FACA Pre-Season XC State Rankings


Now that cross country season is just about underway, here's a look at the Florida Athletic Coaches Association's Pre-Season State Rankings as put together by our volunteer pollsters! A major thank you to them for all of their volunteer work in the past and for the rankings ahead. Here's a look at this year's group, which has a couple of anonymous pollsters just to add a little bit of mystery to this old routine!

FACA Pollsters 2018:
1A Girls: Sue O'Malley, Father Lopez Catholic HS, somalley@fatherlopez.org (2nd year)
2A Girls: Ryan Raposo, Gulliver / St. Thomas Univ., ryanraposo@gmail.com (1st year in 2A, 11th overall)
3A Girls: Steve Farnsworth, Lecanto HS, farnsworthfarm@yahoo.com (4th year)
4A Girls: Paul Opitz, Sarasota Riverview HS, paul.opitz65@gmail.com (3rd year)
1A Boys: Ghost Writer, ryanraposo@gmail.com (2nd year)
2A Boys: Carlos Maymi, St. Brendan HS / St. Thomas Univ., cmaymi@stu.edu (2nd year)
3A Boys: Carl Egbert, Gulf Coast HS, eberc@collierschools.com (3rd year overall)
4A Boys: Ghost Writer, 4Apollster@gmail.com, (1st year)

And here are the Wednesday dates we are looking to be releasing all of this year's rankings...

1) August 22nd (Pre-Season; utilizing the database and jamborees)
2) September 5th
3) September 19th
4) October 3rd (post flrunners)
5) October 17th (post FSU / Pre-State)
6) October 31st (Pre-Region)
7) November 7th (Pre-State Championship)

So let's get this show on the road!

GIRLS STATE RANKINGS

1A Girls Pre-Season Rankings

By Sue O'Malley Father Lopez Catholic School                  

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the pre-season rankings!  Some teams have toed the line with pre-meet classics this past weekend! Coming out strong in their pre-season meets were Father Lopez, Bishop Snyder and St. Joseph Academy. Citrus Park Christian has moved up top 2A which leads the way for Circle Christian to defend their title. Best wishes to everyone to have a most memorable season! Hope to see everyone at the starting line on Nov. 10th at FSU. May all of us embrace our challenges and conquer our dreams!

Rank. School = Comments

1. Circle Christian = Defending Champions! Has the #1 ranked runner, Sinkenesh Parker and the #2 ranked runner, Brooke Mcewen back to lead the Centurions. They open their season at the Hurricane Invitational on Saturday.

2  Providence School = The Stallions finished 4th last year at the state meet. The stallions lost their #2 runner, Viola Barquilla who transferred to Fletcher this season. But this team is still loaded with depth and talent especially with senior Audrey Woods. The Stallions finished 4th at the state meet last fall.

3. Maclay = This team is another team that is well coached. The team finished 5th last year at the state meet and will try and improve on that finish with their depth. Maclay will open their season at the Cougar XC Challenge.

4. Oak Hall = Will be within Grace Blair this season. But do not count this team out. The team finished 3rd last season at the state meet. This team is well coached and the Eagles always soar at the right times. They will open their season at The Hurricane Invitational on Saturday.

5. Holy Trinity = Second year coach Sully plans on making a tiger leap to a top 5 finish at the state meet. This team is very young with a slew of talent. The team will be led by 8th grader Carly McNatt ranked 4th in the pre- season rankings. The Tigers open their season at home with their Holy Trinity Invitational.

6. Father Lopez = Finished 8th at the State meet last year, best finish since 1986. Green Wave opened their season strong at the Pre-Cecil Meet Friday night taking the 2nd-4th and 9th places to place third behind powerhouse Creekside. Newcomer Freshman Mary Peck will be one exciting young runner to watch this season. Plans on making a race to the podium!

7. Out of Door = This team of Thunder will try to improve on their 10thn place finish at the state meet last year with a young and talents group of runners. The team is scheduled for possibly two races this weekend-Jim Ryun Invitational and the Lemon XC Invitational.

8. Miami Day County School=Lauren McGaffic an 8th grader this season comes in ranked among the top 20 in the state. Look for her to lead this team to a top 10 finish at the state meet this season. The team is not scheduled to race until 9/7 at the King of The Hill XC Invitational.

9. Bishop Snyder = Senior Gianna Forte will lead this team and will has the potential to make a run at an individual title. Gianna won the Pre-Cecil Classic Friday night with a time of 19:21 on a very muddy course! The Cardinals will open their season on the very fast course in Bunnell at the Spikes and Spurs Classic.

10. St. Joseph's Academy = Lost their #1 runner Helen Willsau.  New coach Danny Weed will take this team far flashing their talent. Coach Weed came from the dark side 3A to the light 1A. Welcome to 1A! The team ran well at Pre-Cecil Meet on Friday night. The Flashers are striking up for the Spikes and Spurs Invitational this Saturday.

11. Canterbury School (Ft. Meyers) = Jessica Edwards will lead this Cougar team to pounce on their opponents.

12. St. Stephen Episcopal = The Falcon team will have a very strong season and swoop down on their opponents and try to make a top 10 run at the state meet.

13. Indian Rock Christian = The Golden Eagles are always competitive and always there at the end.

14. The King's Academy = 9th Grader Mia Rodriguez will lead the lions this season. A very talented and competitive team.

15. Tampa Prep = Josie Garba and teammate Jospehine Garba  this one-two punch could be a dark horse team for the season. Their mascot is the Terrapins but this team runs more like hares.

