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| Patrick Koon |
The Big Bend Invitational Cross-Country Meet always comes very early in Florida's High School cross-country season. In 2021 it was less than two weeks after the official first day of racing. You don't expect to see fast times that early in the season. Before the 2021 Invitational, the meet record had been a more-than-respectable 15:51 run by Chiles senior Michael Phillips in 2017. Phillips had gone on to run 15:15 at Apalachee Regional Park later that season, winning his second state championship. And no one else had broken 16:00 at the Big Bend Invitational since then.
No one else till Koon.
Eight days earlier, the Leon sophomore had posted a winning 15:15 at the Cecil Field Summer Classic in Jacksonville, Florida on a course that averages faster than ARPXC. At Cecil Field, though, Koon's competition was close enough that he could hear their footsteps. He would have to posess remarkably good ears to be able to say the same about the Big Bend race. His 15:32 put him almost 200 meters ahead of the next runner, well out of earshot. And out of eyeshot--on the Apalachee Regional Park course, the finish line isn't visible from 200 meters out. It was Koon's best mark yet at ARPXC; as a frosh he had run 15:56 on the course in the State Championship race.
Chiles senior Ben Kirbo trailed Koon across the fnish line, placing second in 16:11. Another Chiles harrier, Timberwolf junior Wyatt Townsend, took third in 16:25. Leon junior Jake Rogers was fourth in 16:45.
Two more Timberwolves cracked the top ten for Chiles--senior Filippo Reina finshed fifth in 17:13 and junior Owen Franklin was tenth in 18:01. Chiles senior Tyler Canavan finished the scoring for his team, placing thirteenth in 18:25. That gave the Timberwolves 33 points and first place in the eight-team field, the Chiles' boys first team win at Big Bend since 2017.
Leon, led by Koon, put up 40 points to take second in the team standings. Maclay was third with 90 points behind their top runner, Clayton Know. A junior, Knox was sixth in 17:27.
Team Standings, 2021 Big Bend Invitational High School Boys' 5K
- Chiles, 33
- Leon, 40
- Maclay, 90
- Lincoln, 113
- Wakulla, 116
- Santa Fe, 182
- Rickards, 200
- Florida State, 203
Top Ten, 2021 Big Bend Invitational High School Boys' 5K
- 15:32.00, Patrick Koon (Leon) 10
- 16:10.60, Ben Kirbo (Chiles) 12
- 16:24.80, Wyatt Townsend (Chiles) 11
- 16:44.30, Jake Rogers (Leon) 11
- 17:12.30, Filippo Reina (Chiles) 12
- 17:26.60, Clayton Knox (Maclay) 11
- 17:31.80, Carter Rothell (Maclay) 11
- 17:55.50, Matthew Ortiz (Santa Fe) 12
- 18:00.40, William Springer (Leon) 10
- 18:00.90, Owen Franklin (Chiles) 11
Before the high school boys raced, the high school girls had the course. Lillee Tang of Leon and Susan Gracie Koeppel of Maclay had already been in one race together during 2021; both had run at the Cecil Field Summer Classic. In that Jacksonville race, Tang had placed tenth and Koeppel 23rd. That order of finish didn't change at the Big Bend Invitational. Tang, a junior, nabbed first in 19:53, while Maclay sophomore Koeppel was runner-up in 19:58. Leon junior Lily Moore placed third in 19:58, and Maclay sophomore Mary Clayton Soto finished fourth in 20:28.
Maclay had two more runners in the top ten, eighth grader Lillian Koeppel (7th, 20:40) and frosh Kassidy Monninger (10th, 21:25). But Leon also grabbed two more top ten spots, thanks to juniors Mallory Robinson (8th, 21:02) and Stella Lewis (9th, 21:03). And while Maclay was waiting for their fifth scorer to arrive, Leon frosh Madi Sims crossed the finish line in 22:01, placing fifteenth and giving the Lions 36 points and first place.
The Maclay girls were second with 44 points. Wakulla, led by senior Clara Alford (11sth, 21:27), edged Chiles for third place, 76 to 80. Chiles top runner was senior Ella Hodges, fifth in 20:34. Nine schools had teams in the girls' 5K.
