Newcomers Charlotte Sikes and Caio Zacchi rule the races at the ARPXC Invitational

It didn't help if you had run the meet before. It didn't even help if you had won the meet before. When the ARPXC Invitational Middle School Cross-Country Meet was over Apalachee Regional Park on Wednesday afternoon, 24 August 2022, newcomers had won both races at the annual fixture. In her debut middle school race, Swift Creek sixth-grader Charlotte Sikes took first in the girls' 3K, running a meet record 11:34. Caio Zacchi, a Nims eighth-grader who had never run a cross-country race before, won the boys' 3K in 10:30, also a meet record. There was some respect for the past in the team competition, though; Deerlake swept the team titles for a second year in a row, the Buck girls scoring 29 points to successfully defend their 2021 title and the Deerlake boys likewise defending with 48 point.

Charlotte Sikes

Although only a sixth-grader, Charlotte Sikes had been running for several years before arriving at the ARPXC Invitational for her first race as a middle school athlete. She was experienced, but not unsure of how the race would go.


"I've run 12:30 on this course at the AAU Meet. And I've been practicing at Apalachee Regional Park," said Sikes. "I expected to be about 12:00 and finish maybe fifth."


Sikes might have adjusted those expectations if she had known that no girl had ever before run as fast as 12:30 for 3K in the ARPXC Invitational. A few minutes after the 6:00 PM ET start of the girls' 3K, Sikes was the first girl past the one-kilometer mark, leading the field by close to 40 meters.

Kaia Ables and Chloe Molen

"Maybe I can do this!" she thought.


Chloe Molen, a Deerlake seventh-grader, led the pursuit of Sikes, closely followed by Deerlake eighth-grader Kaia Ables. Molen had won the girls' 3K in the 2021 ARPXC Invitational, but Sikes wasn't waiting for challengers. At two kilometers Sikes was over 100 meters ahead and running strong. The final kilometer took her over the one significant climb on the course, the Wall, and toward the homestretch.


"Going down toward the finish line I didn't know how far people were behind," said Sikes.

Haley Heitmeyer

As it turns out, the nearest person was almost 200 meters behind when Sikes crossed the line first in a winning 11:34. Chloe Molen took second in 12:20, a big improvement on her 12:37 in the 2021 race. Kaia Ables held off a late charge from Montford eighth-grader Haley Heitmeyer to take third, 12:23 to 12:25.


In addition to Molen and Ables, Deerlake had three other athletes in the top ten--Buck sixth-grader Emma-Claire Tanenbaum (6th, 12:52), Buck seventh-grader Allie Davenport (8th, 13:59), and Buck sixth-grader Grace Toulon (10th, 14:05). Those five gave the Deerlake girls 29 points and first place in a seven-team field.


Led by Heitmeyer, Montford tallied 36 points for second place. Sparked by Sikes' win, the Swift Creek girls placed third with 83 points.


92 athletes representing ten schools finished the girls' 3K.


2022 ARPXC Invitational Team Standings, Girls

1. Deerlake, 29
2. Montford, 36
3. Swift Creek, 83
4. Raa, 108
5. Cobb, 119
6. Fairview, 183
7. Griffin, 204
8. Fort Braden, NTS
   Nims, NTS
   Woodville, NTS

Top Ten Girls, 2022 ARPXC Invitational

1. 11:33.97, Charlotte Sikes (Swift Creek) 6
2. 12:19.89, Chloe Molen (Deerlake) 7
3. 12:22.44, Kaia Ables (Deerlake) 8
4. 12:24.80, Haley Heitmeyer (Montford) 8
5. 12:36.41, Savannah Stanley (Montford) 8
6. 12:51.21, Emma-Claire Tanenbaum (Deerlake) 6
7. 12:56.89, Andi Vilardo (Montford) 8
8. 13:58.91, Allie Davenport (Deerlake) 7
9. 14:00.03, Isabella Youngberg (Montford) 8
10. 14:04.59, Grace Toulon (Deerlake) 6

Caio Zacchi hadn't raced cross-country before the 2022 ARPXC Invitational, but he had racing experience on the track, where he had run a 4:58 for 1600 meters.


"That was at the County Championship," said Zacchi. He didn't mention that his 4:58 was the winning time in that championship.


Jack Koon of Fairview and Deerlake's Jonathan Kiros had finished behind Zacchi the day he went 4:58. 800 meters into the boys' 3K at Apalachee Regional Park, Zacchi was leading the race with Koon and Kiros trailing. Kiros, an eighth-grader, was the defending champion, having won in 2021 with an 11:28. Also an eighth-grader, Koon had placed fourth in 2021, running 12:06.

Caio Zacchi

Leading the chase, Koon was twenty meters behind Zacchi after 800 meters. With one kilometer to go, that margin had widened to 70 meters and Kiros had moved into second. Kiros narrowed the gap but couldn't close it. Zacchi crossed the finish line first in 10:30, still 30 meters ahead. Kiros was second in 10:36, and Koon third in 10:53.


