Photo by jramirez
On-Site Coverage
Interview: Ortiz Goes Sub-18, Despite Rain
Despite the terrible conditions, Ortiz continued on her tear this season. After going under 18 for the first time last week to win the flrunners.com Invitational Race of Champions, she does it again this week in mud and rain.
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Saturday Summary
BY TODD GRASLEY
It was a soggy Saturday morning at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex home of the Disney Cross Country Classic. Over 20 teams from throughout the United States came to compete in the 5K event which went on Friday as well.
The first race of the day was the girls 3A varsity competition. Estero's Kacy Smith led through the mile mark with Lakewood Ranch junior Olivia Ortiz hot on her heels at 5:39. Ortiz then took a five meter lead at Mount Mickey, a small hill, midway through the course. The flrunners.com Race Of Champions winner continued her dominance after the two mile mark opening the lead on Smith and winning in an impressive 17:56.90. Smith was second in 18:17.50. Estero girls cross the line in second, third, and fifth, and place all seven runners in the top 25. They win the team title with 40 points 36 less than runner-up Lakewood Ranch.
In the 4A race, the out-of-towners stole the show from the Floridians. Paige Rankine of Luella won in 19:24.70. Lexington High wins the team trophy with runners placing second, third, and fifth. Alexandra Payne of St. Thomas Aquinas was the first finisher from the Sunshine State in sixth place with a time of 19:47.30. The Raiders finished second in the team standings with an average time of 20:02.
Aaron Rojas of Estero earned his first win of the year in the boys 3A race. Rojas went through the first mile in 5:03 with runner-up Shawn Wilson from Cherokee just 15 meters behind him. The two were side by side at the two mile mark in 10:20, but in the end Rojas built on his five meter lead coming out of the ball fields and crosses the line in first place with a time of 16:03:60. Fort Walton Beach led by Charlie Shackleford's 16:35.20 and the team having their top five in the top 20 gave them the team title over North Rockland.
The 4A boys race looked to be all Andres Arroyo's for the taking, but the Colonial junior left his teammates to represent the Grenadier name. So no Arroyo opened up the door for the Lexington boys who followed in their girls' footsteps. Colby Couter finished first in 16:01:50 with his fellow Lexington High runners right behind him in second, fourth, and fifth guiding them to the team title over Colonial with just 20 points. Winter Park senior Billy Anguish was responsible for breaking up the pack finishing third in 16:15.40.
Friday Summary
2A Girls
Shelby Davidson of Cocoa Beach paced the field to earn the individuals championship, but more importantly earn the Big Mickey for her team. Davidson dropped an 18:10 to lead the way, but the team stepped it up as well with Malea Storum (19:54), Althea Hewitt (20:06), Kayla Greeson (20:20), and Lindsey Burton (21:15) rounding out the scoring with 54 points--10 points better than out-of-state Christiansburg--and 19:57 average... with six runner just two seconds back in Ashely Bunting to give a little insurance.
Freshman Elizabeth Mulford of Ocala Vanguard had a very nice personal best of 19:08, shaving over a minute off of her bests from previous two times on record from UF Mountain Dew and Deland. And you know what else... shout out to my alma mater Sebring HS! We haven't had much state-level success in quite a few years now so I'm going to holler at Taylor Tubbs and Hannah Schroeder for both dipping under 20 minutes for 7th and 8th place (19:55 and 19:56). My blue and white overall finishing seventh of nineteen with a 22:48 average. Biased? Yes. Proud? You bet.
2A Boys
Buddy Gates was the top Florida finisher with a 16:06 time, two seconds beind Kevin Scott of Ocean City NJ. Gates and his Naples teammates went toe to toe with Ocean City all the way down, trading off victories at each position. In th end they pulled it out by four points 84-88 and 17:02 to 17:03 average. Great job!
1A Girls
Kelly Fahey of Trinity Prep has been winning races this year like it's her job. She takes this one in 19:06, nine seconds better than sophomore Claire Snyder of Tampa Prep's new Pr of 19:15. Mallory White of Lakeland Christian continues her march back to cross country prominence--after a year off to refocus and play soccer--she finished third in 19:47. Favorite Bryce Seymour did not compete.
Fahey's Trinity Prep girls were the top Florida team, finishing in second place with 56 points.
1A Boys
Trinity Prep's boys won fairly easily, despite not running with a full deck. Led by a 1-2 finish of Ryan Gousse (15:48) and Daniel Salas (16:00), they scored just 40 points with a 16:47 average. I'm not sure if they were missing anyone else from their normal top five, but at least Sam Goldberg was absent... he won at their home meet on Wednesday in 16:57.
Circle Christian, led by Jordan Foster's 17:03, was second with 69 points.