Team Standings, 2021 Big Bend Invitational High School Girls' 5K
- Leon, 36
- Maclay, 44
- Wakulla, 76
- Chiles, 80
- Florida State, 138
- Lincoln, 156
- Community Christian, 182
- Santa Fe, 203
- Saint John Paul II Catholic, 267
Top Ten, 2021 Big Bend Invitational High School Girls' 5K
- 19:52.60, Lillee Tang (Leon) 11
- 19:57.10, Susan Gracie Koeppel (Maclay) 10
- 20:06.40, Lily Moore (Leon) 11
- 20:27.70, Mary Clayton Soto (Maclay) 10
- 20:33.10, Ella Hodges (Chiles) 12
- 20:35.80, Kelly Davis (Chiles) 12
- 20:39.80, Lillian Koeppel (Maclay) 8
- 21:01.90, Mallory Robinson (Leon) 11
- 21:02.70, Stella Lewis (Leon) 11
- 21:24.80, Kassidy Moninger (Maclay) 9
The middle school races followed the high school events. Tallahassee's Clifton Lewis had run the middle school girls' 3K at the Big Bend Invitational every year the meet had been held. She had placed second in 2017, seventh in 2018, and first in 2019. She added another win to that record in 2021, running a meet record 11:34. Fifth-grader Charlotte Sikes, racing for the Red Hills Running Club, took second in 12:56. Maclay eighth-grader Lillian Koeppel, back for more racing after her 20:40 in the high school 5K, placed third in the 3K with a 13:30.
Four other Marauders joined Koeppel in the top ten--seventh-grader Ellie Mazziotta was sixth in 14:03, eighth-grader Mae Deison was seventh in 14:08, sixth-grader Mary Price was eighth in 14:15, and seventh-grader Lilly Bell was ninth in 14:18. With all five scorers in the top ten, the Maclay girls had 28 points and first place.
The Red Hills girls were second in the team standings with 49 points. Trinity Catholic edged Fairview Middle School (competing as the Falcon Track Club) for third, 80 to 84. Trinity Catholic's first finisher was sixth-grader Danielle Sasso (15th, 15:28); Fairview's fastest was sixth-grader Miasia Harden (11th, 14:55).
Team Standings, 2021 Big Bend Invitational Middle School Girls' 5K
- Maclay, 28
- Red Hills Running Club, 49
- Trinity Catholic, 80
- Falcon Track Club, 84
- Cornerstone, 92
Top Ten, 2021 Big Bend Invitational Middle School Girls' 5K
- 11:34.00, Clifton Lewis (Unattached) 8
- 12:55.80, Charlotte Sikes (Red Hills Running Club) 5
- 13:29.60, Lillian Koeppel (Maclay) 8
- 13:46.80, Haley Heitmeyer (Red Hills Running Club) 7
- 13:52.30, Madeline Morris (Red Hills Running Club) 8
- 14:02.40, Ellie Mazziotta (Maclay) 7
- 14:07.70, Mae Deison (Maclay) 8
- 14:14.20, Mary Price (Maclay) 6
- 14:18.00, Lilly Bell (Maclay) 7
- 14:18.80, Addyson Paul (Franklin County) 7
Luke Meli, a Community Christian eighth-grader, won the middle school boys' 3K by 30 meters, getting the job done with a winning 11:36. Three athletes battled for the runner-up spot--Community Christian eighth-grader Charles Wilson, Holy Comforter seventh-grader Randon Manausa, and Trinity Catholic eighth-grader Mark Moore. Wilson got across the finish line before the others, nabbing second in 11:43. Manausa was third and Moore fourth, both in 11:44.
Community Christian had grabbed the first two places, but Fairview Middle School, competing as the Falcon Track Club, three runners in the top ten--seventh-grader Jack Koon was sixth in 11:55, eighth-grader Thomas Emari was seventh in 12:01, and eighth-grader Chandler Grace was tenth in 12:10. Two more Falcons--seventh-grader Ethan Nicholson (14th, 12:34) and eighth-grader Kyron Long (21st, 13:39)--brought their team's score to 51 points. However, Community Christian also had 51. Following NFHS rules, the win would go to the team with the fastest sixth runner. Falcon The Falcon's sixth runner, seventh-grader Braxton Cabrera, placed 29th in 14:20, finishing ahead of Community Christian's sixth runner and giving the team in red the win. Trinity Catholic placed third in the eight-team field, scoring 65 points.
