Region 1 at Alligator Lake is the last win before State for the Leon girls and Ponte Vedra boys

In Florida high school cross-country, the Regional Meets are the penultimate round of the state championship series, the last race before the State Meet. For Leon High frosh Patrick Koon and Fort Walton Beach senior Kambry Smith, it was also their last win before State. In Lake City's Alligator Park on Saturday morning, 7 November 2020, Koon won the boys' 5K at the 3A Region 1 meet, running 16:19. Smith took first in the girls' race at the meet with an 18:45. The Leon girls were first in the Region with 70 points, while Ponte Vedra claimed the Region 1 boys' title with 54 points.


The girls raced first at Alligator Lake Park. Saint Augustine junior Reilly Barber hung with the leader, Kambry Smith, for the first half of the girls' 5K, but Smith left Barber behind during the second half of the race, winning 18:45 to 18:58. Leon senior Lilli Unger moved up through the field after mid-race to take third in 19:15.


Unger was joined in the top ten by Leon sophomore Lillee Tang, tenth in 20:13. Sophomores Lily Moore (12th, 20:23) and Stella Lewis (19th, 21:16) also scored for Leon, as did Lion senior Avery Calabro (30th, 21:44), each contributing to their team's winning total of 70.


Led by Reilly Barber, Saint Augustine was a close second with 75 points. Ponte Vedra edged New Smyrna Beach for third, 98 to 102--Ponte Vedra led by senior Lauren Bing (4th, 19:45) and New Smyrna Beach by senior Emma Schlageter (8th, 20:01). As the top four teams, Leon, Saint Augustine, Ponte Vedra, and New Smyrna Beach qualified to advance to the State Championship Meet.


Team Standings, 2020 FHSAA 3A Region 1 Girls' Cross-Country Championships

1. Leon, 70 *
2. Saint Augustine, 75 *
3. Ponte Vedra, 98 *
4. New Smyrna Beach, 102 *
5. Choctawhatchee, 136
6. Gulf Breeze, 150
7. Wakulla, 167
8. Fort Walton Beach, 200
9. Seabreeze, 242
10. Lincoln, 249
11. Middleburg, 250
12. Matanzas, 337
13. Stanton, NTS
    Mainland, NTS
    Gainesville, NTS
    Arnold, NTS
    Columbia, NTS
    Pace, NTS
    Ridgeview, NTS
    Deltona, NTS

* Team qualified to race in the State Championship on 14 November 2020


Top 15 Girls, 2020 FHSAA 3A Region 1 Cross-Country Championships

1. 18:44.6, Kambry Smith (Fort Walton Beach) 12
2. 18:57.4, Reilly Barber (Saint Augustine) 11
3. 19:14.5, Lillian Unger (Leon) 12
4. 19:44.7, Lauren Bing (Ponte Vedra) 12
5. 19:46.4, Deanna Bottino (Choctawhatchee) 11
6. 19:50.6, Emma Mussante (Middleburg) 12
7. 19:56.0, Chloe Fernander (Choctawhatchee) 11
8. 20:00.1, Emma Schlageter (New Smyrna Beach) 12
9. 20:07.3, Riley Carter (New Smyrna Beach) 12
10. 20:12.6, Lillee Tang (Leon) 10
11. 20:22.8, Annabella Veltcheva (Gainesville) 11
12. 20:22.8, Lily Moore (Leon) 10
13. 20:41.1, Ellie Moritz (Ponte Vedra) 11
14. 20:46.6, Gabriella Berardi (Ponte Vedra) 12
15. 20:49.9, Karah McElhone (Saint Augustine) 12

The boys' 5K looked a lot like the 3A District 2 race a week earlier. Leon's Jacob Rogers and Patrick Koon spent the first half of the race patiently tucked back in the pack, then moved into the lead during the last two kilometers. At the District, though, Rogers had left Koon behind. At the Region it was Koon's turn to shine, and the Leon frosh charged home to win in 16:19. Sophomore Rogers was second in 16:26. Pace senior Francisco Ramirez, runner-up in Region 1 in 2019, placed third in the 2020 race at 16:36.

