Chiles boys and Maclay girls victors at Warrior Rampage

Runners gotta run. Marianna High School was forced to cancel the 25th annual Panhandle Cross Country Championships on 18 October 2014, but there was no way that the harriers of Northwest Florida were going to skip racing less than two weeks before the district round of the state tournament. With Marianna no longer an option, many teams traveled to Monticello, Florida, for Aucilla Christian Academy's Warrior Cross-Country Rampage. Chiles senior Jacob Kemp won the boys' 5K race in 17:25, leading his team to a winning score of 35 points. Wakulla sophomore Haleigh Martin ran 19:48 to win the girls' 5K, but it was Maclay that took the team title, scoring 25 points. Maclay also excelled in the middle school boys' competition, with where Marauder eighth-grader Clayburn Milford ran a winning 11:24 while his team scored 18 points for the win. Running unattached, Deerlake's Lawton Campbell won the middle school girls' race in 12:49, and Holy Comforter took the team title with a perfect 15-point score.


Aucilla Christian hosted the races on the ground of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences extension office, a little piece of the University of Florida in Jefferson County, just west of Monticello. The boy's Varsity 1 race was first on the schedule, starting between rows of pecan trees at 8:30 AM. As the leaders sprinted out of the orchard and through a swamp-creek forest, Jacob Kemp of Chiles was well back in the pack. Kemp was where he needed to be, though, and by the mile mark he was out in front, with teammate Aric Hawkins right off his shoulder. At two miles Kemp had opened up a gap. Hawkins was still running in second, and Chiles frosh Matt Newland had moved up into third. Two Maclay runners, sophomore Jake Mazziotta and junior George Gwynn, were right behind Newland.


Kemp maintained his lead over the hilly final mile of the race, scooting home a winner in 17:24. Newland edged Mazziotta for the next spot, 17:30 to 17:32. Behind them, Maclay's Gwynn outfought Wakulla sophomore Bryce Cole 17:39 to 17:40.


There was another section of the race yet to run, though--the boys' Varsity 2 5K at 9:30 AM. Aucilla Christian sophomore Gatlin Nennstiel broke free of the field during the first mile, then ran the rest of the race solo, pushing himself to a 17:28. It was a good enough mark to earn Nennstiel the runner-up mark in the final standings. Even so, Chiles ended up with four runners in the top ten--Jacob Kemp (1st, 17:25), Matt Newland (3rd, 17:30), sophomore Drew Starnes (9th, 17:54), and senior Aric Hawkins (10th, 17:57). Once Chiles junior Jake Crumpacker (12th, 17:58) had crossed the finish line, the Timberwolves had 35 points and the team title. Maclay was second with 58 points, and Wakulla third with 93.


High School Boys' Team Standings, 2014 Aucilla Christian Warrior Cross-Country Rampage

1. Chiles, 35
2. Maclay, 58
3. Wakulla, 93
4. Rickards, 127
5. Mosley, 149
6. Aucilla Christian, 171
7. South Walton, 181
8. Florida High, 192
9. North Florida Christian, 232
10. Franklin County, 293

Top Ten High School Boys, 2014 Aucilla Christian Warrior Cross-Country Rampage

1. 17:24.50 ~ Jacob Kemp (Chiles) 12
2. 17:27.93 ~ Gatlin Nennstiel (Aucilla Christian) 10
3. 17:29.88 ~ Matt Newland (Chiles) 9
4. 17:31.40 ~ Jake Mazziotta (Maclay) 10
5. 17:38.37 ~ George Gwynn (Maclay) 11
6. 17:39.67 ~ Bryce Cole (Wakulla) 10
7. 17:48.22 ~ Ethan Mines (Mosley) 11
8. 17:48.98 ~ Solomon Stevens (Rickards) 11
9. 17:53.50 ~ Drew Starnes (Chiles) 10
10. 17:56.40 ~ Aric Hawkins (Chiles) 12

Sophomores Haleigh Martin of Wakulla and Caroline Willis of Maclay had been dueling since the pre-season, when Willis had edged Martin in the Miller Landing Madness 5K. During the season, though, Martin had eclipsed Willis at the Cougar Challenge, the Prefontaine Forest Run, and Pre State at the FSU Invitational. Nevertheless Willis wasn't about to concede the Warrior Rampage to Martin. Soon after the 9:00 AM start, the two were out in front of the rest of the field, battling for the lead. Just past the two mile mark, Martin had a couple of steps on Willis. Then came the last mile and the hills.


"Up the hill on the third mile," said Martin, recalling where she broke the race open.


Martin continued home to get her fourth win of the season, running a career-best 19:48. Willis was second in 20:18, and Taylor County junior Meagan Giddens took third in 21:09. Lindsay James of Maclay was fourth in 21:13. Maclay's other three scorers joined Willis and James in the top ten--sixth-grader Kenzie Mazziotta (6th, 21:29), frosh Jainey Coates (8th, 22:17), and frosh Ann Elise Desotell (9th, 22:18). Those five gave the Marauders a winning total of 25 points. Wakulla was a distant second with 73 points, and Lincoln placed third with 81.