Other teams to watch out for:

The First Academy and Tampa Bay HEAT

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the individual pre-season rankings! With Citrus Park Christian moving up to 2A and three of the top 15 runners transferred to different schools, this looks like one exciting year of talented young runners to via for the individual state title! #2 ranked pre-season runner Sydnee Calder will run for in 2A at Fernandina Beach High School. Pre-season ranked #10 Jasmine Hincapie is also moving to 2A running for Calvary Christian and #11 pre-ranked Viola Barquilla will make the jump to 3A to run for Fletcher High School.

Rank. Name, Grade -- School = Comments

1.  Sinkenesh Parker, 10 -- Circle Christian = Pre-season ranked #1! Very strong track season. Sinkenesh finished second to Grace Blair in the 3200 with a time of 11:23.

2. Brooke Mcewen, 11 -- Circle Christian = Very strong and talented runner. Brooke finished 4th in the 3200 meters at the state finals running a 11:30.

3. Carly McNatt, 8 -- Holy Trinity = Watch for this young runner to make big strides this season! Carly finished 3rd in the 3200 meters at the state finals with a time of 11:24.

4. Jessica Edward, 10 -- Canterbury School (Fort Meyers) = This young lady has lots of speed. Jessica won the 800 meters state title this past spring.

5. Gianna Forte, 12 -- Bishop Snyder = Ran a very impressive time of 19:22 at the Pre-Season Cecil Classic Friday night. This could be her year!

6. Mia Rodriguez, 9 -- The King's Academy

7. Josie Garba 10 -- Tampa Prep

8. Audrey Woods, 12 -- Providence School

9. Claire McDonnell, 11 -- Father Lopez = Strong track season. Claire finished 7th at the state finals in the 3200 meters.

10. Josephine Garba, 12 -- Tampa Prep

11. Maya Espinosa, 11 -- Baker Senior HS

13. Lauren Jones, 7 -- Chiefland HS

14. Elizabeth Wetcome, 12 -- Evangelical Christian School

15. Claire Kennedy, 10 -- Westminster Christian School

Other individuals to watch out for:

Emma McLaughlin 12 (Tampa Bay Heat), Laci Watford 7th (University Christian School, Sasha Wiecheckivergara 12 (Holy Trinity) and Mary Peck 9 (Father Lopez).


2A Girls Pre-Season Rankings

By: Ryan Raposo, Gulliver Prep / St. Thomas University, ryanraposo@gmail.com

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Not my first time doing rankings, but I'm obviously new to the 2A and private school side of the coin. Please feel free to send me any information you have throughout the season, and/or correct me if I am missing anything or got something wrong. I don't know much about any transfers, and only a couple of incoming freshmen/athletes (Ransom and Rockledge), so the majority of the rankings are based off of a mock meet last year's state championship removing seniors, and then rescoring. The biggest shake-up to the crowd should be the addition of Citrus Park Christian, up from 1A where they were State Runner-up last year. Once race results start coming in over the next two weeks a lot of this may change, but here's what I know for now...

Rank. (2017 State Finish) Team, Region # -- Comments

Podium Teams: Mock State Score = less than 60 points

1. (1) Pine Crest, R4 -- Back-to-back State Champions, Returning all Top 7, and six straight podium finishes; once again it's their meet to lose! Can't wait to see them at Larry & Penny this week!

2. (2) Bolles, R1 -- Back-to-back State Runner-up, Returning 6 of Top 7, and ten straight podium finishes; if any team has a chance of catching PC, it's Bolles! How many years top 5 has it been now? Close to 30?

No Man's Land: Mock State Score = ~85 points

3. (3) Montverde Academy, R2 -- Returning all 7; the one thing keeping them of the podium is a strong back half of varsity compared to PC and Bolles, however they still have a large gap on the squads that follow.

Shooting for Top 5: Mock State Score = 160-205 points

4. (7) Rockledge, R4 -- Returning 4 of 7; mock meet had them ranked 15th, however, at the always way too fast too early Wickham Park Jamboree, two of their returning top three ran PRs, the third was only 7s off her PR, and they have a brand new 3-4 which put their summer team average already faster than last year's state team average. Very interesting to say the least, so they jump up 11 spots.

5. (4) Trinity Prep, R2 -- Returning 6 of 7; a top team every year, they're strong through their top five before having a small drop off to their 6-7. Unless someone steps up, those top five will have to do the heavy lifting throughout the season.

6. (2-1A) Citrus Park Christian, R3 -- Returning 4 of 7; virtual meet has them ranked higher due to a couple of very early season suspect races/courses that probably should have been reclassified as 3 miles. Either way, they're a strong team who will make an immediate impact on their new classification.

7. (6) St. Brendan, R4 -- Returning all 7; had a great summer with a few JV girls progressing and mixing in to their top group. With a big pack all fighting to earn the back half of varsity spots, that whole group should be able to push and progress together.

