Estella Collante and Sean Cunningham nab 1A District 2 wins at Apalachee Regional Park

On Wednesday morning, 30 October 2024, the FHSAA 1A District 2 Cross-Country Championship came to Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida. The 2024 meet was very nearly all about Providence. True, Oak Hall junior Estella Collante did win the girls' 5K with a 19:35. But the Providence Stallions took the team title in the race, scoring 39 points. Providence also had the top team in the boys' 5K, scoring a mathematically unbeatable putting up a mathematically unbeatable 20 points while Stallion sophomore Sean Cunningham won the race Estella Collantein 16:39.

Estella Collante

Sunny skies, humid air, and rising temperatures were part of the program when the girls' 5K started at 9:00 AM. A mob of Providence girls set the early pace, but by the end of the first kilometer Maclay junior Caroline Couch was leading the field. Couch, the defending champion, had posted a winning 18:20 in the 2023 1A District 2 girls' race. Behind her, a pursuit group of five runners formed--Katie Cunningham and Emma Akhundjanov of Providence, Rebecca Stratton of Saint Johns Country Day, and Oak Hall runners Lola Murfee and Estella Collante.


At the halfway point the runners had started their second loop at ARPXC. Couch continued to lead. The pursuit group was hanging together. During the second half, though, Couch dropped out and Oak Hall's Collante took over the lead.

Lola Murfee

"It was on the second loop before the big hill," said Collante, recalling where she took the lead. The "big hill" is, of course, the Wall--Apalachee Regional Park's notorious rise half a kilometer from the finish line.


Collante was more than a hundred meters ahead and still pulling away when she crossed the finish line in 19:35, the 2024 1A District 2 champion. Her Oak Hall teammate, sophomore Lola Murfee, placed runner-up in 20:02. Saint Johns Country Day senior Rebecca Stratton coming in third at 20:03.

Top Fifteen Girls

Providence runners took the next two places, with Stallion eighth-grader Emma Akhundjanov fourth in 20:06 and junior Katie Cunningham fifth in 20:17. Providence had two more in the top ten, juniors Sara Palmer (7th, 20:53) and Kasey Davey (9th, 21:32). The Stallions fifth scorer was frosh Leeza Loftin (14th, 21:55), giving the Providence girls 39 points and the team title.


Led by the one-two finish of Collante and Murfee, Oak Hall placed second in 1A District 2 with 55 points. Maclay, District champs in 2023, edged Saint John Country Day for third, 98 to 101. Maclay's first scorer was senior Payton Thumm, sixth in 20:50.

Providence Girls

The top eight teams qualified for the 1A Region 1 meet, scheduled for Friday morning, 8 November 2024, at Cecil Field Golf Course in Jacksonville. Providence, Oak Hall, Maclay, and Saint John Country Day made the cut, as did Trinity Christian (5th, 140), Branford (6th, 181), Christ's Church (7th, 196), and Bishop Snyder (8th, 201).


Girls' Team Standings, 2024 FHSAA 1A Distict 2 Cross-Country Meet

1. Providence, 39 *
2. Oak Hall, 55 *
3. Maclay, 98 *
4. Saint Johns Country Day, 101 *
5. Trinity Christian, 140 *
6. Branford, 181 *
7. Christs Church, 196 *
8. Bishop Snyder, 201 *
9. Saint John Paul Catholic, 211
10. Bell, 271
11. Community Christian, 310
12. Trenton, 315
13. North Florida Christian, 398

* Team advances to the 1A Region 1 Championship


Top Ten Girls, 2024 FHSAA 1A Distict 2 Cross-Country Meet

1. 19:34.50, Estella Collante (Oak Hall) 11
2. 20:01.90, Lola Murfee (Oak Hall) 10
3. 20:03.00, Rebecca Stratton (Saint Johns Country Day) 12
4. 20:05.20, Emma Akhundjanov (Providence) 8
5. 20:16.40, Katie Cunningham (Providence) 11
6. 20:49.60, Payton Thumm (Maclay) 12
7. 20:53.00, Sara Palmer (Providence) 11
8. 21:17.80, Serafina Rietow (Saint John Paul Catholic) 11
9. 21:31.50, Kasey Davey (Providence) 11
10. 21:33.40, Kate Staten (Saint Johns Country Day) 8

The 2024 FHSAA Cross-Country State Championship is Saturday, 16 November 2024 at Apalachee Regional Park. The 1A District 2 meet was one of the few chances during the 2024 season for athletes to preview the State Championship course at ARPXC.


"Since Pre-State was canceled because of the hurricane, this was like our Pre-State," said Collante.


Some athletes, though, have already seen ARPXC more than a few times.

Sean Cunningham

"This is my seventh time running here," said Providence's Sean Cunningham. "I've been racing here since the seventh grade. You hit the Wall hard and use the downhills. It's a true cross-country course."


Cunningham was in front of the field right after the start of the boys' 5K, the rest of the Providence boys following in his wake. Soon, though, even his teammates were left behind. Not that Cunningham knew what was going on back there.

Harrison Kozlowski and Grant Curtis

"To be honest, I didn't look back at all," he said. "I was just going to feel it out today, and do what I need to do to win. I just wanted to win today."


