2A Region 4: Rogers Takes Round Two Over Montgomery, Pine Crest Claims Team Title

FHSAA 2A Region 4
Todd Grasley

On-Site Coverage


Meet Recap

It was a windy day at Mills Pond Park in Ft. Lauderdale, but the weather didn't stop two of the states best from going at it in the girls race and a close race in the boys division as well. Everyone was pumped for the region 2A-4 meet and ready to punch their ticket to the Cross Country Finals. The top fifteen individuals and top six teems advance to state next weekend in Tallahassee.


(Photos by John Calderon)

The girls race was a highly anticipated rematch between freshman Julia Montgomery of Pine Crest and eighth grade American Heritage phenom Daesha Rogers. Rogers got the better of Montgomery by two seconds at districts and the two would face off one again with a regional title on the line.  The eighth grader took it out hard in typical fashion, but Montgomery hung right there with her. Ella Wurth of Pine Crest, Rachelle Alexander of American Heritage, Lauren Archer of Ransom Everglades and Sophia Miguez of Carrolton all behind them. When the group passed by the sand hill Rogers and Montgomery had opened up a sizable lead on the field. Coming down to the last 150 meters it was stride for stride, but then Rogers kicked it into high gear to win for the second week in a row with a time of 18:58.20, nearly two seconds faster than Montgomery. The same situation as last week. Alexander and Wurth finished in third and fourth with times of 19:43.22 and 19:53.95. Archer and Miguez came in fifth and sixth.

Much like the individual battle the team trophy came down to Pine Crest and American Heritage. Pine Crest proved to be a deeper team placing all five of their runners in the top sixteen with an average time of 20:15.40. American Heritage was second with 61 points followed by Carrollton, Ransom Everglades, Doral and Lincoln Park Academy who advanced with a one point win over Key West 196-197.

Saint Andrews Nic Jacobsen told me before the race it would play out with a pack of four to five taking out hard and staying together for most of the race and that is exactly what happened. Jacobsen along with Jan Bergengruen and Ransom Everglades teammate Gabby Correa, Sam Reiman of Suncoast, and North Broward Prep junior Nicholas Klumpp all stuck together. By the sand hill Jacobsen had a slight lead with the Ransom duo and Klumpp separated by the slimmest of margins. In the final mile, Klumpp turned it on and crossed the line in 16:47.29, eight seconds ahead of Jacobsen who was the regional runner-up edging out Correa (16:56.77) and Geiman (16:57.95). Talk about a close one!

Ransom Everglades led by Correa and Bergengruen placed all seven runners in the top twenty-eight spots to win easily with 59 points. Pine Crest was the regional runner-up with 95 points. Key West, Suncoast, Saint Andrews, and Monsignor Pace claimed the final four spots.

Girls Highlights

Boys Highlights