams winning the race as the lone senior and sophomore Kailyn Ford holding down the fifth spot for their squad with a time of 21:07, in between the two returnees was three freshmen newcomers in Katelin Wilcox (2nd, 20:35), Leah Foster (3rd, 20:45), and Kaitlyn Zabrocki (4th, 20:56).

Video: Girls Race Video from Claw Preseason Classic

The arrival of three freshmen already running sub 21 minutes on a muddy 5K course right of the gate immediately changes the trajectory and potential for the 2023 Sunlake girls squad. Williams is certainly an All-State caliber runner with her 5K PR of 18:39 and will be a consistent low score card for Sunlake in meets this season, while guiding her freshmen teammates thru their first fall of high school racing.

Meanwhile, the Sunlake boys held back early on thru the first loop of the course at the Claw Preseason Classic before picking things up a notch in the second loop before putting 3 runners in the top 5 places with junior Cade Culpepper (3rd, 16:47), sophomore Oscar Brown (4th, 16:56), and senior Joshua Hindman (5th, 17:03). A pair of sophomores in Christian Hindman (9th, 17:12) and Drew Zevin (13th, 17:12) rounded out their top 5 that includes only one senior in the older Hidnman brother.

Video: Interview with Cypress Creek's Dylan Powell and Skylar Manatt after 1-2 finish at Claw Preseason Classic

Finishing ahead of the Sunlake swarm and leading the race from wire to wire were a pair from Cypress Creek (Wesley Chapel) High School in senior Dylan Powell winning in a time of 16:38 and followed in by his freshman teammate Skylar Manatt. Powell got to train and learn from his graduated star teammate Zack Poekert last year in his first full season of running cross country and track. He seems to putting those miles and knowledge gained with Poekert to his second season of running cross country starting out the gate with a sensational win and time on a soggy 5K course.

Manatt was a FLYRA middle school state cross country champion last fall while running for Wesley Chapel New Tampa Mustangs. Unlike the late blooming Powell who is now showing his potential finally as a high school, Manatt already starting out high school running sub 17 out of the gate for 5K as a freshman will already be looking to establish himself in his underclassmen years of high school. 

Video: Boys race from the Claw Preseason Classic

Lots of distance running talent can be apparently found at Cypress Creek High School as besides Powell and Manatt, their team has another great talent who did not race on Friday in sophomore Aaron Barnes (16:51 5K best), who was one of the state's fastest freshmen performers this past outdoor season in the 1600 meter run with a 4:27 best as well as running 9:54 for 3200 meters.