Annabella Tomasic has a rare opportunity to become a 3-time FLYRA middle school state champion after winning the private schools title as a fifth grader in 2021 with a time of 10:26 as well as a sixth grader in 2022 with a meet and course record time of 10:19. If she achieves the feat, that will likely be a first by any individual in the meet's history and she even has the opportunity next year to return as an eighth grader to be eligible to chase an unheard of 4-peat in the event.
The current seventh grader from Lake Highland Prep has taken over the high school running scene by storm this fall running at the varsity level at her new school, but taking a break from the high competition to race against peers closer to her own age this weekend at Holloway Park in Lakeland for the 2023 edition of the FLYRA Middle School State Championships.
She qualified for this year's meet by running a 3K last week at the Central Florida Gliders meet on October 16th in a time of 10:16. The Holloway Park 5K course is a difficult one to post a personal best on, but the 3K course has shown to be definitely PR friendly and could see Tomasic try to lower her course and meet record time closer to 10 minutes flat. Although Tomasic showed she can run faster regardless of the course and distance at the flrunners.com Invitational in winning the Race of Champions in 17:42 on the 5K course at Holloway Park.
Tomasic will unfortunately not have much competition to push her like two years ago when she defeated Eliana Black or even last year when she at least had a time to chase after seeing Cheyenne Thomas set the meet and course record in an earlier division race. The club division races separately at 9 AM on Saturday and is loaded with sub 11 performers at the 3K distance including Lainee Mercer, Sydney Johnson, Avery Hartley, and Katherine Eudaly but none will be in the same race as Tomasic.
The Private/Charter Championship girls race will be the first race to go off on Saturday at 8 AM, so temperatures should be the most ideal for Tomasic to chase after another record in her final race to prep for the FHSAA championship series with districts starting next week and herself looking as the front runner for the 2A state cross country title next month.
