Bolles Best In Girls Composite Team Rankings Once Again Todd Grasley Aug 25, 2016

The Bolles girls have been the best program in the state of Florida over recent years, tallying the last four cross country state championships. Coach Ryan's Bulldogs are also the best team according to our composite rankings which takes into numerous criteria for yet another year. If you pull up the XC Team Scores page, you'll see a link to "Composite" scoring. This is a type of scoring that gives a team a rank on a number of different categories, with different weights on each.


St. Thomas Aquinas Sit On Top Of Boys Composite Rankings Todd Grasley Aug 25, 2016

St. Thomas Aquinas is the best of our boys teams according to our composite rankings which takes into numerous criteria. If you pull up the XC Team Scores page, you'll see a link to "Composite" scoring. This is a type of scoring that gives a team a rank on a number of different categories, with different weights on each.


The Favorites: Cross Country Finals Top Returning Girls Todd Grasley Aug 24, 2016

The lone state champion returner from 2015 on either the boys or girls side is Riverview junior Bailey Hertenstein. Hertenstein's 17:32.55 is the fastest time regardless of class on the Apalachee Regional Park course in November. 2014 state champions Tsion Yared (2A) and Rafaella Gibbons (4A) also return for another ring. See the top 500 returning times from the 2015 Cross Country finals and which girls have the best shots at bringing back the crown.

The Favorites: Cross Country Finals Top Returning Boys Todd Grasley Aug 24, 2016

Buchholz senior Calum McFetridge and Durant senior Hafton Fliegelman finished third and fourth at the 4A Cross Country Finals and will be the favorites come November. See the top 500 returning times from the 2015 Cross Country finals and which boys have the best shots at bringing back the crown


Senior Girls Rankings: Fletcher's Delay Doesn't Show Signs Of Slowing Down Todd Grasley Aug 23, 2016

In the last two years, Fletcher senior Kayley Delay was 4th and 2nd at the 4A Cross Country Finals. Delay has the track speed 5:05.72 for 1,600m and 10:30.30 for 3,200m to live up to her ranking as the fastest senior in the state of Florida for 2016. Her PR of 17:56.70 at Pre-State (where she was runner-up) is the only time among her peers that is under 18 minutes. We rank the top 100 senior girls heading into the cross country season.


Senior Boys Rankings: Mandato Looking To Make His Mark On Saints' Program Todd Grasley Aug 23, 2016

We resume our head of the class rankings with our seniors. Trinity Prep's Trent Mandato dropped his PR of 15:34.10 on the way to a 12th place finish at NXNSE. Mandato helped his team to Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon. A total of ten members of the class of 2017 have broken 16 minutes. We look at the top 100 senior boys heading into the cross country season. 


Scouting Report: Merritt Island Boys - Born To Run, Trained To Be Champions Todd Grasley Aug 23, 2016

The Merritt Island boys finished 10th at the 2015 Cross Country Finals with the help of individual champion and FSU signee Steven Cross. In addition to Cross, the Mustangs also graduated number two runner Nathan Paladino. The team is ranked 9th in 3A and third in 3A Region 4 which will pit them against powerhouse Belen Jesuit and neighboring Viera. We caught up with Coach Bill Buonanni to talk about this year's squad which he thinks will be the surprise of the season, and is coming off of a preseason victory at the West Orange Warrior Jamboree Run.


Scouting Report: Winter Park Boys Billy Simpson Aug 22, 2016

The Winter Park boys had their season end earlier than expected last year by barely missing out on the state meet with a 7th place finish in 4A Region 1, AKA the Region Of Death. They are poised to make it back to the state meet and make some noise with the return of a healthy Alex Boucher. Coach Will Anguish gives us a scouting report on this year's team. 


Junior Girls Rankings: Gibbons, Hertenstein, Collier, Can Cross Breaking 18 Off Their Goal Lists Todd Grasley Aug 18, 2016

For a majority of girls cross country runners across the state of Florida, breaking 18 minutes is a goal they'd love to accomplish before they graduate. For a trio of juniors, Rafaella Gibbons, Bailey Hertenstein,and Caitlin Collier, it's a feat they've already crossed off their list with breaking 17:30 a possibility in 2016. These three headline the junior class and are three of the best in the nation. We rank the top 100 junior girls heading into the 2016 season.


