* Meet coverage - complete results, photos by Ralph Epifanio and videos by Scott Grippo
When I first saw the name of this meet’s location—Crews Lake Wilderness Park--I figured I’d wear my buckskins, and bring my birch bark canoe and axe. But that idea was tempered by what appeared on their website, where Pasco County Parks proudly announced its highlights as being a(n) “observation tower, bird houses, bike path, nature trail, botanical garden, playground (and not just any kind, but a BIG one), outdoor amphitheater, free rides on the Central Pasco and Gulf Railroad, and even primitive camping....Well, maybe I’d just bring the axe (in case it turned into a “Camp-o-runna”).
That would not be the only irony. Take the name “Sunshine Athletic Conference,” for example. I thought, “We could all use a little extra sunshine in our lives,” but when I arrived at a little before seven, it wasn’t looking all that promising in that regard. Not only was there no sun, but it was pretty darned cold to boot. Get a load of the fashion statement posted in the “Frostproof” folder. (If anything, Floridians can be quite resourceful.)
In being surrounded by overdressed runners and spectators, among other things I wondered “Where does one get a balaclava in Florida?” Aside from being the standard souvenir of a recent visit to Balaklava (near Sevastopal, in Crimea, Ukraine), it comes in handy when skiing in sub-zero weather, getting the undivided attention of bank tellers while making a withdrawal, and as a helmet liner if “running” the road course at downstate Sebring, Florida.
Speaking of “endurance races,” the first one up—seconds after the sun--was that of the Girls Varsity. The “favorite” to win was Kari—rhymes with Ferrari—Grippo.
THE GIRLS VARSITY RACE
Now, when most of us place our Ferrari orders, we usually pick a red one, although yellow (and sometimes blue) is occasionally seen turning heads and corners. The Ferrari in this race, however, was definitely tinted green—with a black and white trim—and sporting a golden “crown.” Everything else about her was pretty standard: built low to the ground, good treads, smooth when down shifting into turns, and faster than all get-out on long stretches of trail. Just ask WR runner Nikita Shah (whose Mom and Dad gave her a Jaguar engine).
“She’s obviously a really good runner,” Nikita admitted, “and works hard. Any runner who is that good must work hard, but so do I. She’s about 30 seconds ahead of me, but I’m trying to improve, and close that distance a little each week.”
This course, it seemed, proved more difficult than usual to affect that plan.
(Because of Grippo’s speed) “I ran alone. These trails closed you in. Kari might have been my only competition, but I hardly ever saw her. It’s much easier when there’s more competition. Last week (at Pre-States), I ran 18:38 (16th place) because there were girls all around me, and it was a lot warmer. Cold weather is not my friend. I’m a small, little person. I do better in warm weather.”
Unfortunately, the warm weather may be retreating faster than Hawaiian shirts in a New Hampshire October.
“I want to place in the top ten at the State Meet. 3A is really competitive, and I think the 3A race is the first race of the day in States, so that’s an added challenge.”
One thing about the owners of fast cars—and it is also true of “fast girls”—is that they’re never entirely satisfied. Nikita ran 19:05 (second best in the SAC), but even the winner had a loftier goal.
“The last time I ran this course,” Kari Grippo told me, “I ran an 18:09. I wanted to run a 17:50 today. I don’t know what happened.”
Wasn’t it 47 degrees? Weren’t there more turns than in a bowl of spaghetti? And during most of the race, wasn’t she as isolated as Yoda on Dagobah?
“At Pre-States (where she finished seventh), I ran an 18:14, and this is a much easier course. It’s nothing…a little asphalt? I don’t know what happened,” she repeated.
18:31? I’ll bet any other finisher in this, or either of the JV races—except maybe for the first three in the JVB race--would not be disappointed to have seen that time as they went by the finish clock.
“When I started the race, I felt good. But as the race went on, my legs got tight and my arms kind of numbed up. So, I guess it was the weather. But it’s only a conference race, so from here on in it’s time to pick it up and move on to Districts, States, and Footlocker.”
But in the coming weeks, both the times and the temperature will be heading south with the ospreys.
“At States, I know that I have to compete with Shelby (Davidson, with a 17:36.02 PR at the October 14th Holy Trinity Classic) and Daesha (Rogers, with an 18:16.03 at the October 14th Pre-State Meet). I’m ranked second, but I’d like to go to win. She’s (Shelby) a phenomenal runner, and she’s great at what she does, so I wouldn’t mind coming in second to her. Also, at States, I’d like to run 17:40s.”
