Region 1 cross country, Sunny Hill Farms and the road to State

In Florida high school athletics, in order for a team to compete for a state title in cross country, they must first earn a spot in the championships by having a top six finish at a regional meet. Of course, you can't even run in a regional without first qualifying in a district meet, but the regional is the final test. On Saturday morning, 10 November 2012, the class 1A, 2A, and 3A schools of FHSAA Region 1 sent their teams to Tallahassee to fight for a spot in the state meet on 17 November 2012. Only the class 4A schools were absent, making Tallahassee's Region 1 meet almost as big as the state championships. Unfortunately, the state championship course at Apalachee Regional Park was unavailable, so Chiles High School hosted the six Region 1 races at Sunny Hill Farms, a beautiful venue northeast of Tallahassee near the intersection of Centerville Road and Roberts Road.


Regional competition opened at 8:00 AM ET with the Region 1-3A girls' race. During the second mile Chiles senior Rachel Givens broke away and established a lead, getting more than ten seconds ahead at one point. Rachel Kling of Pace worked up to second place during the third mile and was actually closing on Givens late in the race, but it was Givens who took the Region 1-3A girls' title, 18:33 to 18:40. Fort Walton Beach runners Ivy Chastain and Emma Rudman took third and fourth in 18:50 and 18:55, setting up Fort Walton Beach's team total of 70 points--good enough for the Region 1-3A championship. Chiles was runner-up with 92 points, with Creekside (121), Bartram Trail (122), Nease (147), and Ridgeview (177) also advancing to the state meet.


2012 FHSAA Region 1-3A Cross Country girls team standings

1. Ft. Walton Beach, 70
2. Chiles, 92
3. Creekside, 121
4. Bartram Trail, 122
5. Nease, 147
6. Ridgeview, 177
7. Stanton Prep, 190
8. Niceville, 197
9. Matanzas, 197
10. Columbia, 295
11. Pace, 304
12. Gainesville, 308
13. Leon, 308
14. Crestview, 345
15. New Smyrna Beach, 346
16. Ocala Vanguard, 364

Top 15 Girls, 2012 FHSAA Region 1-3A Cross Country

1. 18:32.99 ~ Rachel Givens (Chiles) 12
2. 18:39.98 ~ Rachel Kling (Pace) 10
3. 18:49.22 ~ Ivy Chastain (Ft. Walton Beach) 12
4. 18:54.23 ~ Emma Rudman (Ft. Walton Beach) 9
5. 19:02.57 ~ Sarah Heisner (Creekside) 12
6. 19:02.87 ~ Elizabeth Mulford (Ocala Vanguard) 10
7. 19:06.50 ~ Rachael Ingoldsby (Bartram Trail) 12
8. 19:12.40 ~ Hannah Loder (Matanzas) 12
9. 19:15.39 ~ Jessica Fletcher (Ridgeview) 11
10. 19:16.60 ~ Alyssa Rodale (Nease) 11
11. 19:18.04 ~ Autumn Wable (Leon) 12
12. 19:19.56 ~ Hannah Giangaspro (Bartram Trail) 11
13. 19:21.36 ~ Autumn White (Ft. Walton Beach) 10
14. 19:22.93 ~ Sara Steele (Choctawhatchee) 11
15. 19:23.25 ~ Ashton McMurray (Chiles) 11

The class 3A boys race was initially an Okaloosa County affair, with Niceville juniors Thomas Howell and Nicholas Morken dashing to the front followed by a pack of four Fort Walton Beach runners. Howell and Morken proceeded to run away from the field, but just before two miles Leon High sophomore Sukhi Khosla passed the Fort Walton Beach quartet. Howell went on to win in 15:26, with Morken runner-up in 15:34 and Khosla third in 15:54. Fort Walton Beach's front four lost ground in the last mile, but still finished well enough to form the nucleus of their team's 49-point Region 1-3A victory. Leon took home the second-place trophy with 90 points. Chiles (120), Niceville (156), Creekside (175), and Pensacola Washington (198) were the other four teams that punched their tickets to the state championships.


