Sophomores rule: Meet The Ledger's 2023 All-County Boys Cross Country Team
The cross country season for both the boys and the girls was dominated by underclassmen, especially sophomores. For the boys, there were eight sophomores and one freshman among the 14 runners on first and second team and just two seniors, including just one senior on first team.
Caden Baker, a first-time runner of the year, and Kruz Schembri are repeat first-team selections. With six underclassmen on first team this season, it could be very competitive next season for new runners to break through.
RUNNER OF THE YEAR
Caden Baker
George Jenkins, Junior
Best Time: 15:34.
Baker showed he was an up -and-coming runner with his fifth-place finish in the county meet as a freshman and improved to fourth last season. Now a junior, Baker had a breakout season by winning county, district and region titles and dropping his personal-best time by 39 seconds. He capped his season with a 15th-place finish at the state meet.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Kris Smith
Geneva Classical
Smith built a deep squad that was the best team in the county. Although Geneva Classical doesn’t compete in the FHSAA so is ineligible for the FHSAA state series, it dominated the regular season and won the county meet with four runners in the top 10.
FIRST TEAM
Daniel Welling
Santa Fe Catholic, Senior
Best Time: 16:08.52
Injuries and illness prevented Welling from competing in the latter half of the season, but he still competed in five meets with sub-17 times.
Kruz Schembri
Ridge Community, Junior
Best Time: 16:48.80
Won two small meets during the regular season and finished second at the county meet.
William Windham
Lake Wales, Sophomore
Best Time: 16:47.40
Finished third at county, seventh at districts and 17th at regionals.
Liam Holzer
Geneva Classical, Sophomore
Best Time: 16:42.10
Finished fifth at county.
Colin Hegner
George Jenkins, Sophomore
Best Time: 16:51.81
Finished fourth at county.
Larry Glenn
Lakeland Christian, Sophomore
Best time: 16:55.80
Finished 13th at county, 16th at districts and 13th at regionals.
SECOND TEAM
Paulos Kicklighter
George Jenkins, Sophomore
Oliver Dempsey
Geneva Classical, Sophomore
Elias Bowman
Auburndale, Sophomore
Gabriel Harris
Lake Wales, Freshman
Tyler McDow
Geneva Classical, Sophomore
Michael McDow
Geneva Classical, Senior
Ian Caram Andruet
McKeel, Junior
HONORABLE MENTION
All Saints: James Lovely
Frostproof: Jonathan Rocendo, Fernando Barajas, Omar Valencia Calixtro, Jose Casiano
George Jenkins: Jaiden Ortiz, Jacob Garces, Steven Twiss, Justin Martin, Clayton Knowles.
Geneva Classical: Ben Hill, Will Yates, Eli Kennedy.
Haines City: Andrew Morgan,
Lake Region: Frank Sanchez-Santiago, Jean Richardson.
Lake Wales: Dylan Garcia.
Lakeland Christian: Miles Davis, Alex Werschky.
McKeel: Cal Howard, Nolan O’Steen, Austin Jordan.
Victory Christian: Nathaniel Chenowith.
Winter Haven: Aaron Wilson.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Meet The Ledger's 2023 All-County Boys Cross Country Team