Cunningham did just that. Never challenged, he crossed the finish line close to a hundred meters ahead of the next runner in 16:38.21, his best time yet at ARPXC. Oak Hall senior Grant Curtis took second in 16:59, just ahead of Providence junior Harrison Kozlowski, third in 17:03.

Top Fifteen Boys

Sam Loftin, a Providence junior, placed fourth in 17:15 and Providence senior Ellis Halton was fifth in 17:24. Providence's fifth scorer, senior Donovan Drake, also cracked the top ten, coming in seventh in 17:38. That gave the Stallion boys 20 points and the 1A District 2 title, their third in the past three years.


Led by Curtis, Oak Hall placed second with 57 points. Maclay, the host school, put up 81 points for third. Maclay's first scorer was sophomore David Barton, sixth in 17:34. Barton had won the 2023 1A District 2 race.

Providence Boys

The top three teams qualified for 1A Region 1 competition, as did the next five--Community Christian (4th, 92 points), Saint Francis (5th, 165), Harvest Community (6th, 184), Saint John Country Day (7th, 199), and Bishop Snyder (8th, 211). For the remaining seven teams, the 2024 season was over.


Miles and Minutes, LLC, of Tallahassee timed and scored the 2024 FHSAA 1A District 2 Cross-Country Championship.


Boys' Team Standings, 2024 FHSAA 1A Distict 2 Cross-Country Meet

1. Providence, 20 *
2. Oak Hall, 57 *
3. Maclay, 81 *
4. Community Christian, 92 *
5. Saint Francis, 165 *
6. Harvest Community, 184 *
7. Saint Johns Country Day, 199 *
8. Bishop Snyder, 211 *
9. Covenant, 233
10. Trinity Christian, 305
11. Bell, 313
12. Branford, 370
13. Hamilton County, 374
14. Christs Church, 377
15. Trenton, 396

* Team advances to the 1A Region 1 Championship


Top Ten Boys, 2024 FHSAA 1A Distict 2 Cross-Country Meet

1. 16:38.21, Sean Cunningham (Providence) 10
2. 16:58.30, Grant Curtis (Oak Hall) 12
3. 17:02.70, Harrison Kozlowski (Providence) 11
4. 17:14.20, Sam Loftin (Providence) 11
5. 17:23.80, Ellis Halton (Providence) 12
6. 17:34.00, David Barton (Maclay) 10
7. 17:37.50, Donovan Drake (Providence) 12
8. 17:43.60, Landon Reeves (Community Christian) 9
9. 17:43.90, Luke Meli (Community Christian) 11
10. 17:49.70, Gabe Manry (Maclay) 11

FHSAA 1A District 2 Cross-Country Championship at Apalachee Regional Park, 2021 - 2024
Girls
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
28 October 2021	Maclay, 27 points	19:33, Susan Gracie Koeppel (Maclay) 10
18 October 2022	Maclay, 20	19:19, Susan Gracie Koeppel (Maclay) 11
31 October 2023	Maclay, 20	18:20, Caroline Couch (Maclay) 10
30 October 2024	Providence, 39	19:35, Estella Collante (Oak Hall) 11
Boys
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
28 October 2021	Maclay, 66 points	16:23, Mattew Stratton (Saint John Country Day) 12
18 October 2022	Providence, 30	17:02, Clayton Knox (Maclay) 12
31 October 2023	Providence, 22	16:18, David Barton (Maclay) 9
30 October 2024	Providence, 20	16:39, Sean Cunningham (Providence) 10

Links

• Complete results of the 2024 FHSAA 1A District 2 Cross-Country Championship
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vT23yY6JJqrRcQhriMasV9t4YMrmfCqHFmiAKqqFaOUR0W31LWOInN-LgSyrZry0DsW1qSDgBClc5yA/pubhtml
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! photos of the 2024 FHSAA 1A District 2 Cross-Country Championship
  
  • Girls: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10123308262332293
  • Boys: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10123312627853753
  
  
• 2020 story, “Grace Koeppel and Leo Rutledge lead a Maclay sweep of 1A District 4”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/10/fhsaa-1a-district-4-2020.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Feeling blue--Ella Porcher and Junious Brown fronted Maclay to a sweep of 1A District 2”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/10/fhsaa-district-2-1a-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Junious Brown and Ella Porcher key another Maclay sweep of 1A District 3”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/10/fhsaa-district-3-1a-2018.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Milford and Willis lead a Maclay sweep of the individual and team titles in 1A District 3”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/10/fhsaa-district-3-1a-2016.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Caroline Willis and Jake Mazziotta lead a Maclay sweep of District 3-1A”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/10/fhsaa-district-3-1a-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Willis and Rutherford win in District 3-1A; Maclay sweeps the team titles”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/10/fhsaa-district-3-1a-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Championship season opens with District 3-1A and a Maclay sweep”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/11/fhsaa-district-3-1a-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “First meet in the state tournament is all Maclay”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/11/fhsaa-district-3-1a-xc-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “2010 FHSAA District 1-1A Cross-Country Meet”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/11/district-1-1a-xc-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “2009 FHSAA District 1-1A Cross Country Meet”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/11/2009-fhsaa-district-1-1a-cross-country.html
  
  
• Find an upcoming road or cross-country race in the Tallahassee region
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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