Leonardo Canete and Katie Sherron take tough half-marathons at "Tails and Trails"

Running a half-marathon is tough. Running those 13.1 miles on trails is tougher. When those trails are in Tallahassee, Florida going up and down the bluffs surrounding Lake Lafayette, the run is tougher still. Nevertheless, that describes the task that nearly a hundred athletes faced on Saturday morning, 7 May 2022, when they set out to run the half-marathon at the twentieth annual "Tails and Trails." Master runner Leonardo Canete was the fastest of the group, winning the race in 1:25:32. Dr. Katie Sherron, another master runner, was the first woman, placing sixth overall in 1:33:36.

Leonardo Canete

The race started just after 7:30 AM on Easterwood Drive, in front of the Animal Services Center. The first kilometer was mostly downhill and on pavement. After that, the course turned onto the trails. Leonardo Canete already leading at that turn, 150 meters ahead of the next runner, August Roberts.


Twenty kilometers later, that lead had doubled to 300 meters when Canete crossed the finish line in a winning 1:25:32. Roberts took second in 1:26:51. During the final four kilometers, Chris O'Kelley overtook Tom Parker and Tallahassee master runner Mickey Moore to take third in 1:31:06. Moore was fourth in 1:32:51 and Parker fifth in 1:32:58.

Dr. Katie Sherron

Less than 200 meters behind Parker, Katie Sherron took sixth, the first woman in the half-marathon. Sherron not only finished more than two-and-a-half kilometers ahead of the next woman in the race; she also set a new women's course record for the "Tails and Trails" half-marathon, running 1:33:36. The old record? A 1:36:48 posted by Sherron in the 2017 race. The 2022 win was Sherron's third in the "Tails and Trails" half-marathon; she was also first woman in the 2016 race.


Jenna Thompson took second in the women's standings, finishing just six seconds ahead of the third woman, Melanie Leitman. Thompson was thirteenth overall in 1:46:57 and Leitman fourteenth in 1:47:03.


92 athletes finished the 2022 "Tails and Trails" half-marathon.


Top Ten Men, 2022 “Tails and Trails” Half Marathon

1. 1:25:32, Leonardo Canete (M, 43)
2. 1:26:51, August Roberts (M, 24)
3. 1:31:06, Chris O'Kelley (M, 29)
4. 1:32:51, Mickey Moore (M, 52)
5. 1:32:58, Tom Parker (M, 39)
6. 1:35:40, Kyle Kraft (M, 33)
7. 1:40:17, Jack McDermott (M, 53)
8. 1:41:20, Michael Weyant (M, 56)
9. 1:41:23, Trevor Marshall (M, 40)
10. 1:42:01, Paul Guyas (M, 44)

Top Ten Women, 2022 “Tails and Trails” Half Marathon

1. 1:33:36, Katie Sherron (F, 40)
2. 1:46:57, Jenna Thompson (F, 25)
3. 1:47:03, Melanie Leitman (F, 38)
4. 1:49:16, Jennifer Bayliss (F, 51)
5. 1:55:57, Laura Reina (F, 57)
6. 2:10:25, Katie Yeutter (F, 38)
7. 2:10:37, Nancy Proctor (F, 61)
8. 2:11:00, Signe Ulsamer (F, 44)
9. 2:11:13, Amanda Haskin (F, 32)
10. 2:11:45, Birgit Maier-Katkin (F, 59)

Due to COVID-19, the 2021 "Tails and Trails" had an abbreviated program, and the only race was the 10K. When all the races returned in 2022, the 10K was among them.

Duane Griffiths and Trent Parsons

Duane Griffiths took an early lead in the 6.2-mile race. A few miles in, Montford Middle School cross-country runner Trent Parsons caught up with Griffiths, giving him some mid-race company. By the second half of the race, Griffiths had shaken off Parsons, who in turn was overtaken by Mike Horton. Griffiths held off Horton to win the 10K, 46:24 to 46:32. Parsons was third in 47:56. Joel Piotrowski was the first master runner in the race and the sixth male finisher, seventh overall in 50:31.


Duane Griffiths won the men's division of 10K by just eight seconds, but in the women's standings Anna Gann prevailed by nearly six minutes. Gann ran 48:56, placing fifth overall and finishing the full ten kilometers before any other woman in the race had finished nine.

Anna Gann

Nancy Stedman was the first woman master in the 10K and the second female finisher, placing tenth overall in 54:43. Master runner Meredith Strange placed third on the women's side and twentieth overall in 1:01:24.


64 athletes finished the 2022 "Tails and Trails" 10K.


Top Ten Men, 2022 “Tails and Trails” 10K

1. 46:24, Duane Griffiths (M, 38)
2. 46:32, Mike Horton (M, 39)
3. 47:56, Trent Parsons (M, 13)
4. 48:05, Joseph Barshay (M, 21)
5. 50:21, Graham O'Donnell (M, 21)
6. 50:31, Joel Piotrowski (M, 52)
7. 50:56, Eric Brown (M, 50)
8. 53:38, Jason Ottinger (M, 46)
9. 57:12, Matt Hohmeister (M, 41)
10. 57:35, Kyle Magee (M, 33)

Top Ten Women, 2022 “Tails and Trails” 10K

1. 48:56, Anna Gann (F, 30)
2. 54:43, Nancy Stedman (F, 60)
3. 61:24, Meredith Strange (F, 42)
4. 61:56, Berenice Pignano (F, 44)
5. 62:10, Hillary Powell (F, 37)
6. 62:27, Cathy Bond (F, 42)
7. 62:54, Sarah Peebles (F, 36)
8. 63:07, Hannah Briner (F, 27)
9. 63:32, Amy Starkey (F, 46)
10. 64:20, Emily Serpico (F, 36)

The first turn on the "Tails and Trails" 5K course comes about 400 meters into the race. If Brent Moody had looked back at that corner, he would have seen that he was leading by about twenty meters. Moody didn't look back, though, and he didn't have to look back for the rest of the race. He won the 5K by well over 200 meters, running 20:04. Behind him, Ethan Liu, an eighth-grader on the Fairview Middle School track team, moved up through the field during the race to take second in 21:09. Duane Evans was the first master runner in the race, placing third overall in 21:21.

Brent Moody

A seventh-grader at Montford, Annabelle Wiktorski runs both cross-country and track on her school's teams. During the 2021 cross-country, she won the county championship in the middle school girls' 3K. Three days before "Tails and Trails," she won her second 1600 race of the 2022 track season while wearing Montford colors, running 5:58.01. The "Tails and Trails" 5K was longer than the 3K races Wiktorski had run during cross-country or the 1600-meter races she had run during track, but she handled the extra distance. She handled it well. Wiktorski ran 21:23, taking first in the women's standings and placing fourth overall.

Annabelle Wiktorski

Amelia Bryant was the second woman in the race, placing tenth overall in 23:09. Eleven-year-old Charlotte Sikes was third in the women's division, placing twentieth overall in 25:15. Half an hour before the 5K, Sikes had finished first in the one-mile fun run, throwing down a 6:22. Katie Price was the first woman master in the 5K and the sixth female finisher, placing 46th overall in 27:27.


275 athlete finished the 2022 "Tails and Trails" 5K. Another 37 completed the one-mile fun run. Gulf Winds Track Club of Tallahassee chip-timed the races.