Mock State Score 250-300 points:

8. (12) West Florida, R1 -- Returning all 7

9. (4) Satellite, R4 -- Returning only 3, but had the #3 JV squad in 2A last year

10. (14) Academy of Holy Names, R3 -- Returning 5 of 6 state finishers

11. (9) Ransom Everglades, R4 -- Returning 5 of 7, bringing up freshman which could be their new #1

Mock State Score 345-405 points:

12. (10) Episcopal, R1 -- Returning 6 of 7

13. (11) Tavares, R2 -- Returning 5 of 7; longer commentary with Tavares included under Lake Highland Prep

14. South Walton, R1 -- Qualified to state last year, should have been top 15, but only had 1 finisher? Returning all top 7

15. (13) Bishop Kenny, R1 -- Returning 4 of 7, but had the #4 JV squad in 2A last year

16. (15) Frostproof, R3 -- Returning all 7

17. (16) Berkeley Prep, R3 -- Returning all 7

18. Lake Highland Prep, R2 -- Three individuals qualified to state last year, but their team did not. Forget about 'Regions of Death', 2A District 8 is definitely the 'District of Death'! Last year it included #3 Montverde, #4 Trinity Prep, #11 Tavares, and LHP was actually ranked better in the database. However, when only five full teams made the starting line, only three teams advanced out. Tavares bested LHP by 9 points last season to get out, so we'll see what happens this season. Although hopefully 7 of the 8 teams in their District can field a full squad so that way four teams can make it out to the Region and then have a chance to make it to State.

19. (8) Cardinal Gibbons, R4 -- Returning 5 of 7

Mock State Score 500+ points:

20. (20) Florida High, R1 -- Returning all 6 of 6 state finishers

21. (18) Nature Coast, R2 -- Returning 5 of 6 state finishers

22. (NR) McKeel Academy, R3 -- Last year was 8th in Region 3, Returning 6 of 7

23. (23) Bishop Verot, R3 -- Returning 6 of 7

24. (NR) Crystal River, R2 -- Last year was 8th in Region 2, Returning all 7

Other teams to watch out for:

> Avon Park, R3 & Lely, R3 = both with a returning team average of 22:35

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: There are a ton of studs in this group. It's going to be interesting to see how this all shakes out, so for now I'm ranking based off of last year's XC and track state finishes and SB/PR performances. The 'other individuals to watch out for' section is rather large as well and I'm sure many of them will surprise us early on. Good luck this season, ladies!

Rank. Name, Grade -- Team = Returning Rank 5k / 3200m / 1600m) Last Year's Times; Comments

1. Tsion Yared, 11 -- Pine Crest = 1) 17:54 / 1) 10:38 / 1) 4:52 / 14) 2:20; Two-time & defending 2017 XC State Champion, 3200m State Champion, 1600m State Runner-up

2. Rebecca Clark, 12 -- The Villages = 7) 18:35 / 2) 10:41 / 2) 5:01 / 12) 2:20; XC State #6 returnee & former two-time XC State Runner-up, 5x 3200m State medalist (#3 2017), 1600m State #3

3. Mahdere Yared, 10 -- Pine Crest = 2) 18:10 / 3) 10:48 / 3) 5:02 / 35) 2:26; XC State #4 returnee, 3200m State Runner-up, 1600m State #4

4. Lily Henne, 9 -- Montverde Academy = 5) 18:29 [suspect course] / 4) 10:58 / 5) 5:06; XC State #5 returnee, 3200m State #5, 1600m State #8

5. Emily Faulhaber, 11 -- Pine Crest = 8) 18:40 / 6) 10:59 / 10) 5:11; XC State #7 returnee, 3200m State #4, 1600m State #7

6. Nicole Matysik, 12 -- Key West = 3) 18:19 / 8) 11:01 / 14) 5:13 / 22) 2:21; 2017 XC State Runner-up, former 3200m & 1600m State Runner-up (2017)

7. Maya Beleznay, 11 -- Pine Crest = 4) 18:22 / 10) 11:10 / 25) 5:21; XC State #3 returnee

8. Kendyl Cardwell, 10 -- Montverde Academy = 6) 18:30 [suspect course] / 7) 11:00 / 7) 5:08; XC State #11 returnee, 3200m State #6

9. Audrey McAnally, 11 -- Trinity Prep = 17) 19:05 / 5) 10:58 / 4) 5:03 / 16) 2:21; XC State #23 returnee, 3200m State #8

10. Natalie Varela, 11 -- Gulliver Prep = 9) 18:44 / 14) 11:25 / 8) 5:09 / 5) 2:14; XC State #8 returnee, 1600 State #5, 800m State #6

11. Maeve O'Riordan, 12 -- Bolles = 11) 18:53 / 9) 11:06 / 12) 5:12 / 26) 2:23; XC State #9 returnee, 3200m State #12, 1600m State #6

12. Alexandra Cisneros, 12 -- Lake Highland Prep = 10) 18:52 [suspect course] / 18) 11:31 / 9) 5:10 / 18) 2:21; XC State #13 returnee, 1600m State #9

13. Marisa Ashley, 10 -- Arnold = 12) 18:56 / 17) 11:30 / 11) 5:11; XC State #10 returnee, 3200m State qualifier

14. Lydia Friedman, 11 -- Citrus Park Christian = New to 2A; 19:01 @ State (1A) / 11:14 / 5:18; XC State #3 (1A), 3200m State #5 (1A)

15. Jacqueline Abanses, 10 -- Citrus Park Christian = New to 2A; 19:05 @ State (1A) / 5:14 / 2:20; XC State #5 (1A), 1600, #3 (1A), 800m State #7 (1A)

Other individuals to watch out for:

> Eleanor Tymorek, 10 -- Saint Andrew's = 15) 19:02 / 12) 11:22 / 29) 5:23; XC State #15 returnee, 3200m State #9

> Layne Rivera, 10 -- Bolles = 16) 19:03 / 17) 5:17 / 7) 2:17; XC State #16 returnee, 1600m State qualifier

