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Mitchell: Bring it on
By JAMAL THALJI, Times Staff Writer TRINITY -- Rankings don't mean much. Unless you're the one who's ranked. Mitchell starts the season ranked No. 4 in Class 3A by flrunners.com, behind No. 1 Flagler Palm Coast, Plant and Wolfson. It's no surprise. No local coaches needed reminding that the Mustangs stand in the way of winning any local meet. Statewide, coaches realized Mitchell would return in 2002 as a powerhouse. The Mustangs return every runner from last year's team that finished second in the district, third in the region and 14th at state, while the other Class 3A powers graduated a host of top runners. Coach Bill Napolitano said he sees the high ranking as an indication of how respected his runners are, and an incentive for his team to continue working hard to justify the ranking. That's the positive. Here's the negative: A program that laced on its first pair of shoes three years ago, that just hit the radar screen when it won its first county title a year ago, will now be targeted at every meet this season. No. 1 runner Jeff Masterson is just a sophomore, yet he will find himself challenged for the lead by the top runner of every team Mitchell faces this season. The Mustangs enjoy working hard. That's a good thing because this season they won't have a choice. "The rankings, sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad," Napolitano said. "The good aspect of it is your guys feel they're being rewarded for the things that they did and have done all summer long. "The bad side is now we become a target for every team we go up against. Now everybody will want to beat Mitchell. But my guys thrive on this as well. They're like, 'Bring it on.' If they beat us, then we'll just have to work 10 times harder to make sure it doesn't happen again." For a third-year program, the Mustangs certainly run with a swagger. "Last year we got the chance to sneak up on everybody. Nobody knew who we were," Masterson said. "Now everybody is looking for us, and that's what we want." Fortunately for Mitchell, that confidence, and top ranking, seems well-justified. Masterson, the reigning county champion, is already one of the state's elite runners after just one season. He is ranked No. 8 in 3A by flrunners.com. His job this season is to challenge senior Danny Sheehan for the right to lead the team in practice. Sheehan, the county runner-up last season, has suffered through a sinus infection and now allergies, but Napolitano said he has regained his No. 2 position in time for Saturday's sixth annual Gator Invitational at Crews Lake Park, the first meet of the season. Senior Brandon Steiner is the No. 3 runner, and though Napolitano was concerned with his offseason conditioning, he said Steiner is quickly returning to form. Sophomore John Tuccio has a bruised right knee but is in the best shape of his young career. Senior Chris Vautour is having problems with his right knee, but hopes to return this season. That means David Stricsek has to step it up along with fellow juniors Rob Clendening and Eric Evans for Mitchell to have a shot at a state title. That's right, a state title. It's too early for Napolitano to discuss such things, but his runners are already thinking about it. If his team runs stronger and stronger this season, it will be an issue he cannot avoid. "It's always on our minds," Napolitano said. "But it's something that's not very realistic at this point. "There are a lot of teams out there better than us, but there's nothing wrong with our goal being to win a state championship." But there are plenty of races to be won and plenty of challengers to be defeated. And that's okay with the Mustangs, who seem to enjoy the chase. "In any sport, that's what it's all about," Napolitano said. "You want to be the best. You want people to come after you and bring it on. "If people push you, you've got to respond. That's what you've got to do. That's what sports is all about."
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From today's Pasco Times Editorial Letters Letters |
