ORANGE PARK - Hurricane Milton put a damper (pun intended) on the Florida cross-country world with numerous top-tier races being rescheduled for this upcoming weekend Friday and Saturday, October 18 and 19.
Tops on the list is the New World Fall Spectacular at the Cecil Field Golf Course off Normandy Blvd where race director Richard Fannin has made it clear that he has another set of elite races with very fast runners for the boys and girls races.
Lost off the list of top-tier races is the FSU Pre-State Invitational which was canceled.
"I don't think it will affect us much," said Fleming Island coach Dave Allen, referring to the cancellation of the Pre-State meet on the state championship course. "Mainly, it was an emotional letdown as our young kids heard us talk about it and they've never run the state course."
At the New World race, elite racers have to have credentials of 15 minutes or so for the boys and 18 minutes or so for the girls.
"We have 90 high schools coming with probably the top 40 teams in Florida coming including Miami Belen Jesuit, the state champion leading the pack," said Fannin. "For the girls, eight of the top 11 teams in Florida will be here."
Fannin's enthusiasm for his race; always on the Cecil Field Golf Course, a fairly flat, very fast course with records of 14:45 and 17:41 for the boys and girls; Nease's Rheinhardt Harrison in 2021 and Bolles' Jillian Candelino of Bolles in 2022. Harrison is now at the University of Oregon while Candelino is running the University of Tennessee.
"Those are two very fast times by two very accomplished runners who both made this race very fast in their day," said Fannin. "We have had a handful of runners come through here in our seven years that have become outstanding college runners. Florida, in general, has put out outstanding runners year in and year out and we pride ourselves with having one of the races that they come to to prove themselves."
One reason for Fannin's excitement for the possibility of someone breaking one of those records is that Tallahassee's Pre-State Invitational on the Florida State Course at Apalachee Park was canceled due to Hurricane Milton.
"Most runners get to that race to get a look at the state course, come here for the speed and competition, then ramp up for districts, regions, and state with a little more info on their readiness," said Fannin. "The boy's race may be one for the ages with 14 boys coming with races faster than 15:39 with five from Miami Belen Jesuit led by state 3200 champion Marcelo Mantecon's 14:40."
Fannin's top boys list has those 14 starting at 14:40 with Mantecon to Zachary Zielke of Bishop Verot's 15:39.
Last year's New World Fall race was highlighted by a near-record from Leon's Patrick Koon, a three-time Class 3A champion now at Stanford, who just missed Harrison's mark with a 14:46.00 winning time with Buchholz' standout Riley Smith, now at University of Florida, second in 15:10.00.
Nease, with their five runners in in the top 20, dominated the team scores with 75 for first place with Buchholz second at 121 and Ponte Vedra (5th 3A) third at 166. The top seven included Chiles, Creekside, and Fleming Island (4th 3A) with Georgia's Richmond Hill in seventh.
Fleming Island's sixth-place finish last year had two college runners; Graham Myers (Florida) and John Keester IV (South Florida) in the top 20; ninth for Keester and 16th for Myers with sophomore Andrew Boyer third finisher in 39th place.
For 2024, senior Jacob Campbell has been the top finisher for Fleming Island with two recent invitational wins the past three weeks; Bartram Trail's Bale n Trail and Ponte Vedra's Craig Speziale, with his hard paces and strong finishes getting him in near the 16 minute mark.
"The rest of the guys are getting gradually better each week," said Allen. "We are still not where we want to be and the gap between our two and three runners is too large."
From Oakleaf, sophomore Jack Strombeck has been the steady frontrunner for coach Sherronda Harris and looks to challenge the lead pack with his races this season; a win at the Clay County Invitational, near the 16-minute mark. Strombeck has had teammate Luke Janke closing the gap behind him with some low 17-minute marks and that could give the Knights some team points for a possible top 10 finish.
For the girl's race at New World, Fannin also notes a handful of top-tier teams coming led by Creekside junior Alyson Johnson, the defending 4A champion with teammate Sarah Rose right behind her, who has continued her front running style this season with Ponte Vedra senior Daisy Ross, ninth in 3A behind senior teammate Lindy White at fourth, in her shadow at the Bale N Trail. Ponte Vedra's girls were second in 3A by 20 points behind Miami Dillard last year.
From Fleming Island, junior Brooke Reynolds has been the top finisher for the Golden Eagles this season with Ava Hendryx, a state track finisher last year in the mile, a few steps behind Reynolds with a fast closing gap.
"Brooke is running and swimming so she's never 100 percent," said Allen. "We have a handful of girls with injuries and illnesses and some are into soccer tryouts. We are hoping to have everyone pull together for districts."
Tallahassee Maclay (3rd in 1A) was the team best last year at New World with Ponte Vedra (2nd in 3A), Buchholz (4A champs), Episcopal (3rd in 2A), and Creekside (7th 4A) in the top five.
Also on tap is the North Florida Middle School Cross Country Championships (3K) on October 19 at Bishop Kenny High School which will be a FLYRA State Championship Qualifier. Oakleaf Junior High is scheduled to attend.
On Sat., Oct. 23, the Paradise Landscaping Run at Matanzas High School will be staged after being postponed after Hurricane Milton. Middleburg, Keystone Heights, Ridgeview, Oakleaf, and Clay were set to compete.
District races will start on October 28. District 1-4A at Bartram Trail Nov. 2: Oakleaf; District 2-3A at MHS Nov. 2: Clay, Fleming Island, Middleburg, Orange Park, Ridgeview; District 2-2A at Bishop Kenny Oct. 28: Keystone Heights; District 2-1A at Apalachee Park (Tallahassee) Oct. 30: St. Johns Country Day School

MHS Mussante gets another school record

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Florida Southern College women's cross country team returned to action Saturday morning after taking nearly a month away from competition. Senior Emma Mussante and graduate student Ellie Fluman once again etched their names in the FSC record book as the pair each posted their second top-10 6K time in program history. The Mocs took seventh as a team in the 34-member field.
Mussante, a Middleburg High School graduate, posted the fourth-best 6K time in program history while taking 20th overall in the 272-member field. The senior crossed the finish in 21:33.40, just missing out on her personal best of 21:32.4, set last season at the NCAA South Region Championship. Fluman came in 10 spots back in 30th while claiming the 10th-best time in program history at 21:50.10, just five seconds off her personal best.

OHS Barrera 16th for Louisiana-Monroe XC

Former Oakleaf High cross country standout Sierra Barrera, now a sophomore at the University of Louisiana-Monroe, recently finished 16th in 20:22.95 at the Louisiana Tech Mook 4 Invitational. Louisiana-Monroe finished second to TCU in the team scores, 15-52, and ahead of third-place finisher Louisiana Tech.