Milburn and Resavage light up Lawson's Course

The Tallahassee Middle School Open Championship was the last hurrah of the 2014 middle school cross country season in Florida's Capital City. The Holy Comforter Crusaders won the girls' team title, scoring 27 points on their home course in the 23 October 2014 meet. The Crusaders were led by Katherine Resavage, who won the 3K race in 11:28. In the following boys 3K it was all Maclay, with the Marauders putting up a winning score of 18 points while their ace, Clay Milburn, crushed the field with a 9:42.


Racing opened at 4:00 PM that afternoon on Lawson's Course with the middle school girls' 3K. Holy Comforter eighth-grader Katherine Resavage went to the front early, but Emily Molen of Deerlake wasn't far behind. Five days earlier, Molen had finished just a second behind Resavage in a two-mile race at the Aucilla Christian Warrior Cross Country Rampage. Resavage glanced back over her shoulder with a kilometer to go and saw that Molen was again keeping it close; only five seconds separated the the two runners.


Over the last kilometer, though, Resavage expanded that separation. She pulled steadily away from Molen, breaking the race open on her way to an 11:28 win and a new course record. Meanwhile, Maclay runners Kenzie Mazziotta and Lindsay James were gaining on Molen. Molen stayed ahead of them though to take second in 11:46. Mazziotta was third in 11:54 and James fourth in 11:56.


Jainey Coates took fifth for Maclay in 12:13, giving the Marauders a great start on their team score. But then came a big red wave of Crusaders, as Holy Comforter took the next nine places. Resavage, Ella Thames (6th, 12:23), Hannah Hosay (7th, 12:30), Avery Smith (8th, 12:36), and Emma McGibany (9th 13:03) totaled 27 points for Holy Comforter, a mathematically unbeatable score. Maclay was a close second with 32 points, and Cornerstone placed third with 83.


With the win, Resavage and the Crusaders are done racing till the Middle School State Championships in Lakeland on 1 November 2014.


Girls' Team Standings, 2014 Tallahassee Open Middle School XC Championship

1. Holy Comforter, 27
2. Maclay, 32
3. Cornerstone, 83
4. Christ Classical, 102

Top Ten Girls, 2014 Tallahassee Open Middle School XC Championship

1. 11:27.25 ~ Katherine Resavage (Holy Comforter) 8
2. 11:45.94 ~ Emily Molen (Unattached) 7
3. 11:53.72 ~ Kenzie Mazziotta (Maclay) 8
4. 11:55.14 ~ Lindsay James (Maclay) 6
5. 12:12.33 ~ Jainey Coates (Maclay) 9
6. 12:22.11 ~ Ella Thames (Holy Comforter) 8
7. 12:29.94 ~ Hannah Hosay (Holy Comforter) 7
8. 12:35.90 ~ Avery Smith (Holy Comforter) 7
9. 13:02.27 ~ Emma McGibany (Holy Comforter) 8
10. 13:06.57 ~ Elizabeth Calabro (Holy Comforter) 7

Five days before the Tallahassee Middle School Open Championship, Clay Milford had run two races at the Aucilla Christian Warrior Cross-Country Rampage. The Maclay eighth-grader had finished 13th in the high school boys's 5K, running 18:00. Less than two hours later he won the middle school boys' two-mile in 11:24. The meet at Holy Comforter would be comparatively easy for Milford; this time he only had to run one race.


Milford was leading early. James Ford of Holy Comforter and Johnny McClure of Maclay managed to stay close through the first half of the race, but then Milford ran away from them. With a kilometer to go Milford's lead was up to half a minute and growing. He rushed home in 9:41.83, a new course record and the fastest time in Florida so far this season. McClure overtook Ford during the second half to grab second in 10:36. Ford held off a late challenge from Maclay's Kennan Milford to take third, 10:45 to 10:48. Maclay added a fifth-place 10:56 finish from Max Eastman and a sixth-place 11:05 from Jay McDuffie to score a near-perfect 18 points, winning the team title. Holy Comforter was second with 48, and the Falcon Track Club was third with 72 points.


"I'm going to focus on the [Middle School] State Championship," said Milford. "There's a guy from Miami, from Belen Jesuit, who ran the same time that I did at Pre State."


That would be Rodrigo Madiedo of Belen Jesuit Prep. Both Milford and Madiedo ran 17:40 in the Pre State Meet at the FSU Invitational. Both are eighth graders. Both have qualified for the Middle School State Championship.


Middle school cross country may be over in Tallahassee, but outside the Capital City it's not over yet.