Top Ten Men, 2022 “Tails and Trails” 5K

1. 20:04, Brent Moody (M, 37)
2. 21:09, Ethan Liu (M, 14)
3. 21:21, Duane Evans (M, 54)
4. 21:35, Patrick Cox (M, 27)
5. 22:32, Isaac Avello (M, 15)
6. 22:41, Tyler Bennett (M, 26)
7. 23:02, Dillon Brewer (M, 16)
8. 23:09, Ethan Laroche (M, 25)
9. 23:57, Juan Villalobos (M, 32)
10. 23:58, Joseph Dorn (M, 41)

Top Ten Women, 2022 “Tails and Trails” 5K

1. 21:23, Annabelle Wiktorski (F, 12)
2. 23:09, Amelia Bryant (F, 33)
3. 25:15, Charlotte Sikes (F, 11)
4. 25:59, Amanda Hall (F, 27)
5. 26:55, Jena Hessman (F, 37)
6. 27:27, Katie Price (F, 41)
7. 29:04, Meagan Nixon (F, 32)
8. 29:06, Anna Eppinger (F, 31)
9. 29:11, Stacy Forsthoefel (F, 37)
10. 29:16, Mary Williams (F, 53)

“Tails and Trails” winners, 2002 - 2022
Date	Race	Men	Women	Finishers
30 March 2002	5K	19:49, Tim Bolton	23:06, Carrie Weyant	179
15 March 2003	5K	20:47, Justin Dickieson	24:20, Carrie Weyant	218
20 March 2004	5K	18:56, Gary Droze	23:02, Seeley Lovett	221
19 March 2005	5K	18:51, Mathew Dobson	23:12, Stephanie Liles	186
18 March 2006	10K	37:46, Vince Molosky	46:49, Kim Likens	73
	5K	22:06, Roger Michaud	21:48, Stephanie Liles	178
5 May 2007	10K	36:43, Vince Molosky	43:54, Jana Stolting	80
	5K	17:31, Tripp Southerland	24:22, Claire Fruchtnicht	250
3 May 2008	10K	37:23, Vince Molosky	41:55, Karen Geletko	141
	5K	20:54, Jason Graham	21:57, Katrina Unglaub	272
2 May 2009	10K	35:07, Vince Molosky	41:34, Sheryl Rosen	148
	5K	17:24, John Robida	18:59, Kelsey Scheitlin	464
1 May 2010	10K	35:44, Vince Molosky	42:38, Micah Adriani	315
	5K	16:37, Ken Youngers	22:13, Lisa Finn	355
30 April 2011	10K	36:41, Vince Molosky	41:06, Heather Griffis
	5K	17:04, Kevin Sullivan	19:41, Kelly Stevens
5 May 2012	10K	34:52, Stanley Linton	41:38, Micah Adriani	246
	5K	18:22, Jonathan Grisiaffi	23:00, Stephanie Stout	494
4 May 2013	10K	36:29, Vince Molosky	46:31, Lindsey Pfau	207
	5K	16:26, Stanley Linton	19:40, Micah Adriani	521
3 May 2014	10K	37:04, Matthew Cashin	46:12, Urska Dobersek	211
	5K	16:53, Adam Wallenfelsz	20:55, Sara Lane	359
2 May 2015	Half Marathon	1:25:43, Eric Godin	1:49:34, Mary Jane Hayden	92
	10K	37:22, Matthew Cashin	46:04, Brittney Barnes	278
	5K	17:06, Roger Schmidt	20:25, Alese Autore	552
7 May 2016	Half Marathon	1:19:49, Matt Mizereck	1:45:20, Katie Sherron	178
	10K	37:45, Stanley Linton	45:48, Anna Busby	191
	5K	18:20, Peter Van Brussel	20:50, Brittney Barnes	562
6 May 2017	Half Marathon	1:27:34, Eric Godin	1:36:48, Katie Sherron	148
	10K	38:54, Chris O'Kelley	44:40, Sheryl Rosen	123
	5K	18:47, Kurt Dietrich	23:44, Christina Linton	395
5 May 2018	Half Marathon	1:20:46, Andrew Smith	1:45:35, Amanda Sava	104
	10K	37:16, Charlie Johnson	47:16, Jillian Heddaeus	189
	5K	19:13, Kurt Dietrich	24:27, Madison Sims	447
4 May 2019	Half Marathon	1:25:32, Charlie Johnson	1:38:43, Amanda Sava	125
	10K	46:58, Sean Landeta	46:08, Jennifer McGranahan	148
	5K	19:44, Connor Edwards	21:38, Brittney Barnes	302
1 May 2021	10K	39:01, Leonardo Canete	50:43, Brittney Barnes	124
7 May 2022	Half Marathon	1:25:32, Leonardo Canete	1:33:36, Katie Sherron	92
	10K	46:24, Duane Griffiths	48:56, Anna Gann	64
	5K	20:04, Brent Moody	21:23, Annabelle Wiktorski	275
From 2002 to 2006 the event was called the "Furry Scurry." No 10K was held before 2006. No Half Marathon was held prior to 2015.

Links

• Complete results of the 2022 “Tails and Trails”
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQX8oaIOTm_HH11ge3CZAujfRHeR1xEknpHPPUFCNjEYQFZzzjnnljuYfr7Wmy8ft8-ISclSJcO0ok7/pubhtml
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! photos of the 2022 “Tails and Trails”
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10119121611040043
  
  
• 2019 story, “Charlie Johnson and Amanda Sava each collect a second Tails & Trails title”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/05/tails-trails-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Andrew Smith and Amanda Sava sail the trails at 'Tails and Trails'”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/05/tails-trails-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Godin and Sherron prevail on the trail at Tails & Trails”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/05/tails-trails-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Mizereck and Sherron tail none on the trails”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/05/tails-trails-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Godin and Hayden prosper on the longer trail at ‘Tails & Trails’”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/05/tails-trails-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Flooding doesn't stop Tails & Trails, Cashin, or Dobersek”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/05/tails-trails-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Molosky back on top in the 'Tails & Trails' 10K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/05/tails-trails-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Linton and Adriani kick tails on the trails”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/05/tails-trails-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Molosky and Griffis tear up the trails at Tom Brown”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/04/tails-trails-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Molosky and Adriani best the field at 'Tails and Trails'”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/05/tails-trails-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “2009 'Tails and Trails' 5K / 10K”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/05/2009-tails-and-trails-5k-10k.html
  
  
• Find an upcoming race on the trails of the Tallahassee region on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2823

Seventh-graders Annabelle Wiktorski and Jonathan Kiros take LCS Cross-Country titles

In Tallahassee, Florida, Thursday, 7 October 2021 was a day for seventh-graders at Apalachee Regional Park. There, at the Leon County Schools Middle School Cross-Country Championship, Montford seventh-grader Annabelle Wiktorski won the girls' 3K, running 11:58. In the boys' 3K, Deerlake seventh-grader Jonathan Kiros took first in 10:46. Deerlake took the girls' team title with 23 points, and the Swift Creek boys edged Montford for the championship 44 to 47.

Annabelle Wiktorski

The league championship was the seventh and final meet of Leon County Schools' longest middle school cross-country season ever. The season had begun at Apalachee Regional Park on 26 August 2021; it was ending at Apalachee Regional Park. Competition opened at 6:00 PM with the girls' 3K. After 800 meters, London Mellen was leading. A Deerlake eighth-grader, Mellen had won the girls' 3K at the Fort Braden Run, the second meet of the season. She wasn't the only champion in the field. Montford's Annabelle Wiktorski, a few steps behind Mellen, had won the girls' race at the Everhart Invitational. Running in third, Deerlake eighth-grader Abbey Griffin had won at the Mustang Stampede, the Falcon Invitational, and the Mabry Invitational. Following Griffin was Deerlake eighth-grader Kyra Swart, the 2019 LCS cross-country champion. Just off Swart's shoulder was Chloe Molen; that Deerlake eighth-grader had won the season opener at Apalachee Regional Park.


Mellen was still leading with a kilometer to go, but only Wiktorski and Griffin had stayed with her. During the next half a kilometer, the course began to climb, ending with Apalachee Regional Park's most notorious uphill--the Wall. At the top of the Wall, the leaders had dropped Griffin and there were only 500 meters left in the race. Then Wiktorski made her move.

London Mellen

"It was about the last 400 meters, right after we came over the big hill, the Wall," recalled Wiktorski.


Wiktorski spent the final 400 meters opening a gap on Mellen, ultimately claiming the LCS title in 11:58. Mellen was second in 12:13 and Griffin third in 12:21. Andi Vilardo, a Montford seventh-grader, took fourth in 12:23.

Abbey Griffin

For Wiktorski, it was a far different race from the season opener, where she had finished fourth on the same course.


"I went a lot harder than the first one," said Wiktorski. "12:51 then and 11:58 today. It felt shorter today, though."

