Cypress Bay's Richie Bonilla, after steadily amassing impressive credentials in his three years as a Broward County distance standout, is ready to make his fourth 4A season a top-four charm. Bonilla, who ran personal bests in both the 1600 (4:25.71) and the 3200 (9:39.58) at the 4A State Championships in May to take 5th in both events, would like to see his Lightning move into Florida's top four on the turf this fall. Individually, he's eyeing a top-five finish.
Bonilla – who recently returned from two weeks of high-altitude training in Crested Butte and Aspen, Colorado, where he notes having racked up some "good mileage" – has been a factor on standout squads at both South Plantation, where Bonilla competed through the spring of his sophomore year, and CBHS. As a tenth-grader, he was 16th at the 4A Region 3 Meet, ending up as the third runner (behind the Calabro brothers, Brandon and Gary) on the winning Paladin squad. The next spring, Bonilla made a significant impact on the So...