Photos by Jeff Adams/flrunners.com
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A region-by-region preview of what to look for at the regional championships this weekend and who we're likely to see at the state meet.
2A Region 1
Girls
Mackenzie Wilson made the switch from the Geneva School to Episcopal for her eighth grade year and has benefited from the increase in competition. Last week senior teammate Christine Griggs handed the youngster a loss at the 2A District 3 meet. Wilson's time of 19:49 was by far her worst of the year so the question is can she bounce back? She had impressive showings at the flrunners.com Invitational and at Pre-State. Combine that with having ran in the state meet the prior two seasons and a season best time of 18:55 make her the favorite. Griggs along with West Florida Tech's Kaysi Roberts and Bishop Kenny's Mary Kate Thyfault should contend as well.
The team side will feature a battle between two rivals Bolles and Bishop Kenny. These teams from Jacksonville don't like each other much and leave it all out there on the course. Both teams will place their top four runners in the top twelve, but it is Bishop Kenny's depth and experience at 5-7 that separate them.
Virtual Meet
Boys
This race could go in a number of directions. Last week at the district meet it was Menendez senior Dillon Hodge edging out a number of Bishop Kenny Runners including runner-up Michael Barr by ten seconds. Hodge's season best of 16:17.90 is the fourth best time according to the virtual rankings who list Patrick Maher of Bishop Kenny as the favorite with a PR of 16:05. I'm all for head to head and think it will come to Hodge and Barr again. Barr won at the conference meet while Hodge took home the conference meet last year. Barr owns better times on the track in the 1600 and 3200 so if this one comes down to a kick advantage Barr. Stanley Linton of Wakulla and Don Kerrigan of Pensacola Catholic, and Alec Clark of West Florida Tech all provide a solid pack that will challenge for the win.
Bishop Kenny pack runs as well as any team in the state and that should be on display again. The Crusaders should destroy the competition in this one and place a majority of their five inside the top twenty. Bolles, Pensacola Catholic, Eastside, and West Florida Tech advance in the team standings with Marianna, Wakulla, and Arnold battling it out for the sixth and final spot.
Virtual Meet
2A Region 2
Girls
Kari Grippo said last week she didn't run against a ton of competition at her district meet. I am not sure if 2A Region2 will be much different aside from Mount Dora's Ashley Heitling. Grippo is coming off a 2A District 8 victory where she won by over two and a half minutes. Heitling is heating up as well. After finishing a rare second at the conference meet she bounced back by winning her district in one of her best times all season. The only head to head matchup between the two was at Pre-State where Grippo was fourteen seconds faster. The Gulf sophomore is running in her first full cross country season and feels she has something to prove. Look for Heitling to stay close thru the first mile and then Grippo takeover after.
Bishop Moore is the favorite for the team title. They don't have a ton of standout runners, but they all stick together and that is just as successful. The Hornets are led by a pair of freshman Alyssa Hatton and Elizabeth Skipper. Gulf led by Grippo will battle it out with Crystal River and Lake Highland for the runner-up spot.
Boys
Nick Papa is looking to finish off his senior year with another regional championship. Last year, the Lake Highland Prep runner ran a season best 16:31.60 at regionals and hopes to improve on that time in 2011. His biggest competitor will be Cody Van Natter from Nature Coast Tech who ran fourteen seconds faster than Papa at Pre-State. However, the five other times they have met in their high school career, Papa has won all five. Lake Placid sophomore Dalton Shelton with a personal best of 16:30.00 will also be in the mix.
This could shape up to be a great team battle for the first three spots. Lake Highland will pick up one point for Papa's win, but then it gets tricky. Look for the Highlanders to step it up and surprise some people with a narrow victory over Nature Coast Tech. Lake Nona, Jones, and Bishop Moore will round out the top five with Hernando squeezing in for that sixth spot.
2A Region 3
Girls
This one is a no brainer. Cocoa Beach senior Shelby Davidson will win and win big. Davidson won last year in a time of 18:08 and should go mid 17 this year. She has a season best of 17:36.00 the next best is Titusville sophomore Claire Castillo at 19:18.10. Third place will be a battle between three runners who come in within ten seconds apart from each other. Colleen Doherty of Academy of Holy Names and Tampa Robinson's Julia DeYoung are familiar with each other having faced off nearly twenty times in their high school careers. Look for these two to stick together and push the kids from the coast. In the end I think Doherty edges out DeYoung and fellow freshman Maleia Storum of Cocoa Beach for the bronze.
