Saturday, September 30, 2023

Annabella Tomasic and Patrick Koon lead the day at the FSU Invitational

With eight races at the Florida State University Invitational Cross-Country Meet on Saturday morning, 30 September 2023, 2,313 high school harriers crossed the finish line in Apalachee Regional Park. First across was Lake Highland Prep seventh-grader Annabella Tomasic, who won the girls' Elite 5K in 17:36. Patrick Koon was the first boy over the line; the Leon senior won the boys' Elite 5K for the third year in a row, running 14:51. Koon wasn't the only one to repeat; the Belen Jesuit Wolverines won the boys' team title for the sixth time straight, logging 38 points. The Bishop Kenny girls scored 100 points in their race to take home team honors.

Annabella Tomasic
Annabella Tomasic

For the first time in recent memory, the FSU Invitational started with the Girls' Elite 5K. There were nearly 300 athletes in the race, but it was a seventh-grader who set the early pace for that mob--Lake Highland Prep's Annabella Tomasic. Mackenzie De Lisle, a Bishop Verot junior, had beaten Tomasic earlier in the season to win the girls' race at the Cecil Field Summer Classic; De Lisle was one of several athletes racing close behind Tomasic at Apalachee Regional Park. Another was Ashley Fitzgerald, an American Heritage senior. Having placed runner-up in the 2022 FSU Invitational, Fitzgerald was the highest returning finisher in the 2023 race.


Just past the three-kilometer mark, Cardinal Mooney senior Addison Dempsey moved into the lead, inching ahead of Tomasic. Tomasic retook the lead then thundered home in 17:36, winning her debut race at the Invitational. Fitzgerald took second in 17:40, bettering her 17:54 performance in the 2022 race. Dempsey was third in 17:42 and Creekside sophomore Alyson Johnson was fourth in 17:50. De Lisle, Tomasic's early-season nemesis, placed fifth in 17:53.


Bishop Kenny's first athlete home ws senior Emily Weldon, fourteenth in 18:56. Forty seconds later, Bishop Kenny's fifth girl was across the finish line and the Crusaders had 100 points and the team title. Ponte Vedra, led by senior Lindy White (7th, 18:27), placed second with 149 points. Bolles edged Maclay for third 174 to 177. Bolles top finisher was seventh-grader Sofie Stam (17th, 18:58); Maclay's ace was Marauder sophomore Caroline Couch (6th, 18:15).


Team Standings, 2023 FSU Invitational High School Girls' Elite 5K
  1. Bishop Kenny, 100
  2. Ponte Vedra, 149
  3. Bolles, 174
  4. Maclay, 177
  5. Cambridge Christian, 239
  6. Lake Minneola, 313
  7. Creekside, 329
  8. Lourdes, 350
  9. Niceville, 356
  10. Oak Hall, 361
  11. Episcopal, 363
  12. Satellite, 363
  13. Newsome, 364
  14. Bishop Verot, 386
  15. East Ridge, 408
  16. Olympia, 436
  17. Plant, 436
  18. Winter Springs, 464
  19. South Fork, 474
  20. Naples, 475
  21. Spanish River, 483
  22. Fleming Island, 484
  23. Vanguard, 506
  24. Braddock, 512
  25. Saint Augustine, 553
  26. George Steinbrenner, 556
  27. Oviedo, 568
  28. Wiregrass Ranch, 605
  29. Sarasota, 792
  30. Providence, 819

Top Ten Athletes, 2023 FSU Invitational High School Girls' Elite 5K
  1. 17:35.6, Annabella Tomasic (Lake Highland) 7
  2. 17:40.0, Ashley Fitzgerald (American Heritage) 12
  3. 17:41.5, Addison Dempsey (Cardinal Mooney) 12
  4. 17:49.4, Alyson Johnson (Creekside) 10
  5. 17:52.7, Mackenzie De Lisle (Bishop Verot) 11
  6. 18:14.1, Caroline Couch (Maclay) 10
  7. 18:26.5, Lindy White (Ponte Vedra) 12
  8. 18:28.3, Avery Fronrath (King's) 12
  9. 18:39.8, Reese Anderson (Newsome) 12
  10. 18:41.6, Daisy Ross (Ponte Vedra) 11

Tomasic had fought for the lead from the start of the girls' race. In the boys' race, Patrick Koon played a more patient game. The course started with a 700-meter straightaway; looking for Koon in the stampeding horde on that opening stretch was like a "Where's Waldo?" puzzle in motion. You certainly wouldn't have found him in front. At the 1600-meter split, During the second kilometer, though, Koon slipped into the lead, hitting the 1600-meter split in 4:46. During the third kilometer, all challengers fell back except Joshua Ruiz, the Belen Jesuit junior who had finished runner-up to Koon in the Class 3A Cross-Country State Championship in both 2021 and 2022. Nearing the three-kilometer mark, Koon looked over as if surprised to see Ruiz. Ruiz actually led the two across the 3200-meter split in 9:33.

