A good cross country meet is a lot like chemist Alfred Nobel’s most significant discovery: if handled properly, it will produce fast, predictable, and dramatic results. Take this meet, for example. It has probably been around almost as long as Mr. Nobel’s second most significant contribution to mankind, but, under the more recent management of Deland coaches Jim Lowenstein and Dale Papineau, it has, well, exploded. This year’s event attracted a combined 58 teams and 563 athletes. Kaboom!
BOYS VARSITY
Despite being from far-off Mandarin, Eduardo Garcia has won so many races here that they may have to rename the park after him…or at least a maintenance building (perhaps “The Eduardo Garcia Garage”). He claimed both the November 8, 2008, and the November 7, 2009 FHSAA 4A District 1 Championships here, so it was with extreme confidence that he went out in a nice, even 5:00-ish first mile, which he nearly duplicated with a 10:04 two mile time, and a 15:39.92 finish (5:02.6 average).
“I’ve run this course before; Districts in ‘08 and ‘09, so I’m pretty familiar with it. Compared to UF (where he finished fourth in a time of 15:46.99), it is fast and flat. I like it.
“I took it out aggressively from the start, opening a separation (from the field),” he began. “I went through the mile in 4:59, two miles in 10:04. I widened the gap between one and two, then ran the last mile trying to finish strong, and run against the clock. I tried to set a PR.”
Second on his agenda was to pull his team along on the “Winner’s Express.”
“We did well as a team. I am really happy. We started the season, perhaps not as expected, but we’re chopping down times. Today we had one season best (Jeremy Wegener in 17:26.46), and four PRs (mine, Tyler Mowery in 17:54.91, Aldo Shahini in 18:12.50, and John Lucas Shannon in 18:23.26).
“I believe that we placed second behind Spruce Creek. They’ve got a really good team--a good spread—less than a minute spread from one to five. That’s what a good team has.”
BOYS TEAM RESULTS
Although coming in to the season in “rebuilding mode,” Spruce Creek has a streak going.
“This is our third straight, and before this year we’d never won an invitational in the history of our school,” said Spruce Creek coach Stephon Gallon. “I found that out from Coach Wendt, who coached in the 80s.
“In practice no one backs off. If someone tries to, another runner picks it up. Kyler (Kathman, first SC finisher, and third overall in 16:56.10) tells me that if he did it at his former school—he’s a transfer—no one would pick it up. But here, someone will always pick it up. Now the goal is to maintain it. I tell the team that ‘previous SC teams made their history, now it’s time for us to make ours,’ to look forward.”
Tops among 17 teams (117 finishers), SC placed 3-6-8-10-12-16-27 for a stingy 39 points. Mandarin was second (1-9-19-23-31-39-43) with 83, St. Cloud (4-7-22-23-33-45-46-50; 111) squeaked by Northview, Georgia (15-18-21-25-35-37-48) by three, and Melbourne was fifth with 160 (2-11-41-52-54-58-59).
GIRLS VARSITY
Melbourne’s Vanessa Valentine came in to the meet with a PR of 18:42.08 (claimed at the 2009 FHSAA 4A State Meet), and left with a new one: 18:41.40. She also left with a solid team victory.
“We came here because it’s going to be the site of the Regionals for us. Other than that, I didn’t really know anyone here. My coach predicted that, based upon a flrunners.com virtual meet, that me and Elle (Baker, third in 19:21.24) might be able to run # 1 and #2.
“I usually just run my own race, use the competition to motivate me, but try not to let it get into my head.
“Splits? I’m working on that. I usually forget to press the button. I think I passed the mile in 5:50. I was sitting pretty confident. Mary Kate (Powell, Mandarin, second in 19:01.51) was just ahead of me. I kept her in my sight and kept right up with her. I want to say that I picked it up. She had me in the second mile, but I passed her on the back stretch, when you do the inner circle, right around two miles.”
GIRLS TEAM RACE
Melbourne, with 61 points (1-3-14-17-26-35-64) got out the door just in time to beat the “rush hour.” The next three teams “tied” with 79. Spruce Creek (8-11-13-18-29-34-56) carried their sixth place finisher (Rainey Tyner in 21:26.94) off in celebration, or at least they should have, since it was her 34th place finish that was the tie breaker. Next was Titusville (4-5-10-20-40-46-59), and then Mandarin (2-6-15-25-31-49-50).
RACING BACK TO THE PARTY
Coming by charter bus all the way from Northview High School (Johns Creek, Georgia), is ample reason to run fast. But getting back to the party was an even better reason. Jacob Durham and Grace Goodwin explained.
Grace: “We come down to Disney every year for that (5K) race.”
Jacob: “Our homecoming was the same weekend of the Walt Disney 5K, and our principal (Miss Spalla) wouldn’t let us go.” (Boooos are heard from the crowd.)
Grace: “We do this thing called the ‘Titan Marathon.’ We sell raffle tickets for a chance at receiving gift cards. That raises a good amount of money.”
Jacob: “We also stay in our gym for 12 hours and we have a foam lightning bolt, and have to keep it moving—by running with it—around the gym.”
Grace: “On Friday we went to Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Magic Kingdom. Today (Saturday), after the race, we’re going to Blizzard Beach and MGM. On Sunday morning, we’re going home.”
Wow, so one short 5K seems pretty easy.
BOYS JV RACE
Jacob, a junior who is tops at his school in “line stamina,” explains how he won the JV race.
“I passed the first runner about a third of a mile in. I heard people cheering for the person behind me, which encouraged me to pick it up and break some space out. Once I got out front, that was it. I got lots of inspiration from my coach and team, cheering me on.”
His time, 17:50.86 (a new PR, his previous being 17:54.44), would have placed him third on his team, and 20th overall, in the varsity race.
BOYS JV TEAM RACE
With five in the top ten (2-3-5-6-10-12-16), Spruce Creek won with 26….but having fasted from fun at Disney, they no doubt were sufficiently rested for this race. Northview High (wasn’t that the name of a movie?) was second (1-4-7-14-15-17-28; 41), Melbourne third (11-20-22-24-25-30-34; 102), Mandarin fourth (9-21-26-27-32-35-36; 115) and Oviedo fifth (18-29-38-39-41-43-56; 165).
GIRLS JV RACE
Like her male counterpart, Grace Goodwin saw that short line and jumped right in.
“I took over the lead in the first half mile. I was running with my teammate, Gloria Choi (third in 22:29.10) for that first half mile. We were pushing each other. I don’t know the school, but there was one girl (Catherine LaStarza, second in 21:49.96) who got right next to me, about 800 meters from the finish, which convinced me to kick it in.”
That kick, which was worth eight and a third seconds, will no doubt be recorded in her mental book of memories.
GIRLS JV TEAM RACE
Despite finishing 1-3-8-16, Northview--being short an all-important fifth finisher-- forfeited a chance to challenge the official winner--Spruce Creek (1-2-3-4-12-13-17; 22)—for a team prize. They were followed by Mandarin (5-8-19-20-21-40-41; 73), Titusville (10-11-14-26-27-30-42; 88), Oviedo (6-9-15-31-32-61-71; 93), and Melbourne (16-22-28-29-37-51-55; 132).