Top Ten Girls

When it came to team scoring, the story was all Deerlake. For the seventh time in the seven-meet season, the Deerlake girls put up a mathematically unbeatable score. This time it was 23 points, the lowest total by a girls' team since the LCS Championship moved to ARPXC in 2010. Mellen and Griffin were of course part of the Bucks' low score, and so were sixth-grader Honesty Daniel (5th, 12:37), sixth-grader Chloe Molen (6th, 12:43), and seventh-grader Kaia Ables (7th, 12:51). Eighth-grader Kyra Swart (8th, 12:52) also cracked the top ten for Deerlake. It was the third year in a row that Deerlake had won the girls' title.

Deerlake Girls, Team Champs

Wiktorski's Montford Mustangs were second in the team standings with 39 points. Raa, led by eighth-grader Kennedy Bell (10th, 12:54), placed third with 94 points.


Girls' Team Standings, Leon County Schools 2021 Middle School Cross-Country Championship

1. Deerlake, 23
2. Montford, 39
3. Raa, 94
4. Cobb, 102
5. Swift Creek, 136
6. Fairview, 137
7. Nims, 220
8. Griffin, 241

Top Ten Girls, Leon County Schools 2021 Middle School Cross-Country Championship

1. 11:57.52, Annabelle Wiktorski (Montford) 7
2. 12:13.00, London Mellen (Deerlake) 8
3. 12:20.19, Abbey Griffin (Deerlake) 8
4. 12:22.91, Andi Vilardo (Montford) 7
5. 12:36.31, Honesty Daniel (Deerlake) 6
6. 12:42.60, Chloe Molen (Deerlake) 6
7. 12:50.58, Kaia Ables (Deerlake) 7
8. 12:51.10, Kyra Swart (Deerlake) 8
9. 12:52.52, Savannah Stanley (Montford) 7
10. 12:53.52, Kennedy Bell (Raa) 8

In twelve years of LCS Middle School Cross-Country Championships at Apalacheee Regional Park, Annabelle Wiktorski is one of three seventh-graders to win the girls' race. But before 2021, only eighth-graders had won the boys' 3K at the Championship. Jonathan Kiros of Deerlake started the 2021 race as if he intended to be the first seventh-grader to win the boys' event, leading the field past the 800-meter mark.

Jonathan Kiros

"I wanted to get out front and play to my strengths," explained Kiros.


Asa Swope, a Swift Creek eighth-grader, stayed in contact with Kiros. Aside from Swope and Kiros, no other athlete had won a boys' race during the 2021 season--going into the championship, Swope had four victories and Kiros two. With the 2021 title on the line, Kiros left the rest of the field far behind, but Swope was always just a few steps behind. Through the piney woods, across the shell bridge, and up the Wall, it was a two-person race. And on the homestretch, it was indeed a race.

Asa Swope

"In the last hundred meters, he came out of nowhere," said Kiros.


Kiros held off Swope's final challenge, eking out a close win. Both runners were clocked in 10:46. A seventh-grader had won the title. Another seventh-grader, Jack Koon of Fairview, took third in 11:18.

Jack Koon

Swift Creek eighth-graders Kinglsey Knispel and Thoren Knispel took the next two places, running 11:20 and 11:34 to give their team three runners in the top ten. But Montford also had three in the top ten, with eighth-grader Matthew Hauser sixth in 11:37, seventh-grader Gavin Poucher seventh in 11:42, and eighth-grader Jaxon Pelham tenth in 11:54. Montford also scoring performances by seventh-grader Trent Parsons (11th, 11:55) and eighth-grader Jackson Beener (13th, 11:58), giving the Mustangs 47 points.


Swift Creek responded with seventh-graders Cooper Rideout (14th, 12:00) and Zakaria Hemenway (19th, 12:29). The Wolves had 44 points, their second win of the season, and the 2021 boys' team title.

Swift Creek Boys, Team Champs

Kiros and Deerlake were third with 65 points. Koon and Fairview took fourth with 79.


The races over, the trophies awarded, the long LCS Middle School Cross-Country season was over. There was track to look forward to in the spring, but that was far in the future. Closer at hand, there was post-season cross-country.


"I think next Friday I may race at the FSU Invitational," said Annabelle Wiktorski. "I'm pretty tired with all these races, though."

Top Ten Boys

Other athletes plan on a break from racing, if not from competition.


"I'm more focused on the math team at Deerlake," said Jonathan Kiros.


Boys' Team Standings, Leon County Schools 2021 Middle School Cross-Country Championship

1. Swift Creek, 44
2. Montford, 47
3. Deerlake, 65
4. Fairview, 79
5. Cobb, 144
6. Raa, 176
7. Fort Braden, 231
8. Griffin, 233
9. Nims, 249

Top Ten Boys, Leon County Schools 2021 Middle School Cross-Country Championship

1. 10:45.68, Jonathan Kiros (Deerlake) 7
2. 10:45.97, Asa Swope (Swift Creek) 8
3. 11:17.31, Jack Koon (Fairview) 7
4. 11:19.66, Kingsley Knispel (Swift Creek) 8
5. 11:33.08, Thoren Knispel (Swift Creek) 8
6. 11:36.23, Matthew Hauser (Montford) 8
7. 11:41.03, Gavin Poucher (Montford) 7
8. 11:45.21, Emari Thomas (Fairview) 6
9. 11:52.35, Antonio Clements (Cobb) 6
10. 11:53.85, Jaxon Pelham (Montford) 8

2021 Leon County Schools Middle School Cross-Country Season Summary
Girls
Meet	Team Champ	Individual Champ
ARPXC (Story) 26 August 2021	Deerlake, 18	12:37, Chloe Molen (Deerlake ) 6
Fort Braden (Story) 2 September 2021	Deerlake, 25	12:54, London Mellen (Deerlake) 8
Mustang (Story) 7 September 2021	Deerlake, 22	11:55, Abbey Griffin (Deerlake ) 8
Everhart (Story) 15 September 2021	Deerlake, 27	12:07, Annabelle Wiktorski (Montford) 7
Falcon (Story) 23 September 2021	Deerlake, 21	12:07, Abbey Griffin (Deerlake) 8
SportsPlex (Story) 1 October 2021	Deerlake, 25	12:13, Abbey Griffin (Deerlake) 8
Championship (Story) 7 October 2021	Deerlake, 23	11:58, Annabelle Wiktorski (Montford) 7
Boys
Meet	Team Champ	Individual Champ
ARPXC (Story) 26 August 2021	Deerlake, 49	11:28, Jonathan Kiros (Deerlake ) 7
Fort Braden (Story) 2 September 2021	Swift Creek, 60	11:29, Asa Swope (Swift Creek) 8
Mustang (Story) 7 September 2021	Montford, 45	11:02, Asa Swope (Swift Creek ) 8
Everhart (Story) 15 September 2021	Montford, 35	11:10, Jonathan Kiros (Deerlake) 7
Falcon (Story) 23 September 2021	Montford, 47	11:05, Asa Swope (Swift Creek) 8
SportsPlex (Story) 1 October 2021	Montford, 39	11:10, Asa Swope (Swift Creek) 8
Championship (Story) 7 October 2021	Swift Creek, 44	10:46, Jonathan Kiros (Deerlake) 7

Leon County Schools Middle School Cross-Country Championships Apalachee Regional Park, 2010 - 2021
Girls
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
6 October 2010	Raa, 32	13:34, Rebecca Clendinen (Raa) 8
28 September 2011	Swift Creek, 31	13:24, Zoe Sheldon (Swift Creek) 7
26 September 2012	Swift Creek, 36	12:49, Audrey Dogan (Raa) 8
2 October 2013	Swift Creek, 43	13:00, Ana Wallace (Deerlake) 8
1 October 2014	Deerlake, 36	12:12, Lawton Campbell (Deerlake) 8
7 October 2015	Swift Creek, 35	12:08, Emily Molen (Deerlake) 8
5 October 2016	Montford, 44	13:33, Paige Churchill (Swift Creek) 6
4 October 2017	Swift Creek, 27	13:14, Paige Churchill (Swift Creek) 7
4 October 2018	Swift Creek, 28	12:04, Paige Churchill (Swift Creek) 8
3 October 2019	Deerlake, 36	12:17, Kyra Swart (Deerlake) 6
28 October 2020	Deerlake, 27	12:22, Sophia Youngberg (Montford) 8
7 October 2021	Deerlake, 23	11:58, Annabelle Wiktorski (Montford) 7
Boys
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
6 October 2010	Raa, 24	11:35, Wil Luca (Raa) 8
28 September 2011	Raa, 58	11:42, Evan Francis (Raa) 8
26 September 2012	Montford, 56	11:49, Matthew Cashin (Raa) 8
2 October 2013	Montford, 37	11:19, Jacob Dodson (Raa) 8
1 October 2014	Fairview, 44	11:59, Tavaris King (Griffin) 8
7 October 2015	Montford, 50	11:34, Nile Bryant (Raa) 8
5 October 2016	Swift Creek, 44	11:38, Weston Blake (Swift Creek) 8
4 October 2017	Deerlake, 50	11:31, Ben Kirbo (Montford) 8
4 October 2018	Deerlake, 38	10:07, Wyatt Townsend (Deerlake) 8
3 October 2019	Fairview, 33	10:08, Patrick Koon (Fairview) 8
28 October 2020	+	+
7 October 2021	Swift Creek, 44	10:46, Jonathan Kiros (Deerlake) 7
Note: LCS held middle-school cross-country championships before 2010. This table summarizes the history of the championship at ARPXC.