Grippo’s head seems filled with numbers, but it is small wonder. In her first year of high school cross country she—as well as everyone else--is trying to figure out what lies ahead.
“She was playing eighth grade soccer,” her dad, Scott explained, “practicing with the team. I used to go down with my lacrosse stick—I played in high school—and this one day a guy came up to me and asked, ‘Hey, is your daughter Kari Grippo?’ I replied, ‘What did she do now?’ He said, ‘I’m her gym teacher and the track coach. Your daughter can really run!’”
That Hudson Middle School coach was Tony Qualtiere.
“I didn’t know about this. Those soccer coaches really lock those kids up. But she came out, and in the first meet she broke the six-year-old mile record, something like 5:28…I’m guessing at that time.”
On the flrunners.com website, we can see that she won the West Pasco County Middle School 1600 meter Championship, on April 20, 2011, with a time of 5:33.80.
“That was in eighth grade. That was her first year (of running). So in three months she went to the Middle School State Meet and took sixth place (5:04.37 for 1500 meters).
Lots and lots of numbers. So to get an idea of the true potential of Kari Grippo, why not add a few more? First, let’s look at a couple of road races, which—as far as times go--fall somewhere between track and cross country. At the February 26th Gasparilla Distance Classic, her 18:11 5K was faster than that of all the other 6,387 females to finish. Seven months later, on September 17th, she lowered her 5K best to 17:24.78 to win the Mitchell Varsity Invite (beating 154 other girls).
In cross country, she has been consistently running right around the low-to-mid 18s, with a best of 18:09 at the October 1, 2011 Land-o-Lakes Gator Invitational.
Keep in mind, that this is her first year of distance running. (Kari transferred to Gulf High School in order to attend their Health Career Academy—she wants to be an orthodontist—thus losing a year of eligibility.) Those “lost years” of middle and high school running, plus her continued and obvious enthusiasm, may yet prove to be a tremendous advantage in the years to come. The less mileage on this engine (thus lowering the likelihood of an injury), undoubtably the faster she will run.
“We haven’t really started speed work,” she explained. “We’ve been running lower mileage. I’ve been doing this the past few months, and my times have been about the same; 18:12 to 18:09 to 18:13. I think once I start doing more speed work, my times will drop. I trust my coach, and I know he’s doing this so we can run our best at States.”
Vroooom, vroooom!
GIRLS VARSITY TEAM RESULTS
With a 2-3-5-7-8-9-16 finish, the team championship—with 25 points--was easily that of Wiregrass Ranch. Despite the Ferrari’s limited trunk space, Kari carried Gulf to second with 57 points (1-10-14-15-17-26-27). Mitchell was third with 84 points (4-6-22-23-29-33-56). An even 50 finished.
BOYS VARSITY RACE
In the opening seconds, a few of the Wiregrass “ranch hands” went out with a heaping helping of gusto, but it was senior Sam Hippely’s conservative plan of attack that won this race.
“In the beginning of the race, I fell back a little, but caught up to them at about a mile and a half, and took the lead with a mile to go,” Sam explained.
Long before the race even started, however, Hippely had pretty definite plans for the end of this season.
“Since the very beginning of the summer, my goal was to win the conference meet. The weather today was a challenge for me, because I’m not a fan of running in the cold. I like running in the warm weather, instead. Before the race, we were swinging our arms to get the blood moving.”
Every race can add another lesson to a runner’s “Book on Running,” and this was no exception.
“Today, I learned that I can catch other runners toward the end of a race.”
Sam, like many runners who had a faster Pre-State time—he ran a PR of 16:05.68 at Little Everglades a week earlier—was disappointed by what he ran on this Crews Lake course. Still, his 16:19 shows that he is within reach of a 15-something by the November 19th FHSAA Meet.
“I’d like to place well at the 3A District 6, and 3A Region 2 meets, and then move on to States.”
VARSITY BOYS TEAM RESULTS
Although a couple of Wiregrass Ranch runners faded a little, they were quickly replaced by team mates and WR scooped up 1st, 3rd, 7th, 8th, 11th, 13th, and 14th places for a solid thirty points. Second with 68 was Land-o-Lakes (is that where our butter comes from?), placing 2-4-15-21-26-35-41. Next was Mitchell; 5-17-25-31-40-47-49 for 118. 69 runners finished.