> Jillian Candelino, 8 -- Bolles = 13) 19:00; XC State #12 returnee, light racing during TF

> Megan Hughes, 11 -- Academy of Holy Names = 14) 19:02 / 3) 2:14; XC State #14 returnee, 800m State #4

> Ella Mickler, 8 -- Bolles = 18) 19:06; XC State #17 returnee, light racing during TF

> Emily Vargas, 11 -- Avon Park = 19) 19:06 / 24) 5:21; XC State #18 returnee, 3200m & 1600m State qualifier

> Billie Castillo, 11 -- Titusville = 21) 19:14 / 16) 11:27 / 26) 5:21; XC State #19 returnee, 3200m State #11

> Noemi Kerjean, 11 -- St. Brendan = 22) 19:14 [suspect course] / 21) 5:18 / 19) 2:21; 1600m & 800m State qualifier

> Helena Kummings, 11 -- Bolles = 23) 19:17 / 15) 11:26 / 23) 5:20; XC State #20 returnee, 3200m State #14

> Patasha Bryan, 10 -- South Walton = 24) 19:18 / 1) 2:11; XC State #21 returnee, 800m State Runner-up

> Cristal Gomez, 9 -- Frostproof = 26) 19:20 / 27) 11:48 / 41) 5:27; XC State #22 returnee, 3200m State qualifier

> Ryleigh Sperry, 9 -- Montverde Academy = 27) 19:23 / 28) 11:50 / X; XC State #24 returnee

> Sydney Avery, 12 -- Berkeley Prep = 28) 19:23 [suspect course] / 19) 5:18 / 20) 2:21; 1600m State #10 & 800m State qualifier

> Gabriella Rybinski, 10 -- Frostproof = 29) 19:29 / 46) 5:32 / 30) 2:25; XC State #25 returnee

> Alaina Pisello, 10 -- Trinity Prep = 31) 19:36 / 13) 11:25 / 20) 5:18 / 11) 2:20; 800m State #10

> Catherine Kunz, 10 -- Bolles = 19:40 PR (DNF 2017 season) / 16) 5:15 / 21) 2:21; 800m State qualifier

> Maxine Montoya, 10 -- Bolles = 33) 19:48; 21) 11:38; 3200m State qualifier

> Amanda Schwartz, 10 -- Pine Crest = 36) 19:58 / 13) 5:12 / 8) 2:18; 800m State #9

> Savannah Schwab, 12 -- Tavares = 52) 20:16 / 6) 5:07 / 9) 2:18; XC State #42 returnee, 1600m & 800m State qualifier

> Elizabeth Csikai, 8 -- Bolles = 54) 20:20 / 20) 11:36 / 35) 5:25; 8th Bolles girl on the list


3A Girls Pre-Season Rankings

By: Steve Farnsworth, Lecanto HS, farnsworthfarm@yahoo.com

Team Rankings:

Commentary:  The rankings are based largely on returning runners and 2017 team times, as not all incoming freshmen and transfers are known at this time, and jamboree results are sparse and many were on known fast and/or short courses.  In general, Regions 1 and 3 look strong again, Region 2 is decent, and Region 4 appears weak at this time.

Rank, Team, Region. Comments

1.  Creekside, R1.  The Knights get the nod over Chiles based on their better team depth.

2.  Chiles, R1.  The Timberwolves may have a better 1-3 than Creekside, but will need to develop a stronger 4 and 5 to catch the Knights.

3.  Niceville, R1.  The Eagles are a distant third and probably lost too much to graduation to challenge for the title this year.

4.  Osceola (Seminole), R3.  The Warriors have only one star in Taylor Stone, but a solid 2-5 pack.

5.  Ft. Walton Beach, R1.  The Vikings are a young team that looks to improve on last year's ninth place finish. 6.  Ft. Myers, R3.  The Green Wave should remain a top-10 team, but need to work on running consistently.

7.  Naples, R3.  The Eagles have a strong squad led by Jillian Dempsey.

8.  Ponte Vedra, R1.  The Sharks were hit hard by graduation losses, but should have enough depth to remain in the top ten.

9.  Leon, R1.  The Lions typically have a good team, but they may actually get out of their region this year.

10.  Charlotte, R3.  The Tarpons will need Isabella Coogan to run for the team this year to maintain this ranking.

11.  Lincoln, R1.  The Trojans have a solid team but could move higher if Alyson Churchill returns.

12.  Ocala Vanguard, R2.  The Knights will battle Sunlake for the top spot in Region 2.   

13.  Sunlake, R2.  The Seahawks have the talent to put up fast times, but haven't done it consistently.

14.  Gulf Breeze, R1.  The Dolphins tend to be a bit over-rated from running many fast courses.

15.  Viera, R4.  The Hawks should be the top team in Region 4 and looked strong in the Wickham Park jamboree.

Other teams to watch out for:

16.  Bartram Trail, R1.  The Bears may struggle to get out of a tough Region 1.

17.  Harmony, R2.  The Longhorns will need Vanessa Bolen to regain her 2017 form to maintain this ranking.

18.  Palmetto Ridge, R3.  The Bears have an opening this year as other Region 3 rivals were impacted more by graduation losses.