Links

• Complete results of Leon County Schools' 2021 Middle School Cross Country Championships
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSTGjiQnLv8uTPw2u0wziselvIZAVCviENlV_s536b-6wPekG2lMqgMWGVLJP6Une1bfKUVCz667bKv/pubhtml
  
  
• More photos of the 2021 Leon County Schools Middle School Cross Country Championships
  
  • Girls: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10118443498353303
  • Boys: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10118464642480303
  
  
• The 2021 LCS middle school cross-country season
  
  • ARPXC Invitational https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/08/swift-creek-2021.html
    
  • Fort Braden Run https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/09/fort-braden-2021.html
    
  • Mustang Stampede https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/09/mustang-2021.html
    
  • Everhart Invitational https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/09/owl-run-2021.html
    
  • Falcon Invitational https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/09/falcon-2021.html
    
  • Mabry Invitational https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/10/mabry-2021.html
    
  • LCS Championship https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/09/lcs-champs-2021.html
    
  
  
• Leon County Schools' 2021 middle school cross country schedule
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/08/lcs-xc-2021.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Patrick Koon and Kyra Swart lead their teams to Leon County Schools cross-country titles”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/10/lcs-champs-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Paige Churchill and Wyatt Townsend close their middle school cross-country careers with wins”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/10/lcs-champs-2018.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Swift Creek boys and Montford girls take the Leon County Schools cross-country championship”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/10/lcs-champs-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Emily Molen and Nile Bryant grab 2015 LCS Cross Country titles”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/10/lcs-champs-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Deerlake girls stun Swift Creek, Fairview boys win first title”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/10/lcs-champs-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Jacob Dodson and Ana Wallace race to 2013 LCS XC titles”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/10/lcs-champs-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Swift Creek girls and Montford boys end season as champions”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/09/lcs-champs-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 girls' story, “Sheldon leads Swift Creek to victory in the 2011 LCS Meet”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/09/lcs-ms-girls-2011.html
  
  
• 2011 boys' story, “Francis goes 4-0 while Raa boys win when it counts”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/09/lcs-ms-boys-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Clendinen and Luca lead Raa to LCS Titles”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/10/lcs-champs-2010.html
  
  
• Even more upcoming distance races in the Tallahassee region
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2785

Annabelle Wiktorski and Jonathan Kiros rule at the Everhart Invitational

After skipping 2020, Tallahassee, Florida's oldest middle school cross-country meet was back on the schedule on Wednesday morning, 15 September 2021. Annabelle Wiktorski, a Montford seventh-grader, won the girls' 3K race in 12:07, while the Deerlake girls scored 27 points to take first in the team standings. In the boys' 3K, Deerlake seventh-grader Jonathan Kiros threw down a winning 11:10. The Montford boys took the team title with 35 points.

Annabelle Wiktorski

The grounds of Everhart School aren't expansive enough for a three-kilometer course, and the school is surrounded by suburban development, so a good bit of the racing at the Everhart Invitational is on nearby streets. The course also includes as much of the school property as possible, including the bus ramp. Unfortunately, three vehicles were navigating the bus ramp when the girls came through during the first 500 meters of their race.


"They let a car onto the course and I had to run farther to go around it, then work hard to catch up with her," said Annabelle Wiktorski, indicating her Montford teammate Andi Vilardo. "London ran into a tree."

Top Ten Girls

London Mellen, a Deerlake eighth-grader, recovered from her encounter with a live oak soon enough to lead the field around the school yard. By the time the race had left Everhart for the streets, Wiktorski had moved into second. At 1600 meters the Montford seventh-grader was just off Mellen's shoulder. Overtaking Mellen late in the second kilometer, Wiktorski started to open a gap. Another Deerlake eighth-grader, Abbey Griffin, passed Mellen on the way back to the school, but no one caught Wiktorski. Maintaining her lead, she crossed the finish line in a winning 12:07. Griffin took the runner-up spot in 12:13. Mellen was third in 12:30, and Vilardo fourth in 12:32.


"It was not the most difficult course I've run, but it wasn't easy," said Wiktorski after the race. "I did get a new PR today. I usually run better in the morning."

Deerlake Girls

Deerlake ended up with six runners in the top ten; Griffin and Mellen were the first two. The remaining Deerlake scorers were sixth-grader Chloe Molen (6th, 12:41), seventh-grader Kaia Ables (7th, 12:46), and sixth-grader Honesty Daniel (9th, 13:15). Those five gave the Bucks a mathematically unbeatable 27 points and the first-place team trophy. It was the fourth win in four appearances for the Deerlake girs, who have a five-meet winning streak in Leon County Schools cross-country going back to the 2020 season.


Wiktorski's Montford Mustangs were second with 34 points. Raa, led by eighth-grader Kennedy Bell (11th, 13:42) edged Cobb for third, 98 to 103. Eight schools had teams in the race.


2021 Everhart Invitational Team Standings, Girls

1. Deerlake, 27
2. Montford, 34
3. Raa, 98
4. Cobb, 103
5. Swift Creek, 122
6. Fairview, 154
7. Nims, 214
8. Griffin, 236
9. Fort Braden, NTS

Top Ten Girls, 2021 Everhart Invitational

1. 12:06.20, Annabelle Wiktorski (Montford) 7
2. 12:12.45, Abbey Griffin (Deerlake) 8
3. 12:29.75, London Mellen (Deerlake) 8
4. 12:31.16, Andi Vilardo (Montford) 7
5. 12:33.49, Savannah Stanley (Montford) 7
6. 12:40.01, Chloe Molen (Deerlake) 6
7. 12:45.94, Kaia Ables (Deerlake) 7
8. 13:01.34, Haley Heitmeyer (Montford) 7
9. 13:14.70, Honesty Daniel (Deerlake) 6
10. 13:17.59, Madeline Morris (Deerlake) 8

Between the streets and the bus ramps, there is a lot of pavement on the three-kilometer course at the Everhart Invitational, certainly more than you'd typically expect in cross-country running. For some people, that's not a bad thing.


"I actually really loved it," said Jonathan Kiros. "I run well on the roads."

Jonathan Kiros

The seventh-grader certainly ran well at the Everhart Invitational. In the three previous meets of Leon County Schools' middle school cross-country season, the boys' 3K was a duel between Kiros and Swift Creek's Asa Swope, with Kiros winning the ARPXC Invitational and Swope winning at the Fort Braden Run and the Mustang Stampede. But Swope wasn't at the Everhart Invitational.


"I could go out harder knowing that Asa wasn't in the race," said Kiros.

Top Ten Boys

Kiros did go out harder. He was already in front of the field coming off the bus ramp, half a kilometer into the race. Swift Creek eighth-grader Kingsley Knispel, Fairview seventh-grader Jack Koon, and Montford seventh-grader Gavin Poucher were the closest athletes to Kiros as the race left the school, but no one was able to challenge the Deerlake seventh-grader. Kiros just kept widening the gap, ultimately winning by nearly 150 meters in 11:10. Knispel took second in 11:42. Koon stuck with Knispel for most of the race, but eventually fell back and was overtaken by Poucher, who placed third in 11:49. Koon held off a late charge by Montford eighth-grader Matthew Hauser to take fourth in 11:58. Hauser was fifth in 11:59.


