Leon athletes Lillee Tang and Patrick Koon were 3A District 1 cross-country winners

In Florida high school cross-country, there are three rounds in the state championships series--District, Region, and State. For the class 3A harriers in the northwest of the state, the first round was on Wednesday afternoon, 27 October 2021; the FHSAA 3A District 1 Championship Meet at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida. Choctawhatchee won the girls' 5K with 49 points, while Leon junior Lillee Tang took first in 19:50. Fort Walton Beach had the winning team in the boys' 5K, a race won by Leon sophomore Patrick Koon in 16:35.

Lillee Tang

It was Lillee Tang's first District title. How did she feel to be District champion?


"Tired!" said Tang.

Belicia O'Grady

As well she might. The girls' race had actually been longer than five kilometers, thanks to an errant course marshal. Fort Walton Beach frosh Belicia O'Grady led the first half of the race, but the second half belonged to Tang, and the second half is the one with the finish line. Tang crossed that line first in 19:50, well ahead of the 20:24 posted by runner-up O'Grady. Choctawhatchee senior Chloe Fernander was third in 21:00. Another Choctawhatchee senior, Deanna Bottino, edged Wakulla frosh Isabella Laughton to take fourth, both runners clocked in 21:02.


Choctawhatchee put two more athletes in the top ten, with junior Brylie Kilgore seventh in 21:13 and senior Dannika Kilgore ninth in 21:30. Sophomore Dahlia Irizarry completed the scoring for Choctawhatchee, placing 26th in 23:09. With a winning 49 points, the Choctawhatchee girls were District 1 champions.

The Top 25 girls in 3A District 1

Only two points back, Tang and the Leon girls were second with 49 points. Laughton and her Wakulla teammates placed third with 65 points. Fort Walton Beach (4th, 83 points), Gulf Breeze (5th, 116 points), Lincoln (6th, 175 points), Pace (7th, 178 points), and Arnold (8th, 188 points) also made the top eight and qualified for the 3A Region 1 Meet, slated for Panama City on Saturday, 6 November 2021.


Girls' Team Standings, 2021 FHSAA 3A Distict 1 Cross-Country Meet

1. Choctawhatchee, 49
2. Leon, 51
3. Wakulla, 65
4. Fort Walton Beach, 83
5. Gulf Breeze, 116
6. Lincoln, 175
7. Pace, 178
8. Arnold, 188
9. Washington, 240
10. Milton, 271
11. Mosley, 357

Top Ten Girls, 2021 FHSAA 3A Distict 1 Cross-Country Meet

1. 19:50.00, Lillee Tang (Leon) 11
2. 20:23.40, Belicia O'Grady (Fort Walton Beach) 9
3. 20:59.30, Chloe Fernander (Choctawhatchee) 12
4. 21:01.20, Deanna Bottino (Choctawhatchee) 12
5. 21:01.60, Isabella Laughton (Wakulla) 9
6. 21:06.40, Stella Lewis (Leon) 11
7. 21:12.20, Brylie Kilgore (Choctawhatchee) 11
8. 21:25.40, Mallory Robinson (Leon) 11
9. 21:29.10, Dannika Kilgore (Choctawhatchee) 12
10. 21:41.60, Clara Alford (Wakulla) 12

For more than three kilometers Kaleb Hollins, a Choctawhatchee junior, set the pace for a large lead pack in the boys' 5K. Tucked back in the group, Patrick Koon wasn't impressed.


Patrick Koon "We went out at 5:30 for the mile and 10:55 for two miles," said Koon. "It was really slow."

Patrick Koon

So Koon sped up. Opening up a 60-meter gap on the field in the final kilometer, the Leon sophomore raced home first in 16:35. It was well off the 15:10 he had run on the same course at the FSU Invitational eleven days earlier, but that was according to script.


"The plan was to win this one as easily as possible," said Koon. "The goal is to be ready for State."

Kaleb Hollins

Fort Walton Beach senior Luke Larkin was second in 16:46. Choctawhatchee's Hollins, the early leader took third in 16:52. Arnold junior Eddie Kepran placed fourth in 17:00, and Grant Chastain, a Fort Walton Beach sophomore, was fifth in 17:03.


