Area cross country runners limber up for regional meets

Lissette Moller-Fields isn’t one to get ahead of herself, but as she watched her teams wrap up preparations for Saturday’s Region 1-3A meet at Sunnyhill Farms in Tallahassee, she couldn’t help but let her mind drift.

Coming off a commanding performance at the District 1-3A meet in which both the girls (second place) and boys (third) finished inside the top five, Moller-Fields and the Vikings enter Saturday’s regional meet a confident bunch. Holly Stanton (third), Iolani Scanlan (sixth), Sarah DeVaux (ninth), Ivy Chastain (10th) and Brittany Long (15th) all placed in the top 15 at the district meet while Simon Lawrence (sixth) and Jacob Dearman (13th) did it for the Viking boys.

“We feel with both teams we’re in good shape,” the Fort Walton Beach cross country coach said. “We’re fortunate in knowing that we’re moving on to state if they continue to run the way they have been. It’s nice to train with the intent of peaking at state.”

When it comes to the regional meet, as Moller-Fields pointed out, there isn’t much room for error.

Athletes from throughout the area will look to secure their own spot at state Saturday as regional meets throughout the different classifications get underway. For athletes from Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Choctawhatchee, Navarre, Crestview, South Walton, Rocky Bayou Christian and Baker, today’s respective meets represent the final hurdle toward accomplishing a season-long goal of competing on the sport’s grandest stage.

Only the top six teams and top 15 individuals at regionals advance on to the state finals which take place next Saturday in Dade City.

In 3A, competing in what is widely regarded as the toughest of the state’s four regions makes getting there a difficult prospect. Ranked fourth in the state, Fort Walton Beach’s boys are still second best in their region. Niceville, which is ranked sixth in the state, sits at fourth in the region.

“It’s going to happen where a team that deserves to go to state, a team ranked in the top 10, won’t go,” Niceville coach Sherman Eller said. “It happens every year. And not just one, there’s a few.”

Niceville, which placed third at districts on the girls side and seventh on the boys, is still hopeful of cutting times across the board.

Marsel Mosley finished third at districts while Laura Nelson (11th) and Abigail McCool (19th) also turned in strong outings for Niceville’s girls but only Patrick Lacombe (24th) placed within the top 25 for the Eagles’ boys team.

“I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves,” Eller said. “Two weeks ago I thought state was a given, (today) when we go into regionals it is not a given. We are going to have to battle for one of those top six positions, big time.”

Choctaw, which was led by Hakeem Tarpley (11th) and Alec Herrera (20th) in finishing fifth at districts, will also look to advance as will its girls team, which parlayed a strong group effort by Sarah Fraser (22nd), Lisa Spikes (23rd) and Brooke McSheehy (24th) into an eighth-place finish at districts.

Navarre’s boys team, which placed sixth at district, will be led by Robert Mann, who last week placed fifth overall. Crestview’s Lauren Day (14th) and Jacob Gourlic (ninth) both advanced to regionals as individuals.

In 2A, which is also being held at Sunnyhill, South Walton will take both its boys and girls teams but, just like those in 3A, faces an uphill climb in moving on to state.

“I think we have a chance but we’re going to have to have some good performances,” Seahawks coach Greg Niemiec said.

South Walton received just that a week ago, as Alex Weiner won the girls race at districts and both Allysa Bump (16th) and Julie Williamson (17th) finished inside the top 20. On the boys side, Jacob Leuze’s ninth-place finish carried the day.

Both of Freeport’s teams will compete in Saturday’s 1A meet at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville. Dannica Mosher, Nora Trotman, Erica Donahoe and Megan Salzlein led the Bulldogs’ girls team while Michael Graziani and Dalton Morrison continue to pace the boys squad.

Baker’s John Scott and Rocky Bayou’s Christy Allen will compete as individuals.