Montford's Poucher and Hauser were joined in the top ten by two more Mustangs--seventh-grader Parker Smith was seventh in 12:10 and eighth-grader Edward Bass placed ninth in 12:18. When Montford eighth-grader Jackson Beener finished eleventh in 12:24, the Mustangs had 35 points and first place in the boys' team standings.

Montford Boys

Kiros' Deerlake squad took second with 50 points. Close behind at 55 points, Koon and the Fairview Falcons placed third--Fairview's best showing as a team this season at a Leon County Schools meet. Nine schools fielded boys' teams.


Fairview hosts the next Leon County Schools middle school cross-country event--the Falcon Invitational at the North Florida Fairgrounds on Thursday, 23 September 2021. The season continues at the Florida State University Recreation SportPlex on Friday, 1 October 2021, with the Mabry Invitational. Competition concludes on Thursday, 7 October 2021, with the League Championship Meet at Apalachee Regional Park.


2021 Everhart Invitational Team Standings, Boys

1. Montford, 35
2. Deerlake, 50
3. Fairview, 55
4. Swift Creek, 95
5. Cobb, 143
6. Raa, 178
7. Fort Braden, 201
8. Nims, 242
9. Griffin, 257
10. Woodville, NTS

Top Ten Boys, 2021 Everhart Invitational

1. 11:09.08, Jonathan Kiros (Deerlake) 7
2. 11:41.27, Kingsley Knispel (Swift Creek) 8
3. 11:48.59, Gavin Poucher (Montford) 7
4. 11:57.51, Jack Koon (Fairview) 7
5. 11:58.98, Matthew Hauser (Montford) 8
6. 11:59.88, Antonio Clements (Cobb) 6
7. 12:09.63, Parker Smith (Montford) 7
8. 12:10.30, Emari Thomas (Fairview) 6
9. 12:17.79, Edward Bass (Montford) 8
10. 12:20.40, Hagen Perdue (Deerlake) 7

Everhart Invitational Champions, 1988 - 2021
Date	Boys	Girls
15 September 2021	Jonathan Kiros (Deerlake) 11:10	Annabelle Wiktorski (Montford 12:07
12 September 2019	Patrick Koon (Fairview) 10:12	Skye Williams (Montford) 12:29
13 September 2018	Wyatt Townsend (Deerlake) 10:46	Maya Tang (Deerlake) 12:16
21 September 2017	Ben Kirbo (Montford) 11:41	Paige Churchill (Swift Creek) 13:45
22 September 2016	Weston Blake (Swift Creek) 11:47	Amaya Jones (Raa) 13:51
17 September 2015	Spencer Amsellem (Deerlake) 12:17	Emily Molen (Deerlake) 12:16
18 September 2014	Tavaris King (Griffin) 12:04	Lawton Campbell (Deerlake) 12:41
19 September 2013	Jacob Dodson (Raa) 11:46	Ana Wallace (Deerlake) 13:13
20 September 2012	Matthew Cashin (Raa) 12:01	Saige Kemeny (Montford) 13:19
22 September 2011	Evan Francis (Raa) 11:56	Zoe Sheldon (Swift Creek) 13:43
30 September 2010	Wil Luca (Raa) 11:41	Rebecca Clendinen (Raa) 13:57
1 October 2009	Cade Zimmerman (Deerlake) 11:33	Cece Williams (Deerlake) 13:26
25 September 2008	Will Henderson (Raa) 11:42	Cece Williams (Deerlake) 11:56
27 September 2007	Will Henderson (Raa) 12:11	Carly Thomas (Raa) 12:27
28 September 2006	Will Stanford (Raa) 10:59	Summer Shepherd (Raa) 12:59
29 September 2005	Kurt Dietrich (Swift Creek) 12:07	Jana Stolting (Deerlake) 13:26
30 September 2004	Graham Hawkes (Cobb) 11:51	Mallory Alonzo (Raa) 14:01
2 October 2003	Joe Franklin (Griffin) 11:38	Charlotte Murrell (Cobb) 14:17
3 October 2002	Bryan Miletich (Deerlake) 11:51	Julia Bryant (Deerlake) 14:06
4 October 2001	Kevin Bryant (Raa) 12:33	Karen Devick (Raa) 13:58
4 October 2000	Danny Sass (Deerlake) 13:04	LaShaunta Arnold (Fairview) 14:50
1 October 1999	Logan Wolcott (Raa) 12:52	LaShaunta Arnold (Fairview) 14:30
13 October 1998	Matt Varn (Swift Creek) 12:31	Allie Hunter (Swift Creek) 14:27
1997	Anthony Washington (Bellevue) 12:26	Allie Hunter (Swift Creek) 15:00
1996
6 October 1995	Bryan Hendricks (Cobb) 8:15*	Meredith Warren (Raa) 10:36*
6 October 1994	Kevin Anderson (Deerlake) 8:10*	Meredith Warren (Raa) 9:56*
20 October 1993
20 October 1992	Mark Roehl (Raa) 8:40*	Brianne Pla (Cobb) 9:33*
22 October 1991	Michael Rodriguez (Raa) 8:38*	Holly Skinner (Cobb) 10:15*
10 October 1990	Tim Bolton (Cobb) 8:44*	Christy Weinberger(Bellevue)10:17*
24 May 1990	Wayne McDaniel (Raa) 6:58†	Cynthia Costin (Griffin) 8:06†
23 May 1989	Wayne McDaniel (Raa) 7:09†	Tonia Jackson (Nims) 8:13†
10 May 1988	Bobby Jessup (Griffin) †	Tonia Jackson (Raa) †
* 1-1/2 mile race at Gretchen Everhart School † 2 km race at Florida State University

Links

• Complete results, 2021 Everhart Invitational Middle School Cross-Country Meet
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSpjIp5W95wEIoHjBV4hygYR2A-SivNyg6WZAVW4RK8RfkxDY8T4kFlYyrPQOJnJiSckhaaWYm4nNP9/pubhtml
  
  
• More Trouble Afoot! photos of the 2021 Everhart Invitational Middle School Cross-Country Meet
  
  • Girls' 3K: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10118367768895743
    
  • Boys' 3K: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10118369056520333
    
  
  
• The 2021 LCS middle school cross-country season
  
  • ARPXC Invitational https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/08/swift-creek-2021.html
    
  • Fort Braden Run https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/09/fort-braden-2021.html
    
  • Mustang Stampede https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/09/mustang-2021.html
    
  • Everhart Invitational https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/09/owl-run-2021.html
    
  • Falcon Invitational [ Coming on 23 September 2021 ]
    
  • Mabry Invitational [ Coming on 1 October 2021 ]
    
  • LCS Championship [ Coming on 7 October 2021 ]
    
  
  
• Leon County Schools' 2021 middle school cross country schedule
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2021/08/lcs-xc-2021.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Skye Williams and Patrick Koon just keep winning at the Everhart Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/09/owl-run-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Maya Tang and Wyatt Townsend excel at Everhart”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/09/owl-run-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Paige Churchill and Ben Kirbo get their first Everhart Invitational wins”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/09/owl-run-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Homestretch sprints pay off for Amaya Jones and Wes Blake at Everhart”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/09/owl-run-2016.html
  
  
• 2015 story, “Emily Molen runs faster than everyone at the Everhart Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2015/09/owl-run-2015.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Tavaris King and Lawton Campbell can't be caught at Everhart”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/09/owl-run-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Dodson and Wallace win at Everhart; Swift Creek sweeps the team titles”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/09/owl-run-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, “Owl Run is almost all-Montford”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/09/owl-run-2012.html
  
  
• 2011 story, “Nothing damp about Sheldon and Francis's Owl Run victories”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2011/09/owl-run-2011.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “Luca and Clendinen conquer the Owl Run”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/09/owl-run-2010.html
  
  
• Get out and run! Find a nearby race on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2776

The Wakulla girls and the Chiles boys split the team titles at the Panther Invitational

Southwood is only a corner of Tallahassee, Florida, but it has two high schools, and each of those schools hosts an invitational cross-country meet--the Florida State University School Invitational and Saint John Paul II Catholic High School's Panther Invitational. The sixth annual Panther Invitational was Saturday morning, 11 September 2021, and opened with Niya Coleman, a Florida State University School junior, winning the high school girls' 5K in 20:55. The Wakulla High girls took the team title in that race, scoring a mathematically unbeatable 26 points. The Chiles boys scored 23 points to win their race, led by the first place finish of Chiles senior Ben Kirbo.