FSU Invitational Boys' Elite 5K
Boys' Elite 5K

But the remaining 1800 meters and the race belonged to Koon. Taking the lead from Ruiz, Koon began to open a gap--across the Shell Bridge and up The Wall, that gap grew until Koon crossed the line first, 50 meters ahead, in 14:51. The only high school runner to run faster at Apalachee Regional Park was Koon himself, who went 14:50 in the 2022 FSU Invitational. Ruiz was second in 15:00, just ahead of Nease senior Matt Ryan, third in 15:01. Belen Jesuit frosh Marcelo Mantecon took fourth in 15:11--the fastest time ever run by a ninth-grader on the Apalachee Regional Park course.


Belen Jesuit already had two of the first four finishers; to that the Wolverines added two more in the top ten. It was a strong foundation for the boys from Miami, who took first place with 38 points. The team from New Orleans' Brother Martin High took second with 124 points; the first Brother Martin Crusader across the finish line was senior Daniel Falk, sixteenth in 15:48. With 148 points, Nease placed third in the field of 32 teams.


Team Standings, 2023 FSU Invitational High School Boys' Elite 5K
  1. Belen Jesuit, 38
  2. Brother Martin, 124
  3. Nease, 148
  4. Buchholz, 212
  5. Columbus, 259
  6. Hagerty, 272
  7. Naples, 285
  8. Ponte Vedra, 313
  9. Chiles, 315
  10. Creekside, 353
  11. Astronaut, 370
  12. Fleming Island, 376
  13. Braddock, 381
  14. Leon, 400
  15. Vero Beach, 410
  16. Cambridge Christian, 428
  17. Newsome, 451
  18. Jesuit, 454
  19. Plant, 476
  20. Spanish River, 504
  21. George Steinbrenner, 511
  22. Bishop Verot, 512
  23. Cypress Bay, 564
  24. Fort Myers, 566
  25. Bartram Trail, 595
  26. Boone, 620
  27. Oak Hall, 650
  28. Geneva Classical, 651
  29. Oviedo, 673
  30. Sarasota, 678
  31. Out-of-Door, 702
  32. Satellite, 756

Top Ten Athletes, 2023 FSU Invitational High School Boys' Elite 5K
  1. 14:50.4, Patrick Koon (Leon) 12
  2. 14:59.6, Joshua Ruiz (Belen Jesuit) 12
  3. 15:00.9, Matt Ryan (Nease) 12
  4. 15:10.2, Marcelo Mantecon (Belen Jesuit) 9
  5. 15:15.3, Jonathan Leon (Hagerty) 12
  6. 15:17.8, David Serra (Ransom Everglades) 12
  7. 15:18.8, Riley Smith (Buchholz) 12
  8. 15:31.0, Tanner Simonds (Creekside) 12
  9. 15:33.6, Justin Ruiz (Belen Jesuit) 11
  10. 15:34.7, Joseph Ruiz (Belen Jesuit) 12

