Florida Boys Top 10 Subjective Rankings - Beyond the Clock

Mantecon Debuts at No. 1 in Florida Boys' Week 3 Top 10

Week Three (Aug. 31-Sept.5) produced the biggest changes in the MileSplit Florida boys' subjective rankings. Marcelo Mantecon and Fletcher Rodbro enter the Top 10, along with Luis Rivera. 

The difference between the objective time rankings and the subjective Top 10 is especially noticeable after Week Three. Rodbro owns the state's fastest time, but Mantecon takes the subjective No. 1 spot after his head-to-head win over Cruz and his preseason National ranking.

Kiper ranks only 18th by time in the state rankings, but moves to fourth because of his decisive victory at Holloway Park. Thompson remains seventh because his 15:16.00 opener and third-place finish against the deep Florida Horse Park field provide both a fast time and a valuable head-to-head performance.

The rankings consider each athlete's complete season, with additional weight given to recent performances, head-to-head results, course difficulty, and previous championship accomplishments. As we move further into the season with major competitions just ahead, we should see more changes.

MileSplit Florida Boys' Top 10 Subjective Rankings

NR - Not ranked in last week's Top 10.

1. Marcelo Mantecon, Belen Jesuit

Current MileSplit rank by time: No. 5 - 15:22.04, 3A No. 3

Mantecon entered the season with the strongest returning résumé in Florida. He now has a 2026 result to support it. The Belen Jesuit senior opened his season by winning the Florida Horse Park Invitational in 15:22.04. He finished 2.31 seconds ahead of teammate Armando Cruz, with the rest of the 549-runner field more than 24 seconds behind.

Mantecon is a two-time Class 3A state champion and owns a 14:33.00 personal best. He is ranked US No. 1 by many.  His victory over Cruz gives him the head-to-head result necessary to take over the No. 1 position.

2. Armando Cruz, Belen Jesuit

Current MileSplit rank by time: No. 2 - 15:06.00, 3A No. 1

Cruz falls one position after finishing second to Mantecon at the Florida Horse Park, but his early season resume remains among the strongest in Florida. The Belen Jesuit senior won the Cecil Field Summer Classic in 15:06.00 before running 15:24.35 at the Horse Park. He has recorded two performances under 15:25 on two different courses and has defeated every Florida runner he has faced except Mantecon.

Cruz's 15:06.00 remains the fastest time by an FHSAA runner this season.

3. Fletcher Rodbro, IMG Academy

Current MileSplit rank by time: No. 1 - 14:54.00

Rodbro delivered the fastest performance of the Florida season at the IMGA XC Summit Challenge. The IMG Academy junior won in 14:54.00, finishing 43 seconds ahead of teammate James Pfuhl. Rodbro is the first Florida boy to break 15 minutes this season, and nobody else has come within 12 seconds of his time. Rodbro enters at No. 3 because he has only one major performance and has not raced Mantecon, Cruz, or another athlete ranked near the top. Another performance near 15 minutes-or a head-to-head victory over one of Florida's established leaders on an established course will determine whether Rodbro will move up or down as the season progresses.

IMG Academy is not an FHSAA member, so Rodbro does not have an FHSAA classification ranking.

4. Jaxon Kiper, Strawberry Crest

Current MileSplit rank by time: No. 18 - 15:54.30, 4A No. 9

Kiper did not race during Week Three but moves up based on the continuing strength of his Jim Ryun FCA Invitational victory. The Strawberry Crest senior ran 15:54.30 at Holloway Park, winning by 23 seconds on one of Florida's more demanding courses. His place in the objective time rankings does not fully reflect the difficulty of the Holloway Park course or the size of his victory.

Kiper climbs three positions but will eventually need another major performance or a head-to-head race against Florida's other leading runners to remain this high.

5. Isaiah Howdeshell, Largo

Current MileSplit rank by time: No. 4 - 15:20.00, 3A No. 2

Howdeshell returned to competition and won the Parker Valby Invitational in 16:05.80, finishing 17 seconds ahead of East Lake's Truman Houk. The Largo senior remains ranked primarily on the 15:20.00 he ran at Cecil Field, the fourth-fastest time in Florida. His Week Three victory added another positive result to his season.

With Largo moving from Class 4A to 3A, Howdeshell joins Mantecon and Cruz in what is developing into an exceptionally strong 3A classification.

6. Bryant Olson, Niceville

Current MileSplit rank by time: No. 8 - 15:43.17, 4A No. 3

Olson has put together one of the most consistent starts among Florida's leading boys. The Niceville sophomore won the Pace Patriot Invitational in 16:07.80, finishing approximately 20 seconds ahead of Rocky Bayou Christian senior Dominic Ferguson on a challenging Panhandle course. Olson is undefeated in three-time races. He also defeated Sallault head-to-head at Cecil Field, running 15:43.17 to Sallault's 15:47.00.

The youngest runner in the Top 10 remains at No. 6 for another week.