The team battle is pretty cut and dry as well. Cocoa Beach led by Davidson and a top five finish by Storum win easily. Immokalee Titusville and Lemon Bay tussle for the following three spots, and Academy of Holy Names, Rockledge, and Bishop Verot are left standing with a trip to states on the line. Rockledge's four and five are slightly better than Bishop Verots meaning the Raiders move on.
Virtual Meet
Boys
The competition in this race could see the top five run some season best times and dip under sixteen minutes. Berkeley Prep's Alex Main has the second fastest time coming into the meet, but beat Robinson's Brian Sharp head to head just last week at districts. Main placed fourth at the Hillsborough County Championships behind runners like del Monte, Christenberry, and Babinec. Main is the man to beat in this one, but watch out for several other guys not in the top three in the virtual meet. If anyone knows the reality of overcoming obstacles and perseverance it's Immokalee's Jean Deceus. The senior comes in with a personal best of 16:17 and is running in what could be his last race of his high school career. Rockledge's Taylor Hickey and Anclote's Argishti Gazari are also running in their last meets and are coming off district championships. I think those three will do what it takes to stick with Main and remain in the front for a top five finish.
It will be a dual in the team standings between Immokalee and Berkely Prep. I'm going to give the nod to Berkely Prep and slightly. Main's victory motivates the rest of the team to finish strong while the Immokalee Indians remain "blessed" with a runner-up finish behind Deceus and Leonel Delacruz. Cocoa Beach should also be in the mix. Lehigh, Robinson, and home team Astronaut also advance.
Virtual Meet
2A Region 4
Girls
Age is just a number. That is what seventh grader Daesha Rogers will be out to prove when she battles with Gulliver Prep senior Joanna McCoy. McCoy transferred this year along with Briana Pulido to Gulliver and the fact she now has a team to train with and more competition at meets has helped her breakout her senior season. Rogers has been tearing up the older competition since she was even younger. Coach Kent Baker told us at Pre-State he was going to let her loose and he did. Rogers will go out strong she always does, but how much will she have in her tank at the end? Her numbers are clearly better in a 1600 or less so if it's a foot race advantage Rogers. However, I think McCoy will let her go out fast and save her energy for the end when it matters the most. The only time this year they faced off was at the flrunners.com Invitational with McCoy posting an 18:43.84 to Roger's 19:00.04.
Rogers along with teammates Rachelle Alexander and seventh grader Calyope Ortega should give American Heritage the title. It will be a good fight for second place between Carrolton, Lincoln Park, and Pine Crest. Carrolton's depth of youngsters is just too strong. A seventy-five second spread separates their number two and five runners. Pine Crest led by Savanna Gornisiewicz, Ella Wurth and Nicole Golden catapult into the third spot. Lincoln Park, Gulliver Prep, and Ransom Everglades advance as well.
Virtual Meet
Boys
Bert Irigoyen affectionately known as "hot pants" has not had his hottest season on the cross country circuit in 2011. He has run under sixteen minutes just once this year. Nonetheless, the reigning 2A champion is the one with the target on his back. Aiming for him will be North Broward Prep senior Nick Palermo. Palermo has finished either first or second in the 800 or 1600 dating back to his strong showing at the middle school championships in 2008. He has a season best of 15:58.50 and could outkick Irigoyen if it comes down to that. Irigoyen is hardcore though and despite a charge from Palermo, Jims Thimogene of American Hertiage, and a slew of teammates he finds a way to make it back to state and try for ring number two.
After dropping a perfect score of 15 for their top five guys at their district meet Ransom is the clear favorite. The virtual meet predicts the squad will place four in the top six but they could go one thru four if they are on. Nic Jacobsen who placed third a week ago at the Middle School State Championships will compete for Saint Andrews and pace the Scots to a runner-up finish. Lincoln Park, Gulliver Prep, Doral Charter Academy, and Pine Crest round out the top six that will advance to states.
Virtual Meet