Coming from Florida's east coast and only in her first year of high school cross-country, Sofia Bushkell hadn't had any opportunities to race in the Panhandle, let alone on the Majette Park course. Lack of familiarity was no handicap for the frosh; Bushkell won the Region 1 race by well over a hundred meters. Leon junior Lillee Tang, who had won the Buccaneer Bash at Majette Park back in September, took second in 18:50. Fletcher frosh Tessa Messa placed third in 19:00.
Two Ponte Vedra athletes, senior Ellie Moritz and sophomore Amelia Tackling, tangled for fourth, with Moritz getting the place by inches. Both athletes ran 19:04. Ponte Vedra's remaining two scorers also crossed the finish line within inches of one another; sophomore Lindy White was seventeenth in 19:58 and frosh Daisy Ross was eighteenth in 19:59. With White and Ross home, the Ponte Vedra girls had 37 points and the team title.
Saint Augustine, led by senior Reilly Barber (6th, 19:07), tallied 89 points to take second. Leon and Lillee Tang were third in the team standings with 99 points.
The top eight teams advanced to the State Meet. After Ponte Vedra, Saint Augustine, and Leon, the other qualifiers were Fleming Island (4th, 108 points), Choctawhatchee (5th, 151 points), Wakulla (6th, 170 points), Matanzas (7th, 199 points), and Fort Walton Beach (8th, 226 points).
Team Standings, 2021 FHSAA 3A Region 1 Girls' Cross-Country Championships
- Ponte Vedra, 37 *
- St. Augustine, 89 *
- Leon, 99 *
- Fleming Island, 108 *
- Choctawhatchee, 151 *
- Wakulla, 170 *
- Matanzas, 199 *
- Fort Walton Beach, 226 *
- Gulf Breeze, 246
- Gainesville, 269
- Clay, 295
- Pace, 302
- Columbia, 321
- Lincoln, 337
- Arnold, 353
Top 15 Girls, 2021 FHSAA 3A Region 1 Cross-Country Championships
- 18:23.8, Sofia Bushkell (Ponte Vedra) 9
- 18:49.7, Lillee Tang (Leon) 11
- 18:59.3, Tessa Messa (Fletcher) 9
- 19:03.2, Ellie Moritz (Ponte Vedra) 12
- 19:03.3, Amelia Tackling (Ponte Vedra) 10
- 19:06.9, Reilly Barber (Saint Augustine) 12
- 19:24.2, Ani Veltcheva (Gainesville) 12
- 19:32.0, Chloe Fernander (Choctawhatchee) 12
- 19:36.3, Lily Moore (Leon) 11
- 19:38.0, Viola Barquilla (Fletcher) 12
- 19:49.5, Stella Lewis (Leon) 11
- 19:51.5, Belicia O'Grady (Fort Walton Beach) 9
- 19:51.8, Isabella Laughton (Wakulla) 9
- 19:54.0, Allie Knotts (Fleming Island) 10
- 19:54.6, Elyse Carmichael (Washington) 9
Autumn 2020 was Patrick Koon's frosh cross-country season. In that first year competing in a Leon High uniform, Koon won only one cross-country race--the 3A Region 1 boys' 5K. 2021 was a different story--sophomore Koon won nearly every cross-country race he entered. The Region 1 race was his first as a defending champion, and defend he did. Koon crossed the finish line over 60 meters ahead of the next runner, covering the course in 15:44. He wasn't the only athlete under 16:00 that morning. Matanzas junior Zach Spooner also cracked 16:00, finishing runner-up in 15:56. Luke Larkin, a Fort Walton Beach senior, ran sub-16:00 as well, placing third in 15:58.
Neither Fleming Island senior Alex Bendig or Fleming Island sophomore John Keester IV ran under 16:00, but they both broke into the top ten, Bending finishing seventh in 16:17 and Keester eighth in 16:18. Fleming Island junior Danny Sakowski placed fourteenth for the Golden Eagles, running 16:50. Senior Chase Van Ginkel and sophomore Roman Mollicone also scored for Fleming Island, finishing 31st in 17:25 and 48th in 17:44. With a 98-point total, Fleming Island caputred the 3A Region 1 boys' team championship.
