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JEREMY RASMUSSENJeff Masterson races in flrunners.com meet three days after death of father.
CITRUS PARK - During the awards ceremony for the fourth annual flrunners.com invitational at Ed Radice Park on Saturday, two young men embraced.
Mitchell senior Jeff Masterson, who lost his father Wednesday to cancer of the esophagus, had met a kindred spirit in Miami Belen Jesuit junior Eddie Arguello, whose dad suffers from the same disease.
Earlier, Arguello won the Race of Champions, which features the state's elite runners. His time of 15:18 was among the fastest in Florida this season.
Masterson, who had not trained the past two weeks because of his father's poor condition, said he thought he would be too distraught to run but changed his mind at the last minute and finished sixth in 15:41.
"I was selfish. I was going through a lot, and I didn't want to run," Masterson said.
"I cried a lot. I prayed a lot," he said. "But I knew what my dad would want me to do. He taught me never to run away from my problems."
Masterson and his Mitchell teammates wore black armbands with gold lettering. His said, "With me always, DAD."
"Dad never missed a race, and I know he was with me today," Masterson said.
"I can understand why God wanted him to come up to heaven. He was such a great guy. He was my father and my best friend."
Arguello said he understands what Masterson is going through.
"It's tough. I've been sitting with my dad during chemo (therapy) sessions," Arguello said. "It just makes you want to do your best to make your family proud."
Steven Bell of Land O'Lakes had a strong showing with a 15th-place finish in 15:55, just behind pre-race favorite Andy Biladeau of Jesuit (15:54).
Wesley Chapel's Kurt Able ran away with the boys varsity invitational title, logging a performance of 16:08, 11 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Ken Magee of Seminole.
"Every time I state a goal out loud before a race, I fall on my face," Able said. "So this time, I just went out to run a good race, and let everything take care of itself."
In the girls Race of Champions, Oviedo's Jennifer Barringer set a course and meet record with a time of 17:24.
Barringer was second in the nation in the Great American meet last week.
Danielle Shimer of Land O' Lakes turned in a 19:28 to take third in the varsity girls invitational race.
In the small-school events, the Lecanto boys and girls teams ran away with the crowns, each placing four runners in the top 20.
Lecanto's Taylor Cooke won the girls event in 19:59.
"My goal was to break 20, and I did it," Cooke said.