Junior Boys Rankings: Calvary Christian's Ferro Ranked #4 In Class Of 2018 Todd Grasley Aug 18, 2016

Calvary Christian junior Danny Ferro was sixth at the 2A Cross Country Finals in 2015 and won the junior class race at Foot Locker South in North Carolina with a time of 15:59.00. Ferro joins Hernando's Trevor Foley, Belen Jesuit's Joshua Collins, and Bishop Kenny's Nathan Jubran as the only four athletes from the class of 2018 to run under 16 minutes last season. We take a look at the top 100 junior boys heading into the 2016 XC season. 


Sophomore Boys Rankings: Bolles Teammates Charles Hicks, Chase Rivera, Rank 1-2 In Class Of 2019 Todd Grasley Aug 17, 2016

Charles Hicks was the fastest freshman last year at the Cross Country Finals by over 20 seconds and comes into 2016 ranked as the top sophomore in the state with his PR of 16:00.15 set at the 2A District 4 Championship. Hicks, who finished 5th at the state meet, is joined at the top of the leaderboard by Bolles teammate Chase Rivera, the second fastest class of 2019 runner with a PR of 16:12.98. Their nearest classmate? Gabriel Curtis of Mt. Dora Bible who has a PR 30 seconds less than Hicks and 20 seconds less than Rivera. Top 100 sophomore boys! 


Scouting Report: Pine Crest Girls Todd Grasley Aug 17, 2016

The Pine Crest girls cross country team finished as the 2A runner-up behind Bolles for the fourth straight year. The Panthers lose their top two runners from 2015 in Alyssa Pujals, the individual champion now at UF, and Julia Montgomery who signed with the College of William & Mary. Coach Baur returns the Yared sisters as well as four others from that squad and an incoming transfer who could make an immediate impact. We give you the scouting report on the 2016 Pine Crest girls. 


Freshmen Girls Rankings: 2014 State Champ Tsion Yared Yearns For Another Title Todd Grasley Aug 16, 2016

It seems like Tsion Yared has been running on the high school scene for years, and it's because she has. The Pine Crest standout was sixth at the 2A Cross Country Finals and was the state champion as a 7th grader in 2014. Yared was off to a bright start in 2015, before the injury bug struck right before the postseason. She comes in as the top freshman returner with her time of 18:17.80 from the flrunners.com Invitational where she was third, but her success hinges on her health. A healthy Yared is a dangerous one. We look at the top 100 freshman girls in the state. 


Freshmen Boys Rankings: Galloway Brothers Of Trinity Prep Ranked 1-2 Todd Grasley Aug 16, 2016

Brothers Kayamo and Mamush Galloway are the top two incoming freshmen in the state on 2A's top ranked team, Trinity Prep. Kayamo was third for the Saints at the 2015 FHSAA Cross Country Finals while brother Mamush was 68th in the field of 183 runners. The duo are the only two runners to boast personal bests under 17 minutes with times of 16:02.66 and 16:38.70 respectively. Check out the top freshman heading into the 2016 cross country season. 


Scouting Report: St. Thomas Aquinas Boys Todd Grasley Aug 16, 2016

Of all the classifications nobody is favored to win more than the boys of St. Thomas Aquinas. The 2015 4A state champions return five of their top seven and have an incredible 1-5 split of 21.89s!  The top five for the Raiders may be set in stone, but after that  will be a battle between numerous runners. Coach Joe Hazera gives us the scouting report on this year's squad.


Spotlight Athlete: Chiles Junior Michael Phillips Todd Grasley Aug 15, 2016

Chiles junior Michael Phillips has only been in the Sunshine State for two years, but he is already making his mark. Phillips, the son of FSU coach Kelly Phillips and new Chiles head coach Mike Phillips was the 3A state runner-up in the 1600m and helped score valuable points in the Timberwolves team title. Phillips was 7th at the Cross Country Finals as an individual and the top finisher on the runner-up team. We talked to him about his start in the sport, summer training, goals for 2016, and more! 


Scouting Report - Fort Myers Boys Todd Grasley Aug 15, 2016

The Fort Myers boys came up short of a podium finish in 2015, finishing third. The team returns six of seven from last year with five of those being seniors. Evan Babatz (8th) and Josh Kennedy (18th) finished in the top 20 for the Green Wave and look to improve on those finishes in 2016. The bad news for Coach Yancey Palmer's squad is that 3A might be the most competitive classification on the boys side out of all four classes. We get the scouting report on this year's team.