"There were a lot of hills and stuff, but it was easy until we got over there," said Zacchi, gesturing toward the Wall.


Had he learned anything in his first cross-country race?

Jonathan Kiros

"To not start out so fast," said Zacchi.


Kiros was the first of three Deerlake athletes in the top ten. Joining him were sxith-grader Jacob Hassell (7th, 11:53) and eighth-grader Lowell Mick (10th, 12:18). Fairview also put three runners in the top ten, but the Deerlake boys closed out their team scoring with sixth-graders Nicholas Hassell (12th, 12:43) and Nolan Block (17th, 12:54). Once Block crossed the finish line, the Bucks had 48 points, placing first out of nine teams.

Jack Koon

Montford took second, scoring 61 points behind team leader Salvatore Giove. Giove, an eighth-grader, was fourth in 11:07. Led by Koons's third place showing, Farivew scored 91 points to place third in the team standings.


120 athletes representing ten schools finished the boys' 3K at the 2022 ARPXC Invitational. Brian Corbin timed and scored the meet.


2022 ARPXC Invitational Team Standings, Boys

1. Deerlake, 48
2. Montford, 61
3. Fairview, 91
4. Swift Creek, 111
5. Raa, 127
6. Cobb, 162
7. Griffin, 193
8. Nims, 201
9. Fort Braden, 238
10. Woodville, NTS

Top Ten Boys, 2022 ARPXC Invitational

1. 10:29.66, Caio Zacchi (Nims) 8
2. 10:35.03, Jonathan Kiros (Deerlake) 8
3. 10:52.63, Jack Koon (Fairview) 8
4. 11:06.63, Salvatore Giove (Montford) 8
5. 11:23.53, Emari Thomas (Fairview) 7
6. 11:49.99, Trent Parsons (Montford) 8
7. 11:52.02, Jacob Hassell (Deerlake) 6
8. 12:01.62, Cooper Rideout (Swift Creek) 8
9. 12:13.35, Ethan Nicholson (Fairview) 8
10. 12:17.51, Lowell Mick (Deerlake) 8

ARPXC Invitational Champions 2015 - 2022
Girls
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
2 September 2015	Swift Creek, 26	12:34.24, Alyson Churchill (Swift Creek) 8
7 September 2016	Canceled due to hurricane damage
7 September 2017	Deerlake, 37	13:05.25, Paige Churchill (Swift Creek) 7
30 August 2018	Swift Creek, 36	12:51.04, Maya Tang (Deerlake) 8
12 August 2019	Montford, 40	12:43.44, Skye Williams (Montford) 8
26 August 2021	Deerlake, 18	12:36.11, Chloe Molen (Deerlake ) 6
24 August 2022	Deerlake, 29	11:33.97, Charlotte Sikes (Swift Creek) 6
Boys
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
2 September 2015	Rained Out
7 September 2016	Canceled due to hurricane damage
7 September 2017	Deerlake, 34	11:07.71, Patrick Koon (Fairview) 6
30 August 2018	Rained Out
12 August 2019	Fairview, 41	10:31.55, Patrick Koon (Fairview) 8
26 August 2021	Deerlake, 49	11:27.50, Jonathan Kiros (Deerlake ) 7
24 August 2022	Deerlake, 48	10:29.66, Caio Zacchi (Nims) 8
The 2015 races were two miles. In later years the athletes raced three kilometers.

Links

• Complete results of the 2022 ARPXC Invitational
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRMX0JG-ZkRtXZoBsL_XYVVBntYaDKfJY1sDK331twAzl4OMZxWpUuhnDYlA5vJn4U57QSuAEp0iHfH/pubhtml
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! photos of the 2022 ARPXC Invitational
  
  • Girls:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10119489785625223
    
  • Boys:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10119491045999423
    
  
  
• 2021 story, “Chloe Molen and Jonathan Kiros lead a Deerlake sweep of the ARPXC Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/08/swift-creek-2021.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Skye Williams and Patrick Koon start the LCS middle school cross-country season on top”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/08/swift-creek-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Maya Tang opens the season with a win at the ARPXC Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/08/swift-creek-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Churchill, Koon open cross-country season with wins at the Swift Creek Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/09/swift-creek-2017.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Churchill and Swift Creek outrun the storm at the Swift Creek Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/09/swift-creek-2015.html
  
  
• The 2022 LCS middle school cross-country season
  
  • ARPXC Invitational https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/08/swift-creek-2021.html
    
  • Fort Braden Run [ Coming on 31 August 2022 ]
    
  • Mustang Stampede [ Coming on 6 September 2022 ]
    
  • Everhart Invitational [ Coming on 14 September 2022 ]
    
  • Falcon Invitational [ Coming on 22 September 2022 ]
    
  • Mabry Invitational [ Coming on 30 September 2022 ]
    
  • LCS Championship [ Coming on 5 October 2022 ]
    
  
  
• Leon County Schools' 2022 middle school cross country schedule
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/08/lcs-xc-2021.html
  
  
• Find your next cross country race on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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