2012 FHSAA Region 1-3A Cross Country boys team standings

1. Ft. Walton Beach, 49
2. Leon, 90
3. Chiles, 120
4. Niceville, 156
5. Creekside, 175
6. Pensacola Washington, 198
7. Stanton Prep, 201
8. Ridgeview, 228
9. St. Augustine, 232
10. Robert E. Lee, 246
11. Matanzas, 252
12. Nease, 278
13. Navarre, 280
14. Ocala Vanguard, 304
15. Gainesville, 403
16. Seabreeze, 428

Top 15 Boys, 2012 FHSAA Region 1-3A Cross Country

1. 15:25.37 ~ Thomas Howell (Niceville) 11
2. 15:33.80 ~ Nicholas Morken (Niceville) 11
3. 15:53.28 ~ Sukhi Khosla (Leon) 10
4. 15:59.36 ~ Mark Robertson (Washington) 11
5. 16:01.67 ~ Timothy Bulger (Ft. Walton Beach) 12
6. 16:02.17 ~ Charl Shackleford (Ft. Walton Beach) 11
7. 16:04.33 ~ William Henderson (Leon) 12
8. 16:05.33 ~ Harrison Edwards (Washington) 12
9. 16:06.00 ~ Alexander Godfrey (Ft. Walton Beach) 12
10. 16:07.75 ~ Eric Tallbacka (Stanton Prep) 11
11. 16:09.61 ~ David Tampa (Creekside) 10
12. 16:11.89 ~ Dominic Williams (Robert E. Lee) 9
13. 16:14.13 ~ Trey Lanasa (Ft. Walton Beach) 10
14. 16:18.86 ~ Aaron Jane (Mosley) 11
15. 16:21.56 ~ Cooper Zimmerman (Chiles) 11

Mikayla Hodges and Michaela Ashley of Panama City Arnold led the Region 1-2A girls' race early, but by the mile mark Bolles frosh runner Mackenzie Wilson had taken over the pace. After that, the race belonged to Wilson; she led the rest of the way and crossed the line with an 18:48 win. Hodges (19:14) and Ashley (19:17) took the next two places for Arnold. Bishop Kenny's Mary Thyfault was fourth in 19:24, but the next three places--Allison Hajda (19:33), Lilliana Arnold (19:34), and Rachel Shapiro (19:34)--belonged to Bolles, giving the school 29 points and the Region 1-2A championship. Bishop Kenny finished runner-up behind their cross-town rivals with 64 points.  Also advancing to State were West Florida (108), Gainesville Eastside (128), Pensacola Catholic (143), and Arnold (167). For the other teams, the 2012 cross-country season was over.


2012 FHSAA Region 1-2A Cross Country girls team standings

1. Bolles, 29
2. Bishop Kenny, 64
3. West Florida, 108
4. Eastside, 128
5. Pensacola Catholic, 143
6. Arnold, 167
7. Episcopal, 171
8. Wakulla, 177
9. Fernandina Beach, 271
10. Florida High, 286
11. South Walton, 303
12. Santa Fe, 340
13. Suwannee, 396

Top 15 Girls, 2012 FHSAA Region 1-2A Cross Country

1. 18:47.84 ~ Mackenzie Wilson (Bolles) 9
2. 19:13.36 ~ Mikayla Hodges (Arnold) 12
3. 19:16.86 ~ Michaela Ashley (Arnold) 9
4. 19:23.73 ~ Mary Thyfault (Bishop Kenny) 12
5. 19:32.66 ~ Allison Hajda (Bolles) 8
6. 19:33.56 ~ Lilliana Arnold (Bolles) 11
7. 19:33.81 ~ Rachel Shapiro (Bolles) 7
8. 19:35.25 ~ Meagan Giddens (Taylor County) 9
9. 19:37.50 ~ Kaysi Roberts (West Florida) 11
10. 19:49.65 ~ Macey Kaczorowski (Bishop Kenny) 11
11. 20:07.23 ~ Ash DeHechavarria (Bolles) 10
12. 20:13.10 ~ Aoife O'Riordan (Bolles) 8
13. 20:19.79 ~ Sarah Frederick (Bradford County) 10
14. 20:21.49 ~ Suzanne Dannheim (Bolles) 9
15. 20:25.10 ~ Rebecca Farr (Pensacola Catholic) 12

What Jacksonville Bolles did in the Region 1-2A girls' race, Jacksonville Bishop Kenny nearly did in the Region 1-2A boys' 5K. Kenny's David Yarbrough went right to the front and stayed there, leading nearly the entire race en route to a 16:25 win. Yarbrough's teammate, senior Michael Barr, ran in second for a while, but before the end of the second mile Jacksonville Episcopal's Kentre' Patterson moved into second. Patterson held that position till the last quarter mile, when Alec Clark of West Florida passed him. Clark went on to finish runner up in 16:30, while Patterson was third in 16:33. Including Yarbrough, Bishop Kenny put five runners in the top twelve, scoring a winning total of 36 points. West Florida snagged the second place trophy with 80 points. Jacksonville Bolles (131), Pensacola Catholic (135), Jacksonville Episcopal (145), and Gainesville Eastside (173) claimed the remaining four berths to State.


