Harriers Olivia Niewald and Emerson Miller pick up Region 1 wins on the way to State

When it came to the 4A Region 1 cross-country meet, it didn't hurt to be from District 1.


In Florida high school cross-country, the semi-final round of the post-season are the Regional Championship Meets. The 4A Region 1 competition, held Saturday morning, 29 October 2022 at Sante Fe College, pitted the top teams of District 1 against the top teams of District 2. Now, it is true that Olivia Niewald, a senior from District 2 school Spruce Creek, won the girls' 5K in 18:29. But the rest of the winners were from District 1. The girls' team title went to Buchholz, a District 1 school, with 51 points. Emerson Miller, a Buchholz senior, won the boys' 5K in 15:20. And Creekside, another District 1 entry, scored 55 points to place as the first boys' team.


The girls' race started at 7:45, with a field that included Olympia sophomore Emily Knopfle and Buchholz senior Kate Drummond. Knopfle was the 2021 Region 1 champ as well as the 2022 Distict 2 champ. Drummond entered the race as the 2022 District 1 winner. Olivia Niewald outran them both, winning the race by nearly 50 meters in 18:29. Knopfle took second in 18:39. Creekside frosh held off Drummond for third, 18:47 to 18:49.


Drummond was joined in the top ten by three of her Buchholz teammates--juniors Lucy Voss (6th, 19:05) and Emma White (7th, 19:08) and sophomore Eleanor Whisler (8th, 19:09). Another sophomore, Ashley Hamilton, completed Buchholz's score, placing 34th in 20:28. The Buchholz girls had 51 points and their second straight Region 1 title. They would be heading on to State to defend their 2021 team championship.


Niceville put up 103 points to take second. Creekside was third with 119 points. Also qualifying for a trip to State were Nease (4th, 142), East Ridge (5th, 186), Mandarin (6th, 200), Oviedo (7th, 206), and Olympia (8th, 215).


Team Standings, 2022 FHSAA 4A Region 1 Girls' Cross-Country Championships

1. Buchholz, 51 *
2. Niceville, 103 *
3. Creekside, 119 *
4. Nease, 142 *
5. East Ridge, 186 *
6. Mandarin, 200 *
7. Oviedo, 206 *
8. Olympia, 215 *
9. Spruce Creek, 216
10. Windermere, 256
11. Chiles, 261
12. Flagler Palm Coast, 270
13. Hagerty, 302
14. Bartram Trail, 315
15. Lake Mary, 318
16. Doctor Phillips, 352

* Team qualified to race in the State Championship


Top 15 Girls, 2022 FHSAA 4A Region 1 Cross-Country Championships

1. 18:28.7, Olivia Niewald (Spruce Creek) 12
2. 18:38.4, Emily Knopfle (Olympia) 10
3. 18:46.8, Alyson Johnson (Creekside) 9
4. 18:48.7, Kate Drummond (Buchholz) 12
5. 18:48.9, Sierra Barrera (Oakleaf) 12
6. 19:05.0, Lucy Voss (Buchholz) 11
7. 19:07.3, Emma White (Buchholz) 11
8. 19:08.3, Eleanor Whisler (Buchholz) 10
9. 19:21.5, Layla Fuller (Lake Brantley) 9
10. 19:23.7, Trinity Holland (Niceville) 12
11. 19:24.6, Hannah Claytor (Doctor Phillips) 12
12. 19:24.7, Delaney Stephens (Spruce Creek) 12
13. 19:33.6, Veronica Peterson (East Ridge) 9
14. 19:40.7, Rayne Mendez (Niceville) 11
15. 19:43.8, Katherine Mueller (Nease) 12

Emerson Miller wasn't the District 1 boys champ; the Buchholz senior had been third in that race. Nor was he the defending Region 1 champion. Nevertheless, Miller beat everyone in the 2022 Region 1 boys' 5K, running 15:20. A few step behind Miller, Nease junior Matt Ryan finished runner-up in 15:22. Hagerty junior Jonathan Leon was also close behind, third in 15:24.


Seven athletes cracked 16:00 in the race; the first over that mark was Creekside junior Tanner Simonds, eighth in 16:09. Simonds was shadowed by his Creekside teammate, senior Hudson Finocchio, ninth in 16:10. Creekside also had scoring performances from senior Jack Dravo (11th, 16:13), junior Jack Zurn (12th, 16:15), and senior Jacob Harvey (15th, 16:22). With five Knights across the finish line, Creekside had 55 points and the Region 1 title.


