Thomas Howell

Mantecons' 14:35.25 is the Fastest All-Time XC 5K by a Florida High School Boy.

A look at the Top 500 Florida high school boys XC 5K's of All-Time.

A look at the All Time Top 500 FL Boy & Girl Times From Foot Locker South.

A list of the top 100 high school boys 5K performances all-time at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee.

Check out the top 1,000 Florida boys performances all-time at the Champs (formerly Foot Locker) South Regional in Charlotte.

Check out the top 100 boys times run in the FACA All-Star Senior Meet since 2002 at the 5K distance.

Check out the top 500 high school boys 5K times ever run at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida.

Thomas Howell – the man, the myth, the legend of Niceville’s long-distance running scene for the last four years – is more than a bit peeved. (via www.varsitysportswest.com)

John Hicks is a hard man to humble. But that’s the state of mind the head coach of Niceville’s powerhouse football program found himself in during Wednesday’s signing ceremony in the Niceville High School Auditorium. And of all people it was a long-distance runner who impressed Hicks. (via www.varsitysportswest.com)

Niceville was one of a handful of north Florida schools to make the trek to Mobile, Alabama for the Mobile Challenge of Champions at St. Paul's Episcopal High School. The Eagles showed the other state's in attendance how Florida does it. Coach Jamie LaFollette says they go to the meet each year for a number of reasons.

As normal many of Kentucky's best will be in Mobile Saturday for the Challenege of Champions.  Kentucky has a tremendous history of success down in Alabama.

The Mobile Challenge of Champions is an annual event showcasing some of the best athletes around the county.  With 10 states being represented, there will be no lack of competition on Saturday.

The moment you have all been waiting for. With the 2013 cross country season over and the year coming to a close we announce the last installment of our All Flrunners.com Cross Country Team, our first team selections. Congratulations to all those selected and the whole running community for making this season such a success!

Thomas Howell, one of the top runners in the state of Florida for the class of 2014, has verbally committed to the University of Florida. Howell,  was the 3A cross country champion, 3200m outdoor state champion, and Gatorade Florida Runner of the Year as a junior. He will join a deep Gator roster that finished second at the SEC Championship and has a slew of Florida natives on their roster.

For many seniors the FACA All-Star meet will be the last cross country race of their high school careers. Runners from across the state will head back to a familiar place, Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, the site of the Cross Country Finals, to see which region has the best class of 2014 standouts. Randy Settle will be on-site taking photos of all the runners. We will also have all the results, performances, and a complete recap of all the action!

We are less than two weeks away from the state meet in Tallahassee. Regional competition starts Thursday with Class 2A Region 4 and will continue through Saturday morning. Over the course of the week we will take a look at the road to state for each class. Sit, back, relax, and enjoy our meet previews and virtual meet exclusively for MileSplit Insiders. If you don't have a subscription now is the time to get one!

It comes down to this….Four weeks from the state meet on this same course, the top ranked individuals and teams on the boys side and all but one of the top ranked girls, Karen Xiang, and the top ranked teams on the girl’s side gather for their last top level race before they are propelled into the state series. Throw in some talented teams from Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina, some expected temperatures in the low 60’s and we have the makings of a very special set of races.

It was a good day to be a runner from the state of Florida at the Mobile Challenge of Champions Cross Country meet held at Langan Park on Saturday. (via highschoolsports.al.com)

Niceville's Thomas Howell recorded the second fastest time of the 2012 Cross Country Finals (15:19.64) regardless of class. The 3A state champion made history winning the first individual cross country title for the school. His counterpart Nick Morken crossed the line in third showing the rest of the state the potent 1-2 punch.

The 2013 cross country season is right around the corner. We kick off our preseason coverage by ranking the top returners in each class. Howell earned his first state title in 2012 and comes in with the top time this season. Fort Myers senior Tyler Bennett is looking to cap off his career with a title and 2A state champion Alex Pedraza, who makes the jump to 3A, will also be in the mix. Stay tuned for more rankings, team scouting reports, feature stories, and the announcement of our cross country bloggers for the year.

Nick Morken’s kick came late. Thomas Howell’s came early. But while contrasting, their long-distance strategies yielded the same result in Friday’s 3A State Track and Field Championships in Jacksonville: Gold. (via www.varsitysportswest.com)