1A BOYS
Team Favorites: Cambridge (Christian) School
This should be one of the best team races of the day. Its close between the Cambridge (Christian) School and Westminster Academy. Cambridge was 2nd last year and will be out to win their 1st 1A Team title. Westminster has 6 team titles. Cambridge has 4 returners including Jr. Mark Meister who leads the team. Meister was 11th last year and is the #2 ranked 1A boy. Their #2 runner is Sr. Ethan Esposito. He joins the squad from Indian Rocks Christian and was a part of their championship team last year. Cambridge's #3 runner is Sr. Kai Martin who was 50th last year. Joining Martin are the #4 and 5 runners, Jr. Landon Johnson and Jr. Hunter Friedman. Rounding out the squad for Cambridge is their #6 runner, Fr. John Rocco Moralejo and Jr. Rico Borjon.
In the Virtual Meet Projections and in the 1A team rankings, Cambridge holds a 5 point advantage over Westminster. Westminster is led by the #1 ranked 1A boy, Jonathan Pena. Pena was 3rd in last year's race is is perhaps the favorite to take the title this year. Behind Pena is an experience team, all of whom ran in last years championship with the exception of their #7 runner, Jr. Daniel Puce. The #2 runner for Westminster is Sr. Tanner Pritchard, the #3 runner is So. Lucas Latimore, the #4 runner is Jr. Scott Sanok, the #5 is Sr. Tyler Pritchard and the important #6 runner is Jr. Wilson Seeman.
No matter how you look at it, it is just going to be decided on the State meet performances., especially of the #3-5 runners of both teams. The teams are very similar. Cambridge has an Average team time of 16:06.36 and a 1-5 split of 1:13.00. Westminster has an Average Time of 16:05.50 and a 1-5 Split of 1:25.50. At State, it just may be the 3-5 split that makes the difference between 1st and 2nd. Westminster has the edge in the 3-5 split with their 3-5 going 12.50 seconds and Cambridge's going 22.80.
Of course, anything can happen at State and the team from the Providence School will be lurking in case either of the top 2 teams falter. Led by Jr. Charles Loftin, the #7 ranked 1A boy, they have a 1-5 split of .59 seconds which is better than both Cambridge and Westminster. However, they have an Average Time of 16:16.22 and 10 seconds at the State meet can be a lot of places.
Team Contenders: Westminster Academy, Providence School, Pensacola Christian Academy
Individual Favorites: Sr. Jonathan Pena (Westminster), Mark Meister (Cambridge (Christian) School), and Blake Young (Indian Rock Christian).
Jonathan Pena was 3rd last year in 15:48.70 to Palmer Trinity's Henry Stark who ran 15:30.80. Blake Young was 2nd in 15:48.70. So far this season Pena appears to have the upper hand. He is ranked #1 in 1A with his 15:14.00, 6th place finish at New World.
Meister is #2 ranked with a 15:26.00. He was 14th at New World. Young's 15:31 came in a 2nd place finish at North Port to the #2 runner in the State, Liam Jordan of Berkely Prep. Blake however, has got the best of Meister in both Districts and Regionals. I think it will come down to the last 800m and who can finish strongest.
If it's close, Meister has the better speed of the three with a 1:57 800m to his credit., but if it's fast the entire race, that speed may be negated and Pena has the best 1600 of the three. Not only is the team race going to be close, but the individual race as well.