The 2020 champs, Ponte Vedra, scored 101 points, placing a close second. Ponte Vedra junior Grant Doherty led the Sharks, finishing fourth in 16:04. Luke Larkin and the Fort Walton Beach Vikings were third with 107 points.
Rounding out the top eight (i.e., the teams that qualified for the State Final) were Leon (4th, 117 points), Pace (5th, 135 points), Matanzas (6th, 176 points), Choctawhatchee (7th, 198 points), and Gulf Breeze (8th, 227 points). Five teams from District 1 and three from District 2 advanced.
The Florida High School Cross-Country State Championship Meet will be Friday morning, 12 November 2021, at Apalachee Regional Park, west of Tallahassee, Florida.
Team Standings, 2021 FHSAA 3A Region 1 Boys' Cross-Country Championships
- Fleming Island, 98 *
- Ponte Vedra, 101 *
- Fort Walton Beach, 107 *
- Leon, 117 *
- Pace, 135 *
- Matanzas, 176 *
- Choctawhatchee, 198 *
- Gulf Breeze, 220 *
- Ridgeview (OP), 231
- Lincoln, 252
- St. Augustine, 279
- Middleburg, 302
- Gainesville, 312
- Arnold, 326
- Wakulla, 356
- Stanton, 391
Top 15 Boys, 2021 FHSAA 3A Region 1 Cross-Country Championships
- 15:43.4, Patrick Koon (Leon) 10
- 15:55.4, Zach Spooner (Matanzas) 11
- 15:57.4, Luke Larkin (Fort Walton Beach) 12
- 16:03.6, Grant Doherty (Ponte Vedra) 11
- 16:14.5, James Snipes (Ridgeview) 12
- 16:15.9, Kaleb Hollins (Choctawhatchee) 11
- 16:17.0, Alex Bendig (Fleming Island) 12
- 16:17.7, John Keester IV (Fleming Island) 10
- 16:19.6, Ben Koppman (Saint Augustine) 12
- 16:36.8, Davis Brown (Ponte Vedra) 10
- 16:37.6, Grant Chastain (Fort Walton Beach) 10
- 16:39.5, Eli Holbrook (Mosley) 12
- 16:45.6, David Morrison (Lincoln) 12
- 16:49.9, Danny Sakowski (Fleming Island) 11
- 16:53.7, Luke Endt (Fort Walton Beach) 11
FHSAA 3A Region 1 Cross-Country Champions, 2005 - 2021 | ||
---|---|---|
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 |
6 November 2021 | Fleming Island, 98 | 15:44, Patrick Koon (Leon) 10 |
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 |
6 November 2021 | Ponte Vedra, 37 | 18:24, Sofia Bushkell (Ponte Vedra) 9 |
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. The meet was at Bay Dunes Golf Course in Panama City in 2021. |
Links
- Complete results of the 2021 FHSAA 3A Region 1 Cross-Country Championship Meet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRlhXg_AAv4YWG5MuYEu-qa9Zj61UHinzfCxFL5QKM1kwvSI3Yts5omAh0UeTA8qEtT8p2LVM4NjXWk/pubhtml
- Course map, 2021 3A Region 1 Cross-Country Championship Meet
https://app.box.com/s/12tyew7lcmxgejo7kx9mbfkph3ymu4b3
- Trouble Afoot! coverage of 2021 FHSAA Region 1 cross-country
- 1A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/11/fhsaa-1a-region-1-2021.html
- 2A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/11/fhsaa-2a-region-1-2021.html
- 3A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/11/fhsaa-4a-region-1-2021.html
- 4A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/11/fhsaa-4a-region-1-2021.html
- 1A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/11/fhsaa-1a-region-1-2021.html
- 2020 story, “Region 1 at Alligator Lake is the last win before State for the Leon girls and Ponte Vedra boys”
https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/11/fhsaa-3a-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