MIDDLEBURG – Orange Park High senior John Bear threw down to a seventh place finish in one of the fastest cross country districts in Florida Saturday in the district 4-3A championships held at Middleburg High School on Saturday.

With 13 runners breaking 17 minutes and winner Justin Tackling winning in 16:16.21, Bear punched in with a 16:34.36 for his top 15 finish that advances Bear to the Region 1-3A championships on Saturday at Cecil Field’s New World Golf Facility.

With just 45 seconds separating the top 13, the district results were lightning fast with Nease taking the team title with 51 points, Creekside, fifth in 3A last year, at 58, Bartram Trail, fourth in 3A last year, at 69 and Ponte Vedra, seventh in 3A last year, at 85 to all advance to regions.

Orange Park finished sixth behind St. Augustine with 153 with Middleburg seventh at 215.

Orange Park had strong finishes from Stevenson Aris, 29th in 17:29.81; Shy Dumas, 38th in 17:44.60; Maxim Thomas, 45th in 18:0366; Jarod Spivey, 54thin 18:44.20 and James Cudney, 56th in 18:49.00.

Middleburg finishers were John Scholz, 36th in 17:35.72; Shawn Szala, 53rd in 18:32.79 and Noah Carson, 57th in 19:12.98.

In the girls race, won by Creekside junior Claire Openshaw, third in 3A last year, in 18:27.15, Middleburg High sophomore Emma Mussante cracked the equally fast top 15 for 14th place in 20:40.07. Mussante had her best race in 2017 at districts but finished 23rd.

Creekside, second in 3A last year to Tallahassee Chiles, finished with the top three overall runners plus a sixth placer to take the team title with 22 points with Ponte Vedra, fourth in 3A last year, second at 59, St. Augustine third at 71 and Nease, sixth in 3A last year, fourth at 113 all advancing to regions. Middleburg finished sixth.

Orange Park junior Emma Brown finished 27th in 21:26.40.