Patrick Koon

Koon and Rogers, though, were Leon's only two runners in the top ten. Ponte Vedra had three--senior Lucas Bouquot (6th, 16:49), sophomore Grant Doherty (7th, 17:02), and senior Joshua Cills (9th, 17:12). Ponte Vedra's remaining scorers were seniors Aidan West (13h, 17:32) and Colin Lytle (27th, 17:55). Those five scored 54 points for the Sharks, good enough for the Region 1 title.


Led by senior Ryan Sloan (5th, 16:49), Fort Walton Beach was second with 68 points. Saint Augustine placed third with 74 points; their top runner was senior Bela Schein (8th, 17:02). Leon was the final team in the field to qualify for State, taking fourth with 114 points.


The FHSAA State Cross-Country Championship is slated for 13-14 November 2020 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida. Class 3A is scheduled to race on Saturday morning, the second day of competition. But keep an eye on the Gulf of Mexico, because Tropical Storm Eta just might interfere with those plans.


Team Standings, 2020 FHSAA 3A Region 1 Boys' Cross-Country Championships

1. Ponte Vedra, 54 *
2. Fort Walton Beach, 68 *
3. St. Augustine, 74 *
4. Leon, 114 *
5. Gulf Breeze, 155
6. Lincoln, 157
7. New Smyrna Beach, 179
8. Choctawhatchee, 182
9. Stanton, 225
10. Seabreeze, 240
11. Columbia, 285
12. Matanzas, 330
13. Pine Ridge, NTS
    Pace, NTS
    Gainesville, NTS
    Ridgeview, NTS
    Middleburg, NTS
    Wakulla, NTS
    Washington, NTS
    Arnold, NTS
    Rickards, NTS
    Terry Parker, NTS

* Team qualified to race in the State Championship on 14 November 2020


Top 15 Boys, 2020 FHSAA 3A Region 1 Cross-Country Championships

1. 16:19.0, Patrick Koon (Leon) 9
2. 16:25.3, Jacob Rogers (Leon) 10
3. 16:35.8, Francisco Ramirez (Pace) 12
4. 16:45.9, Nicholas Samuel (Lincoln) 12
5. 16:48.1, Ryan Sloan (Fort Walton Beach) 12
6. 16:48.3, Lucas Bouquot (Ponte Vedra) 12
7. 17:01.1, Grant Doherty (Ponte Vedra) 10
8. 17:01.3, Bela Schein (Saint Augustine) 12
9. 17:11.7, Joshua Cills (Ponte Vedra) 12
10. 17:11.8, Luke Larkin (Fort Walton Beach) 11
11. 17:25.1, Tyler Herndon (Seabreeze) 11
12. 17:27.8, Fabrizio Gowdy (Stanton) 12
13. 17:31.5, Aidan West (Ponte Vedra) 12
14. 17:34.2, Benjamin Koppman (Saint Augustine) 11
15. 17:34.5, Finn Youberg (Gulf Breeze) 12

