Built for Speed - Panhandle Champs
by Jana Stolting, October 24, 2009The Panhandle Championship certainly delivered on its promise to be both fast and exciting. In fact, it is quite possible that this year’s race was the fastest ever on the girls’ side, and close to it among the boys.
In the girls’ race, Chiles narrowly edged out Fort Walton Beach (by 7 points) to take the overall win. They were led by Lily Williams, who finished in third place with a time of 18:08.06. Teammates, Carly Thomas (fourth in 18:21.40) and Kendall Andrews (sixth in 19:03.59) provided solid support for the Timberwolves’ charge. The ladies of Maclay finished a respectable third place overall. They were led by freshman, Stefanie Kurgatt’s record breaking 17:47.62 victory. Teammate, Jana Stolting also came in under the old course record in second place, with a time of 17:53.27. Fellow Marauder, Kristin Sweeney came through in 19:14.33, which was good enough for tenth place. Local teams, Leon, Florida High, and Lincoln finished sixth, eleventh, and fourteenth respectively.
The boys’ race was dominated by Maclay’s Patrick Swain, who bested his nearest competitor by sixteen seconds, finishing in 15:50.20. Teammates, Austin Stevens (twenty-fifth in 16:45.05), Jacob Coates (forty-fifth in 17:33.83), and Travis Covert (forty-eighth in 17:38.29) helped the Marauders take fifth overall. Chiles edged Maclay out to take the fourth place spot. They were led by Taylor Buzzard’s eighth place finish in a time of 16:20.40. Teammates Sam Sutton (twelfth in 16:24.81) and Branden Lingerfelt (eighteenth in 16:35.17) also finished inside the top twenty. Local teams, Godby, Florida High, Lincoln, and Leon all finished in the top twenty, with Godby in tenth, Lincoln in eleventh, Florida High in fourteenth, and Leon in sixteenth.
As we pulled out of the parking lot, I must say I was sad to be waving goodbye to my final Panhandle Championship. Fortunately, however, the most important meets still lie ahead. This coming Friday (yes, Halloween), Maclay will host the always-entertaining (and muddy) City Championship Meet. Whether you run, volunteer, or just come out and watch, it promises to be a great way to start off your night of mayhem, and full of tricks and
The Stoltz Report
FSU Relays – Competition Heats Up
What a weekend for Tallahassee track and field! At the FSU Relays, local runners, jumpers, and throwers got the chance to rub elbows with some of the nation’s top collegiate athletes, and these prepsters proved that they will carry on the tradition of...
Carnes Indoor Meet
This past weekend, we got a taste of what the upcoming track season has in store for us at the Jimmy Carnes Indoor Invitational in Gainesville. True to their resilient nature, the Big Bend’s finest proved that they can get the job done just as well in...
A Fond Farewell to Cross Country
A Fond Farewell to Cross Country Jana Stolting, It may be hard to believe, but the 2009 cross country season has finally drawn to a close. The FACA Senior All-Star Meet last weekend and the Footlocker National Championship Meet this weekend provided...
Footlocker and Nike
With the regular season existing only as a fond memory in the collective mind of Tallahassee’s prepsters, it is time to move on to post-season competition. This past Saturday, local athletes from Leon, Maclay, and Chiles made the trip up to North Carolina...
A Strong STATEment
What a day for Tallahassee cross country! The 2009 State Championship Meet was everything it was built up to be and more, especially for the throng of runners hailing from the 850. With two state championship teams, three individual champs, and a plethora...
Regionals
It was a solid weekend of racing for Tallahassee’s distance prepsters, as they competed in their respective Regional Championship Meets. For most, these races seemed to be simply a formality, a final hurdle before the real fun begins next weekend. Maclay...
Districts – First Step to State
Last week, area athletes participated in their District Championship Meets. Although the dates and venues of these contests varied, there was one constant: Tallahassee teams prevailed, proving they are ready to take on the challenge of Regionals and...
Prestate
This past weekend, local high school squads trekked down to Dade City to participate in the Pre-State Invitational. Big Bend athletes made it worth the gas money it took to get down there with outstanding performances on both the girls’ and boys’ sides. In...
FSU Invite
It was a scorcher of a meet this past Saturday, as area teams competed in the FSU Invitational, which was being held at a brand new venue: the Apalachee Regional Park. Although the unseasonable heat and humidity zapped most runners’ PR hopes, the...
Bobcats and Quail
This past weekend, area athletes traveled to two different venues to show off their distance running prowess. Chiles made the trip to Gainesville to take part in the Bucholz Bobcat Classic, while Maclay, Florida High, and Lincoln went just up the road to...