Florida State University Invitational Cross-Country Meet
High School Elite Race winners, 2000 - 2023
Boys
DateWinning TeamsIndividual Winners
7 October 2000Niceville, 83 points15:21.39, Michael Joanos (Leon) 12
22 September 2001Ridgeview, 61 points14:49.51, Lee Yaracs (Ridgeview) 12
14 September 2002Maclay, 40 points15:44.60, Ryan Deak (Maclay) 11
13 September 2003Chiles, 25 points15:58.00, Alex Miletich (Chiles) 12
11 September 2004Tampa Jesuit, 65 points15:59.66, Jeremy Criscione (Interlachen) 12
17 September 2005Chiles, 85 points15:59.56, Jonathan Blocker (Chiles) 12
7 October 2006Chiles, 116 points15:46.28, Anthony Morales (Flagler Palm Coast) 12
22 September 2007Tampa Jesuit, 121 points15:40.37, Joseph Franklin (Godby) 12
27 September 2008Tampa Jesuit, 115 points15:40.34, Derek Wehunt (Sickles) 12
10 October 2009Leon, 86 points15:34.27, Matt Mizereck (Leon) 12
9 October 2010Estero, 62 points15:36.78, Max del Monte (Chamberlain) 11
24 September 2011Holy Trinity, 66 points15:43.81, Daniel Moore (Holy Trinity) 12
6 October 2012Belen Jesuit, 100 points15:19.8, Andres Arroyo (Colonial) 12
12 October 2013Chiles, 165 points14:59.45, Sukhi Khosla (Leon) 11
11 October 2014Chiles, 94 points14:59.94, Sukhi Khosla (Leon) 12
3 October 2015Trinity Prep, 88 points15:21.10, Steven Cross (Merritt Island) 12
8 October 2016Marist, 49 points15:27.80, Michael Phillips (Chiles) 11
7 October 2017Belen Jesuit, 132 points15:29.20, Paul Stafford (Lake Wales) 12
13 October 2018Meet canceled because of damage from Hurricane Michael
12 October 2019Belen Jesuit, 111 points15:22.30, Ethan Geiger (Robinson) 12
3 October 2020Belen Jesuit, 31 points15:21.00, Javier Vento (Belen Jesuit) 12
16 October 2021Belen Jesuit, 157 points15:09.80, Patrick Koon (Leon) 10
8 October 2022Belen Jesuit, 85 points14:50.00, Patrick Koon (Leon) 11
30 September 2023Belen Jesuit, 38 points14:50.40, Patrick Koon (Leon) 12
Girls
DateWinning TeamsIndividual Winners
7 October 2000Lake Brantley, 79 points18:57.88, Allie Hunter (Lincoln) 10
22 September 2001Estero, 83 points18:07.19, Zita Magloire (Chiles) 12
14 September 2002Lourdes, 37 points19:30.34, Anna Greskovich (Pensacola Catholic) 10
13 September 2003Oak Hall, 81 points19:06.33, Anna Greskovich (Pensacola Catholic) 11
11 September 2004Holy Trinity, 65 points19:15.90, Emily Ingham (Episcopal) 10
17 September 2005Episcopal, 39 points18:29.44, Bona Jones (Estero) 12
7 October 2006Episcopal, 25 points19:22.24, Devin Spoerle (Astronaut) 11
22 September 2007Episcopal, 37 points17:52.36, Kayla Hale (Holy Trinity) 11
27 September 2008Chiles, 54 points18:12.42, Jana Stolting (Maclay) 11
10 October 2009Chiles, 26 points18:28.83, Jana Stolting (Maclay) 12
9 October 2010Estero, 43 points17:49.60, Julie Wollrath (Holy Trinity) 8
24 September 2011Chiles, 55 points18:00.60, Lily Williams (Chiles) 12
6 October 2012Estero 100 points18:06.0, Kacy Smith (Estero) 12
12 October 2013Estero, 121 points17:53.99, Caroline Barlow (Gulf Coast) 12
11 October 2014Bolles, 103 points17:52.12, Rafaella Gibbons (Winter Park) 9
3 October 2015Pine Crest, 89 points17:44.60, Rafaella Gibbons (Winter Park) 10
8 October 2016Niceville, 61 points18:06.70, Alyson Churchill (Lincoln) 9
7 October 2017Pine Crest, 58 points17:59.20, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County) 12
13 October 2018Meet canceled because of damage from Hurricane Michael
12 October 2019Pine Crest, 66 points17:31.60, Alyssa Hendrix (Riverview) 12
3 October 2020Winter Springs, 49 points17:24.20, Caroline Wells (Winter Springs) 11
16 October 2021Cambridge Christian, 67 points17:10.70, Caroline Wells (Winter Springs) 12
8 October 2022Ponte Vedra, 177 points17:39.80, Eliana Black (Cambridge Christian) 9
30 September 2023Bishop Kenny, 100 points17:35.50, Annabella Tomasic (Lake Highland) 7
The earliest FSU Invitationals were at the Seminole Golf Course, later moving to the Miccosukee Greenway.
From 2009 to present, the meet was held at Apalachee Regional Park.


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Posted by Herb Wills at 10:33 PM
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