19.  Robinson, R3.  The Knights run well on flat fast courses, but struggle on tougher courses.

20.  Land O'Lakes, R2.  The Gators have a strong 1-2 punch, but a weaker 3-5 could be a problem this year.

21.  Miami Northwestern, R4.  The Bulls should have their usual competitive team in Region 4.  

22.  West Shore, R4.  The Wildcats should have a solid team and looked strong in their jamboree.

23.  Lecanto, R2.  The Panthers return six of their top seven and have several promising newcomers.

24.  Matanzas, R2.  The Pirates were hit hard by graduation losses, but should be able to get out of Region 2 again this year.

25.  South Fork, R4.  The Bulldogs always seem to be able to stay among the top teams in Region 4.

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: The rankings are based on an index of 2017 season best XC times, state XC meet times, and 2018 3200-meter track times.  In some cases, 3200 times were estimated from 1600-meter times.  2017 season bests are listed for reference only and are not the main factor in rankings as other factors are considered.  Times from known fast and/or short courses were not used for ranking purposes.  

Rank, Name, Grade, Team, 2017 XC SB. Comments

1.  Claire Openshaw, 11, Creekside, 18:09.  Third at 2017 state meet, gets nod for the No.1 spot based a very strong track season.

2.  Emily Culley, 12, Chiles, 18:09.  Very close to Openshaw in ability and actually edged her for second in the 2017 state meet.

3.  Valerie Lastra, 11, Mater Academy, 18:16.  Could also claim the top spot if she stays healthy.

4.  Natalie Abernathy, 12, Land O'Lakes, 17:51.  Should move up from last year's seventh place state meet finish.

5.  Taylor Stone, 11, Osceola (Seminole), 18:23.  Was a surprising fifth in last year's state meet, and should match that or do better in 2018.

6.  Caitlin Wilkey, 11, Chiles, 18:40.  Should move up from last year's ninth place state meet finish.

7.  Kambry Smith, 10, Ft. Walton Beach, 18:55.  Was a bit inconsistent as a freshman, but coming off a strong track season.

8.  Parker Valby, 11, East Lake, 19:19.  Has moved up in the rankings based on a very strong track season.

9.   Jillian Dempsey, 11, Naples, 19:09.  Looking to improve on last year's 13th-place state meet finish.

10.  Caroline MacKenzie, 12, Ft. Myers, 19:25.  Didn't run consistent XC times in 2017, but had strong track season.

11.  Isabella Coogan, 12, Charlotte, 19:29.  Ran unattached in 2017 and missed the state meet.

12.  Elizabeth/Ashlyn Iliff, 10, Creekside, 19:25.  One of several sophomores Creekside is looking to for a state championship run.

13.  Lillian Holtery, 10, Niceville, 18:22.  A talented runner that may be better at shorter distances.

14.  Naila Etique, 10, Nease, 19:41.   A steady runner that has shown consistent improvement.

15.  Lindsay James, 10, Chiles, 19:01.  Eleventh at last year's state meet, but pulled down by weak track season.

Other individuals to watch out for:

16.  Estefania Acosta, 12, Land O'Lakes, 19:12.  Better suited to running the XC 5K than shorter distances, but still had a good track season.

17.  Jensen Shonk, 10, Ft. Walton Beach, 19:39.  Had ups and downs as a freshman, but continues to improve.

18.  Hannah Jacobbe, 10, Creekside, 19:48.  Finished third at the Cecil Field jamboree.

19.  Blake Petrick, 10, Creekside, 19:29.  The last of the three sophomores that Creekside hopes will lead them to the state championship.

20.  Josephine Gregory, 11, Pace, 19:29.  Has continued making steady improvement.

21.  Mykenzee Marshall, 12, Ocala Vanguard, 19:45.  The Knights' leader showed improvement during track season.

22.  Hannah Spooneybarger, 12, Gulf Breeze, 19:11.  It's hard to get a definitive ranking for this runner as her team runs a lot of fast courses.

23.  Katherine Resavage, 12, Leon, 19:59.  A solid, consistent runner.

24.  Kareena Gladis, 12. Leesburg, 19:57.  Runs her best at the end of the XC season.  

25.  Erica Fisher, 12, Pace, 19:43.  A strong track season has boosted her into the rankings.


4A Girls Pre-Season Rankings

by Paul Opitz, Sarasota Riverview HS, paul.opitz65@gmail.com                            

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the team state rankings!

1 Winter Park = the defending champs strong track season, 5 ladies under 12 in the 3200

2. Winter Springs = led by Bahr and Czurak and fast new freshman Wells, maybe a run at the podium.

3. Lake Brantley = led by hopefully a healthy Klingenberg and supporting cast of Stevens, Hyde and Jenkins  looking solid

4. G Holmes Braddock

5. HB Plant = 3 girls under 12 in 3200 during track,under the tutelage of the master Coach ROY HARRISON

6. OLOL = I  know  a shocker, this team is top ten every year.

7. Newsome = led by Scallion, Solis and Hoffman and of course coach GREENE

8. Steinbrenner = led by Magee and Straumann great  one  two punch. Led by another coaching giant LADD BALDWIN

9. Lake Minneola = led by Cadi Rowe and  Elle Kunze

10. Wharton

11. Lakewood Ranch

12. George Jenkins more coaching genius at that school

13. Spruce Creek

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the individual state rankings!