Boys' Team Standings, 2014 Tallahassee Open Middle School XC Championship

1. Maclay, 18
2. Holy Comforter, 48
3. Falcon Track Club, 72
4. Christ Classical, 114
5. Imagine, 150

Top Ten Boys, 2014 Tallahassee Open Middle School XC Championship

1. 9:41.83 ~ Clayburn Milford (Maclay) 8
2. 10:35.53 ~ Johnny McClure (Maclay) 7
3. 10:44.52 ~ James Ford (Holy Comforter) 8
4. 10:47.18 ~ Kennan Milford (Maclay) 6
5. 10:55.62 ~ Maxwell Eastman (Maclay) 8
6. 11:04.80 ~ Jay McDuffie (Maclay) 8
7. 11:09.80 ~ Alfredo Paredes (Maclay) 8
8. 11:17.51 ~ Alexander Gilliam (Falcon Track Club) 8
9. 11:18.76 ~ Bryce Valveri (Holy Comforter) 8
10. 11:20.32 ~ Joseph Ashebo (Holy Comforter) 7

Links

• Complete results of the 2014 Tallahassee Open Middle School XC Championship
  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vMM_CYGtw6yRGmTNj_ltfRTxQLC9lhPn-9IE8ZP8PBM/pub
  
  
• More photos of the 2014 Tallahassee Open Middle School XC Championship
  
  • MS Girls 3K: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105230040633493.1073742030.5215641&l=64bca443d1
    
  • MS Boys 3K: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105231865027393.1073742031.5215641&l=4a1a0b8f60
    
  
  
• A tour of the 3K route at Lawson's Course via TallahasseeTrails.com
  http://www.tallahasseetrails.com/Cross-Country-Course-Maps/Holy-Comforter-3Km-Course-Tour
  
  
• Find a cross-country race to run yourself on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1233

Ford and Resavage lead a Holy Comforter sweep of the Crusader Classic

The Holy Comforter Episcopal School cross-country team seldom lets visitors win at their home meets, and the Crusader Cross Country Classic on Thursday afternoon, 9 October 2014, was no exception. The Crusaders won everything there was to win, starting with Holy Comforter's Katherine Resavage taking the girls' three-kilometer race in 11:38 and leading her team to a winning score of 23 points. In the boys' 3K, Crusader James Ford grabbed a 10:57 win while his team scored a narrow 28 to 29 win over runner-up Maclay.


The girls race started at 4:00 PM on Lawson's Course, the cross-country paradise carved out of old cow pasture behind Holy Comforter Episcopal School. By the end of the first half a kilometer Katherine Resavage was out front with Catherine MacLean of Mowatt Middle School (Lynn Haven, FL) a few meters back. The rest of the field followed. Halfway through the race, Resavage was still running away from everyone. Mowatt continued to hold down second, followed by three Holy Comforter runners--Hannah Hosay, Elizabeth Calabro, and Emma McGibany. However, Maclay runners Lindsay James and Kenzie Mazziotta were moving up, challenging McGibany for fifth.


No one was moving up on Katherine Resavage, though. The Crusader eighth-grader successfully defended her 2013 title while setting a new girls' course record of 11:38. Finishing strong, Lindsay James of Maclay took second in 12:33 while her fellow Marauder Kenzie Mazziotta placed third in 12:36. The Crusaders answered by taking the next four places with Hannah Hosay (4th, 12:38), Elizabeth Calabro (5th, 12:51), Ella Thames (6th, 13:05), and Haley Hobbs (7th, 13:10). Catherine MacLean was eight in 13:16.


With five scorers in the top seven, Holy Comforter had a mathematically unbeatable score of 23 points and the win. Maclay was second with 44, and Cornerstone edged Trinity Catholic 93 to 95 for third.


2014 Crusader Classic Team Standings (Girls)

1. Holy Comforter, 23
2. Maclay, 44
3. Cornerstone Learning, 93
4. Trinity Catholic, 95
5. Christ Classical, 125

Top Ten Girls, 2014 Crusader Classic 3K

1. 11:37.90 ~ Katherine Resavage (Holy Comforter) 8
2. 12:32.04 ~ Lindsay James (Maclay) 6
3. 12:35.41 ~ Kenzie Mazziotta (Maclay) 8
4. 12:37.50 ~ Hannah Hosay (Holy Comforter) 7
5. 12:50.80 ~ Elizabeth Calabro (Holy Comforter) 7
6. 13:04.58 ~ Ella Thames (Holy Comforter) 8
7. 13:09.73 ~ Haley Hobbs (Holy Comforter) 8
8. 13:15.67 ~ Catherine MacLean (Mowat Middle School) 8
9. 13:18.65 ~ Jainey Coates (Maclay) 8
10. 13:30.16 ~ Emma McGibany (Holy Comforter) 8

Holy Comforter's James Ford didn't start off in front, but you don't win a 3000-meter race in the first 100 meters or even the first 500 meters. It was around the 500-meter mark that Ford took over the lead. Not much later, Johnny McClure of Maclay moved into second, a few meters back of Ford. Ford added a few more meters to that lead during the race, but McClure started to narrow the gap as the finish approached. The Maclay runner never got close enough to challenge, though, and Ford crossed the line first in 10:57, winning the race for a second year in a row. McClure was second in 11:03.


