This Saturday, harriers from around the state of Florida will converge on Tallahassee’s Apalachee Regional Park for the 2014 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Cross Country State Championships.
Click here to watch the FHSAA Cross Country Championships LIVE.
Both the boys and the girls run the same 5K course. Competitions will be held for both genders in four enrollment classifications as follows:
4A Girls – 7:30 a.m.
1A Girls – 7:55 a.m.
4A Boys – 8:20 a.m.
1A Boys – 8:45 a.m.
2A Girls – 9:10 a.m.
3A Girls – 9:35 a.m.
2A Boys – 10:00 a.m.
3A Boys – 10:25 a.m.
The defending team champions on the boys’ side are: Class 4A – Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas; Class 3A – Miami Belen Jesuit; Class 2A – Winter Park Trinity Prep; and Class 1A – Melbourne Holy Trinity. Miami Belen Jesuit has won the past four Class 3A state titles (2010-13), while Melbourne Holy Trinity has won three in a row in Class 1A.
In terms of individual state champions, Nicholas Diaz of Miami Sunset will seek to repeat in Class 4A, Sukhi Khosla of Tallahassee Leon is the defending champ in Class 3A, and Franco Martins of Windermere Prep hopes for two in a row in Class 1A. Khosla holds the FHSAA Finals record time on this course with a 15:08.61 in 2013.
On the girls’ side, the following teams will seek to repeat: Class 4A – Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas; Class 3A – Estero; Class 2A – Jacksonville Bolles; and Class 1A – Melbourne Holy Trinity. St. Thomas Aquinas has won the past two Class 4A state titles, Jacksonville Bolles has won two in a row in Class 2A, and Estero won the 2010 Class 2A state title followed by the next three in Class 3A to give them four in a row.
The defending Class 4A individual state champion is Alexa Cruz of St. Thomas Aquinas, while Julia Montgomery of Pine Crest is the two-time defending champ in Class 2A. Susan Givens of Tallahassee Chiles set the girls FHSAA Finals record time of 17:48.78 in 2012.
According to the most recent Florida Athletic Coaches Association Cross Country Rankings, following are the state’s top three teams and individuals by class:
Class 1A Girls Teams:
- Holy Trinity
- Westminster Christian School
- Oak Hall
Class 1A Girls Individuals:
- Sarah Candiano (Senior) – Evangelical Christian School
- Shelby Smith (Junior) – Holy Trinity Academy
- Emily Chapman (Senior) – Brevard Heat
Class 2A Girls Teams:
- Jacksonville Bolles
- Pine Crest
- Ransom Everglades
Class 2A Girls Individuals:
- Yaren Tsion – Pine Crest
- Mackenzie Wilson – Jacksonville Bolles
- Julia Montgomery – Pine Crest
Class 3A Girls Teams:
- Creekside
- Myers
- Sarasota
Class 3A Girls Individuals:
- Julie Wollrath (Senior) – Melbourne
- Devin Molloy (Sophomore) – Barron Collier
- Kristilin Gear (Sophomore) – Ft. Myers
Class 4A Girls Teams:
- Winter Park
- Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas
- Phillips
Class 4A Girls Individuals:
- Emily Headley (Senior) – Olympia
- Alexa Cruz (Junior) – St. Thomas Aquinas
- Rafaela Gibbons (Freshman) – Winter Park
Class 1A Boys Teams:
- Holy Trinity Academy
- The Geneva School
- Maclay School
Class 1A Boys Individuals:
- Franco Martins (Senior) – Windermere Prep
- Andrew Cacciatore (Senior) – Holy Trinity
- Cal Davidson Turner (Senior) – Cardinal Mooney
Class 2A Boys Teams:
- Trinity Prep
- Bishop Kenny
- Pine Crest
Class 2A Boys Individuals:
- Joel Lacy (Junior) – Calvary Christian Academy
- Urias Velasquez (Senior) – Immokalee
- Gabriel Correa (Junior) – Ransom Everglades
Class 3A Boys Teams (top four region teams):
- Chiles
- Ocala Vanguard
- Myers
- Belen
Class 3A Boys Individuals:
- Sukhi Khosla (Senior) – Tallahassee Leon
- Steven Cross (Junior) – Merritt Island
- Ryan Rodriguez (Senior) – Belen
Class 4A Boys Teams:
- Lyman
- Columbus
- Winter Park
Class 4A Boys Individuals:
- Nick Diaz – Sunset
- James Zentmeyer – Sickles
- Jack Guyton – Plant
HuddleUp 