Sixteen years of FHSAA 3A Region 1 Cross-Country Champions, 2005 - 2020
Boys
Date	Team Champs	Individual Champs
5 November 2005	Chiles, 35	15:53, Jonathan Blocker (Chiles) 12
4 November 2006	Chiles, 50	15:40, Eric Larson (Washington) 11
10 November 2007	Leon, 37	15:19, Eric Larson (Washington) 12
15 November 2008	Leon, 26	15:45, Matt Mizereck (Leon) 11
14 November 2009	Leon, 62	15:27, Matt Mizereck (Leon) 12
13 November 2010	Washington, 48	15:26, William Clark (Creekside) 12
12 November 2011	Fort Walton Beach, 90	15:30, Thomas Howell (Niceville) 10
10 November 2012	Fort Walton Beach, 49	15:26, Thomas Howell (Niceville) 11
2 November 2013	Chiles, 78	15:39, Sukhi Khosla (Leon) 11
8 November 2014	Leon, 35	14:53, Sukhi Khosla (Leon) 12
31 October 2015	Creekside, 45	16:07, Matthew Cashin (Leon) 11
29 October 2016	Chiles, 61	15:51, Michael Phillips (Chiles) 11
4 November 2017	Chiles, 45	15:49, Michael Phillips (Chiles) 12
3 November 2018	Chiles, 69	15:43, Connor Phillips (Chiles) 12
2 November 2019	Leon, 48	16:10, Lewis Benitez-Chaparro (Vanguard) 12
7 November 2020	Ponte Vedra, 54	16:19, Patrick Koon (Leon) 9
Girls
Date	Team Champs	Individual Champs
5 November 2005	Chiles, 47	19:09, Julia Bryant (Chiles) 11
4 November 2006	Chiles, 40	19:11, Julia Bryant (Chiles) 12
10 November 2007	Chiles, 42	19:29, Lauren Day (Crestview) 10
15 November 2008	Chiles, 15	19:02, Carly Thomas (Chiles) 9
14 November 2009	Chiles, 34	18:30, Lilly Williams (Chiles) 10
13 November 2010	Chiles, 45	18:07, Lily Williams (Chiles) 11
12 November 2011	Chiles, 43	17:50, Lilly Williams (Chiles) 12
10 November 2012	Fort Walton Beach, 70	18:33, Susan Givens (Chiles) 12
2 November 2013	Pace, 87	18:45, Emma Rudman (Fort Walton Beach) 10
8 November 2014	Creekside, 40	18:18, Kelly Aponte (Saint Augustine) 11
31 October 2015	Niceville, 63	18:45, Claire Mortiz (Ponte Vedra) 10
29 October 2016	Niceville, 40	17:56, Alyson Churchill (Lincoln) 9
4 November 2017	Chiles, 32	18:08, Ana Wallace (Chiles) 12
3 November 2018	Chiles, 43	17:53, Claire Openshaw (Creekside) 11
2 November 2019	Saint Augustine, 40	18:45, Emily Culley (Chiles) 12
7 November 2020	Leon, 70	18:45, Kambry Smith (Fort Walton Beach) 12
The 3A Region 1 meet was run at Ridgeview High in Orange Park in 2005. The meet was run at the Miccosukee Greenway in Tallahassee in 2006, 2007, and 2008. The meet was run at Sunnyhill Farms near Tallahassee in 2009, 2010, 2012,  and 2014. The meet was run at Alligator Lake in Lake City in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2020. The meet was run at Sante Fe College in Gainesville in 2016. The meet was run at New World Golf in Jacksonville in 2018. The meet was held at The Oaks Equestrian Park in Lake City in 2017 and 2019.

Links

• Complete results of the 2020 FHSAA 3A Region 1 Cross-Country Championship Meet
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQWOGJSidwIeBOW0HekZ7HKDP-o9LX0qMRf_NY45uFqBnb3yTp6zxF3d_2UQFOe2OJZDkqSLM5N-vr1/pubhtml
  
  
• Trouble Afoot! coverage of 2020 FHSAA Region 1 cross-country
  
  • 1A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/11/fhsaa-1a-region-1-2020.html
    
  • 2A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/11/fhsaa-2a-region-1-2020.html
    
  • 3A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/11/fhsaa-4a-region-1-2020.html
    
  • 4A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/11/fhsaa-4a-region-1-2020.html
    
  
  
• 2019 story, “Kambry Smith, Lewis Benitez-Chaparro, St. Augustine, and Leon keep rolling toward State”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/11/fhsaa-3a-region-1-2019.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Region 1 cross country, Sunny Hill Farms and the road to State”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/11/fhsaa-regon-1-2012.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “2009 FHSAA Region 1-3A / 2A Cross Country Meet”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/11/2009-fhsaa-region-1-3a-2a-cross-country.html
  
  
• Find a cross-country, road, or track race for your schedule on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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