Holy Comforter's Bryce Valveri (4th, 11:20), Joseph Ashebo (6th, 11:29), and Trey Jackson (8th, 11:37) gave the Crusaders four runners in the top ten. However, Maclay also had four Marauders in the top ten--McClure, Kennan Milford (3rd, 11:15), Max Eastman (7th, 11:34), and Alfredo Paredes (9th, 11:38). Moving on to the fifth runners, Maclay's Thomas Deison grabbed 11th in 11:57 while Jackson Roberts of Holy Comforter was 12th in 12:16--a one point advantage for the Marauders. But the Marauders needed yet another point to catch the Crusaders as Holy Comforter won the boys' race 28 to 29. Trinity Catholic was third with 74 points.


Holy Comforter will host one more meet at Lawson's course this fall, the Tallahassee Middle School Open on Thursday afternoon, 23 October 2014. The first race starts at 3:30 PM.


2014 Crusader Classic Team Standings (Boys)

1. Holy Comforter, 28
2. Maclay, 29
3. Trinity Catholic, 74
4. Christ Classical, 110

Top Ten Boys, 2014 Crusader Classic 3K

1. 10:56.87 ~ James Ford (Holy Comforter) 8
2. 11:02.81 ~ Johnny McClure (Maclay) 7
3. 11:14.37 ~ Kennan Milford (Maclay) 6
4. 11:19.12 ~ Bryce Valveri (Holy Comforter) 8
5. 11:24.98 ~ Avery Whaley (Community Christian) 8
6. 11:28.49 ~ Joseph Ashebo (Holy Comforter) 7
7. 11:33.51 ~ Max Eastman (Maclay) 8
8. 11:36.21 ~ Trey Jackson (Holy Comforter) 7
9. 11:37.18 ~ Alfredo Paredes (Maclay) 8
10. 11:53.23 ~ Aidan Murtha (Trinity Catholic) 8

Links

• Complete results of the 2014 Crusader Cross-Country Classic, courtesy of Miles and Minutes, LLC
  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CpjuWUpGmzEr53jhFZeB_owthlwzQDoC5AL9e4HCvZI/pub
  
  
• More photos of the 2014 Crusader Cross-Country Classic
  
  • Girls: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105165572782583.1073742025.5215641&l=9cc9e4f45e
    
  • Boys: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105167286438403.1073742026.5215641&l=c1c549d5bb
    
  
  
• 2013 story, "Home wins for Ford and Resavage at the Crusader Classic"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2013/09/crusaders-2013.html
  
  
• 2012 story, "More wins at home for Holy Comforter cross country"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/10/crusaders-2-2012.html
  
  
• 2012 story, "McCann and Fitzgerald lead Holy Comforter victories at Crusader 3K"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/09/crusaders-2012.html
  
  
• 2009 story, "Poole, Bartlett victorious at Holy Comforter"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/10/poole-bartlett-victorious-at-holy.html
  
  
• A tour of the 3K route at Lawson's Course via TallahasseeTrails.com
  http://www.tallahasseetrails.com/Cross-Country-Course-Maps/Holy-Comforter-3Km-Course-Tour
  
  
• Find a cross-country race to run yourself on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1226

Lowndes harriers Rogers and Morse get wins at Quail Trail Invite

Call it the Thomasville High Invitational, or call it the Quail Trail Invitational, or cover all bases and call it the Thomasville High Quail Trail Invitational. The name keeps changing, but since 2009 it has been consistent that on the final Saturday of September, Thomasville High hosts a large cross-country meet at Pebble Hill Plantation, just south of Thomasville, Georgia. The course is also consistent, a mix of meadow and forest and magnolia-lined avenues and red clay hills. But isn't that a recipe for cross country?


After a community race, the sixth annual Invitational got started at 9:00 AM on Saturday morning, 27 September 2014, with the high school girls 5K. Lowndes High sophmore Mackenzie Morse won that race, running 20:39 to pick up her fourth win of the season. Lowndes also picked up second place, with frosh Makenzee Page running 21:27. Rebekah Smith, a junior from host school Thomasville, placed third in 21:56.


Having the first two runners wasn't enough to get Lowndes to the top of the team standings, though. Tift County answered with three runners in the top ten--sophomore Sloan Fletcher (4th, 22:48), junior Madison Honeycutt (8th, 23:12), and frosh Ashlee Golden (9th, 23:12). The next two Tift girls, seniors Blakeley Bergeron (11th, 23:37) and Sarah Willis (16th, 23:50), finished before Lowndes' fourth scorer, giving Tift 47 points and the team title. Lowndes was second with 69 points and Valdosta edged Thomasville for third in the 14-team field, 104 to 106.