Rank. Name, Grade - School = Comments

1. Alyssa Hendrix, 11 - Riverview = Foot Locker qualifier, 10:49 3200 pr

2. Ashley Klingenberg, 11 - Lake Brantley = 5k 18:31

3. Mya Bodrato, 10 - Lake Mary = 3200 state champ 10:41, tore it up at warrior running camp.

4. Rylee Pustilink, 11 - Spanish River = sub 11, 3200 at the state meet

5. Pia Beaulieu, 10 - Boca Raton = 5k 18:23

6. Jordan Shapiro, 11 - Miami Palmetto = great track season, 5:02 and a 11:02

7. Rebacca Bergnes, 11 - G Holmes Braddock = 5k 19:04

8. Cadi Rowe, 12 - Lake Minneola = 5k 19:12, early season 19:39 already

9. Olivia Manno, 11 - HB Plant = ran 11:21 during track season

10. Jennifer Coddington, 12 - Winter Park = 5:22 and a 11:17 3200

11. Mackenzie Czurak, 11 - Winter Springs = 5k 19:26. 3200 11:24

12. Alexandra Del Re, 10 - Jupiter = 5:23,   11:39

13. Sarah Magee, 12 - Steinbrenner = 19:30 5k

14. Alexandra Straumann,12 - Steibrenner = 18:57 5k

15. Chloe Hyde, 12 - Lake Brantley = 19:15 5k

Other individuals to watch out for:

Some new freshman, from i do not know from what school, will finish in the top 25 at the state meet.  Anna Sentner 11-George Jenkins. Kalleigh Scallon, Emma Solis -Newsome,   Emma Noel 10-Winter Park, Jeanne Davis 10-Oviedo,   Alana Batista 11-OLOL. Elayna Bahr 11-Winter springs


BOYS STATE RANKINGS

1A Boys Pre-Season Rankings

by 1A Pollster, Ghost Writer HS - ryanraposo@gmail.com                         

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Holy cow! The season is upon us.  Armed only with information on returners and one weekend of Pre-Season meets, below is our initial ranking of this young season. These should get more and more accurate as the season goes on. Mount Dora Christian, the defending State champ, returns all 5 scorers from last season and has made it clear right out of the box that every other team is positioning for 2nd.

1. Mount Dora Christian - With top 3 boys at State last year gone to graduation, Gabriel Curtis and Jackson Pruim return ranked 1-2 in the 1A individual rankings. Mitchell Curtis, Sebastian Deleon  and Tom Valente round out the top 5. Team placed 5 in the Top 25 at Cecil with a split of 1:45

2. Palmer Trinity (Miami) - After finishing 4th in the State last year, return 4 of their Top 5.

3. Providence - Strong young team lost 2 of their Top 5, including #1 runner Will Brady, who transferred schools. But with great coaching, should re-load easily. They open their season this weekend at the Hurricane Irma invite.

4. The King's Academy (West Palm Beach) - Lost their #1 runner to graduation, but return #2-#5 and should look to repeat a Top 5 State finish (after finishing 5th last year)

5. Marathon - Very young exciting team last year - Only lost 1 of their Top 5 to Graduation.

6. Father Lopez - This year's big surprise - only 21st at State last year, but opened season at Cecil, defeating both St. Joseph's and Bishop Snyder. Senior Tanner Rosolino looks very tough.

7-11 - Here is gets very murky and wide open. Northside Christian, Blountstown, Bishop Snyder, Oak Hall and St. Joseph's. Shuffling among this group will largely depend in incoming freshman and teams' ability to re-load.

- Northside Christian graduated their #2 and their #4.

- Blountstown graduated their #1 and #3

- Oak Hall only loses 1 of their Top 5 (#2) and is very young and talented.

- Bishop Snyder lost their 1-2 from last season, yet bring in a trio of promising freshman.

- St Joseph's loses valuable #1 Sean Snyder, but returns #2-#5, and picks up a great new coach in Danny Weed.

Others to watch:

P.K. Yonge

The Pine School

Seffner Christian

Indian Rocks

Maclay

St. Johns Country Day

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the individual state rankings!

Rank - Name, Grade - School - Comments

1 .Gabriel Curtis, 12 - Mount Dora - relaxing win at Cecil Field in 16:38 on sloppy course

2. Jackson Pruim, 12 - Mount Dora - 17:11 for 4th at Cecil Field.

3. Austin Montini, 10 - Oak Hall -Opens season this weekend at Hurricane Invite in Newberry Won state title in 3,200 in track, defeating both Curtis brothers - could be interesting !

4. Junious Brown IV, 11 - Maclay - 16:28 at State last year for 7th (and 3 of the top 6 are gone)

5. Paul McKenzie, 11 - Seffner Christian - 16:31 for 8th at State last year.

6. Ben Kailes, 12 - St. Johns Country Day School - solid senior with great coaching - should be tough.  16:36 at State last year for 11th.

7. Mitchell Curtis, 10 - Mount Dora -17:30 for 5th at Cecil Field.

8. Aydan Child, 12 - Marathon - 16:51 at State last fall for 16th place.

9. Jonathan Pitchford, 10 - Marathon - 16:54 at a 9th grader at State last fall.

10. Tanner Rosolino, 12 - Father Lopez - Opened season with 17:31 for 7th at Cecil Field,  just 1 second behind Mitchell Curtis.


2A Boys Pre-Season Rankings

By: Carlos Maymi, St. Brendan / St. Thomas University, cmaymi@stu.edu

Team Rankings:

Rank. Team- Comments

1. Bolles HS- Lead by returning state champion Charles Hicks.  Bolles being called the favorite is an understatement. Don't think this team is just a one man band; any one in their top 5 would be a top runner of most of the teams listed below.  Lead by great coaches this team has national potential.

