Friday, October 1, 2021

Clifton Lewis and Maxwell Wester conquer at the Crusader Cross-Country Classic

If you saw Clifton Lewis running in Tallahassee, Florida on Thursday, 30 September 2021, you might have thought that she was doing a solo workout. You would be wrong, though; Lewis was racing the girls' 3K at Holy Comforter Episcopal School's Crusader Classic Cross-Country Meet. It would have been a forgiveable error, because the eighth-grader finished the race almost half a kilometer ahead of the field, logging a winning 11:17. The girls' race may have been lacking in drama up front, but not so the boys' 3K. In that race, Mariana seventh-grader Maxwell Wester outkicked Luke Meli, a Community Christian eighth-grader, for the win, 10:46 to 10:47. The Maclay girls took the team title in their race with a near-perfect 17 points, and Community Christian placed first in the boys' race with 53 points.

Clifton Lewis
Clifton Lewis

Clifton Lewis also won the Crusader Classic girls' 3K in 2020; that year a soaking ran fell during the race and the runners had to start in waves due to COVID-19. In 2021 the weather was fair and Lewis got to face all her competitors on the starting line. She didn't face them for long. Once the race was under way, Lewis spent most of the 3000-meters around the Holy Comforter grounds running away from her rivals. After Lewis had logged her winning 11:17, Maclay seventh-grader Ellie Mazziotta finished as runner-up in 13:25. Another Maclay seventh-grader, Lilly Bell, was third in 11:30.


Mazziotta and Bell weren't the only Marauders in the top ten. Maclay eighth-grader Mae Deison was fourth in 13:38, with Maclay sixth-grader Mary Price a close fifth in 13:39. Seventh-grader Aurora Earlywine completed the Maraders' scoring, finishing ninth in 14:09. The Maclay girls had 17 points and their third straight Crusader Classic win.


Community Leadership placed second with 68 points behind seventh-grader Ashlynn Naumann (11th, 14:30), their first finisher. Trinity Catholic edged Riversprings for third in the team standings, 74 to 77. Trinity's top runner was sixth-grader Danielle Sasso, eighth in 14:06, while Riversprings was led by sixth-grader Aerynson Smith, seventh in 14:03.


2021 Crusader Classic Team Standings (Girls)
  1. Maclay, 17
  2. Community Leadership, 68
  3. Trinity Catholic, 74
  4. Riversprings, 77
  5. Wakulla, 119
  6. Franklin County, NTS
    Holy Comforter Episcopal, NTS
    Tallahassee Classical, NTS
    Florida State, NTS
    Cornerstone, NTS
    Jefferson County, NTS
    Community Christian, NTS
    Marianna, NTS

Top Ten Girls, 2021 Crusader Classic 3K
  1. 11:16.29, Clifton Lewis (Unattached) 8
  2. 13:24.57, Ellie Mazziotta (Maclay) 7
  3. 13:30.82, Lilly Bell (Maclay) 7
  4. 13:37.56, Mae Deison (Maclay) 8
  5. 13:38.27, Mary Price (Maclay) 6
  6. 13:53.78, Addyson Paul (Franklin County) 7
  7. 14:02.60, Aerynson Smith (Riversprings) 6
  8. 14:05.03, Danielle Sasso (Trinity Catholic) 6
  9. 14:08.66, Aurora Earlywine (Maclay) 7
  10. 14:27.63, Genevieve Gillespie (Trinity Catholic) 6

After Maxwell Wester and Luke Meli had fought for first, with Wester prevailing 10:46 to 10:47, there was another homestretch struggle third place. This time, three athletes came charging for home. Trinity Catholic eighth=grader Mark Moore dashed in ahead of the other two, taking third in 11:21. Eighth-grader Charles Wilson of Community Christian followed, fourth in 11:22, A few steps back, Trinity Catholic sixth-grader James Mogg placed fifth in 11:24.


With Meli and Wilson, Community Christian had put two runners in the top ten, but so had Trinity Catholic, Holy Comforter, Marianna, and Maclay. Community Christian's remaining three scorers were eighth-grader Benjamin Reeves (14th, 12:13), sixth-grader Landon Reeves (20th, 12;43), and eighth-grader Jeremy Collier (21st, 12:45). That gave the Chargers 53 points and first place, Community Christian's first ever win at the Crusader Classic.


Maclay edged Wester's Marianna team for second, 62 to 63. Maclay's first finisher was eighth-grader Collins Dickson, ninth in 11:41. Hosts and 2020 champs Holy Comforter placed fourth with 72 points, led by eighth-grader Luke Springer (6th, 11:32). Of fourteen schools represented in the boys' race, seven had full teams.


Racing returns to Holy Comforter on Tuesday afternoon, 12 October 2021, with the Tallahassee Open. The girls' 3K is scheduled for 5:15 PM ET, with the boys' 3K following at 5:45.


2021 Crusader Classic Team Standings (Boys)
  1. Community Christian, 53
  2. Maclay, 62
  3. Marianna, 63
  4. Holy Comforter Episcopal, 72
  5. Trinity Catholic, 83
  6. Community Leadership, 158
  7. Cornerstone, 219
  8. Knights Running Club, NTS
    Florida State, NTS
    Riversprings, NTS
    Franklin County, NTS
    Tallahassee Classical, NTS
    Wakulla, NTS
    Jefferson County, NTS

Top Ten Boys, 2021 Crusader Classic 3K
  1. 10:45.35, Maxwell Wester (Marianna) 7
  2. 10:46.50, Luke Meli (Community Christian) 8
  3. 11:20.21, Mark Moore (Trinity Catholic) 8
  4. 11:21.86, Charles Wilson (Community Christian) 8
  5. 11:23.51, James Mogg (Trinity Catholic) 6
  6. 11:31.05, Luke Springer (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 8
  7. 11:33.04, Myles Libert (Marianna) 8
  8. 11:40.42, Randon Manausa (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 7
  9. 11:40.94, Collins Dickson (Maclay) 8
  10. 11:47.82, Logan Phipps (Maclay) 6

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Posted by Herb Wills at 5:38 PM
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