Team Standings, High School Girls

1. Tift County, 47
2. Lowndes, 69
3. Valdosta, 104
4. Thomasville, 106
5. Lee County, 129
6. Berrien County, 144
7. Thomas County Central, 180
8. Bainbridge, 200
9. Pelham, 270
10. Worth County, 294
11. Early County, 311
12. Seminole County, 325
13. Cairo, 332
14. Baconton Charter, 348

Top Ten High School Girls, Quail Trail 5K

1. 20:38.72 ~ MacKenzie Morse (Lowndes) 10
2. 21:26.82 ~ Makenzee Page (Lowndes) 9
3. 21:55.34 ~ Rebekah Smith (Thomasville) 11
4. 22:47.80 ~ Sloan Fletcher (Tift County) 10
5. 22:51.49 ~ Monica Webb (Pelham) 10
6. 23:08.24 ~ Ansley Cain (Lee County) 10
7. 23:09.11 ~ Ramsay Miller (Lee County) 9
8. 23:11.05 ~ Madison Honeycutt (Tift County) 11
9. 23:11.32 ~ Ashlee Golden (Tift County) 9
10. 23:24.88 ~ Leah Michael (Valdosta) 12

In the next race, the Lowndes boys did the Lowndes girls one better by taking the first three places. Dylan Rogers won the race in 17:22, followed by runner-up Chance Roe in 17:30, with third-place occupied by Andrew Elam in 17:38. All three runners were Lowndes juniors. The first non-Lowndes runner in the race was Rickards junior Solomon Stevens. Up from Tallahassee, Florida, Stevens was fourth in 17:48. Rickards had three runners in the top ten, but once freshman Elijah Boyd (12th, 18:26) and junior Will Smith (13th, 18:27) came home for Lowndes, the team competition was over. Lowndes had 31 points, winning their first boys' team title ever at Quail Trail. Rickards went home to Tallahassee with second place, and Thomas County Central was third with 129.


A few of these teams will be back at Pebble Hill Plantation on Wednesday morning, 29 October 2014, when Thomasville High hosts the GHSA Region 1-2A championship meet.


Team Standings, High School Boys

1. Lowndes, 31
2. Rickards, 118
3. Thomas County Central, 129
4. Bainbridge, 138
5. Lee County, 143
6. Chiles, 163
7. Thomasville, 184
8. Valdosta, 200
9. Berrien County, 232
10. Tift County, 246
11. Cook, 352
12. Seminole County, 354
13. Cairo, 358
14. Pelham, 383
15. Baconton Charter, 393
16. Fitzgerald, 429
17. Albany, 478
18. Early County, 512
19. Worth County, 572

Top Ten High School Boys, Quail Trail 5K

1. 17:21.14 ~ Dylan Rogers (Lowndes) 11
2. 17:29.36 ~ Chance Roe (Lowndes) 11
3. 17:37.83 ~ Andrew Elam (Lowndes) 11
4. 17:47.57 ~ Solomon Stevens (Rickards) 11
5. 17:52.82 ~ Sam Gelabert (Thomas County Central) 11
6. 18:03.48 ~ Matthew Baun (Valdosta) 10
7. 18:12.57 ~ Abraham Grandison (Rickards) 12
8. 18:14.15 ~ Robert Grooms (Lee County) 11
9. 18:16.23 ~ Travet Witherspoon (Thomasville) 12
10. 18:21.48 ~ Evan Garrison (Rickards) 11

Katherine Resavage, an eighth-grader at Tallahassee private school powerhouse Holy Comforter, outran Tift County's Emily Golden 11:40 to 11:46 to win the middle school girls' 3K. Holy Comforter also put scorers Hannah Hosay (5th, 12:40), Elizabeth Calabro (7th, 12:45), and Ella Thames (8th, 12:50) in the top ten. When Holy Comforter's fifth runner, Emma McGibany, finished 12th in 13:06, the Crusaders had a winning score of 33 points. Tift was second with 86 points. Led by Kelsey Morse's ninth place 12:53, Valdosta's Viking Runners Club took third with 133 points.


Team Standings, Middle School Girls

1. Holy Comforter, 33
2. Tift, 86
3. Viking Runners Club, 133
4. Berrien County, 151
5. Lee County, 162
6. Bainbridge, 230
7. Cornerstone Learning, 236
8. Valdosta, 259
9. Cook, 261
10. Worth County, 261
11. MacIntyre Park, 267
12. Thomas County Central, 303
13. Christ Classical, 317
14. Seminole County, 318
15. Ben Hill, 344
16. Early County, 360
17. Whigham, 446

