FHSAA 4A Girls State XC Race Preview

Mark Stonecipher


WATCH LIVE: FHSAA State XC Championships


4A Girls race preview for the 2024 FHSAA State XC Championships on Friday, November 16th at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida.


4A GIRLS


Team Favorites:  Creekside


The Creekside girls have one team title.  This weekend, they may get their 2nd.  They handily won the 4A Region 1 title outdistancing Buchholz 52-79 with the Alyson sisters flip flopping their 1 & 2 positions. Jr. Alyson Johnson is the defending 4A state champion and has been the teams leader all season.  She is the #2 ranked 4A girl in the State and the #2 ranked in all-divisions.  The team was bolstered this year with the addition of her sister, Fr. Sydney Johnson, who hs had a solid freshman season and has continued to improve and gain experience.  The #3 runner on the team who has stepped up from earlier in the year, is Jr. Sarah Rose. Rose was 2nd last year at State.  Rounding out Creekside's scorers are Fr. Hadleigh Roberts and So. Emily Kate Longmire.  The #6 and 7 runners are two other Freshmen, Kaitlyn Chapman and Brynn Jenkins.  The Creekside girls have an Average Time of 18:21.40 and a 1-5 Split of 1:43.00.  Their average time is just over 37 seconds over the girls from Sarasota and almost 41 second over the girls from Plant.  If the Creekside girls show up and run what they are capable  of running, they should be on top of the 4A girl podium.


Team Contenders: Sarasota, Plant, Buchholz

The girls from Sarasota are the clear favorites to be on the podium as the runner-up with a 45 point advantage over Plant in the Regional results merge and 58 point lead over Plant in the team rankings based upon the girl's top times run this season. It will be a challenge for Plant to overcome them.  The real challenge for Plant will be to hold of the girls from Buchholz for the #3 spot.


Individual Favorite:  Mackenzie Roy (Spruce Creek)


Spruce Creek Sr. Mackenzie Roy has had an incredible senior year.  She has race 9 times this season and has won 7.  Both of her 2nd place finishes were to Alyson Johnson.  She was 2nd at Cecil Field back in August and again at the Bale n Trail at the end of September.  She won against Johnson at New World and at Districts ran a 17:01.00 that is the state leading time.  Last weekend She won easily at regionals with an ailing Johnson .  If Johnson is healthy, she will fight to defend her state title.  It should be a fast race and one of the best races of the day.  At this point in the season, Roy may have just a slight advantage, but Johnson is an experienced and determined runner.  It may come down to the last 100m.  I can't wait to see how this one plays out.


Individual Contenders:  Alyson Johnson (Creekside), Madison Muller (Sarasota Riverview), Katherine Eudaly (Plant), Rachel Harrar (Newsome), Sydney Johnson (Creekside), Malia Hambrick (North Port), and Arianna Roy (Spruce Creek). 


All of the nine girls above have run Sub-18 this Cross season and another to watch is Jr. Rhyen Foley of East Ridge who has run 18:00.00.  Nothing happens until the 2-maile and this should be a real scramble from there and up the wall to the finish to see who gets on the podium and in what position.

RankTimeAthlete/TeamGradeMeet DatePlace
117:01.00
Mackenzie Roy
Spruce Creek HS
2025
FHSAA 4A District 21st F
217:23.00
Alyson Johnson
Creekside HS
2026
New World Fall Spectacular3rd F
317:33.20
Madison Muller
Sarasota Riverview HS
2028
FHSAA 4A Region 31st F
417:43.10
Katherine Eudaly
Plant
2028
North Port XC Invitational4th F
517:48.70
Rachel Harrar
Newsome
2025
Hillsborough County Championships1st F
617:49.00
Sydney Johnson
Creekside HS
2028
New World Fall Spectacular6th F
717:51.20
Malia Hambrick
North Port HS
2026
FHSAA 4A Region 32nd F
817:55.00
Arianna Roy
Spruce Creek HS
2025
New World Fall Spectacular8th F
918:00.00
Rhyen Foley
East Ridge HS
2026
New World Fall Spectacular10th F