2012 FHSAA Region 1-2A Cross Country boys team standings

1. Bishop Kenny, 36
2. West Florida, 80
3. Bolles, 131
4. Pensacola Catholic, 135
5. Episcopal, 145
6. Eastside, 173
7. Wakulla, 175
8. Fernandina Beach, 220
9. Bradford Co., 257
10. Marianna, 269
11. Baldwin, 275
12. Florida High, 276
13. Arnold, 303
14. South Walton, 318

Top 15 Boys, 2012 FHSAA Region 1-2A Cross Country

1. 16:24.93 ~ David Yarborough (Bishop Kenny) 11
2. 16:29.77 ~ Alec Clark (West Florida) 12
3. 16:32.78 ~ Kentre' Patterson (Episcopal) 12
4. 16:38.72 ~ William Decker (Bolles) 11
5. 16:45.68 ~ Carsten Thue-Bludworth (Eastside) 12
6. 16:47.78 ~ Michael Barr (Bishop Kenny) 12
7. 16:54.55 ~ Michael Remich (Pensacola Catholic) 11
8. 16:59.23 ~ Zachary Perry (Bishop Kenny) 12
9. 16:59.66 ~ Christophe Norton (Bishop Kenny) 12
10. 17:04.91 ~ Juan Herrera (Bolles) 11
11. 17:06.29 ~ John Chope (Pensacola Catholic) 11
12. 17:07.19 ~ Bradley Franco (Bishop Kenny) 10
13. 17:13.56 ~ Mark Sortino (West Florida) 11
14. 17:18.24 ~ Donovon Mundy (Andrew Jackson) 9
15. 17:21.59 ~ Trent Kirkendall (Fernandina Beach) 12

The penultimate Region 1 championship race on the slate was the class 1A girls 5K.  At the quarter mile, Jacksonville Providence runners held four of the top five places, with Providence junior Eden Meyer leading the entire field, just ahead of her senior teammate Danielle Dunn. But that was early in the race, and 3.1 miles is a long way.  By the end of the first mile Maclay's Kristin Sweeney had moved into third, and by the end of the second mile she had passed Dunn, trailing only Meyer. Meyer was way ahead by then, though, and took the Region 1-1A title with a 19:27. Sweeney was second in 19:58, and Dunn held onto third with a 20:15. Meyer and Dunn led Providence to a team score of 49 points and the Region 1-1A championship. Tallahassee Maclay edged out St Johns Country Day for the runner up spot, 73 to 74. Jay (128), Rocky Bayou Christian (169), and Aucilla Christian (183) also qualified for the state championships.


FHSAA Region 1-1A Cross Country girls team standings

1. Providence, 49
2. Maclay, 73
3. St. Johns Country Day, 74
4. Jay, 128
5. Rocky Bayou Christian, 169
6. Aucilla Christian, 183
7. Pensacola Christian, 185
8. Trinity Christian, 203
9. Wewahitchka, 215
10. Central, 253
11. Blountstown, 283
12. Altha, 331
13. John Paul II, 332

Top 15 Girls, 2012 FHSAA Region 1-1A Cross Country

1. 19:26.01 ~ Eden Meyer (Providence) 11
2. 19:57.81 ~ Kristin Sweeney (Maclay) 12
3. 20:14.39 ~ Danielle Dunn (Providence) 12
4. 20:19.44 ~ Payton Crews (St. Johns Country Day) 7
5. 20:28.99 ~ Jessica Thornton (Jay) 10
6. 20:33.81 ~ Payton Woods (Trinity Christian) 11
7. 20:37.21 ~ Caroline Willis (Maclay) 8
8. 20:57.34 ~ Michaela Scurti (Bishop Snyder) 9
9. 20:58.24 ~ Lauren Cochran (Pensacola Christian) 10
10. 20:59.17 ~ Lauren Kilpatrick (Trinity Christian) 10
11. 21:04.47 ~ Grace Meyer (Providence) 11
12. 21:06.87 ~ Elizabeth Santoro (Maclay) 12
13. 21:10.36 ~ Jorja Agrait (Jay) 8
14. 21:12.34 ~ Hannah Plazarin (Blountstown)
15. 21:12.72 ~ Priscilla Baum (Rocky Bayou Christian) 9