Top Ten Middle School Girls, Quail Trail 3K

1. 11:39.30 ~ Katherine Resavage (Holy Comforter) 8
2. 11:45.14 ~ Emily Golden (Tift) 7
3. 12:27.98 ~ Karen Garcia (Ben Hill) 8
4. 12:35.37 ~ Brianna Zupko (Worth County) 4
5. 12:39.92 ~ Hannah Hosay (Holy Comforter) 7
6. 12:41.95 ~ Caroline Vickers (Tift) 7
7. 12:44.82 ~ Elizabeth Calabro (Holy Comforter) 7
8. 12:49.37 ~ Ella Thames (Holy Comforter) 8
9. 12:52.96 ~ Kelsey Morse (Viking Runners Club) 6
10. 12:53.92 ~ Macy Williams (Seminole County) 7

2014 was the third year in the Quail Trail middle school boys' race for Bainbridge's Caleb Harris, It was the eighth-graders first Quail Trail win, though, as Harris blew away the field with a 10:35. It was his fifth win in five races this season, with earlier wins coming at the Pelham Hornet Invitational, the Cougar Challenge, the Lee County Invitational, and the Bearcat Invitational.


Behind Harris, Carson Locke of the Viking Runners Club was runner-up at 11:22, and Holy Comforter's Bryce Valveri edged Bryce Stephens of Tift for third, 11:29 to 11:30.


Seminole County's Aubry Johnson was the only runner on his team to break into the top ten, placing tenth in 11:49. But Seminole County also had Taylor Garrett (13th, 11:59), Logan Jones (21st, 12:20), Zane Widner (23rd, 12:21), and Payton Price (25th, 12:27). The five together gave Seminole County 92 points and the middle school boys' team title. Bainbridge was second in the 18-team field with 109 points, and Berrien County placed third with 116.


Team Standings, Middle School Boys

1. Seminole County, 92
2. Bainbridge, 109
3. Berrien County, 116
4. Holy Comforter, 130
5. Valdosta, 147
6. MacIntyre Park, 154
7. Lee County, 165
8. Viking Runners Club, 182
9. Tift, 242
10. Thomas County Central, 304
11. Worth County, 311
12. Cook, 317
13. Baconton Charter, 326
14. Ben Hill, 351
15. Early County, 359
16. Christ Classical, 410
17. St. John Catholic, 438
18. Whigham, 511

Top Ten Middle School Boys, Quail Trail 3K

1. 10:34.50 ~ Caleb Harris (Bainbridge) 8
2. 11:21.76 ~ Carson Locke (Viking Runners Club) 7
3. 11:28.87 ~ Bryce Valveri (Holy Comforter) 8
4. 11:29.17 ~ Bryce Stephens (Tift) 6
5. 11:34.39 ~ Joseph Ashebo (Holy Comforter) 7
6. 11:36.89 ~ Caleb Smith (Christ Classical) 8
7. 11:39.98 ~ Reese Fye (Lee County) 7
8. 11:42.08 ~ Nathan Smith (MacIntyre Park) 6
9. 11:45.86 ~ Ladarius Dumas (Berrien County) 7
10. 11:48.25 ~ Aubry Johnson (Seminole County) 8

Quail Trail Invitational team champions, 2009 - 2014
Date	Men	Women
26 September 2009	Maclay, 40 points	Maclay, 34 points
25 September 2010	Maclay, 40	Lowndes, 56
24 September 2011	Tift County, 66	Tift County, 29
29 September 2012	Maclay, 35	Lowndes, 36
28 September 2013	Bainbridge, 71	Thomas Country Central, 43
27 September 2014	Lowndes, 31	Tift County, 47

Quail Trail Invitational individual champions, 2009 - 2014
Date	Men	Women
26 September 2009	17:39, David Daniel (Thomasville) 12	18:43, Jana Stolting (Maclay) 12
25 September 2010	17:28, Hunter Honeycutt (Tift) 11	20:20, Stefanie Kurgatt (Maclay) 10
24 September 2011	16:59, Hunter Honeycutt (Tift) 12	22:35, Anna Lee Atwater (Tift) 10
29 September 2012	17:10, Travis Covert (Maclay) 12	20:26, Alison Peters (Lowndes) 11
28 September 2013	16:29, Chase Harris (Bainbridge) 11	20:33, Paige Braswell (Bainbridge) 12
27 September 2014	17:22, Dylan Rogers (Lowndes) 11	20:39, MacKenzie Morse (Lowndes) 10

Links

• Complete results of the 2014 Quail Trail Invitational Cross-Country Meet
  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YsrhBwr0oK4oUZ5uwsHZr06NA0R3ihob4_0WbVKLmWo/pub
  
  
• 2014 Quail Trail open 5K story, "Kelly and Elam tops on the trail at Quail Trail"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2014/09/quail-trail-open-2014.html
  
  
• 2010 story, "Tales from the Trail, the second annual Quail Trail"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2010/09/quail-trail-2010.html
  
  
• 2009 story, "Lost on the Quail Trail"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/09/lost-on-quail-trail.html
  
  
• Other upcoming races for Eagles, Quail, and other birds on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

#1224

Leon and Khosla repeat at Cougar Challenge

In George R. R. Martin's novel A Game of Thrones and its sequels, the sigil of House Lannister is a lion, and the family motto is "Hear Me Roar!" That could very well have been the motto of the Lions of Leon High at the Cougar Cross-Country Challenge on Saturday morning, 6 September 2014. Those distance-running Lions successfully defended their team titles in the high school girls' 5K and the high school boys' 5K, while Leon's ace, senior Sukhi Khosla, won the individual championship in the boys' race for a second year in a row.