Niya Coleman

Coleman had been Southwood's first meet in 2021, the FSUS Invitational. She had placed fourth in her race that day, finishing behind Liliana Lewis and Clara Alford. This time Coleman was over the line first, finishing ahead of both Wakulla runners. Chiles senior Kelly Davis was second in 21:27, and Wakulla frosh Isabella Laughton placed third in 21:30. Alford finished fourth in 21:35 and Lewis fifth in 21:50.


Wakulla also grabbed sixth when senior Marina Whitsell followed Lewis across the line in 21:50. Wakulla's fifth scorer was sophomore Taylor Pfeifer, eighth in 22:37. Once Pfeifer was home, the Wakulla girls had 26 points and first place.


Led by Davis, Chiles placed second with 66 points. FSUS and Niya Coleman put up 96 points, placing third.


John Paul II Catholic's 2021 Panther Invitational Team Standings, High School Girls

1. Wakulla, 26
2. Chiles, 66
3. Florida State, 96
4. Community Christian, 107
5. Maclay, 131
6. Lincoln, 140
7. Valdosta, 159

Top Ten High School Girls, John Paul II Catholic's 2021 Panther Invitational

1. 20:54.21, Niya Coleman (Florida State) 11
2. 21:26.01, Kelly Davis (Chiles) 12
3. 21:29.41, Isabella Laughton (Wakulla) 9
4. 21:34.29, Clara Alford (Wakulla) 12
5. 21:35.82, Liliana Lewis (Wakulla) 10
6. 21:49.15, Marina Whitsell (Wakulla) 12
7. 22:31.60, Teresa Meli (Community Christian) 11
8. 22:36.69, Taylor Pfeifer (Wakulla) 10
9. 22:44.72, Caroline Couch (Maclay) 8
10. 22:51.25, Leah Keller (Florida State) 10

There were a lot of Chiles uniforms at the front of the high school boys' 5K. After Ben Kirbo of Chiles had crossed the finish line in a winning 17:09, Chiles junior Wyatt Townsend took the runner-up spot in 17:14. Chiles senior Filippo Reina came home third in 17:44.


The remaining two scorers for Chiles also finished in the top ten--senior Tyler Canavan was eighth in 19:18 and junior Owen Franklin was ninth in 19:21. In cross-country, it's impossible to beat a score of 27 points or better, and the Chiles boys had 23, giving them the win.


Wakulla was second with 72 points behind their ace Jaden Callaghan (7th, 18:57), a junior. Valdosta, led by senior Parker Jackson (4th, 17:56), was third with 79 points.


John Paul II Catholic's 2021 Panther Invitational Team Standings, High School Boys

1. Chiles, 23
2. Wakulla, 72
3. Valdosta, 79
4. Maclay, 115
5. Community Christian, 159
6. Florida State, 163
7. Leon, 169
8. Rickards, 184
9. Saint John Paul II Catholic, 242
10. Lincoln, 265

Top Ten High School Boys, John Paul II Catholic's 2021 Panther Invitational

1. 17:08.02, Ben Kirbo (Chiles) 12
2. 17:13.98, Wyatt Townsend (Chiles) 11
3. 17:43.11, Filippo Reina (Chiles) 12
4. 17:55.74, Parker Jackson (Valdosta) 12
5. 18:46.55, Lucas Mauch (Maclay) 11
6. 18:46.91, Burnis Williams (Valdosta) 11
7. 18:56.18, Jaden Callaghan (Wakulla) 11
8. 19:17.04, Tyler Canavan (Chiles) 12
9. 19:20.51, Owen Franklin (Chiles) 11
10. 19:23.04, Kent Grayson (Brookwood) 9

On weekdays during the 2021 cross-country season, Montford seventh-grader Annabelle Wiktorski races for her school, but on Saturdays she races for the Red Hills Running Club. So on Tuesday, 7 September 2021, Wiktorski placed second in the girls' 3K at the Mustang Stampede Middle School Cross-Country Meet, wearing a Montford uniform. On Saturday, 11 September 2021, she was wearing Red Hills colors when she won the middle school girls' 3K at the Panther Invitational, running 13:02. Fifth-grader Charlotte Sikes, also competing for Red Hills, was a close second in 13:04. FSUS seventh-grader Leah Boutwell was third in 13:32.


Red Hills had three more athletes in the top ten--Seventh-grader Savannah Stanley was fifth in 13:40, eighth-grader Madeline Morris was sixth in 14:02, and seventh-grader Haley Heitmeyer was seventh in 14:04. Once the fifth Red Hills girl finished, the team had 21 points and first place.


Maclay was second with 54 points, led by the eighth-place, 14:16 performance of seventh-grader Ellie Mazziotta. Trinity Catholic took third with 91 points; the top Trinity runner was sixth-grader Genevieve Gillespie, fourteenth in 15:24.


John Paul II Catholic's 2021 Panther Invitational Team Standings, Middle School Girls

1. Red Hills Running Club, 21
2. Maclay, 54
3. Trinity Catholic, 91
4. Florida State, 97
5. Community Leadership, 117
6. Riversprings, 139
7. Cornerstone, 169
8. Wakulla, 173

Top Ten Middle School Girls, John Paul II Catholic's 2021 Panther Invitational

1. 13:01.82, Annabelle Wiktorski (Red Hills Running Club) 7
2. 13:03.96, Charlotte Sikes (Red Hills Running Club) 5
3. 13:31.86, Leah Boutwell (Florida State) 7
4. 13:40.08, Ryleigh Gunter (Florida State) 8
5. 13:59.85, Savannah Stanley (Red Hills Running Club) 7
6. 14:01.28, Madeline Morris (Red Hills Running Club) 8
7. 14:03.36, Haley Heitmeyer (Red Hills Running Club) 7
8. 14:15.52, Ellie Mazziotta (Maclay) 7
9. 14:21.20, Lilly Bell (Maclay) 7
10. 14:59.59, Mae Deison (Maclay) 8

Like Wiktorski, Deerlake seventh-grader Jonathan Kiros had also been a runner-up at the Mustang Stampede, finishing second in the boys' 3K. And like Wiktorski, Kiros was a winner at the Panther Invitational. Competing for Red Hills, Kiros threw down a 12:00 in the middle school boys' 3K, taking first. Mark Moore, a Trinity Catholic eighth-grader, was second in 12:07. A step behind him, Trinity Catholic sixth-grader James Mogg finished third in 12:08.


The Maclay boys won the team title with a winning score of 54. Contributing to that total were sixth-graders Logan Phipps (7th, 12:50) and Peter Fernandez (11th, 13:11), together with seventh-graders David Burton (12th, 13:14), Connor Thumm (13th, 13:14), and Max Colon (22nd, 1:16). Trinity Catholic was a close second with 59 points. Marianna placed third with 69 points. Marianna first runner was seventh-grader Maxwell Wester, eighth in 13:00.