GIRLS JV RACE
With so many Wiregrass Ranchgirls (is that a word?) in this mini-stampede, I just had to interview a bunch of them. I asked the first five to finish whether running JV, as far as representing their school, has as much pressure associated with it as does running varsity. (Note: they are listed--and pictured in the photo album—in order of finish.)
Victoria Morea, senior (22:06): I do feel pressure. We try to get a perfect score and win, as much as on the varsity.
Morgan Mattera, senior (22:26): I worry about time. I try to PR in every race.
Kayla Stiftinger, senior (22:46): You always want to be good, and don’t let the varsity down. Plus, this is our last race (as a JV team), and as seniors, we really wanted to get a PR.
Elizabeth Thirlkei, junior (23:27): It’s important to me. It keeps me active and lets me stay focused in school.
Stephanie Kurfiss, senior (23:32): This is my first year of cross country. I absolutely love it, and am glad I did. I just wished I had started sooner. We’re like a big family. I’d like to run in college if I have the time to join the team there.
In a word, how would you describe your last high school race?
Victoria: “Intense!”
Morgan: “Cold?”
Kayla: “Challenging.”
Elizabeth: “Trying.”
Stephanie: “Unstoppable!”
GIRLS JV TEAM RACE
This race was almost over before it started. True, there are such things as poisonous snakes, falling tree limbs, quicksand, and runaway trains, but when your team has more than half the starters (14 of 27) it’s like placing your markers on all the spaces. The only question was whether the early number 5 runner—Gulf’s Antionette Martin--would spoil the party. Alas, WR’s Stephanie Kurfiss, in passing her, sealed the shutout. Wiregrass had 15 (1-2-3-4-5-6-7); Gulf only had two finishers, so #6 Martin (23:52) counted, but didn’t score. Ridgewood was second with 50 (8-9-10-11-12-13-14). As mentioned, 27 runners ran.
BOYS JV RACE
With conditions so un-Florida-like, it didn’t come as a surprise to find out that the JVB winner was nicknamed Canada by his team-mates.
“Where’s Canada?” I asked. Everyone within earshot pointed north. But the Wiregrass team pointed to one of 20 guys with a maroon singlet.
Junior Ryan Ludwig came into the race with a 17:18.09 PR run at—where else—Little Everglades a week earlier. (He was 167th of 277 in the Boys 5K Elite Race.) Was this course, which he ran 44 seconds slower, more difficult?
“Not even close,” he answered, “It (Little Everglades) was hard; the course was more difficult. There’s a big hill near the start, and you start by going up it, go around the course, and then finish by going up it again. It’s a horse track, so you do everything twice.”
Despite that, his time of 18:04 today was 166 places better.
“I was happy that I won this race. It was my first win, and the JV team’s last race, so it was important.”
How did he do it?
“My friend Matt and I were a few seconds away from each other (Matt Basin finished fourth in 18:30). The last time we ran the same course, he beat me (both ran 17:48 at the Gator Invitational on October 1st). So this week we were expecting to finish close. But I think he went out too fast. He led pretty much the whole first loop. I guess he started to lose his breath.
“At the beginning of the second loop—on the asphalt—I took over the lead. He ran pretty close to me the whole race.”
Basin finished fourth in 18:30.
Despite being over 100 yards ahead of eventual second place finisher Alec Lampasona, Ryan kicked it in with reckless abandon. (He probably knew that would bring him the enduring fame of a spectacular photo, if not fortune.)
“Patrick Hill (17:32 in the varsity race) was about 800 back from the finish and he told me to sprint.”
Ludwig finished on the sad side of 18 minutes.
“Almost varsity. I’ll have to do it next year.”
Asked to sum his day up, Ludwig responded, “Cool; I won my first race!”
JV BOYS TEAM RESULTS
Flooding the field with 20 runners (there were only 38 total runners on the starting line), Wiregrass Ranch (1-7, officially; 1-14 not counting the non-scoring runners wearing Pasco and Land-o-Lakes uniforms) out-scored the only other team with five finishers (Sunlake) 15-50.
Footnotes: I want to thank Bob Spitler, of Spitler Race Systems, for his speedy and generous help in providing my own personal set of results.
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