JACKSONVILLE - Mei Chiang had never seen snow but was well experienced in championship races in cross country.

A short trip to Iowa started out as just another championship race for the Fleming Island High School grad with a few state meets and road races on her resume.

"The weather was calling for a lot of rain, so we were anticipating that," Chiang said. "When we got there, it was kind of cold, but no rain and the sun was out. The course was nice and green."

Unbeknownst to Chiang was that Mother Nature was going to surprise the athletes about to embark on the national junior college cross country Division I and II championship races the next day (Nov. 8).

"I was up all night in the hotel watching the weather and looking out the windows," said Florida State Junior College Jacksonville head cross country coach Jody Hale. "Most of these kids have never seen snow, obviously, and when we woke up the next morning and it was snowing, I just told them 'great athletes will run great no matter what, it's time to make that decision on what type of athlete you want to be today'. Everyone is running in the same muck."

Chiang, with the fourth best time in the nation already, under 19 minutes, but in sunny Florida, charged to the front of the pack at the start and held the lead until near the halfway mark.

"The hardest part was the footing as we were the last race of the day and the course was pretty much chopped up," Chiang said. "I was more worried about falling than being cold."

Chiang, who won the Florida Region 8 race in 18:46.4, would persevere to finish eighth with a 19:22.7 and earn an All-American status.

FSCJ would finish 39th in the womens team points with the boys team taking 27th place, led by Benjamin Hale in 87th at 28:55.7.

Hale had a record setting season with a best of 26:54 with a handful of Clay County runners including Aiden Taggart (FIHS), Spencer Middleton (FIHS) and Blake Looney (CHS).

On the girls side, with Chiang were Ava Banks (RHS), Sydney Fallin (FIHS) and Lauren Hughes (MHS).

Chiang noted that Daytona State College (with Oakleaf High's Tiffany Cox) finished third in their division. Other Florida teams that competed included Pasco, Eastern Florida, Gulf Coast, South Florida State, Tallahassee CC and Lake Sumter.

"I talked to them before the race and most of them had not seen snow either," Chiang said. "Either way, better to run in cold than the heat we get every day in Florida."