Rawr!


As in years before, Tallahassee's 2014 high school cross-country season opened at Phipps Park with the Cougar Challenge. Competition started at 8:00 AM with the high school girls' race. Sophomores Haleigh Martin of Wakulla and Caroline Willis of Maclay battled shoulder to shoulder for the lead for more than four kilometers, then Martin pulled away on the final major uphill of the race, securing a 21:09 to 21:24 win. The next four runners after Willis, though, all wore Leon red and white. Gray Kinch (3rd, 23:00), Audrey Dogan (4th, 23:07), Grace Lockhart (4th, 23:10), and Zoe Sheldon (5th, 23:16) set up a Leon score of 44 points, good for the win. Only just good enough, though, because the Maclay Marauders were just a breath behind in second with 46 points. Wakulla was third in the twelve-team field with 93 points.


Team Standings, High School Girls, 2014 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge

1. Leon, 44
2. Maclay, 46
3. Wakulla, 93
4. Lincoln, 119
5. Thomas County Central, 162
6. Aucilla Christian, 172
7. John Paul II, 172
8. Bainbridge, 216
9. Pelham, 236
10. North Florida Christian, 249
11. Grace Christian, 273
12. Baconton Charter, 307

Top Ten High School Girls, 2014 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge

1. 21:08.67 ~ Haleigh Martin (Wakulla) 10
2. 21:23.99 ~ Caroline Willis (Maclay) 10
3. 22:59.09 ~ Gray Kinch (Leon) 10
4. 23:06.14 ~ Adrianna Dogan (Leon) 10
5. 23:09.31 ~ Grace Lockhart (Leon) 11
6. 23:15.81 ~ Zoe Sheldon (Leon) 10
7. 23:22.67 ~ Kenzie Mazziotta (Maclay) 8
8. 23:24.75 ~ Molly McCann (Maclay) 10
9. 23:54.95 ~ Monica Webb (Pelham) 10
10. 23:56.00 ~ Constance Lewis (Wakulla) 11

Part of the "Challenge" in the Cougar Challenge comes from two major uphill climbs on the course, one starting near the two kilometer mark and the other just after the four kilometer mark. The second kilometer of the race, though, is a level stretch along the shore of Lake Jackson. By the time the runners in the boys 5K reached this point on the course, six Leon runners were out ahead of the field--Sukhi Khosla, Hunter Scott, Kyle Buchholz, Adam Wallenfelsz, Matthew Cashin, and Maxx Marshall--with Wakulla sophomore Bryce Cole following in their wake. The six Lions remained up front, Khosla winning in 16:42 while his team racked up a perfect score of 15 points. Maclay sophomore Jake Mazziotta overtook Wakulla's Cole to take seventh in 17:58, but Wakulla's team beat out the Maclay squad for the runner-up trophy, 90 points to 93.


Team Standings, High School Boys, 2014 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge

1. Leon, 15
2. Wakulla, 90
3. Maclay, 93
4. Chiles, 117
5. Bainbridge, 164
6. Lincoln, 168
7. Rickards, 194
8. Thomas County Central, 201
9. Aucilla Christian, 290
10. North Florida Christian, 316
11. Florida State, 336
12. Baconton Charter, 349
13. Pelham, 361
14. Grace Christian, 375
15. Franklin County, 440

Top Ten High School Boys, 2014 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge

1. 16:41.80 ~ Sukhi Khosla (Leon) 12
2. 17:09.12 ~ Hunter Scott (Leon) 12
3. 17:16.37 ~ Kyle Buchholz (Leon) 12
4. 17:27.35 ~ Adam Wallenfelsz (Leon) 11
5. 17:43.37 ~ Matthew Cashin (Leon) 10
6. 17:51.58 ~ Maxx Marshall (Leon) 12
7. 17:57.04 ~ Jake Mazziotta (Maclay) 10
8. 18:04.03 ~ Bryce Cole (Wakulla) 10
9. 18:10.49 ~ William Luca (Leon) 12
10. 18:32.28 ~ James Dodson (Leon) 11

After the two high school 5K races, it was the middle school girls' turn to test themselves on the slopes of Phipps Park. Katherine Resavage of Holy Comforter Episcopal School won that race, turning 13:11 for three kilometers. In addition to Resavage, the Crusaders had four other runners in the top nine--Emma McGibany (4th, 14:07), Avery Smith (5th, 14:08), Elizabeth Calabro (7th, 14:11), and Hailey Hobbs (9th, 14:26). It was enough to give Holy Comforter an impressive team win with 26 points. Led by Lindsay James (2nd, 13:38) and Regan Hermeling (3rd, 13:54), Maclay took second with 97 points. Totaling 117 point, the Bainbridge team was third among the nine middle school girls squads.