2. Bishop Kenny- with a tighter 1-5 split Kenny narrows out Satellite for the second spot in the rankings. We may not see blistering times to start the season, but this team knows how to end a season with most runners dropping almost 20 seconds at states.

3. Satellite High School- With the return of a solid top two and a capable back half this like most of Coach Butlers teams will be solid, I am big on Kenny but I would not be shocked for one second if Satellite comes for that #2 spot.

4. South Walton- Returning 4 of their 2017 top 5. This teams experience should propel this team easily into the top five. With a good summer of training and improvement of the back half this team could even climb higher.

5. Lake Highland Prep- With the loss of 3 of the top 5 most teams would drop out of the top ten, but Highland has reloaded and could even improve on last year's finish.

6. Key West- Lead by Robert Pedroza, this team is ready to go after being side tracked by the hurricane in 2017. The only other team returning more than one sub 16 min runners besides Bolles, with two (Pedroza, and Allen). This team is one to watch. 

7. Tavares- lead by the Laboy brothers and a mostly intact top five, this team edges out our number 7 team. With further improvement of the back half, and Dalton Brown (5th 800m 2A) having a break out year. This team could have a solid 2018 season. 

8. Ransom Everglades School- My Black Horse of the season (calling Ransom a black horse is odd). This team will steadily improve on their performance from last year. I believe Cusack's supporting cast could help propel them from out of the top ten in 2017 to easily in it for this season.

9. Immokalee- Region 3 Champs, has a returning group that can continue to climb up in the rankings and looking to improve on last year's top 10 finish.

10. Trinity Prep- even with the loss of key members I can't help but feel that ranking this team this low is a mistake. Should be interesting to see what this team can do with pretty much all new 5 moving forward

11. Astronaut

12. West Florida Tech

13. Port Orange Atlantic

14. Episcopal School of Jacksonville

15. Lely

Individual Rankings:

Rank. Name, Team - Comments

1. Charles Hicks, Bolles - Heavily favored to not only lead his team to another state championship but also is favored to capture a back to back individual state championship  

2. Chase Rivera, Bolles - Has flown under the radar for most of last season but seems to really shine when it matters the most, can really make a push for a top 5 finish in the state championship.

3. Robert Pedroza, Key West - Has quickly made a name for himself with a 7th place finish at last year's state championship, this is a kid you want to keep your eye.

4. Troy Smith, Rockledge - This kid is only improving looks to be getting ready to have a breakout season this fall.

5. Owen Allen, Key west - This is another guy you need to keep your eye on, with a strong training partner in Robert Pedroza , he can really be another guy that surprises people.

6. Benjamin Foltz

7. John Jessip

8. Alexander Hastings

9. Dylan Branch

10. Jacob Hensley

11. Logan Brooks

12. John Sorensen

13. Gabriel Ortega

14. Gabriel Montague

15. Jacob D'Aleo


3A Boys Pre-Season Rankings

by Carl Egbert, Gulf Coast HS, eberc@collierschools.com

Team Rankings:

Commentary: Last weekend kicked off the 2018 fall cross country season with many schools lining up to bust some rust. For my initial team rankings I will follow the database but

Rank. (Finish at 2017 3A State Meet) School, Region - Comments

1. (1) Belen Jesuit, 3A-R4 - Too deep for anyone to threaten them.

2. (5) Creekside, 3A-R1 - Leader of what looks to be a brutal region in 3-1

3. (7) Pontre Vedra, 3A-R1 - Return a solid core and will threaten for podium

4. (4) Bartram Trail, 3A-R1 - This team makes 3 in 3-1 in Top 4 potentially

5. (10) Fort Myers, 3A-R3 - A SWFL powerhouse who is always ready for November      

6. (13) Robinson, 3A-R3 - Will have a low stick In Geiger

7. (19) Seabreeze, 3A-R2 - Looking for a big jump this fall from #19 at State Meet

8. (14) Harmony, 3A-R2 - A 72 second spread from 1-5 keeps them in Top 10

9. (9) Niceville, 3A-R1 - They potentially make 4 in Top 10 from 3-1

10. (NR) Nease, 3A-R1 - Did not make it to State Meet last year

11. (16) Fort Walton, 3A-R1 - 16th last year looking for Top 10 this fall

12. (NR) Land O Lakes, 3A-R2 - Looking for a return to the 3A State Meet this fall

13. (8) Estero, 3A-R3 - Top 10 potential with possible State Champ on team

14. (2) Chiles, 3A-R1 - Runner up last year has work cut out to make it out of 3-1

15. (12) Gulf Coast, 3A-R3 - Returns solid core of runners

Others to watch out for:

Naples, Leon and Lecanto

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: With the Top 6 and 10 of the Top 16 from last years State Meet graduating this years individual race is wide open. I believe we have a favorite based on this springs track times but time will tell how it translates to the fall.