Team Standings, 2021 Big Bend Invitational Middle School Boys' 5K
- Falcon Track Club, 51
- Community Christian, 51
- Trinity Catholic, 65
- Holy Comforter Episcopal, 104
- Maclay, 109
- Marianna, 126
- Community Leadership, 178
- Cornerstone, 222
Top Ten, 2021 Big Bend Invitational Middle School Boys' 5K
- 11:35.70, Luke Meli (Community Christian) 8
- 11:42.30, Charles Wilson (Community Christian) 8
- 11:43.40, Randon Manausa (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 7
- 11:43.40, Mark Moore (Trinity Catholic) 8
- 11:53.90, James Mogg (Trinity Catholic) 6
- 11:54.50, Jack Koon (Falcon Track Club) 7
- 12:00.50, Thomas Emari (Falcon Track Club) 8
- 12:02.40, Logan Phipps (Maclay) 6
- 12:09.30, Henry Lewis (Unattached) 8
- 12:10.00, Chandler Grace (Falcon Track Club) 8
| Big Bend Invitational Cross-Country Meet champs, 2017 - 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| High School Boys | ||
| Date | Winning Teams | Individual Winners |
| 2 September 2017 | Chiles, 22 points | 15:51, Michael Phillips (Chiles) 12 |
| 1 September 2018 | Niceville, 46 | 17:00, Junious Brown IV (Maclay) 11 |
| 31 August 2019 | Plant, 38 | 16:14, Junious Brown IV (Maclay) 12 |
| 4 September 2021 | Chiles, 33 | 15:32, Patrick Koon (Leon) 10 |
| High School Girls | ||
| Date | Winning Teams | Individual Winners |
| 2 September 2017 | Chiles, 27 points | 19:02, Ana Wallace (Chiles) 12 |
| 1 September 2018 | Chiles, 27 | 18:53, Lillian Holtery (Niceville) 10 |
| 31 August 2019 | Bolles, 29 | 18:37, Caitlin Wilkey (Chiles) 12 |
| 4 September 2021 | Leon, 36 | 19:53, Lillee Tang (Leon) 11 |
| Middle School Boys | ||
| Date | Winning Teams | Individual Winners |
| 2 September 2017 | Montford, 21 points | 12:09, Patrick Koon (Fairview) 6 |
| 1 September 2018 | Liza Jackson, 39 | 12:16, Clayton Knox (Maclay) 8 |
| 31 August 2019 | Emerald Coast, 53 | 11:19, Noah Deem (Community Leadership) 7 |
| 4 September 2021 | Falcon Track Club, 51 | 11:36, Luke Meli (Community Christian) 8 |
| Middle School Girls | ||
| Date | Winning Teams | Individual Winners |
| 2 September 2017 | Riversprings, 24 points | 14:57, Stella Lewis (Panhandle Express) 7 |
| 1 September 2018 | Ruckel, 36 | 12:47, Rory Claussen (Shaldera Panthers) 7 |
| 31 August 2019 | Emerald Coast, 24 | 12:19, Clifton Lewis (Unattached) 6 |
| 4 September 2021 | Maclay, 28 | 11:34, Clifton Lewis (Unattached) 8 |
Links
- Complete results of the 2021 Big Bend Cross-Country Invitational
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQcF57GuETPm_ORRvLJS9wMVJVSNsaSQXfO-Hy2za-LPB1GFq_15a_6KvXKmSKwaoxj1rKF79oNp3es/pubhtml
- 2019 story, “Bolles and Plant visit Tallahassee, leave with the Big Bend Cross-Country titles”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/08/big-bend-xc-2019.html
- 2017 story, “Phillips, Wallace, and Chiles win everything at the Big Bend Invitational”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/09/big-bend-xc-2017.html
- Find your next race on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
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