Rankings Explosion! Top 1,000 Returning Girls XC Individuals Regardless Of Class Todd Grasley Aug 15, 2016

There is no doubt 4A is the hardest classification in the state of Florida with four of the top girls returners in the top five of our rankings. Rafaella Gibbons won the state championship as a freshman and has a PR of 17:30.80 from NXNSE, which is the fastest returning time, while 2015 state champion Bailey Hertenstein boasts her 17:32.55 from the Cross Country State Finals. We take a look at the top 1,000 girls returners regardless of classification. Where do you rank on our list? 


Rankings Explosion! Top 1,000 Returning Boys XC Individuals Regardless Of Class Todd Grasley Aug 15, 2016

Trinity Prep senior Trent Mandato finished 12th at the NXNSE Regional to lead his team to Nike Cross Nationals in Oregon. His time of 15:34.10 is the fastest returning time with Hernando's Trevor Foley right behind him with a PR of 15:34.53, making the 2A boys individual race something to watch in the coming months! We rank the top 1,000 athletes heading into the fall! 


Scouting Report: Westminster Christian Girls Todd Grasley Aug 14, 2016

The Westminster Christian School girls only brought six athletes to Cross Country Finals and still managed to come away with a third place finish. Five of those six girls return for the upcoming season and our 1A girls preseason rankings has the Warriors in a tight race with Oak Hall and Maclay for the team title. We caught up with coach Jose Garcia to get a scouting report on this year's squad.


Scouting Report- Bolles Boys Todd Grasley Aug 12, 2016

The Bolles boys cross country team didn't win a state title like the girls did in 2015, but 2016 might be their year to make the podium and challenge Trinity Prep at the top of the 2A standings. The Bulldogs return six of the top seven from last year's fifth place team. Sophomores Charles Hicks and Chase Rivera finished 5th and 17th respectively and will be the leaders of Coach Mike Rivera's squad. We caught up with Coach Rivera for a scouting report on the team as we head into the cross country season.


4A Region By Region Girls Virtual Meets: Gibbons Vs. Delay In 4A-1 Region Of Death Todd Grasley Aug 11, 2016

We've checked out the top individuals, the top teams, and now we go one step further breaking down all four classes by region. Utilizing our virtual meet feature. If you haven't used this tool yet it's great to get an idea of who is running in each meet, your competition, and where you and your team stack up. Check out our region by region virtual meets for both boys and girls. We feature the top twenty-five individuals and top five teams, but you can see the complete list. Note: This list does not include freshman or transfers, but you have the ability to customize your own virtual meet!


4A Region By Region Boys Virtual Meets: Spanish River Sharks Hungry For 4A-3 Championship Todd Grasley Aug 11, 2016

We've checked out the top individuals, the top teams, and now we go one step further breaking down all four classes by region. Utilizing our virtual meet feature. If you haven't used this tool yet it's great to get an idea of who is running in each meet, your competition, and where you and your team stack up. Check out our region by region virtual meets for both boys and girls. We feature the top twenty-five individuals and top five teams, but you can see the complete list. Note: This list does not include freshman or transfers, but you have the ability to customize your own virtual meet!


Scouting Report - Fort Myers Girls Todd Grasley Aug 11, 2016

The Fort Myers girls fell just short of a podium spot in 2015, coming in third behind Niceville, and Chiles. The Green Wave return six of their top seven and have nearly twice that many girls that could contend for a varsity roster spot this season. 3A individual runner-up Kristlin Gear, who is coming off an excellent track season, leads the way for the team. We caught up with Coach Rob Strong about the 2016 squad, their goals, and much more!


3A Region By Region Girls Virtual Meets: Freshman Andressohn Looks To Lead Mater Academy Lions To Postseason Todd Grasley Aug 10, 2016

We've checked out the top individuals, the top teams, and now we go one step further breaking down all four classes by region. Utilizing our virtual meet feature. If you haven't used this tool yet it's great to get an idea of who is running in each meet, your competition, and where you and your team stack up. Check out our region by region virtual meets for both boys and girls. We feature the top twenty-five individuals and top five teams, but you can see the complete list. Note: This list does not include freshman or transfers, but you have the ability to customize your own virtual meet!


3A Region By Region Boys Virtual Meets: Chiles Vs. Creekside Match Up Before State Todd Grasley Aug 10, 2016

We've checked out the top individuals, the top teams, and now we go one step further breaking down all four classes by region. Utilizing our virtual meet feature. If you haven't used this tool yet it's great to get an idea of who is running in each meet, your competition, and where you and your team stack up. Check out our region by region virtual meets for both boys and girls. We feature the top twenty-five individuals and top five teams, but you can see the complete list. Note: This list does not include freshman or transfers, but you have the ability to customize your own virtual meet!