Rank (Finish at State Meet) Name, Grade, School, Comments

1. (7) Hugh Brittenham, 12, Estero, I will just leave 151 and 409 right here for you

2. (8) Sebastian Kenne, 12, Stanton Prep, Could almost be 1B as they were 3 tenths apart at 3A state meet last fall

3. (10) Aidan O'Gorman, 12, New Smyrna Beach, 10th last year at Stat Meet

4. (11) Ethan Geiger, 11, Robinson, 11th last year at State Meet

5. (22) Matt Ortiz, 12, Chiles, Top returner for #2 Creekside

6. (15) Jake Turner, 11, Armwood, Looks to keep ball rolling after monster spring

7. (16) Lucas De La Hoz, Belen Jesuit -- top returner for defending state champs

8. (20) Kyle Sinner, 11, Fort Myers, well coached and always a tough in November

9. (17) Adam Magoulas, 9, Belen Jesuit, 433, 938 as an 8th grader says it all

10. (18) Sebastian Roa, 12, Belen Jesuit, 427 this spring on track

11. (19) John Perez, 12, Port Charlotte, Had a great spring and was top 20 last fall

12. (21) Cesar Aguzzi, 12, Belen Jesuit, he makes 4 in top 12 for Jesuit

13. (23) Ian Smith, 11, Creekside, 440 and 959 last spring

14. (24) Connor Philips, 12, Chiles, 435 and 946 this spring

15. (26) Diego Gomez, 10, Belen Jesuit, 440 and 952 this spring

Others to watch:

Nick Morrison, Harmony, Brady Gibson, Naples, Trevor Coryea, Osceola

 

4A Boys Pre-Season Rankings

by 4A Pollster - 4apollster@gmail.com                                 

Team Rankings: Round One - Let the Fun Begin

Commentary: These rankings were compiled using a combination of 2017 XC Results as well as 2018 Track Results and input from coaches around the state. Please send your comments or input to 4apollster@gmail.com.

Rank. (2017 XC State Finish) School, Region # = Comments

1. (4) Sarasota HS, R2 = The addition of 9:46 3200 senior Romero gives the pre-season edge to the sailors

2. (2) Steinbrenner HS, R2 = Last year's runner-up team has the deepest returning boys squad in 4A.

3. (1) Oviedo HS, R1 = Last year's champs return 3 strong front-runners.

4.  (12) Lake Mary, R1 = Led by sub 16:00 senior St. Lewis. A solid 2018 track season moves them up.

5. (17) Windermere, R1 = Qualified in first year with no seniors in 2017 so should return everyone.

6. (6) Columbus, R4 = The best of the state's south regions is always ready in November.

7.  (5) Newsome, R2 = This well-coached pack always shows up when it counts

8.  (3) St. Thomas Aquinas, R3 = Another tough south Florida team that knows how to win

9.  (7) Plant, R2 = Lost last year's 1 & 2 but last year's track results look promising

10. (15) Wharton, R2 = Led by sub 16:00 senior Rivers this team also had impressive 2018 track results

11. (14) Spanish River, R3 = A solid combination of speed and depth

12. (18) Palm Beach Central, R3 = 17:13 avg. for returning top 5

13. (11) Dr. Phillips, R1 = Solid program with a good tradition at the state meet

14. (8) Ferguson, R4 = A perennially strong South Florida team that will be in the mix

15. (10) Coral Park, R4 = Some transfers are expected to beef up this tough squad

Individual Rankings:

Commentary: Here are the individual state rankings!

Rank. (2017 State Finish) Name, Grade -- School = State Time / 5K P.R. / 3200 PR

1. (1) Ben Hartvigsen, 12 -- Sarasota HS = 15:39 / 15:37 / 9:15

2. (3) Isaiah De La Puente, 12 -- Forrest Hill HS = 15:44 / 15:44 / 9:35

3. (7) Nehemiah Rivers, 12 - Wharton HS = 15:53 / 15:53 / 9:25

4. (10) Jonathan Reid, 12 - Lakewood Ranch HS = 15:58 / 15:58 / 4:18 (1600)

5. (11) Kayamo Galloway, 11 - Oviedo HS = 16:03 / 15:46 / 9:26

6. (13) Canaan St. Lewis, 12 - Lake Mary HS = 16:10 / 15:57 / 9:35

7. (34) Angel Vicioso, 12, - Oviedo HS = 16:36 / 16:22 / 9:19 / 9:19

8. (17) Davis Bly, 12 - Steinbrenner HS = 16:16 / 16:16 / 9:41

9. (64) Zachary Cloud, 11 - St. Cloud HS = 17:04 / 16:10 / 9:39

10. (28) Juan Moscoso, 12 - Lake Brantley HS = 16:29 / 16:16 / 9:31

11. (75) Brady Zimmerman, 12 - George Jenkins HS = 17:16 / 16:18 / 9:35

12. (24) Aidan Breslin, 11 - St. Thomas Aquinas HS = 16:22 / 16:22 / 9:39

13. (29) Mamush Galloway, 11 - Oviedo HS = 16:29 / 15:47 / 9:50

14. (37) Onix Ortiz Vazquez, 11 - Winermere HS - 16:37 / 16:05 / 4:18 (1600)

15. (25) Isaac Luigene, 12 - Coral Springs HS - 16:24 / 16:23 / 9:59

Other individuals to watch:

Nick Miller 12 West Orange; Alavaro Canarte 10 - Columbus; Alejandro Morillo 10  Ferguson; Dominic Acosta 11 Newsome; Logan Kraus 12 Melbourne; Jacob Lockhart 12 - Lake Mary


Important Reminder:

- Please remember that all of these rankings are done by volunteer coaches and are meant to increase the overall enjoyment of the sport for athletes, coaches, parents, and fans. They are just for fun and should not have a lot of weight put on them. But if you have issues (such as a missed athlete or team), please email the individual pollster for your classification & gender.

- Please direct any major concerns to Flrunners Power User / FACA Rankings Representative: Ryan Raposo @ ryanraposo@gmail.com