Larkin and Chastain made it two in the top ten for Fort Walton Beach. But Leon also placed two athletes in the top ten--Koon and sophomore Will Springer, seventh in 17:22. Outside the top ten, Fort Walton Beach had strong performances from their next three scorers, with senior Luke Bilger thirteenth in 17:41, junior Luke Endt fourteenth in 17:42, and sophomore Curran O'Grady 25th in 18:09. That gave the Vikings 59 points and the District title.

Luke Larkin

Koon and the Leon boys were second with 56 points. Choctawhatchee edged Pace for third, 120 points to 122. The top four teams advanced to the 3A Region 1 meet, as did Gulf Breeze (5th, 141 points), Lincoln (6th, 189 points), Arnold (7th, 195 points), and Wakulla (8th, 197 points).


Arnold High School hosts the 3A Region 1 Cross-Country Championship Meet on Saturday morning, 6 November 2021, at Majette Park in Panama City, Florida. The top eight teams in the Region will qualify for the State Championship, slated for Saturday morning, 13 November 2021, at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida.


Boys' Team Standings, 2021 FHSAA 3A Distict 1 Cross-Country Meet

1. Fort Walton Beach, 59
2. Leon, 66
3. Choctawhatchee, 120
4. Pace, 122
5. Gulf Breeze, 141
6. Lincoln, 189
7. Arnold, 195
8. Wakulla, 197
9. Milton, 235
10. Pine Forest, 240
11. Mosley, 252
12. Washington, 275
13. Rickards, 374
14. Escambia, 402

Top Ten Boys, 2021 FHSAA 3A Distict 1 Cross-Country Meet

1. 16:34.90, Patrick Koon (Leon) 10
2. 16:45.90, Luke Larkin (Fort Walton Beach) 12
3. 16:51.40, Kaleb Hollins (Choctawhatchee) 11
4. 16:59.30, Eddie Kepran (Arnold) 11
5. 17:02.50, Grant Chastain (Fort Walton Beach) 10
6. 17:09.60, William Armbruster (Choctawhatchee) 12
7. 17:21.90, Will Springer (Leon) 10
8. 17:25.70, Eli Holbrook (Mosley) 12
9. 17:32.20, Chrisshaun Terrell (Pine Forest) 11
10. 17:35.50, Joseph McLeod (Lincoln) 11

Links

• Complete results of the 2021 FHSAA 3A District 1 Cross-Country Championship
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRNyTDS0AvhKlcVTmAgy8PVMh8K5dyVwu1zvC2b7W2l7E6JB3GAPnRHDd7eXpzgTOjtNLokDs1_w1PL/pubhtml
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! photos of the 2021 FHSAA 3A District 1 Cross-Country Championship
  
  • Girls: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10118516941018613
    
  • Boys: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10118519489406623
    
  
  
• 2020 story, “With Jake Rogers and Lilli Unger, Leon Cross-Country wins everything at 3A District 2”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/11/fhsaa-3a-district-2-2020.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Leon's teams, Kambry Smith, and Lewis Benitez-Chaparro each leave 3A District 1 as champions”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/10/fhsaa-3a-district-1-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Emily Culley and Sebastian Kenne rock ARPXC, as Chiles sweeps 3A District 3”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/10/fhsaa-3a-district-3-2018.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Cashin and Churchill win in blowouts, but Chiles teams continue to dominate 3A District 3”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/10/fhsaa-3a-district-3-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Tallahassee schools shine in 3A District 3 Meet at Apalachee Regional Park”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/10/fhsaa-3a-district-3.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Red, white, and flew! Leon harriers Audrey Dogan and Sukhi Khosla win District 3-3A”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/10/fhsaa-district-3-3a-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “District 2 belongs to Chiles and Wakulla”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/11/fhsaa-district-2-3a2a-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “2011 FHSAA District 2-3A / 2A cross-country meet”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/11/fhsaa-district-2-3a2a-xc-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “2010 FHSAA District 1-3A Cross-Country Meet”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/11/2010-district-1-3a-xc.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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