NOTE: Coaches and parents. Due to Helene and some subsequent heavy rains, the backside of the course is under water. We will be running a loop course due to the conditions. It is a measured 5K and is actually more viewer-friendly. It has been used before. The Middle School and Elementary school races are not affected. Also, please be aware that the Tent area is wet so choose your location carefully. With the loop course, the starting line has been moved forward so that area can be used for tents on Saturday. On Friday, the 2000m and 3000m races use the standard starting line.
PLEASE pay attention to the direction and instructions of the parking attendants. This area can be wet. Please do not randomly park in open areas. Thank you. We are looking forward to a great event.
Map of Loop Course see below
Typically, the Friday High School Varsity race is very competitive. This year however it features three of the top-ranked girls in the state and one team that if they are healthy and all the cylinders firing, is one of the top five teams in the state. Individually, the race features Jr. Eliana Black of Cambridge (Christian) School, Fr. Madison Muller of Sarasota Riverview and Jr. Jazlyn Forbes of Oasis. Muller is the #4 ranked girl in the state, Black is #7 and Forbes is #8.
Black is just one of nine girls who have run sub-18 on the Holloway Park course and leads the Cambridge (Christian) School girls currently ranked #8 in the state. In 2023, at the Seffner Invitational, she ran a 17:54.60. As a freshman, she was the 1A State XC champion in 17:55.10. She is just now getting healthy and ran a 17:46.70 at North Port which has her ranked #7 in the State.
Riverview's Muller is having a standout year. She was 3rd at North Port in 17:38.40 and is ranked #4 in the state. She won at Lemon Bay, Lakewood Ranch and Venice.
Jr. Jazlyn Forbes of Oasis is the #6 ranked girl in the state. She was 6th at North Port in 17:47.80 She was 6th in the 2A State XC meet last year in 18:38.40 and is one of only 9 girls that have run sub-18 this season.
Race of Champions
Team Race
This year's Race of Champions features two of the top 10 teams in the state. Plant is ranked #4 and Our Lady of Lourdes Academy (Miami) is ranked 7th. Plant is led by Fr. Katherine Eudaly. Eudaly is following in the footsteps of her older sister, Mary Ellen Eudaly who is ranked #8 on the Holloway Park course with a 17:57.40 that she ran in 2021. Katherine has run 17:43.10 this year. Joining her on the Plant team that has an average time for its top five of 19:16.32, are So. Rylee Nelson, So. Lia Ben David, Sr. Katherine Fisher, and Sr. Aurora Clark.
The ladies from Our Lady of Lourdes are led by Sr. Lucia Castillo-Rios. She is joined by So. Alessandra Perez, Sr. Cristina Sanchez, Jr. Daniella Fraga and So. Kylie Fernandez. The Lourdes girls have an average time of 19:54.19, but that is not their strength. Their strength is in their 1-5 split which is just 37.35 seconds.
Dillard is back to defend their Team title. Anything can happen in XC and if this race is anything like the dual at the Spanish River Invitational last week, expect the Defending 3A State champion girls from Dillard to be battling the girls from Plant and Our Lady of Lourdes for the team title. The two teams battled each other and were separated by just 1 point in the 3A Girls race.
| 1 |  Dillard HS | 37 | 1+2+3+13+18 (31+35) | 3:20 1-5 Split | 19:57 Avg |
| 2 |  Our Lady of Lourdes Academy (Miami) | 38 | 4+6+7+10+11 (12+19) | 1:11 1-5 Split | 20:04 Avg |
Note: The team rankings are based on the girls' individual rankings by time in the state. They are not subjective and not based on head-to-head competition.
The Dillard girl's are rounding into shape and are looking to defend their 3A State title. They are a young squad. Leading the way for Dillard is 8th grader Shynah Collins. Collins was 3rd last year at State Joining her are Jr. Abigail Richards, So.Peyton Williams, So. Kelly Greene and So. Jaliah Gammage. Missing is 8th grader Miley Gill who was 5th at State last year for the girls. If Gill returns....
Individual Race
The girls ROC individual race features 8th grader Annabella Tomasic of Lake Highland Prep and Fr. Katherine Eudaly of Plant. Tomasic, as just a 7th grader, was arguably the best girls runner in Florida in the Cross Country Season. She was injured for the outdoor track season and is just now getting back. She is currently ranked #9 in the state with a 17:48.20. She is the defending champion in the FLRUNNERS ROC which she won last year in the 2nd fastest time run on the course with a 17:42.72. She was the FLYRA Middle School State, setting the course 3000m record of 10:12.10 and the FHSAA 2A State champion, running 17:32.90. She opened her 2024 season with a 3rd at the Cecil Field Summer Classic and has won her last three races: the Winter Springs Invitational, the Hawks on the Hill Invitational, and the Hagerty Invitational.
Joining Tomasic and Eudaly are 13 girls ranked this season in the Top 50 in the state. Saturday morning we are going to see if any of these girls can challenge Tomasic. Expect to see a small group separated from the field at the first mile with Tomasic out front. She is not afraid to lead and to take races out fast and challenge the field to go with her.
Top Girls Individual Entrants at 2023 flrunners.com Invitational