John Paul II Catholic's 2021 Panther Invitational Team Standings, Middle School Boys

1. Maclay, 54
2. Trinity Catholic, 59
3. Marianna, 69
4. Holy Comforter Episcopal, 87
5. Red Hills Running Club, 102
6. Valdosta, 166
7. Cornerstone, 195
8. Christ Classical, 195

Top Ten Middle School Boys, John Paul II Catholic's 2021 Panther Invitational

1. 11:59.98, Jonathan Kiros (Red Hills Running Club) 7
2. 12:06.88, Mark Moore (Trinity Catholic) 8
3. 12:07.82, James Mogg (Trinity Catholic) 6
4. 12:25.95, Gavin Poucher (Red Hills Running Club) 7
5. 12:27.21, Henry Lewis (Unattached) 8
6. 12:36.69, Luke Springer (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 8
7. 12:49.43, Logan Phipps (Maclay) 6
8. 12:59.64, Maxwell Wester (Marianna) 7
9. 13:01.80, Yoshi Hutt (Florida State) 8
10. 13:04.78, Trent Parsons (Red Hills Running Club) 7

Panther Invitational Cross-Country Meet Winners, 2016 - 2021
High School Boys
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
9 September 2016	Lincoln, 38	18:18, Gatlin Nennstiel (Aucilla Christian) 12
23 September 2017	Wakulla, 15	18:17, Chris Porter (Wakulla) 11
8 September 2018	Maclay, 19	17:30, Junious Brown IV (Maclay) 11
7 September 2019	Community Christian, 47	18:00, David A. Keen (North Florida Christian) 12
12 September 2020	Maclay, 23	17:32, Jackson Yarbrough (Maclay) 11
11 September 2021	Chiles, 23	17:09, Ben Kirbo (Chiles) 12
High School Girls
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
9 September 2016	Florida State, 41	21:52, Gianna Forte (Bishop Snyder) 10
23 September 2017	Community Christian, 29	22:31, Alyssa Langston (Wakulla) 11
8 September 2018	Maclay, 21	21:49, Ella Porcher (Maclay) 8
7 September 2019	South Walton, 17	21:10, Ava Flaherty (South Walton) 10
12 September 2020	Wakulla, 37	21:30, Morgan Wilson (Community Christian) 11
11 September 2021	Wakulla, 26	20:55, Niya Coleman (Florida State) 11

Links

• Complete results of John Paul II Catholic's 2021 Panther Invitational from Miles & Minutes, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vR4G6nzBVCvliv5w-SfNK_orLD8NOUUODedUAc3hCJ9cQzCMp2fukKiJtpBfdmzHylrUgF7DmiDxuZg/pubhtml
  
  
• 2020 story, “The engines were purring for Morgan Wilson and Jackson Yarbrough at the Panther Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2020/09/panther-xc-2020.html
  
  
• 2019 story, “Ava Flaherty and David Keen were top cats at the Panther Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/09/panther-xc-2019.html
  
  
• 2018 story, “Junious Brown and Ella Porcher lead a Maclay sweep of the Panther Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/09/panther-xc-2018.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “The Wakulla boys and the Community Christian girls prevail at the Panther Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/09/panther-xc-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Seminoles and Trojans triumph at the Panther Cross Country Invitational”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/09/panther-xc-2016.html
  
  
• 2018 Tallahassee Area Cross Country Schedule
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2018/07/tallahassee-xc-2018.html
  
  
• Upcoming cross country, road, trail, and track races in the Tallahassee region via Trouble Afoot!
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#2774

Kelly Davis and Wyatt Townsend win their duels at Dueling Summits

An early-season staple of high school cross-country in Tallahasse, Florida from 2006 to 2019, the annual Dueling Summits Meet was absent from the schedule in 2020, a casualty of COVID-19. But the fixture returned to Phipps Park on Saturday morning, 28 August 2021, drawing over 500 athletes in five races. Chiles senior Kelly Davis took first in the high school girls' 5K with a 21:23, but it was the Wakulla girls who nabbed the team title, scoring 25 points. Wyatt Townsend, a Chiles junior, won the high school boys' 5K in 16:32, leading the Timberwolves to first in the team standings with 20 points.

Kelly Davis

The Phipps Park hills, the "Summits" in the meet's name, hadn't become any less steep during the hiatus since the 2019 event. On the other hand, they hadn't grown any more steep, either. Kelly Davis, meanwhile, had gotten tougher. Davis had run 23:02 in the 2019 Duelling Summits; in 2021 she raced nearly two minutes faster than her sophomore mark, recording a winning 21:23. Another Chiles senior, Ella Hodges, had run 23:23 in the 2019 meet. Hodges improved that to 21:30 in 2021, finishing runner-up to Davis. Similarly, Wakulla senior Clara Alford, third in 22:05, had run 24:01 in 2019.


Wakulla frosh Isabella Laughton was fourth in 22:17 and Wakulla sophomore Liliana Lewis was fifth in 22:21. Wakulla's remaining two scorers also cracked the top ten--senior Marina Whitsell was seventh in 22:53 and sophomore Taylor Pfeifer was eighth in 23:07. With that, the Wakulla girls had 25 points and victory--their first Dueling Summits win in the history of the meet.

Chiles was second in the eleven-team field with 49 points. Lowndes took third with 64 points, led by junior Madison Parker. Parker was eleventh in 23:42.


Team Standings, High School Girls, 2021 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet

1. Wakulla, 25
2. Chiles, 49
3. Lowndes, 64
4. Community Christian, 133
5. Tift County, 140
6. Arnold, 160
7. Thomas County Central, 183
8. Maclay, 206
9. Brookwood, 245
10. Mosley, 284
11. Cairo, 317

Top Ten High School Girls, 2021 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet

1. 21:22.80, Kelly Davis (Chiles) 12
2. 21:29.80, Ella Hodges (Chiles) 12
3. 22:04.60, Clara Alford (Wakulla) 12
4. 22:16.20, Isabella Laughton (Wakulla) 9
5. 22:20.90, Liliana Lewis (Wakulla) 10
6. 22:42.40, Niya Coleman (Florida State University) 11
7. 22:53.00, Marina Whitsell (Wakulla) 12
8. 23:06.70, Taylor Pfeifer (Wakulla) 10
9. 23:14.50, Alyssa Cooper (Chiles) 12
10. 23:33.10, Teresa Meli (Community Christian) 11

Ben Kirbo and Wyatt Townsend have been racing against each other in cross-country for years, going back to at least their middle school days when Kirbo was on the team at Montford and Townsend at Deerlake. By the 2021 Dueling Summits meet, though, both were running for the same team, Chiles High, where Kirbo was a senior and Townsend the junior. Townsend may have been a year behind Kirbo in school, but at Dueling Summits he was nearly a hundred meters ahead of Kirbo in the high school boys' 5K, winning the race in 16:32. Kirbo placed second in 16:50. Another Chiles senior, Filippo Reina, took third in 17:26. Reina has also been racing Townsend and Kirbo since middle school.


The remaining Chiles scorers also cracked the top ten--Timberwolf sophomore Jackson Rowe was sixh in 17:50 and junior Owen Franklin was eighth in 18:22. The first five Timberwolves totaled a mathematically unbeatable 20 points, giving Chiles first place in the seventeen-team field. It was the fourth win in the last five Dueling Summits meets for the Chiles boys.


Traveling to Tallahassee from Valdosta, Georgia, Lowndes High took second with 57 points. Lowndes put two runners in the top ten, but the fastest of those was senior Matthew Herndon, fifth in 17:50. Wakulla came from the next county south to take third with 126 points. Wakulla's top runner was Jaden Callaghan, a junior, seventeenth in 19:25.


Team Standings, High School Boys, 2021 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet

1. Chiles, 20
2. Lowndes, 57
3. Wakulla, 126
4. Mosley, 176
5. Arnold, 178
6. Leon, 196
7. Florida, 219
8. Tift County, 224
9. Bainbridge, 240
10. Maclay, 282
11. Thomas County Central, 291
12. Rickards, 334
13. Cairo, 336
14. Brookwood, 338
15. St. John Paul II Catholic, 364
16. Marianna, 436
17. Grace Christian, 437

Top Ten High School Boys, 2021 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet

1. 16:31.60, Wyatt Townsend (Chiles) 11
2. 16:49.50, Ben Kirbo (Chiles) 12
3. 17:25.90, Filippo Reina (Chiles) 12
4. 17:43.50, Eddie Kepran (Arnold) 11
5. 17:49.50, Matthew Herndon (Lowndes) 12
6. 17:49.50, Jackson Rowe (Chiles) 10
7. 17:52.70, Eli Holbrook (Mosley) 12
8. 18:21.70, Owen Franklin (Chiles) 11
9. 18:36.60, Aaron Munger (Lowndes) 11
10. 18:53.90, Landon Watts (Bainbridge) 12

Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet High School Winners 2006 - 2021
Girls
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
16 September 2006	Maclay, 23	20:44, Laura Hempel (Rickards)
10 September 2007	Maclay, 18	20:36, Jana Stolting (Maclay)
15 September 2008	Maclay, 39	20:18, Jana Stolting (Maclay)
14 September 2009	Maclay, 43	21:05, Stefanie Kurgatt (Maclay)
2 October 2010	West Florida Tech, 27	19:23, Stefanie Kurgatt (Maclay)
8 October 2011	Lincoln, 49	21:16, Savana Osterbye (FSUS)
2012	No meet held in 2012
31 August 2013	Leon, 27	20:35, Madison Harris (Wakulla)
6 September 2014	Leon, 44	21:09, Haleigh Martin (Wakulla)
29 August 2015	Fort Walton Beach, 24	21:16, Caroline Willis (Maclay)
27 August 2016	Chiles, 40	18:47, Alyson Churchill (Lincoln)
26 August 2017	Chiles, 80	18:29, Elizabeth Funderburk (Colquitt County)
25 August 2018	Chiles, 27	19:42, Abigail Schrobilgen (Chiles) 12
24 August 2019	Chiles, 39	18:52, Alyson Churchill (Chiles) 12
28 August 2021	Wakulla, 25	21:23, Kelly Davis (Chiles) 12
Boys
Date	Team Champ	Individual Champ
16 September 2006	Lincoln, 42	16:56, Joseph Franklin (Godby)
10 September 2007	Maclay, 23	17:18, Whitney Strickland (NFCS)
15 September 2008	Niceville, 36	17:02, Whitney Strickland (NFCS)
14 September 2009	Maclay, 47	17:27, Patrick Swain (Maclay)
2 October 2010	Lincoln, 52	16:10, Jacob Slupecki (Lincoln)
8 October 2011	Lincoln, 63	16:55, Stanley Linton (Wakulla)
2012	No meet held in 2012
31 August 2013	Leon, 34	16:47, Sukhi Khosla (Leon)
6 September 2014	Leon, 15	16:42, Sukhi Khosla (Leon)
29 August 2015	Leon, 52	16:38, Adam Wallenfelsz (Leon)
27 August 2016	Chiles, 32	16:44, Michael Phillips (Chiles)
26 August 2017	Chiles, 23	16:42, Michael Phillips (Chiles)
25 August 2018	Chiles, 32	17:01, Connor Phillips (Chiles) 12
24 August 2019	Leon, 28	17:11, Jackson Yarbrough (Leon) 10
28 August 2021	Chiles, 20	16:32, Wyatt Townsend (Chiles) 11

Montford Middle School opened their cross-country season on Thursday, 26 August 2021, at the Apalachee Regional Park Cross-Country Invitational. Eighth-grader Annabelle Wiktorski raced with the Montford team that evening. Less than 48 hours later, Wiktorski had traded her Montford uniform for a Red Hills Running Club kit and was racing in the middle school girls' 3K at Dueling Summits. The change of colors didn't slow her down; Wiktorski won the Dueling Summits race in 12:21. Another Red Hills Runner, fifth-grader Charlotte Sikes, finished runner-up in 12:27. Sikes had won the middle school girls' race at the FSUS Invitational a week earlier. Andi Vilardo of Red Hills placed third in 12:45. Like Wiktorski, seventh-grader Vilardo had raced in the ARPXC Inivtational on Thursday, competing for Montford.


Haley Heitmeyer, another Montford seventh-grader competing for Red Hills, placed fourth in 13:04. Sixth-grader Chloe Molen, who had won the ARPXC Invitational for Deerlake, took fifth for Red Hills in 13:13. Having swept the top five, the Red Hills girls won the team title with a perfect score of 15.


Maclay seventh-grader Ellie Mazziotta was sixth in 13:15, leading her team to second place with 48 points. Trinity Catholic was third in the seven-team field with 102 points. Trinity's top runner was sixth-grader Danielle Sasso, nineteenth in 15:34.


Team Standings, Middle School Girls, 2021 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet

1. Red Hills Running Club, 15
2. Maclay, 48
3. Trinity Catholic, 102
4. Lowndes Runners, 110
5. Thomas County, 120
6. Cornerstone, 142
7. Whigham, 182

Top Ten Middle School Girls, 2021 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet

1. 12:20.60, Annabelle Wiktorski (Red Hills Running Club) 7
2. 12:26.40, Charlotte Sikes (Red Hills Running Club) 5
3. 12:44.20, Andi Vilardo (Red Hills Running Club) 7
4. 13:03.20, Haley Heitmeyer (Red Hills Running Club) 7
5. 13:12.90, Chloe Molen (Red Hills Running Club) 6
6. 13:14.30, Ellie Mazziotta (Maclay) 7
7. 13:17.60, Leah Boutwell (Florida State University) 7
8. 13:26.40, Savannah Stanley (Red Hills Running Club) 7
9. 13:37.60, Sarah Puckett (Lowndes Runners) 7
10. 14:01.70, Mae Deison (Maclay) 8

Bainbridge, Georgia's Grace Christian Academy didn't have a full middle school boys' team to Dueling Summits, but they did have Walker Elrod. The eighth-grader won the boys' 3K race by over half a minute, running 10:38. Wesley Warren, a seventh-grader from Brookwood in Thomasville, Georgia, outkicked Community Christian eighth-grader Luke Meli for second, 11:12 to 11:13.


Community Christian eighth-grader Charles Wilson also made it into the top ten for the Chargers, placing eighth in 11:52. Community Christian's remaining three scorers were eighth-grader Benjamin Reeves (15th, 12:17), sixth-grader Landon Reeves (29th, 12:57), and eighth-grader Jeremy Collier (35th, 12:21). That gave Community Christian 65 points and first place among thirteen teams of middle school boys.


Maclay was second with 90 points behind the Marauder seventh-grader David Barton, fourteenth in 12:17. Brookwood, led by Wesley Warren, scored 108 points for third.


Team Standings, Middle School Boys, 2021 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet

1. Community Christian, 65
2. Maclay, 90
3. Brookwood, 108
4. Trinity Catholic, 121
5. Holy Comforter Episcopal, 122
6. Thomas County, 144
7. Lowndes Runners, 175
8. Marianna, 189
9. Falcon Track Club, 208
10. Bainbridge, 257
11. Whigham, 288
12. Christ Classical, 305
13. Cornerstone, 320

Top Ten Middle School Boys, 2021 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet

1. 10:37.10, Walker Elrod (Grace Christian) 8
2. 11:11.70, Wesley Warren (Brookwood) 7
3. 11:12.80, Luke Meli (Community Christian) 8
4. 11:23.80, Henry Lewis (Unattached) 8
5. 11:38.50, Ethan Burnett (Valwood) 8
6. 11:43.00, Mark Moore (Trinity Catholic) 8
7. 11:45.10, James Mogg (Trinity Catholic) 6
8. 11:51.40, Charles Wilson (Community Christian) 8
9. 12:01.00, Randon Manausa (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 7
10. 12:03.50, Maxwell Wester (Marianna) 7

Links

• Complete results of the 2021 Dueling Summits Cross-Country Meet
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRtV45rqL7WaUNuYhSoy5BJjMF-fTk4SiEhsAYDUa5yJEMJLP5CoGKgYLI8k38zNkHE1JemG6MHf08Q/pubhtml
  
  
• 2019 story, “Jackson Yarbrough and Alyson Churchill were the winning duo at Dueling Summits”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2019/08/cougar-xc-2019.html
  
  
• 2017 story, “Chiles sweeps, Phillips repeats, and Funderburk sets a record at the Cougar Challenge”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2017/08/cougar-xc-2017.html
  
  
• 2016 story, “Alyson Churchill meets the Challenge, runs 18:47”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2016/08/cougar-xc-2016.html
  
  
• 2014 story, “Leon and Khosla repeat at Cougar Challenge”
  https://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/09/cougar-xc-2014.html
  
  
• 2013 story, “Harris and Khosla take on all challengers at the Challenge”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/09/cougar-xc-2013.html
  
  
• 2010 story, “The 2010 Cougar Challenge belongs to Kurgatt and Slupecki”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/10/cougar-xc-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, “Cougar Challenge opens cross-country season in Tallahassee”
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/09/cougar-challenge-opens-cross-country.html
  
  
• Choose an upcoming race in the region from the selection on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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