WATCH LIVE: FLRUNNERS.COM INVITATIONAL
The middle school portion of the FLRUNNERS.COM INVITATONAL might be becoming the best and largest participation portion of the meet. The meet essentially is the closest thing to a pre-state meet for the FLYRA Middle School State Championships to be held later this month on the same course at Holloway Park in Lakeland. The girl's race has over 360 runners representing 44 teams. The boy's race has over 440 runners representing 48 teams. The start of the races will be exciting!
GIRLS MIDDLE SCHOOL RACE
On the girl's side, we have three of the top 10 ranked Middle School girls in the state racing on Friday afternoon. The 3, 4, 6 and 7th ranked runners lead a field that has the top 12 seeded girls having all run sub-13:00 in the 3K, with one girl under 12:00m. The MS Meet (venue) 3000m record of 10:12.10 is held by 8th grader, Annabella Tomasic of Lake Highland Prep. Tomasic is running in the ROC on Saturday and is the defending champion in that race. The #2 time, 10:22.90, is held by So. Cheyenne Thomas of Tavares who is also in the ROC and the #4 time of 10:31.86, is held by Cambridge (Christian) School Jr. Eliana Black who is racing in the Girl's varsity race on Friday afternoon.
The top seeded girl in this year's race is 8th grader Laken Hartley of the Red Sea Running Club. Hartley is ranked #4 in the state with a 10:58.00 that she ran in a 2nd place finish at the Florida Horse Park Invitational. She has been busy this fall having raced four times with a 4th in her season opener at Indian River, two 2nds at Florida Horse Park and the Lecanto Invitational and a 3rd at the Bolles 3K Qualifier. She was 15th last year in 12:06.19.
Another 8th grader, Jada Ordway of the Tampa Bay Pirates is the #2 seeded girl with an 11:00.44. She was 5th at Florida Horse Park. Ordway was 29th last year with a 12:29.32 and finished with a 13th place in the FLYRA MS State Cross Country Championships with an 11:46.20. She has raced three times this year with a 5th at the Florida Horse Park, and two firsts at Seffner and North Port. She is the #6 ranked Middle School girl in the state.
The 7th ranked girl is 8th grader Makaela Morilla of the Boca Warriors Track Club. Morilla was 20th in last years race with a 12:15.52 and was 19th at the FLYRA state in 12:10.20. She has raced twice this year and is undefeated with wins at Indian River Fairgrounds in 11:28.97 and at Spanish River in 11:00.97.
Here are your additional 9 sub-12:00 seeded runners:
Alice Ilea of the Red Sea Running Club 11:08.30
Lindsey Mishler of the Red Sea Running Club 11:13.40
Jimena Nava-Garcia of the Red Sea Running Club 11:23.10
Marisa Mantecon of the Miami Elite Track Club 11:31.40
Adriana Perrette of the Boca Warriors Track Club 11:38.60
Abigail Cooper of the Tampa Bay HEAT 11:53.20
Isabella Neal of the Red Sea Running Club 11:55.03
Addison Jofre of the Hillsborough Harriers
11:57.60
The boy's Middle School venue record for the Holloway Park course is held by Marcelo Mantecon of Belen Jesuit. Mantecon was running for the Miami Elite Track Club when he set the record of 9:32.32 in 2022.
8th grader Micah Oliver of the Wesley Chapel New Tampa Mustangs is the #6 ranked runner. He is having a break out year, finishing 3rd at the Florida Horse Park race with a 9:53.40. He was 2nd at Jim Ryan. Last year he was 31st at FLRUNNERS with an 11:12.85 and 20th at the FLYRA State meet in 10:55.70.
The #7 ranked runner is the Red Sea Running Club 8th grader Omar Castillo. Castillo was 4th at the Florida Horse Park Invitational with a 9:55.80. He was 3rd at Jim Ryan and was 6th at FLRUNNERS last year in 10:22.60.
Another 8th grader, who is the #8 ranked Middle Schooler, to watch for who has also run under 10:00 is Nicholas Alvarez of the Red Sea Running Club. Alvarez was 5th at the Florida Horse Park Invitational with a 9:57.00. Alvarez is always with the leaders and was 9th last year at the FLRUNNERS race with a 10:30.60.
Rounding off the top 10 ranked runners is a 6th grader, Rj Destremps of the Hillsborough Harriers. Destremps was 11th at the Florida Horse Park Invitational in 10:00.00.
There is a group of challengers that have all run under 10:25.00 including:
Trevor Berquist of the Ocala Distance Project 10:15.40
Eric Chen of the Red Sea Running Club 10:20.70
Emiliano Lozano of the Red Sea Running Club
Navid Lozano of the Red Sea Running Club
Daniel Garmendia of Belen Jesuit 10:24.54