Team Standings, Middle School Girls, 2014 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge

1. Holy Comforter, 26
2. Maclay, 97
3. Bainbridge 117
4. Thomas County Central, 125
5. Pelham, 138
6. Grace Christian, 146
7. Florida State, 154
8. Cornerstone, 155
9. Baconton Charter, 189

Top Ten Middle School Girls, 2014 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge

1. 13:10.75 ~ Katherine Resavage (Holy Comforter) 8
2. 13:37.94 ~ Lindsay James (Maclay) 6
3. 13:53.06 ~ Regan Hermeling (Maclay) 7
4. 14:06.93 ~ Emma McGibany (Holy Comforter) 8
5. 14:07.72 ~ Avery Smith (Holy Comforter) 7
6. 14:09.02 ~ Summer Williams (Florida State) 8
7. 14:10.05 ~ Elizabeth Calabro (Holy Comforter) 7
8. 14:20.72 ~ Anna James (Thomas County Central) 6
9. 14:25.04 ~ Hailey Hobbs (Holy Comforter) 8
10. 14:35.32 ~ Molly Dixon (Holy Comforter) 7

In the final race of the morning, the middle school boys also ran three kilometers. Bainbridge Middle eighth-grader Caleb Harris got out front and stayed there, winning the race in 11:08. Maclay School answered with second- and third-place performances by sixth-graders Johnny McClure (11:19) and Kennan Milford (11:25). McClure and Milford were joined by Marauders Max Eastman (5th, 11:28), Alfredo Peres (9th, 12:21), and Hunt Deison (11th, 12:32), giving Maclay 30 points and the team title. Led by top ten finishes by Joseph Ashebo (6th, 11:52) and Bryce Valveri (7th 12:00), Holy Comforter's team took second with 64 points. Bainbridge was third with 84.


449 runners each finished one of four races at the 2014 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge. Those runners represented 54 teams from 24 different schools.


Team Standings, Middle School Boys, 2014 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge

1. Maclay, 30
2. Holy Comforter, 64
3. Bainbridge, 84
4. Florida State, 95
5. Taylor County, 121
6. Baconton Charter, 174
7. Grace Christian, 176
8. Thomas County Central, 186
9. Pelham, 254

Top Ten Middle School Boys, 2014 Cougar Cross-Country Challenge

1. 11:07.45 ~ Caleb Harris (Bainbridge) 8
2. 11:18.21 ~ Johnny McClure (Maclay) 6
3. 11:24.28 ~ Kennan Milford (Maclay) 6
4. 11:27.01 ~ Jahaz Morgan (Florida State) 5
5. 11:27.87 ~ Max Eastman (Maclay) 8
6. 11:51.75 ~ Joseph Ashebo (Holy Comforter) 7
7. 11:59.09 ~ Bryce Valveri (Holy Comforter) 8
8. 11:59.35 ~ Ashton Smith (Florida State) 8
9. 12:20.21 ~ Alfredo Paredes (Maclay) 8
10. 12:28.71 ~ Max Kallschmidt (Taylor County) 8

Links

• DistancePreps.com report, "Cougar Challenge no challenge for Khosla"
  http://www.distancepreps.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=31488&do=news&news_id=279517
  
  
• Complete results of the 2014 Godby Cougar Cross-Country Challenge at DistancePreps.com
  http://www.distancepreps.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=31488&do=news&news_id=279516
  
  
• More photos of the 2014 Cougar Challenge
  
  • HS Girls:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105020484081503.1073742009.5215641&l=c67237d5d3
    
  • HS Boys: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105024548910553.1073742010.5215641&l=46113c8e05
    
  • MS Girls:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105029606090923.1073742011.5215641&l=5682150ff4
    
  • MS Boys: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10105030071483273.1073742012.5215641&l=6df40fadf9
    
  
  
• DistancePreps.com interviews with the 2014 Cougar XC Challenge high school champs
  
  • Sukhi Khosla: http://www.distancepreps.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=31488&do=videos&video_id=124257
    
  • Haleigh Martin: http://www.distancepreps.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=31488&do=videos&video_id=124264
    
  
  
• 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
  
  

#1204

Home wins for Ford and Resavage at the Crusader Classic

Holy Comforter Episcopal School's cross-country team opened their home season on Thursday afternoon, 26 September 2013, with the Crusader Cross-Country Classic. Middle school athletes from ten different schools gathered in the meadows behind Holy Comforter for the competition on Lawson's Course. Holy Comforter and Maclay split the team titles, but all the individual honors went to Holy Comforter.


