Away from Home
by Kristin Sweeney, September 27, 2012For the first time since this season started, Tallahassee did not host a meet! This meant that high schools either traveled to other venues to compete, or they took a weekend off to rest and recover. Most teams ventured to the Alligator Lake XC Invitational a few hours away in Lake City. The course there is a scenic route through Alligator Lake Park. The flat course winds through the woods and gives runners an advantage over alligators just in case one should appear. Florida High’s ladies competed in the Girls Invitational race, and they finished sixteenth. Godby and Rickards ran in the Girls Open, and Godby finished thirteenth. Brittany Scanameo led the Rickards ladies with her time of 24:28. In the Boys Open, Griffin Rutherford of North Florida Christian finished in second (17:26) with his teammate, Alex Strickland (18:02) shortly behind in fifth. Because of their strong performances, NFC was sixth in the final team standings. Rickards was twelfth, and Florida High finished fourteenth.
Meanwhile, Lincoln and Maclay headed in the opposite direction to Pensacola for the Gulf Coast Cross Country Stampede. This equestrian center boasted another twisting, flat, and wooded course. Because of the flat, funnel-shaped start, the ground literally shook as the pack began, and the spectators felt as if an actual stampede was passing by after the gun sent the runners flying. The Maclay ladies were thirteenth, and Kristin Sweeney led them with a tenth place finish (19:53). The Trojans were twenty-third. Maclay’s guys had a strong pack, which helped them to ninth overall, and Travis Covert was their first finisher in thirteenth with his sub-17 time of 16:58. Just seconds later, Hunter Scott came through the chute in 17:06, which earned him sixteenth. The Trojans were thirteenth in the Boys Varsity race. Even though a few teams did not compete, Tallahassee was still well represented by the performances of these schools!
Kristin’s Korner
Season’s End 2011-11-22
It was competitive. It was exciting. And it was warm and humid. Last Saturday, local competitors ran in the state cross-country meet in Dade City. For the past several years, this meet that marks the culmination of cross-country season has been located at...
Alligator Park 2011-11-15
A mist hung over Alligator Park last Saturday morning as teams pulled up from all around Lake City to run in either the 1A, 2A, or 3A Region 1 competitions. As the sun rose, the frost on the ground began to disappear, and the temperatures thankfully began...
Kristin’s District Report 2011-11-08
The postseason officially commenced last Friday as Maclay hosted the Class 1A, District 3 competition on its home course. With only 3 schools represented, the Lady Marauders earned first place and will advance to the Regional level. Junior Stefanie...
Another Season Wraps Up 2011-10-31
Friday afternoon marked the end of the regular season and the beginning of the post-season! Many area teams participated in the Halloween-themed City Championships at Maclay. In the girls' race, Stefanie Kurgatt of Maclay maintained a lead throughout the...
Running in [the] Panhandle 2011-10-25
Last Saturday might have been a bit chilly, but this proved conducive to intense racing and quick times at the Panhandle Cross Country Championships. Almost every local team made the one-hour journey to the fast, flat course at Marianna High School. With...
Pre-state and Dolphin Dash- 2011-10-16
Last Saturday, some of the area teams traveled to the Little Everglades Pre-State Invitational in Dade City, while others competed at the Mosley Dolphin Dash in Lynn Haven, Florida. At Pre-State, Chiles entered in the elite division. With another strong...
On a Mission – 2011-10-03
Even though many of Tallahassee's teams took a weekend off from competition, there were some spectacular performances from area athletes. Chiles' ladies were quite impressive at the Jesse Owens Cross Country Invitational in Oakville, Alabama. Lily Williams...
FSU Invitational – 2011-09-25
Dark and early Saturday morning, lanterns and floodlights shone through a thick mist giving Tallahassee’s Apalachee Regional Park an eerie atmosphere. As the buses and cars continued rolling up, a gorgeous sunrise slowly rolled the fog off the course,...
Tom Brown – 2011-09-19
Another weekend of racing has been completed in the 2011 cross-country season! Except for some of Maclay's ladies, all of the teams that competed this weekend attended the Lincoln Invitational at Tom Brown Park Saturday morning. In the girls' competition,...
Kristin is Back – 2011-09-11
Not only was Saturday a wonderful day because of the lovely weather (and FSU’s win), but it also marked the beginning of the 2011 Cross Country Season for the local teams! Chiles’ Timberwolves headed south to Orange Park for the Ridgeview Bob Hans...