7. Quentin Thompson, Lake Minneola

Current MileSplit rank by time: No. 3 - 15:16.00, 4A No. 1

Thompson falls five positions but remains in the Top 10 after placing third at the Florida Horse Park Invitational. The Lake Minneola senior ran 15:46.80 and finished behind only Mantecon and Cruz. He defeated a deep group that included Seth, Landon Watkins, Jonas Williams, Will Moss and several other top state-level runners.

Thompson's 15:16.00 from Cecil Field remains the third-fastest time in Florida and the fastest in Class 4A. His Week Three performance was slower than his opener, but his third-place finish against one of the season's strongest fields keeps him at No. 7.

8. Axel Sallault, East Ridge

Current MileSplit rank by time: Tied for No. 11 - 15:47.00, 4A No. 5

Sallault did not race during Week Three but remains inside the Top 10 based on his consistent opening performances and his championship resume. The East Ridge senior ran 15:47.00 at Cecil Field and matched that time eight days later while winning the Whispering Pines Invitational. Producing the same performance on two different courses strengthens his case beyond one fast race.

Sallault also owns the second-fastest returning state-meet performance behind Mantecon. He placed second in the 2025 Class 4A final in 15:27.50.

9. Rishi Chopra, Nease

Current MileSplit rank by time: No. 7 - 15:39.00, 4A No. 2

Chopra falls four positions after sitting out Week Three, but his 15:39.00 at Cecil Field keeps him in the rankings. The Nease senior finished behind only Cruz, Thompson and Howdeshell in the Cecil Field elite race. His performance remains the seventh-fastest time in Florida and the second-fastest in Class 4A.

Chopra owns a 15:37 personal best from the 2025 New World Fall Spectacular. He will need another strong performance in the coming weeks, as we move deeper into the season.

10. Luis Rivera, St. Cloud

Current MileSplit rank by time: No. 9 - 15:43.41, 4A No. 4

Rivera races his way into the final Top 10 position after winning his second consecutive meet. The St. Cloud senior won the St. Cloud XC Invitational in 15:43.41, edging Lake Wales senior Gabriel Harris by 0.31 seconds. Rivera and Harris finished more than 35 seconds ahead of the rest of the 188-runner field. Rivera has improved in each of his three races. He improved from 16:43.00 at the Jim Ryun Invitational to 16:04.60 at the Kowboy Invitational, then to 15:43.41 at St. Cloud.

Two victories in eight days and a steadily improving set of performances earn Rivera his first appearance in the subjective Top 10.

Just Outside the Top 10

Gabriel Harris, Lake Wales - Current MileSplit  No. 10 (15:43.72)

Harris narrowly misses the Top 10 despite producing one of Week Three's biggest breakthroughs. The Lake Wales senior ran 15:43.72 at the St. Cloud XC Invitational, finishing only three-tenths of a second behind Rivera and more than 35 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. He improved substantially from the 16:21.10 he ran at the Jim Ryun Invitational. Harris was 16:10 at the 2025 state meet and appears to have taken a significant step forward this season. 

James Pfuhl, IMG Academy - MileSplit No. 6 (15:37.40): Pfuhl placed second to Rodbro at the IMGA XC Summit Challenge, finishing 21 seconds ahead of the next runner. His season-best time is faster than all but five Florida boys, but it is currently supported by only one 2026 performance on a newly established course.

Andrew Sides, Buchholz - MileSplit No. 14 (15:49.00): Sides drops from No. 10 after not racing during Week Three. His 15:49.00 at Cecil Field remains one of Florida's top performances, but he needs a more recent result to move back into the Top 10 as the season progresses and times get faster.

Jonathan Kiros, Chiles - MileSplit tied for No. 11 (15:47.00): Kiros placed 10th at the Florida Horse Park Invitational in 16:01.40. His season-opening 15:47.00 remains tied for the 11th-fastest time in Florida, but his Horse Park performance moves him outside the subjective Top 10.

Jack Michalak, Belen Jesuit - MileSplit tied for No. 11 (15:47.00): Michalak owns a 15:47.00 season best and continues to provide Belen Jesuit with exceptional depth behind Mantecon and Cruz. The arrival of three new runners pushes him outside the Top 10.

Douglas Seth, Flagler Palm Coast - MileSplit No. 15 (15:52.65): The sophomore finished fourth at the Florida Horse Park Invitational and recorded his fastest time of the season. He remains one of Florida's leading young runners.

Matthew Ishee, Nease - MileSplit tied for No. 16 (15:54.00): Ishee's 15:54.00 at Cecil Field gives Nease a second runner among Florida's top performers. He remains only five seconds away from the fastest time represented in the subjective Top 10.

Liam Salom, Belen Jesuit - MileSplit tied for No. 16 (15:54.00): Salom matched Ishee's 15:54.00 at Cecil Field, further demonstrating the depth of a Belen Jesuit lineup that now has four runners among Florida's top 16 by time.