Alligator Park
by Kristin Sweeney, November 15, 2011A mist hung over Alligator Park last Saturday morning as teams pulled up from all around Lake City to run in either the 1A, 2A, or 3A Region 1 competitions. As the sun rose, the frost on the ground began to disappear, and the temperatures thankfully began to rise. Still, it was quite chilly, especially for first the girls’ races of the morning. When the gun went off at 7:30 for the 3A race, most of the Lady Timberwolves, Lions, and Trojans were donned in long sleeved under armor, gloves, and headbands to try and combat the cold. The low temperatures did not faze the runners, however, and Chiles continued their winning streak with a low score of 43. Claiming another individual victory as well, Lily Williams led this team with her time of 17:50, and her teammates Carly Thomas (18:17) and Rachel Givens (18:21) filled in the next two spots. Leon finished twelfth, and Lincoln was sixteenth. In the boys’ 3A race, an incredible fourteen athletes broke the 16-minute barrier. Taylor Buzzard from Chiles, Will Henderson from Leon, and Jacob Slupecki from Lincoln crossed the finish line in that order for fifth, sixth, and seventh – all with a time of 15:55! Chiles finished fourth place overall and Leon was fifth which means both schools will compete at state this Saturday. Lincoln was ninth.
The 1A ladies also ran early, and the temperature at 8 was still quite cool. Maclay’s Stefanie Kurgatt claimed her victory about 2 miles into the race, and she finished in 18:16. Her teammates Kristin Sweeney (19:02) and Elizabeth Santoro (20:48) helped the Marauders finish second. During the 1A boys’ race, Maclay dominated the competition led by Travis Covert (16:47) in first. Connor Daughton (16:59.31 – 4th), Alex Artecona (16:59.68 – 5th), Jack Rutledge (17:22 – 10th), and Matt Antworth (17:32 – 13th) rounded out the top 5 for the Marauders with all of them finishing in the top 15. North Florida Christian also had a great race, and they claimed sixth. Alex Strickland was their top finisher in seventh with a 17:12.
By the time the 2A races competed, the sun had worked its magic, and the weather was gorgeous! Florida High’s ladies earned eighth. Qualifying for state individually, Joseph Garcia of Florida High finished tenth in a personal record of 16:52! With so many runners from Tallahassee continuing on to the state meet in Dade City this Saturday, the Region Meets were a success! One more meet remains for the 2011 Cross-Country season: the state meet! Go Tallahassee!
Kritin’s Korner
Spring Break Wrap-Up 2012-03-25
The past week has been one of the best weeks of the spring semester for Leon County Schools: spring break. While the running teams did not have to attend school, they did compete at various weekend meets at the beginning of break. On the second weekend...
Season’s End 2011-11-22
It was competitive. It was exciting. And it was warm and humid. Last Saturday, local competitors ran in the state cross-country meet in Dade City. For the past several years, this meet that marks the culmination of cross-country season has been located at...
Kristin’s District Report 2011-11-08
The postseason officially commenced last Friday as Maclay hosted the Class 1A, District 3 competition on its home course. With only 3 schools represented, the Lady Marauders earned first place and will advance to the Regional level. Junior Stefanie...
Another Season Wraps Up 2011-10-31
Friday afternoon marked the end of the regular season and the beginning of the post-season! Many area teams participated in the Halloween-themed City Championships at Maclay. In the girls' race, Stefanie Kurgatt of Maclay maintained a lead throughout the...
Running in [the] Panhandle 2011-10-25
Last Saturday might have been a bit chilly, but this proved conducive to intense racing and quick times at the Panhandle Cross Country Championships. Almost every local team made the one-hour journey to the fast, flat course at Marianna High School. With...
Pre-state and Dolphin Dash- 2011-10-16
Last Saturday, some of the area teams traveled to the Little Everglades Pre-State Invitational in Dade City, while others competed at the Mosley Dolphin Dash in Lynn Haven, Florida. At Pre-State, Chiles entered in the elite division. With another strong...
On a Mission – 2011-10-03
Even though many of Tallahassee's teams took a weekend off from competition, there were some spectacular performances from area athletes. Chiles' ladies were quite impressive at the Jesse Owens Cross Country Invitational in Oakville, Alabama. Lily Williams...
FSU Invitational – 2011-09-25
Dark and early Saturday morning, lanterns and floodlights shone through a thick mist giving Tallahassee’s Apalachee Regional Park an eerie atmosphere. As the buses and cars continued rolling up, a gorgeous sunrise slowly rolled the fog off the course,...
Tom Brown – 2011-09-19
Another weekend of racing has been completed in the 2011 cross-country season! Except for some of Maclay's ladies, all of the teams that competed this weekend attended the Lincoln Invitational at Tom Brown Park Saturday morning. In the girls' competition,...
Kristin is Back – 2011-09-11
Not only was Saturday a wonderful day because of the lovely weather (and FSU’s win), but it also marked the beginning of the 2011 Cross Country Season for the local teams! Chiles’ Timberwolves headed south to Orange Park for the Ridgeview Bob Hans...