Region 1 competition at Sunny Hill Farms closed with the class 1A boys race. North Florida Christian's Griffith Rutherford was the early pacesetter, trailed by Hunter Potts of Graceville and Travis Covert of Maclay. After two miles Potts had shaken off Covert, but Rutherford continued to lead. Rutherford got the win with a 16:05 and Potts was second in 16:15. Jack Rutledge (16:59) and James Connor Daughton (17:01) took the next two places for Maclay, putting their team on the road to a score of 43 points and the Region 1-1A title. Pensacola Christian Academy placed runner-up with 88 points. Bishop Snyder (93), North Florida Christian (152), Christ's Church Academy (158), and Wewahitchka (201) also earned a box on the starting line of the state championship.


2012 FHSAA Region 1-1A Cross Country boys team standings

1. Maclay, 43
2. Pensacola Christian, 88
3. Bishop Snyder, 93
4. North Florida Christian, 152
5. Christ's Church Academy, 158
6. Wewahitchka, 201
7. St. Johns Country Day, 208
8. Aucilla Christian, 213
9. TrinityChristian, 227
10. Blountstown, 227
11. Altha, 303
12. Jay, 307
13. Graceville, 309
14. Paxton, 342
15. Central, 405

Top 15 Boys, 2012 FHSAA Region 1-1A Cross Country

1. 16:04.45 ~ Griffith Rutherford (North Florida Christian) 11
2. 16:14.05 ~ Hunter Potts (Graceville) 12
3. 16:58.19 ~ Jack Rutledge (Maclay) 11
4. 17:00.54 ~ James Connor Daughton (Maclay) 11
5. 17:04.42 ~ James Gehret (Bishop Snyder) 10
6. 17:06.74 ~ Joshua Balentine (Pensacola Christian) 11
7. 17:10.19 ~ Travis Covert (Maclay) 12
8. 17:17.99 ~ Jeremy Carlson (Pensacola Christian) 11
9. 17:19.54 ~ Luke Strickland (North Florida Christian) 11
10. 17:21.25 ~ Braden Mattingly (Aucilla Christian) 11
11. 17:22.06 ~ Gatlin Nennstiel (Aucilla Christian) 8
12. 17:25.99 ~ Dylan Scott (Baker) 11
13. 17:26.51 ~ Micah Kemp (Jay) 10
14. 17:27.04 ~ Jonah Wilamowski (Bishop Snyder) 11
15. 17:27.48 ~ Alex Artecona (Maclay) 11

An open 5K at the start of the morning and another open 5K at the end of the meet added to the excitement, as did two deer that came crashing out of the woods during the class 3A girls race, flushed from cover by the leaders. One headed across the fields, while the other ran through a fence, dashed across Roberts Road, then leaped another fence to disappear into a forest of young pines.


"That's something you won't see at a football game," commented an awed spectator.


Links

• Complete results of the 2012 Region 1-3A, 2A, and 1A cross-county meet at FLRunners.com
  
  • 3A http://fl.milesplit.com/meets/126886-fhsaa-3a-region-1
  • 2A http://fl.milesplit.com/meets/126888-fhsaa-2a-region-1
  • 1A http://fl.milesplit.com/meets/126891-fhsaa-1a-region-1
  
  
• More photos of the 2012 Region 1-3A girls' race
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102451302337313.3419252.5215641&l=1097c173e6
  
  
• More photos of the 2012 Region 1-3A boys' race
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102451599237323.3419294.5215641&l=4ca94e6d17
  
  
• More photos of the 2012 Region 1-2A girls' race
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102453036681673.3419494.5215641&l=4bb5c81c34
  
  
• More photos of the 2012 Region 1-2A boys' race
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102453622861963.3419582.5215641&l=ff575a057c
  
  
• More photos of the 2012 Region 1-1A girls' race
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102455533557913.3419899.5215641&l=edc09a17fb
  
  
• More photos of the 2012 Region 1-1A boys' race
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102456503564013.3420107.5215641&l=d2c2d30d8f
  
  
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