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Area Harriers spot Valdosta Border Clash

Mussante top finisher in college debut

Posted 9/8/21

Valdosta, Ga. — Guided by a one-two finish from Mason Jones and Joshua Wagner, the Florida Southern College men’s cross country team cruised to victory in the 2021 season-opener at Valdosta …

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Area Harriers spot Valdosta Border Clash

Mussante top finisher in college debut


Posted

Valdosta, Ga. — Guided by a one-two finish from Mason Jones and Joshua Wagner, the Florida Southern College men’s cross country team cruised to victory in the 2021 season-opener at Valdosta State’s Border Clash on Friday evening.

Jones, a senior out of Titusville, won in 23:05.6.

On the course, for Florida Southern, was Keystone Heights High graduate Alex Guy, who was ninth in 23:58.9 while, for runnerup Flagler College, Ridgeview High graduate Joel Nesi was 10th in 23:59.1 and Oakleaf High graduate A’Jani Stokes was 17th in 24:34.2 as Clay County athletes battled for top 20 positions in both the mens and womens races.

For the Florida Southern womens cross country team, third in the team points behind Flagler and University of Tampa, freshman Emma Mussante, a Middleburg High graduate, was 14th overall in 20:07.6 in leading the Lady Mocs in her debut race. Also on the Florida Southern team is Fleming Island High graduate Marisa Kortright.

Leading the way for the Flagler mens’ team was freshman Francisco Ramirez, who in his first meet in the Crimson and Gold, took seventh place (23:57.5). Nesi, a junior, was right behind him as he clocked a 10th-place finish (23:59.1), which was over a one-minute improvement on the same course he raced as a freshman. Stokes, a Flagler sophomore, crossed the finish line in 17th place (24:34.2) for his first race at VSU.

Florida Southern’s mens team scored 21 points with Flagler second with 70 and host Valdosta State third at 83.

Florida Southern’s womens team was ranked fourth in the Sunshine State Conference preseason rankings.

Florida Southern’s mens team, the Sunshine State Conference runnerups last year, was ranked second in the Sunshine State Conference preseason polls. Embry Riddle is ranked number one.

Fifth ranked Embry Riddle Aeronautical did not compete in a scheduled match in Palm Beach, but will travel to Gainesville on September 11 for the Mountain Dew Invitational, Grayson Iller, a Fleming Island High graduate, is a sophmomore runner for Embry Riddle with college best of 21:22.1 run as a freshman in October 2020. Iller also ran the 800 (2:28.32) and the 1500 (5:09.72) for Embry Riddle.

At the University of North Florida, Fleming Island High graduate Emma Millson is a freshman runner. The Ospreys open their season on September 17 at Florida State University.

At the University of Central Florida, Keystone Heights High graduate Camryn Williams is a freshman runner.

UCF opened their season with a second place finish at the FAU Invitational in Boca Raton. Williams finished 34th overall with a time of 20:18.93.

The University of Florida will host the Mountain Dew Invitational on Saturday, Sept.11.