Led by Jonathan Leon, Hagerty was second with 96 points. Ryan and the Nease Panthers placed third with 110 points. The next five squads also advanced to State--Buchholz (4th, 127), Niceville (5th, 144), Flagler Palm Coast (6th, 176), Oviedo (7th, 177), and Chiles (8th, 184).


The 2022 State Championship Meet is scheduled for Saturday morning, 5 November 2022, at Apalachee Regional park in Tallahassee, Florida. The 4A girls race at 9:55 AM ET and the 4A boys at 10:45.


Team Standings, 2022 FHSAA 4A Region 1 Boys' Cross-Country Championships

1. Creekside, 55 *
2. Hagerty, 96 *
3. Nease, 110 *
4. Buchholz, 127 *
5. Niceville, 144 *
6. Flagler Palm Coast, 176 *
7. Oviedo, 177 *
8. Chiles, 184 *
9. Mandarin, 212
10. Bartram Trail, 215
11. Lake Mary, 268
12. Doctor Phillips, 346
13. West Orange, 380
14. University, 389
15. Olympia, 394
16. DeLand, 440

* Team qualified to race in the State Championship


Top 15 Boys, 2022 FHSAA 4A Region 1 Cross-Country Championships

1. 15:19.9, Emerson Miller (Buchholz) 12
2. 15:21.2, Matt Ryan (Nease) 11
3. 15:23.8, Jonathan Leon (Hagerty) 11
4. 15:36.2, Wyatt Townsend (Chiles) 12
5. 15:44.8, Miguel Pantojas (Hagerty) 12
6. 15:51.0, Mason Kawaja (Buchholz) 12
7. 15:55.9, Marc McDonald (Oviedo) 12
8. 16:08.8, Tanner Simonds (Creekside) 11
9. 16:09.7, Hudson Finocchio (Creekside) 12
10. 16:11.0, Gavin Nelson (Mandarin) 12
11. 16:12.9, Jack Dravo (Creekside) 12
12. 16:14.5, Jack Zurn (Creekside) 11
13. 16:19.1, Price Wheeler (Lake Mary) 12
14. 16:20.0, Seamus Hodge (Niceville) 11
15. 16:22.0, Jacob Harvey (Creekside) 12

