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The FHSAA cross country meet is here. Which Northeast Florida runners could win in 2023?

clayton freeman, jacksonville florida times-union
·4 min read

The FHSAA holds the 2023 high school state cross country championships Friday at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee. See the Times-Union's previews for Jacksonville and Northeast Florida schools.

Class 4A

Schedule: 7:20 a.m. (girls), 8:10 a.m. (boys).

Boys team qualifiers: Creekside, Nease.

Girls team qualifiers: Creekside, Mandarin.

Boys individual qualifiers: Ben Brown, Atlantic Coast; Joseph Lupinski, Bartram Trail.

Girls individual qualifiers: Madison Patchan, Tocoi Creek.

Outlook: Could Nease or 2022 champion Creekside bring the boys team title back to St. Johns County? It could be close. Matt Ryan and the deep Panthers have been tough to top all year, but Gainesville Buchholz did exactly that in last week's regionals, and Miami Columbus, Oviedo Hagerty and Sunlake are also in the hunt. Creekside is still building depth after last year's victory, but they're locks for a high finish and senior Tanner Simonds might be an overall contender alongside Buchholz's Riley Smith and Hagerty's Jonathan Leon. While the girls race shapes up as a likely battle of Buchholz and Sunlake, Northeast Florida could be crowning an individual champion in Creekside's Alyson Johnson. The sophomore has repeatedly broken the 18-minute mark this season.

Class 3A

Fleming Island's Graham Myers is among Northeast Florida's Class 3A boys contenders.
Fleming Island's Graham Myers is among Northeast Florida's Class 3A boys contenders.

Schedule: 9:25 a.m. (girls), 10:15 a.m. (boys)

Boys team qualifiers: Fleming Island, Menendez, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine.

Girls team qualifiers: Fleming Island, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine, Stanton.

Boys individual qualifiers: John Syla, Stanton.

Girls individual qualifiers: Lilly Potts, Beachside.

Outlook: After championships in boys golf and girls swimming over the past month, could Ponte Vedra add a girls cross country trophy to the collection? The 2021 champions went 1-2-3 at regionals with Lindy White, Daisy Ross and Hilaree Vega, and all signs point to an intense contest for the girls team title with Satellite, Fort Lauderdale Dillard and 2022 winner Seminole Osceola. St. Augustine and Fleming Island could break into the top 10 as well. Belen Jesuit is the perennial favorite in the 3A boys race and looks set to lift the trophy once more, but Fleming Island and Ponte Vedra are top-five contenders, and the Golden Eagles' Graham Myers may press for a top-10 finish in an individual race where Patrick Koon of Leon is a Panhandle favorite.

Class 2A

Runners including Bishop Kenny's Stephanie Grden (5630), Emily Wheldon (5640) and Tessa Massa (5637) and Bolles' Sofie Stam (5652), Emily Loftin (5648) and Estella Bruneau (5643) lead the pack during the FHSAA District 2-2A girls meet. Both teams are among the Class 2A favorites.
Runners including Bishop Kenny's Stephanie Grden (5630), Emily Wheldon (5640) and Tessa Massa (5637) and Bolles' Sofie Stam (5652), Emily Loftin (5648) and Estella Bruneau (5643) lead the pack during the FHSAA District 2-2A girls meet. Both teams are among the Class 2A favorites.

Schedule: 9 a.m. (girls), 9:50 a.m. (boys)

Boys team qualifiers: Bishop Kenny, Bolles, Episcopal, Suwannee, Wolfson.

Girls team qualifiers: Bishop Kenny, Bolles, Episcopal, Fernandina Beach, Wolfson.

Boys individual qualifiers: Troy Winkler, Baker County; Tyler Griffin, Keystone Heights.

Girls individual qualifiers: Ryleigh Hermanson, Suwannee.

Outlook: It's Bolles vs. Bishop Kenny time. In the girls competition, that's been the expectation all year. The three-time defending champion Bulldogs meet a Crusaders team on the rise, a matchup that Bishop Kenny won in both districts and regionals because of superior depth. Despite the efforts of teams like Berkeley Prep and Bishop Verot, anything other than a Jacksonville team win would be a surprise, and Episcopal could even make it a 1-2-3. High individual finishes are coming, too, with Emily Wheldon and Tessa Massa (Bishop Kenny) and Sofie Stam and Estella Bruneau (Bolles) likely top-10 runners in a contest that could come down to Lake Highland Prep's Annabella Tomasic, Bishop Verot's Mackenzie De Lisle and Cardinal Mooney's Addison Dempsey. The boys race is more complex: Reigning champion Bolles is a favorite and returns a possible overall winner in senior Chris Joost, but a Bishop Kenny team led by Alejandro Vinas and Jack Liuzzo surprised them in regionals. Liam Jordan of Berkeley Prep and David Serra of Ransom Everglades are among the individual boys favorites, while Bishop Moore, Bishop Verot and Titusville Astronaut are significant threats to a First Coast team title.

Class 1A

Runners break from the starting line. The FHSAA cross country finals are scheduled for Friday in Tallahassee.
Runners break from the starting line. The FHSAA cross country finals are scheduled for Friday in Tallahassee.

Schedule: 7:45 a.m. (girls), 8:35 a.m. (boys)

Boys team qualifiers: Providence, St. Johns Country Day, St. Joseph.

Girls team qualifiers: Christ's Church, Harvest Community, Providence, St. Johns Country Day.

Boys individual qualifiers: Tyson Manley, Christ's Church; Logan Brown, Trinity Christian.

Girls individual qualifiers: Paige Brammer, Kira Casane (both St. Joseph).

Outlook: Indian Rocks Christian is the clear boys favorite, while the girls race shapes up as a battle between Pensacola Christian, Cambridge Christian, Tallahassee Maclay and perhaps Gainesville Oak Hall. But Jacksonville runners shouldn't be too far behind. Regional runner-up Providence has the speed and depth to make a run at the boys top 10, and the Stallions' girls might be even more likely to place high. High individual finishes also could be coming, particularly for Christ's Church's Tyson Manley and St. Joseph's Paige Brammer.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 2023 FHSAA cross country meet: Jacksonville, Northeast Florida preview