Community Christian and Maclay score wins at the John Paul II Kickoff Cross-Country Meet

On Saturday morning, 5 September 2020, marking Tallahassee, Florida's first cross-country race of the season, the Community Christian girls came out on top of a field of three teams at Saint John Paul II Catholic High School's Cross-Country Kickoff, scoring 22 points. Community Christian junior Morgan Wilson won the race around the Southwood campus of John Paul II, running 22:35. A Maclay School senior, Leo Rutledge, won the boys' 5K in 18:04, leading the Marauders to first in the team standings with 41 points.


With the COVID-19 pandemic simmering, the FHSAA had delayed the start of the season to 4 September 2020. Many schools were not allowed to travel. Tallahassee's parks were closed to events. But the John Paul II Panthers had an on-campus cross-country course, and Tallahassee has more than a few high schools with teams. Five of them showed up for the Kickoff, plus a lone athlete from Thomasville, Georgia's Brookwood School. The Panthers' course already had a history, having been the venue for the Panther Invitational during 2016 to 2019. The players were ready, the stage was set.


Morgan Wilson of Community Christian led the charge in the first race, the girls' 5K. Wilson's winning 22:35 put her more than 200 meters ahead of the next runner, Community Christian senior Karis Desotell. Desotell was runner-up in 23:38. Niya Coleman, a Florida State University School sophomore, outkicked Community Christian frosh Sarah Tychsen for third, 23:57 to 23:58.


After placing three athletes in the top four, Community Christian had two more in the top eight--sophomore Teresa Meli (7th, 24:35) and junior Katherine Bouck (8th, 25:03). After that, the Chargers had a mathematically unbeatable score of 22 points and the team tite. Maclay, led by eighth-grader Payton Thumm (5th, 24:12), was second with 44 points. Florida State placed third with 54.


Girls' Team Standings, 2020 John Paul II XC Kickoff

1. Community Christian, 22
2. Maclay, 44
3. Florida State University, 54

Top Ten Girls, 2020 John Paul II XC Kickoff

1. 22:34.57, Morgan Wilson (Community Christian) 11
2. 23:37.15, Karis Desotell (Community Christian) 12
3. 23:56.05, Niya Coleman (Florida State University) 10
4. 23:57.59, Sarah Tychsen (Community Christian) 9
5. 24:11.87, Payton Thumm (Maclay) 8
6. 24:30.98, Nishi Bhanderi (Maclay) 7
7. 24:34.06, Teresa Meli (Community Christian) 10
8. 25:02.50, Katherine Bouck (Community Christian) 11
9. 25:14.64, Leah Keller (Florida State University) 9
10. 25:43.40, Kassidy Moninger (Maclay) 8

The boys' race was scheduled for 8:45, after the girls had cleared the course. Wearing Maclay colors, Leo Rutledge crossed the line first for the Marauders, nearly 300 meters ahead of the next runner. Like Community Christian in the girls' race, Maclay had the top two athletes in the boys' 5K, with Marauder sophomore Clayton Knox taking second in 19:10. Community Christian senior Nicholas Ciarlariello was third in 20:13.


Maclay also had a third runner in the top ten, sophomore Carter Rothel, who was fourth in 20:18. Junior Eli Mears (12th, 21:22) and frosh Charles Rust (26th, 24:37) completed the scoring for the Marauders, giving Maclay 41 points and the win. The Community Christian boys were second with 56 points. The hosts, Saint John Paul II Catholic, placed third with 69 points, led by the seventh-place finish of senior Nicholas Moran (20:44).


John Paul II plans to host their fifth annual Panther Invitational on Saturday, 12 September 2020--just seven days after the Kickoff.


Boys' Team Standings, 2020 John Paul II XC Kickoff

1. Maclay, 41
2. Community Christian, 56
3. Saint John Paul II Catholic, 69
4. Florida State University, 83
5. North Florida Christian, 105

Top Ten Boys, 2020 John Paul II XC Kickoff

1. 18:03.63, Leo Rutledge (Maclay) 12
2. 19:09.61, Clayton Knox (Maclay) 10
3. 20:12.39, Nicholas Ciarlariello (Community Christian) 12
4. 20:17.62, Carter Rothel (Maclay) 10
5. 20:24.06, Tyler Grubbs (North Florida Christian) 12
6. 20:37.12, Bryce Broga (Florida State University) 10
7. 20:43.11, Nicholas Moran (Saint John Paul II Catholic) 12
8. 20:46.17, Caleb Lindsey (Community Christian) 9
9. 20:49.61, Kent Grayson (Brookwood) 7
10. 21:07.41, Zachary Wynn (North Florida Christian) 12

Links

• Complete results of Saint John Paul II Catholic High School's Cross-Country Kickoff
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSpW-zSmXI9_zHbxdzTHQF54VtFJNAteJAXgC0zh1q2pYNmGsEefA-59QHRpKkpUUy0Xaah2FGVUFWT/pubhtml
  
  

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