FHSAA 4A Region 1 Cross-Country Champions, 2000 - 2022
Boys
Date	Team Champs	Individual Champs
11 November 2000	Lyman, 65	15:23, Samuel Ishee (Fort Walton Beach) 12
10 November 2001	Winter Park, 30	15:57, Anthony Esoff (Pine Ridge) 11
16 November 2002	Winter Park, 22	16:32, Coleman Hoover (Winter Park) 10
1 November 2003	Winter Park, 42	16:03, Coleman Hoover (Winter Park) 11
30 October 2004	Colonial, 51	15:58, Drew Horner (Edgewater) 12
5 November 2005	Flagler Palm Coast, 78	16:00, Justin Harbor (Flagler Palm Coast) 12
4 November 2006	Boone, 79	15:43, Anthony Morales (Flagler Palm Coast) 12
10 November 2007	Winter Park, 94	16:15, Cameron Dickerson (Mandarin) 12
15 November 2008	Doctor Phillips, 69	15:56, Chris Dendor (Bartram Trail) 12
14 November 2009	Melbourne, 78	15:16, Brian Atkinson (Melbourne) 12
13 November 2010	Hagerty, 86	15:39, Eduardo Garcia (Mandarin) 12
12 November 2011	Colonial, 51	15:21, Andres Arroyo (Colonial) 11
9 November 2012	Colonial, 60	15:13, Andres Arroyo (Colonial) 12
2 November 2013	Winter Park, 39	18:55, Kayley Delay (Fletcher) 9
8 November 2014	Lyman, 72	15:26, Joshua Jacques (Lyman) 11
31 October 2015	Mandarin, 90	15:28, Joshua Jacques (Lyman) 12
29 October 2016	Timber Creek, 125	15:50, Timothy Doyle (Freedom) 11
4 November 2017	Oviedo, 65	15:53, Kayama Galloway (Oviedo) 10
2 November 2018	Oviedo, 75	15:56, Kayama Galloway (Oviedo) 11
2 November 2019	Bartram Trail, 66	15:30, Rheinhardt Harrison (Nease) 10
7 November 2020	Chiles, 47	15:46, Rheinhardt Harrison (Nease) 11
6 November 2021	Creekside, 67	16:00, Rheinhardt Harrison (Nease) 12
29 October 2022	Creekside, 55	15:19.9, Emerson Miller (Buchholz) 12
Girls
Date	Team Champs	Individual Champs
11 November 2000	Lake Mary, 61	17:58, Jessica Zabel (Lake Mary) 10
10 November 2001	Lake Mary, 59	18:22, Jessica Zabel (Lake Mary) 11
16 November 2002	Buchholz, 79	18:47, Jennifer Barringer (Oviedo) 10
1 November 2003	Buchholz, 54	17:39, Jennifer Barringer (Oviedo) 11
30 October 2004	Buchholz, 77	17:52, Jennifer Barringer (Oviedo) 12
5 November 2005	Buchholz, 27	19:24, Natalie Doss (Buchholz) 12
4 November 2006	Bartram Trail, 90	18:38, Chanelle Cox (Niceville) 10
10 November 2007	Bartram Trail, 36	17:38, Brittany Koziara (Boone) 10
15 November 2008	Bartram Trail, 61	18:52, Mandy Perkins (Spruce Creek) 12
14 November 2009	Melbourne, 49	18:38, Mary Ann Brown (Orange Park) 9
13 November 2010	Spruce Creek, 71	18:17, Vanessa Valentine (Melbourne) 11
12 November 2011	Olympia, 70	18:21, Bridget Blake (Doctor Phillips) 11
9 November 2012	Olympia, 60	17:57, Bridget Blake (Doctor Phillips) 12
2 November 2013	Timber Creek, 68	15:40, Brandon Marquez (Timber Creek) 10
8 November 2014	Wnter Park, 37	18:02, Rafaella Gibbons (Winter Park) 9
31 October 2015	Wnter Park, 34	17:28, Rafaella Gibbons (Winter Park) 10
29 October 2016	Winter Park, 59	17:38, Kayley Delay (Fletcher) 12
3 November 2017	Winter Park, 65	18:11, Mackenzie Czurak (Winter Springs) 10
2 November 2018	Lake Brantley, 101	18:21, Amber Schulz (Timber Creek) 9
2 November 2019	Chiles, 73	18:20, Ashley Klingenberg (Lake Brantley) 12
7 November 2020	Fleming Island, 81	19:12, Lillian Holtery (Niceville) 12
6 November 2021	Buchholz, 57	19:08, Emily Knopfle (Olympia) 9
29 October 2022	Buchholz, 51	18:29, Olivia Niewald (Spruce Creek) 12
The 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2010 4A Region 1 Meet was at Sperling Sports Complex in Deland. The 2006 and 2008 meets were at Bartram Trail High in Jacksonville. The 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022 meets were at Sante Fe College in Gainesville. The 2014 and 2017 meets were at the Flagler County Fairgrounds in Bunnell. The 2015 meet was at Lake Nona High in Orlando. The 2020 meet was at Alligator Lake Park in Lake City.

Links

• Complete results of the 2022 FHSAA 4A Region 1 Cross-Country Championship Meet
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSkD-rr_cmuJ646YrH5KuoN2AMpt8JRRnDf4yYETNL4bnz0Cr6N2XSGtBW953U_aCH8JeugIvC5b8eD/pubhtml
  
  
• Trouble Afoot! coverage of 2022 FHSAA Region 1 cross-country
  
  • 1A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/10/fhsaa-1a-region-1-2022.html
    
  • 2A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/10/fhsaa-2a-region-1-2022.html
    
  • 3A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/10/fhsaa-3a-region-1-2022.html
    
  • 4A: https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2022/10/fhsaa-4a-region-1-2022.html
    
  
  
• 2021 story, “Emily Knopfle and Rheinhardt Harrison rule 4A Region 1”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/11/fhsaa-4a-region-1-2021.html
  
  
• 2020 story, “Chiles boys and Fleming Island girls triumph in 4A Region 1”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/11/fhsaa-4a-region-1-2020.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “The Chiles girls and Bartram Trail boys score narrow wins at 4A Region 1”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/11/fhsaa-4a-region-1-2019.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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