Last season was a special year for the Fort Walton Beach boys cross country team as they coasted through the postseason and finished as the 3A runner-up. The Vikings placed five of their top seven in the top forty and had a tremendous spread of less than twenty-five seconds. The bad news is they lose three of those five. Coach Jeff Fields says his squad was happy with last season, but also took away a very clear picture of what it takes to be the best.

Carrollton has always been known as a team who flies under the radar. In 2011 they were ranked 5th in the 2A State Championship meet. To everyone’s surprise they captured their first state championship. Last year, they started off strong, ranked 4th in the state and proved to be a top competitor with a strong set of new girls.

The Leon boys cross country team finished sixth in 2012 and look to crack the top five in 2013. The Lions return five of their top seven from last year. It is a group that includes mostly juniors, headlined by Sukhi Khoshla. Khosla placed 13th at the Cross Country Finals and put up incredible numbers on the track. The youngster went 4:24.43 for 1600 meters and 9:16.73 for 3200 meters; both of which rank him among the top sophomores in the country.

After a three year run as cross country champions, the question in 2013 is can Estero hoist the trophy once again? The Wildcats lose two seniors who have been an integral part of the program in Kacy Smith (Ole Miss) and Katy G. Solis (Jacksonville University). Smith and Solis finished second and third respectively in 2012. 

After finishing second at state in 2011, the Bolles girls cross country team accomplished the mission in 2012, and brought home the 2A state championship. Currently, ranked in our composite rankings as the second best team regardless of class, the Bulldogs, look to be in great shape for a second consecutive title.

The Shorecrest Prep boys cross country team placed 12th at the Cross Country Finals in 2012. Fans, no need to worry though. The Chargers plan on charging on in 2013, and the boys told Coach Amy Raab that the running community had a whole lot to look forward to in 2013. Senior Ross Porter, who finished 14th at state last year is the team's number one runner.

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.

Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in Miami has been a major staple for girls cross country in the state of Florida. They're currently riding a 15 year streak of top ten finishes at the Cross Country Finals and 2013 looks to continue adding to that streak. 

123The Bishop Kenny boys cross country team won the 2A Cross Country Finals in 2012. The girls finished fourth. Three runners in the top five ran a personal best. Overall, the girls knew it wasn't where they wanted to be, but learned the importance of solid communication and taking care of the little things leading into November.

St. Thomas Aquinas boys cross country team ended 2012 just shy of a podium spot, earning a third place finish. Over the course of the year, the team learned respect for their competitors, courage, and the true meaning of hard work. This year, Coach Trish Butler's squad is loaded with experience and returns all seven runners from last year's state meet.

2012 was a year of history for the Miami Sunset boys cross country team. The team finished fourth last year lead by Nick Diaz and Kenny Castro who finished fifth and seventh respectively. The duo is back again this year for a Knight's squad that wants to continue to rewrite history. Coach Alex Shaw says his guys learned a lot from last year both good and bad, but feel the best is yet to come in 2013. Diaz, Castro, as well as senior Ronny Greenup, and junior Malik Gunter will be in the top four, with a huge battle between four to give guys for that fifth and final spot. 

The ladies of Shorecrest Prep cross country are back in 2013, and looking for a podium finish, after just missing out in third in 2012. The Chargers return all seven of their runners from the state meet. At the helm, is third place finisher Alex Eaton. Eaton looks to once again be one of the top runners in 1A along with Julie Wollrath and Sarah Candiano

2012 was a special year for the Immokalee boys cross country team. The Indians reached the podium and hoisted the runner-up trophy. The team learned that chemistry, depth, and leadership are the most important things to being successful, and are hoping those things can carry them in 2013. Coach Hugo Gijon returns five of his top seven from the state meet last year lead by senior Leonel Delacruz who finished fifth. 

After finishing sixth in 2011, the Niceville girls cross country team went into 2012 with high hopes. Bad news broke in the summer, when they learned that their top runner Marsel Mosley would not be running and their number two Regan McAllister would be out with an injury and miss half the season. Coach Sherman Eller was hoping a front runner emerge, but that didn't materialize. The Eagles were able to keep the 1-5 split to 40 seconds, but it wasnt enough to advance out of a very tough region and advance to the state meet. The team returns six of their top seven including five seniors and one junior.

The Bishop Kenny boys cross country season ended the 2012 season with a 2A state championship, their 8th in the program's history. Coach Kevin Curran was impressed with the consistency of last year's squad and returns four of his top seven runners. The team is lead by a trio of seniors in David Yarborough, Alec Sharpe, and Erik Sampayo. 

The John A. Ferguson girls are looking good as we head into the 2013 cross country season. After a stellar state runner-up performance in 2011, we fell off a little in 2012 as the girls team struggled in trying to find leadership and mature as a group, but after much success this past track & field season, I can say the girls are very motivated for cross country this year. I attribute much of the bright outlook to the fact that many of my top ten are heading into their senior year and their summer attendance has been very on point compared to last year. They've even got me more motivated for this season!

2012 was a first for the ladies of St. Thomas Aquinas. The Raiders took home the team title at the 4A Cross Country Finals by twenty-seven points over Plant High School. The top five placed in the top eighteen spots. All seven will return for 2013 and that is great news for their chances at a repeat. Coach Trish Butler says the girls came away confident from that meet and enthusiastic for this year. 

The Maclay Marauders boys cross country team finished runner-up at the 1A Cross Country Finalsin 2012. It came as a suprise to most people who had them pegged no better than third. The team slipped past Trinity Prep by three points and placed four of their top five runners in the top twenty-three spots. 

The Sarasota High School boys cross country team is coming off of a fourth place team finish at last year's 3A Cross Country Finals.  The Sailors are going to have to work even harder in 2012 after graduating their number 2, 4, 6, and 7 runners. Leading the team is Zackery Summerall with a 5k time of 15:54. Zack placed 4th in the 3A Outdoor State Finals this year and also qualified for the 800m with a PR of 1:56. Adam Bradtmueller, a freshman last year, joined Zack in that state 1600m final and placed 13th. Summerall says the team looks strong 1-4.

Signs of a Belen Jesuit dynasty slowing down isn't likely. In 2012, the Wolverines captured their seventh state championship; the sixth in the last seven years and finished fifth at the Nike Cross Nationals Southeast Regional. They return five of their top seven after losing Avery Lopez (FSU) and Diego Rojo to graduation.

The Gulf Coast girls cross country team finished eighth at the state meet in 2012 with top runner Caroline Barlow crossing the line in fourth place and making the medal stand. The take away from last year was the the team needed to build more depth and bring four through seven further up the finishers list. 

Gone in 2013, will be the familiar cross country battles between Trinity Prep and rival Holy Trinity. The two teams have captured a majority of 1A state championships in the past seven years. After finishing a disappointing third in 2012, the Saints will move up a classification to 2A. Trinity Prep loses Daniel Salas, who was a key cog in the squad's championship run and fellow senior Gordon Pace, but as always Coach Vinal has a slew of depth. 

The Sailors girls are coming off of a strong cross country and track season. With the Sailors placing 13th at the 2012 3A Cross Country State Finals and only graduating their 5th runner, the Lady Sailors are really looking like an unstoppable force this year.