(Photos by Eric D. Dunlap/Jeff Adams)
BOYS WINNER: Brian Anderson - Senior @ Lyman
Brian Anderson won his first 5K ever at the peak of his senior season. The Lyman runner won the Seminole Athletic Conference meet in a new personal best time of 16:02.52. Greyhounds' coach Fred Finke says the win was in his hands before the gun sounded.
"On his hands we drew the number one. That was his goal going into the race. He exhibits that warrior spirit when he has to have it. He set the tone for the entire team. Every kid came close to a personal best or came close to it on a course that wasn't easy. There were forty turns on it."
The game plan heading into the meet was to win, but it wouldn't be easy going against Hagerty senior Peter Licari and Lake Brantley senior Otniel Teixeira. Anderson and Finke knew it would take a combination of strength and speed to overtake them. All three were together around the two mile mark when Anderson decided to takeover.
"We knew they were going to be there. Licari has strength and Teixiera has speed so you had to negate both of those. They came by me at the two mile mark and I had a really good idea Brian would win it because that is usually where they drop him and Licari starts going with his strength. He had to be that far ahead at the end or Otniel would kick him out as soon as he hit the track."
Anderson beat Teixeria by nearly 20 seconds (16:21.72) and Licari by 30 seconds (16:33.11). Last year at the same meet he ran a 17:54. At the beginning of the year he was running around 17 minutes and now he is dipping into the low 16's. Fink says it's the way the Greyhounds have always been finishing strong when it matters the most.
"We have a history of doing really well when it counts. His legs are really fresh right now. If you take a look at his athlete profile on flrunners he has improved in every single race, but it's gradual. It's a lot of factors; the volume, the summer training starting in June, and everything just coming together. If you look at the rest of our guys it's the same way."
If history repeats itself Anderson's times will improve before the end of the year. That is good news with postseason competition getting underway. Finke has faith in his senior and believes he has a bright path ahead of him.
"He has goals he still has to fulfill and he's headed in the right direction. Everyone else might have underestimated him, but I sure didn't and neither did he."
GIRLS WINNER - Shelby Davidson - Senior @ Cocoa Beach
For the second year in a row Cocoa Beach senior Shelby Davidson came away with the win at Cape Coast Conference Championships. Davidson finished with a time of 17:38.62 almost seven seconds faster than she ran on the same course at the flrunners.com Invitational a month ago. Coach Ceal Walker says the focus the past couple weeks was on finishing the race.
"We've been working on having a stronger second half. I think she showed that by distancing herself from Vanessa in the last part of the race. She doesn't have the greatest kick in the world so she has to get rid of her competitors early on and she did a really good job with that this week."
Davidson cruised to one of her best times of the season and a new course record. Valentine got the best of the Cocoa Beach star her sophomore season, but since then the roles have been reversed with Davidson in first and Valentine the runner-up. Walker says tough battles against Valentine and during several top meets like the flrunners.com Invitational are what Davidson needs to be the best.
"We know that when Shelby gets to Foot Locker she is going to have people her just like at flrunners and the Holy Trinity meet when she had Bridget and Julie. She is going to have other that will be with her at the end so she needs to finish and put it all out there that last half of the race. I knew she would use this race as a good experience tool because if it was close Vanessa could outkick her."
The Cocoa Beach squad have been working on lactade threshold type runs to train through districts, regionals, and obtain a peak performance at state. They have also been working on intervals with little rest. After finishing second at the 2A meet Davidson and her coach have their eyes set on the top prize and the postseason afterward.
"I know what her goals and we have the same goals. She really wants to win state and that is what we are training towards. She wants that team trophy so we are working hard as a team as well. I know she wants to qualify for Foot Locker Nationals and do better than she did last year. She wants to get top ten again, go to San Diego, and finish better overall."