(Photo by Jeff Adams)
Full 2011 Florida State Meet Results & Coverage
-------------
Back To Back For Bridget Blake
Bridget Blake might not have broke eighteen minutes like she had planned, but the Dr. Phillips' junior did win her second straight 4A title. Blake led from the gun and nobody really pushed her the duration of the race making it seemed like the field was settling for second. Blake cruised to the win in 18:05 twenty seconds better than the second place finisher.
Interview with Bridget Blake
Freshman Frenzy
With Blake way out front it was a battle for second place. There was a pack of about 8-10 contenders with a second pack of about 15-20 behind them. Olympia's Emily Headley continued her breakout season. After finishing third behind Blake and Mary Kate Ponder last week at regionals Headley stepped up once again. Her plan was to go thru the mile mark at 5:40 pace and she hit the right on the head. The pack was a little more strung out at the mile and a half marker and that is when the freshman decided to make her move. She ran 20:03 and placed 81st at Pre-State. One month later she runs the second fastest time of her career 18:25.39 and finishes second easily as the 4A state runner-up.
Too Close for Comfort
At the conclusion of the race you knew the names of the top three teams. You saw the Plant, St. Thomas Aquinas and Ferguson runners coming thru the chute before you saw two or three from every other team. The question wasn't who were the top teams, but who would come out as THE top team. The quest for the team trophy unraveled after two miles when Headley pulled away. Danielle Kissel of Plant, Lauren Gonzalez of Ferguson, and Amber Johnson of Dr. Phillips were all running in a pack. Gonzalez passed Johnson on the final Hill to finish in fourth behind Kissel. St. Thomas had the best spread of any team with their top five having a 45 second spread compared to equally impressive spreads of 54 and 59 seconds by Ferguson and Plant. The key to the championship trophy was Plant placing two runners in the top six. Danielle Kissel and Scarlett Fox who was running junior varsity the last time the Panthers were in Dade City at Pre-State placing second and sixth led Coach Harrison's squad to the victory with 73 points. Ferguson who picked up four points from senior Lauren Gonzalez and had one of the stronger number four runners barely missing the top of the podium by just two points finishing with 75. St. Thomas Aquinas rounded out the top three four points out of first place and two points behind second place Ferguson with 77 points.
Interview with Lauren Gonzalez
Interview with Coach Raposo
Top 25
