FLRUNNERS.COM Recap- Middle Schooler's Steal the Spotlight!

FLRUNNERS.COM INVITATIONAL
Mark Stonecipher

Collin Langston finishing his record-setting run.

Photo Credit: Dave Tibbetts

26th FLRUNNERS.COMThe 26th FLRUNNERS.COM had some outstanding performances, but it was the middle schoolers who stole the spotlight. Over 600 middle school boys and girls ran in the boys' and girls' races that were highlighted by a new venue record in the boys' race by Collin Langston of the Hillsborough Harriers.  Langston set a new Holloway Park MS 3K record of 9:28.80, breaking the old record of 9:30.0, which was set in 2022 by Belen Jesuit's Marcelo Mantecon.

Photo Credit: Dave Tibbetts

The middle school boys race was a battle the entire way.  Dominic Sadonis (left), running for the Pasco Panthers took the pace out hard with Langston and Navid Lozano of the Red Sea Running Club (2259) just meters behind. The three pushed through the first mile with Langston with a slight lead. Sadonis and Langston battled back and forth with Langston taking the lead just onto the bottom straight that leads to the runners coming out of the woods with just at 300m to go. Langston and Sadonis both finished strong, with Langston holding on down the last 200m to the finish. Sadonis ran an excellent 9:33.40, and Lozano a 9:44.70. The three youngsters all head to the 5K next year, and this race will be one to remember as they join an impressive list, ranking as the numbers one, two, and tenth fastest times by middle school boys on the Holloway Park 3K.


WATCH: The Middle School Boys Race


PREVIOUS TOP 10 ALL-TIME MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS 3K's at Holloway Park

RankTimeAthlete/TeamGradeMeet DatePlace
19:30.32
Marcelo Mantecon
FL Miami Elite Track Club
2027
HOKA FLRUNNERS.COM INVITATIONAL 231st F
29:34.49
Vazquez  Jonahel 
FL East Ridge Middle School
2029
FLYRA MS State Cross Country Championship1st F
39:36.90
Nicholas Veloso
FL Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
2028
FLYRA MS State Cross Country Championship1st F
49:37.70
Armando Cruz
FL Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
2027
FLYRA MS State Cross Country Championship1st F
59:37.82
Douglas Seth
FL Imagine Town Center
2029
FLYRA MS State Cross Country Championship2nd F
69:39.12
Reed Hagen
FL The Elite Runner Fort Myers
2029
FLYRA MS State Cross Country Championship3rd F
79:43.91
Rheinhardt Harrison
FL St. Johns Striders
2022
FLYRA MS Cross Country Championships1st F
89:44.80
Skylar Manatt
FL Wesley Chapel New Tampa Mustangs
2027
FLYRA MS State Cross Country Championship1st F
99:45.45
Liam Jordan
FL Berkeley Prep HS
2025
FLYRA MS State Cross Country Championship1st F
109:45.67
Storm Weber
FL Berkeley Prep HS
2025
FLYRA MS State Cross Country Championship2nd F

In the middle school boys' race, the team title went to the WIND Runners out of Ft. Myers, as they secured their second consecutive win
over the second-place Belen Jesuit runners. The WIND Runners boys won at Spanish River last weekend. It was a close team race, which is very indicative of what we can expect to see in the next few years, as many of these boys will move on to the 5K next season.

Middle School Boys 3000 Meter Run Finals Team Scores


PlaceTeamPointsScorersTimes
1WIND Runners655+9+11+19+21 (73+98)0:50 1-5 Split | 10:42 Avg
2Belen Jesuit Preparatory School7312+13+15+16+17 (33+40)0:10 1-5 Split | 10:49 Avg
3Red Sea Running Club792+4+18+25+30 (48+51)1:30 1-5 Split | 10:39 Avg
4Hillsborough Harriers941+8+22+28+35 (47+56)1:54 1-5 Split | 10:45 Avg

The middle school girls' race was won by 7th grader Alice Ilea in 11:o4.30.  Ilea, running for the Red Sea Running Club, was impressive in her 20-second win over eighth grader Zoey Christensen, running unattached, who ran 11:24.00.  Third place went to eighth grader Isabella Neal of the Red Sea Running Club in 11:26.80.


Middle School Girls 3000 Meter Run Finals Team Scores

1Red Sea Running Club571+3+15+17+21 (25+29)1:28 1-5 Split | 11:52 Avg
2WIND Runners824+6+11+20+41 (47+75)1:48 1-5 Split | 12:11 Avg
3Boca Warriors Track Club838+9+13+22+31 (38+40)1:04 1-5 Split | 12:13 Avg


BOYS RACE OF CHAMPIONS

Diego Eseverri of Christopher Columbus, Michael Girard of Viera, and Angel Cruz of Mariner (behind Girard), just past the 1-mile.

Photo Credit: Dave Tibbetts

Senior Diego Eseverri of Christopher Columbus won the boys' Race of Champions in a fast 15:37.36 on the challenging course. Second went to senior Angel Cruz of Mariner HS in 15:48.72. Eseverri and Cruz hung close through the mile and 2-mile with Eseverri pressing the pace as the boys came off the back portion of the course and onto the straight before the exit of the woods to the finish. Only four boys went sub-16:00. In addition to Eseverri and Cruz, senior Andrew Youssef of Vero Beach HS and senior Michael Girard of Viera HS ran 15:53.89 and 15:57.37, respectively. The top undergraduate spot went to sophomore Dylan Macias-Buenrostro of Mariner HS in 16:02.47.

In the ROC team race, the Christopher Columbus boys, led by Eseverri, demonstrated why they are one of the top-ranked 4A boys teams in Florida taking the team title with 142 points. Hagerty was second with 158 and Naples and Fort Myers went three and four with 171 and 194 points.


Boys 5000 Meter Run Finals Team Scores

PlaceTeamPointsScorersTimes
1Christopher Columbus HS1421+22+29+44+46 (85+97)1:38 1-5 Split | 16:45 Avg
2Hagerty HS1584+18+37+41+58 (66+73)1:06 1-5 Split | 16:57 Avg
3Naples HS1713+10+26+48+84 (266+286)1:28 1-5 Split | 16:55 Avg
4Fort Myers HS19428+30+42+45+49 (79+187)0:24 1-5 Split | 17:06 Avg


GIRLS RACE OF CHAMPIONS

Jazlyn Forbes of Oasis HS leads Mary Summers of Seven Rivers Christian School just past the 1-mile.

Photo Credit: Dave Tibbetts

In the girls' Race of Champions, senior Jazlyn Forbes remained undefeated on the season, winning her fifth race of the year with a time of 18:10.44. Forbes, who was under the weather and questionable at the start time, held off the number two-ranked freshman in the state, Mary Summers of Seven Rivers Christian School, with Summers finishing second in 18:20.93. Joining Forbes and Summers with sub-19 times were junior Natalia Gaona-Zelaya of Wiregrass Ranch HS, who was third in 18:28.43, sophomore Katherine Eudaly of  Plant, who was fourth in 18:29.52, and junior Miah Galban of Golden Gate, who was fifth in 18:55.00.



In the ROC girls' team race, the Heathwood Hall girls' team from Columbia, SC, showed why they are the number four-ranked girls' team in South Carolina.


Photo Credit: Dave Tibbetts

The girls were led by freshman Dorothy Hutchins, who finished 11th (9) in 19:36.86, and scored just 107 points to win the team title.  

1Heathwood Hall1079+15+19+23+41 (63+78)1:20 1-5 Split | 20:15 Avg