The girls' 3K race started at 4:00 PM ET. HCES seventh-grader Katherine Resavage went right to the front, with more athletes in Crusader red following in her wake. Halfway through the race, Resavage and her fellow Crusaders, Emma McGibany, Hannah Hosay, and Julianna Heuchan still held the first four positions, but Sage Marlett of North Florida Christian and Anna Lewis of Maclay had moved up to fifth and sixth to challenge the HCES monopoly. Lewis continued to pass competitors, advancing to second place, but Resavage couldn't be caught. The Crusader ace continued to lengthen her lead, winning the race in 12:10. Lewis was runner-up in 12:54. HCES runners Emma McGibany (3rd, 13:12), Hannah Hosay (4th, 13:29), Avery Smith (5th, 13:30), and Julianna Heuchan (6th, 13:33) took the next four places, giving the Crusaders an unbeatable score of 19 points. Maclay was second with 45 points and Trinity Catholic third with 79.


2013 Crusader Classic Team Standings (Girls)

1. Holy Comforter Episcopal School, 19
2. Maclay School, 45
3. Trinity Catholic School, 79
4. Christ Classical, 120
5. The School of Arts and Science, 130
6. Taylor County Middle School, 155

Top Ten Girls, 2013 Crusader Classic 3K

1. 12:09.17 ~ Katherine Resavage (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 7
2. 12:53.91 ~ Anna Lewis (Maclay) 8
3. 13:11.49 ~ Emma McGibany (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 7
4. 13:28.45 ~ Hannah Hosay (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 6
5. 13:29.57 ~ Avery Smith (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 6
6. 13:32.55 ~ Julianna Heuchan (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 8
7. 13:34.06 ~ Regan Hermeling (Maclay) 6
8. 13:36.03 ~ Sage Marlatt (North Florida Christian) 7
9. 13:47.10 ~ Mary Driggers (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 6
10. 13:55.06 ~ Kenzie Mazziotta (Maclay) 7

James Ford of Holy Comforter and Rodney Beasley of Taylor County vied for the lead right after the 4:30 start of the boys race, but Ford soon had the front to himself. At the halfway mark Ford was still setting the pace, while eight seconds back Maclay's Max Eastman had moved into second. Ford only widened the gap during the second half of the 3K, going on to win the race in 11:20. Eastman was second in 11:44. Maclay next three runners--Jay McDuffie (4th, 12:01), Harrison Obrecht (7th, 12:14), and Alfredo Paredes (8th, 12:18)--also cracked the top ten. But Holy Comforter had Joseph Ashebo (5th, 12:10), Bryce Valveri (6th, 12:07), Trey Jackson (12th, 12:36), and Jackson Roberts (13th, 12:46) all across the finish line before Maclay's fifth scorer. Fortunately for the Marauders, that fifth runner, Hunt Deison (14th, 12:51), was close behind, giving Maclay a narrow 31 to 33 win over Holy Comforter. Community Christian's team was third with 77 points.


2013 Crusader Classic Team Standings (Boys)

1. Maclay School, 31
2. Holy Comforter Episcopal School, 33
3. Community Christian School, 77
4. Trinity Catholic School, 110
5. Taylor County Middle School, 119
6. The School of Arts and Science, 161

Top Ten Boys, 2013 Crusader Classic 3K

1. 11:19.68 ~ James Ford (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 7
2. 11:43.11 ~ Max Eastman (Maclay) 7
3. 11:51.86 ~ Will Johnson (Christ Classical) 7
4. 12:01.00 ~ Jay McDuffie (Maclay) 7
5. 12:06.95 ~ Joseph Ashebo (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 6
6. 12:11.42 ~ Bryce Valveri (Holy Comforter Episcopal) 7
7. 12:13.37 ~ Harrison Obrecht (Maclay) 8
8. 12:17.63 ~ Alfredo Paredes (Maclay) 7
9. 12:24.45 ~ Avery Whaley (Community Christian) 7
10. 12:25.42 ~ David Durden (Community Christian) 7

Links

• Complete results of the 2013 Crusader Cross-Country Classic
  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ukUu5lUsHbDnlyRn1H4DOjMLzWnOi_TgBQjeQUql8Tw/pub
  
  
• More photos of the 2013 Crusader Cross-Country Classic
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10103591478105933.1073741900.5215641&l=ef9b6bcdef
  
  
• 2012 story, "More wins at home for Holy Comforter cross country"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/10/crusaders-2-2012.html
  
  
• 2012 story, "McCann and Fitzgerald lead Holy Comforter victories at Crusader 3K"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2012/09/crusaders-2012.html
  
  
• 2009 story, "Poole, Bartlett victorious at Holy Comforter"
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/2009/10/poole-bartlett-victorious-at-holy.html
  
  
• Find a cross-country race to run yourself on the Trouble Afoot! calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1