4A Girls Meet Preview for the 2024 FHSAA State XC Championships on Saturday, November 22nd at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida.
4A GIRLS
Eva Delany of Creekside (Center in Pink and black) at the Start of the 4A-1 Region. She is the top runner for Creekside.
Photo Credit: Cedric Gillette
The Creekside girls head to the State meet on Saturday as the 4A Team favorite. They are atop the final state 4A team standings, and had the best team performance of girls 4A teams last week in the Regionals. The team went through some changes in the off-season, and the girls responded to their challenges and, as the defending State Champions, are now ready to go after their 3rd state title. Returning for Creekside is Sr. Sarah Rose (14th), So. Hadleigh Roberts (23rd), Jr. Emily Kate Longmire (43rd), and Jr. Abigail Clark. Two freshmen have helped elevate the girls this year and have stepped into the No. 1 and No. 3 scoring roles this season with sub-19:00 performances. Eva Delaney is the girls' top runner with an 18:14.32, and Ivey Edgell, as the No. 3 runner, has run 18:45.32.
Team Contenders: Sarasota HS, Buchholz
Buchholz was the runner-up at State last year, and they return their No. 2 runner, Jr. Valeria Beaver (41st), and their No. 5 runner, Sr. Jamey Armstrong (104th). The girls are led by So. Alexandra Rossi. Annika Caedington and Phoebe Verschage are the No. 3 and 4 runners and Jayden Pritt and returner Karsyn Golsinga (104) are the 6 and 7 runners. They will certainly challenge Buchholz for the runner-up spot with the results merge relying on the individual performances of the runners and the Sarasota performances coming from a North Port course that is known to be fast. If we were to somehow put speed ratings on courses, the individual and team rankings would not be skewed to the faster courses.
Sarasota and Buchholz hold down the No. 2 and 3 rankings in the final 4A State rankings, as well as having the No. 2 and 3 team performances in last week's Regionals. Only one scorer from last year's 4th-place team returns for Sarasota. So, Marley Bowen was the team's No. 2 runner at State last year. She was 34th. She is once again the No. 2 runner, improving from her 19:17.60 to an 18:45.80. So. Annabella Cicilioni, 152nd at State last year with 21:30.70, has stepped up as the team's leader with an 18:02.70, 7th place finish in the 4A-3 Regional. Last year's No. 6 runner at State, Sr. Aubri Antczak (69th), has moved up to the No. 4 spot this season. Jr. Jasmine France, So. Isabella Mendenhall, and So. Annabella Alger were the squad's 3, 4, and 5 runners at Regionals. So. Ella Cardell joins the girls as the No. 7 runner at Regionals.
Individual Favorite: Madison Muller (Sarasota Riverview)
Madison Muller has run the 4th fastest XC 5K by any Florida girl.
Photo Credit: M. Stonecipher
So. Madison Muller of Sarasota Riverview is the favorite to win the 4A girls race. She is the leading girl in 4A and in the State with a 16:50.40 that she ran in the 4A-3 Regional. It is the 4th fastest time run in a XC 5k in Florida all-time. Muller has run nine times this season and has six wins, including a 6th at PreState in 17:52.40. She was second in the 4A race last year. Her time came on a North Port course that is "fast," but even if you were to adjust the time as some clamor for, she is still one of the top girls in the state in all divisions.
