North Port XC Invitational 2011

Virginia's top ranked runner, Sophie Chase, ran a state leading 5K time on Saturday with her sizzling 17:43 performance at the North Port Invitational in Florida. Chase, along with her Lake Braddock teammates, had a dominant showing at the mid-size cross country invitational south of Tampa, Florida. The Lake Braddock girls tallied a low team score of 24 points behind a sweep of the top four individual places in Chase, Hannah Christen (2nd, 18:33), Alyson Robinson (3rd, 19:26), and Katie Roche (4th, 19:36). The Braddock boys added another first place team trophy for the plane ride back home with 55 team points as junior Nick Tuck ran away from the field with his sub 16 minute 5K performance at 15:59.

The meet couldn’t have started out better from a coaching standpoint.  The coaches meeting had tons of food and drinks, talking breakfast sandwiches and all.  The host, Coach Simpson, is the life of the meet and keeps everything fun for the kids and coaches.  Not to mention he offered golf cart rides to the mile markers if you got to a cart fast enough.  I was spoiled, Oh wait, nope I ran to every mile marker.  Had only I put the same effort into making to a golf cart instead.

Last year's North Port Invitational saw the Fluehr twins dominate the girls race with Kathryn setting a blistering 17:18 course record for the win while Andrew Mendoz edged Alex Lewis in the boys. The Fluehrs, Mendoz and Lewis were seniors leaving their crowns for new challengers to wear this year. For the girls Abby Hagan & Sarah Miller, Sarasota Riverview are the top returners from last year’s tilt. Abigail is fresh off of her first victory of the year at the Venice Invite, but does she have any challengers? On the boys side David Hines is the top returner, having finished 3rd last year. What are his chances to move up to royalty or are there new usurpers sneaking about? Here is the breakdown.