High School Girls' Team Standings, 2014 Aucilla Christian Warrior Cross-Country Rampage

1. Maclay, 25
2. Wakulla, 73
3. Lincoln, 81
4. Mosley, 90
5. Aucilla Christian, 120
6. Florida High, 163
7. North Florida Christian, 175

Top Ten High School Girls, 2014 Aucilla Christian Warrior Cross-Country Rampage

1. 19:47.60 ~ Haleigh Martin (Wakulla) 10
2. 20:17.80 ~ Caroline Willis (Maclay) 10
3. 21:08.59 ~ Meagan Giddens (Taylor County) 11
4. 21:12.52 ~ Lindsay James (Maclay) 6
5. 21:26.68 ~ Ella Swigler (Mosley) 9
6. 21:28.87 ~ Kenzie Mazziotta (Maclay) 8
7. 21:40.03 ~ Alexis McElroy (Lincoln) 10
8. 22:16.23 ~ Jainey Coates (Maclay) 9
9. 22:17.11 ~ Ann Elise Desotell (Maclay) 9
10. 22:18.98 ~ Julia Rose Travis (John Paul II) 10

Nine days before the Warrior Rampage, Maclay's middle school boys had lost to Holy Comforter by a single point at the Crusader Classic. The Marauders started the two-mile middle school race at the Rampage thinking of revenge. At the halfway point of the race, Maclay's Clayburn Milford and Johnny McClure were sharing the lead, four seconds ahead of the Crusader Classic champion, James Ford of Holy Comforter. 400 meters later, Milford had broken away from McClure. Milford widened the gap as he raced for home, crossing the finish line a winner in 11:24. McClure was second in 11:40. Ford was third in 11:53, but the next three runners were all from Maclay--Kennan Milford (4th, 12:00), Max Eastman (5th, 12:08), and Jay McDuffie (6th, 12:13). Once McDuffie had crossed the finish line, Maclay had a mathematically unbeatable total of 18 points and the team title. Holy Comforter was second with 41 points, and Florida State University School was third with 81.


Middle School Boys' Team Standings, 2014 Aucilla Christian Warrior Cross-Country Rampage

1. Maclay, 18
2. Holy Comforter, 41
3. Florida High, 81

Top Ten Middle School Boys, 2014 Aucilla Christian Warrior Cross-Country Rampage

1. 11:23.11 ~ Clayburn Milford (Maclay) 8
2. 11:39.79 ~ Johnny McClure (Maclay) 7
3. 11:52.98 ~ James Ford (Holy Comforter) 8
4. 11:59.46 ~ Kennan Milford (Maclay) 6
5. 12:07.24 ~ Maxwell Eastman (Maclay) 8
6. 12:12.61 ~ Jay McDuffie (Maclay) 8
7. 12:41.74 ~ Thomas Deison (Maclay) 7
8. 12:47.69 ~ Bryce Valveri (Holy Comforter) 8
9. 12:47.98 ~ Joseph Ashebo (Holy Comforter) 7
10. 13:24.84 ~ Jackson Roberts (Holy Comforter) 7

There was a single middle school race at the Warrior Rampage, with the girls and boys running together. This was a bit unusual for Deerlake eighth-grader Lawton Campbell, who had run in separate girls' races in each of the four meets of Leon County Schools' 2014 middle school cross-country season.


"I've never run with the boys before," said Campbell. "There were people to chase. It was a different environment and I enjoyed it."


Campbell had very few people to chase, boys or girls, because she finished tenth overall in 12:49, winning the girls' title. It was the fifth win in five races this season for Campbell, Leon County Schools' 2014 middle school girls champion. The Warrior Rampage won't be Campbell's last race this season, either.


"November 1 is the State Championship," said Campbell.


Behind Campbell, Deerlake's Emily Molen and Montford's Caitlin Wilkey had been closing on Katherine Resavage of Holy Comforter. Resavage held them off, though, to take the girls' runner-up spot in 13:05. Molen was third in the the girls' standings with a 13:06, and Wilkey fourth at 13:08. Wilkey was followed by the next four Holy Comforter scorers--Avery Smith (5th, 13:58), Ella Thames (6th, 14:03), Elizabeth Calabro (7th, 14:19), and Emma McGibbany (8th, 14:32). The Crusaders' top five were the first five scorers in the race, giving Holy Comforter a perfect 15-point score and the win. Cornerstone was second with 54 points, and Florida State University School third with 70.


Middle School Girls' Team Standings, 2014 Aucilla Christian Warrior Cross-Country Rampage

1. Holy Comforter, 15
2. Cornerstone Learning 54
3. Florida High, 70

Top Ten Middle School Girls, 2014 Aucilla Christian Warrior Cross-Country Rampage

1. 12:48.46 ~ Lawton Campbell (Unattached)
2. 13:04.20 ~ Katherine Resavage (Holy Comforter) 8
3. 13:05.51 ~ Emily Molen (Unattached) 7
4. 13:07.37 ~ Caitlin Wilkey (Unattached) 7
5. 13:57.99 ~ Avery Smith (Holy Comforter) 7
6. 14:02.59 ~ Ella Thames (Holy Comforter) 8
7. 14:18.39 ~ Elizabeth Calabro (Holy Comforter) 7
8. 14:31.98 ~ Emma McGibany (Holy Comforter) 8
9. 14:45.06 ~ Hailey Hobbs (Holy Comforter) 8
10. 14:47.89 ~ Catherine Maclean (Unattached) 8

Links

• Complete results of Aucilla Christian's 2014 Warrior Rampage, courtesy of Miles & Minutes, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r5T89RWDbazNUCIZmP5CCd1i2yWd8BnuekeUumK2GEc/pub
  
  
• More photos of Aucilla Christian's 2014 Warrior Rampage
  
  • HS Boys: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105208954824623.1073742027.5215641&l=604bcf5ab4
    
  • HS Girls: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105219884426613.1073742029.5215641&l=7137d79f13
    
  • Middle School: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105219472162793.1073742028.5215641&l=e6148a3069
    
  
  
• Find an upcoming cross-country race to run on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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