To create a cross country meet that survives the test of time you have to continuously put up a great product. If looking at the virtual scenario for this weekend’s 40th Annual Astronaut Rotary Invitational is any indication of how things will play out I would say that Coach Canfield can rest assured that next year they will be celebrating the 41st Edition of the meet. Thirty nine teams are entered with over 1200 runners, and there is plenty of star power that will be on hand to bring in the 2012 season.
On the girls side last year’s record breaking performance by Shelby Davidson (Cocoa Beach HS/UF) at 18:11.98 could be immediately in danger of falling a field of ladies led by this year’s early leader Sarah Day of West Shore, who last week opened her season with a blistering run of 18:37 at the Wickham Park Jamboree. Sarah will be challenged by the returning Bryce Seymour of Hagerty who is making her return to the 4A ranks (17:41 #2, 4A), along with Elizabeth Harper(Merritt Island), Charlotte Stephens(Winter Park), Adair Lyden(Westminister Academy) and Regan Farrow(Lake Howell) who have all gone very low 19’s or faster. The team scouting report using the virtual meet product shows a battle between Hagerty, Merritt Island, and Spruce Creek but without knowing who’s injured or running it’s hard to say who could run away with this year’s prize.
On the boys side John Lindsey will lead his Winter Park team into the meet with a PR of 16:02, hoping to follow in his former teammate Billy Anguish’s footsteps by keeping the championship at WP. Lindsey will be challenged by Keneth Pineiro of Deland (16:12.90), Justin Schanze of Oviedo(16:16.70) and Lyman teammates Cameron McCutcheon, and Marcel Krige who both have PR’s in the mid 16:30’s. Some notables to watch out for would include newcomer Benjaman Roberts of Winter Park who has run 16:58.50 this season, and Xavier Walton of Titusville who also comes in under that 17 minute barrier this year at 16:59 , as well as middle school standout Brandon Marques who will be making his high school debut for Timber Creek.. On the team side it should be a fantastic battle between Melbourne, Oviedo, Lake Nona and Winter Park with a projected spread of only six points between the top four teams. Look for more coverage, results and pictures on Saturday from the 40th Annual Astronaut Rotary Invitational.
Update
*** Sarah Day of Westshore has informed FLRunners that she will not be running at the Astronaut Invitational with her team, but instead as an individual at Kate Caples in Jacksonville.