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JAMAL THALJICounty's history is rife with great runners, but never have so many great ones run in same year.
River Ridge's Jacki Waller won four Sunshine Athletic Conference championships in her day, capturing the county title from 1993-97. Gulf's Barbara Carr did it from 1997-01, taking the next four league crowns.
On the boys side, Ridgewood's Matt Krcmaric won the SAC title from 1992-93. Then came Land O'Lakes' Lee Stephens, who claimed it from 1886-97. Ridgewood took back the championship from 1998-00 thanks to Brad Williams, who captured the first two, and Jim Vitale.
There were giants in those days. But were there as many as there are now?
Some coaches don't think so. When the 2003 SAC titles are decided Friday morning at Zephyrhills, the race will see perhaps the most crowded field in history competing for the hardware.
Never before in Pasco County, coaches say, have there been so many talented boys and girls runners taking the field at the same time.
"I've been coaching for 10 years, and it's never been this strong on both sides," Land O'Lakes coach Kris Keppel said.
"We've had some very good Ridgewood runners in the past who have dominated, and Lee Stephens dominated for a couple of years. But we've never had this many boys and girls competing in the same year.
"We had good runners like Barbara Carr and Jacki Waller," Keppel said, "but those last couple of years it was hard to produce a race that makes it interesting."
It's been interesting since 2001. That's when Mitchell freshman Jeff Masterson won the first of his two titles, stepping in front of teammate Danny Sheehan at the finish line, and River Ridge sophomore Samantha Jacobsen beat a crowded field to win her first.
Masterson has since become one of the most dominant runners in area history. He is the overwhelming favorite to capture a third title Friday.
But there still is a lot of talent out there, and a lot of wide-open races. Such as the girls event, which is as wide-open as it was last season, when Wesley Chapel's Stephanie Amerman beat a field of upperclassmen to win it her sophomore year.
She will be pushed just as hard this time by a field that includes Land O'Lakes' Dani Shimer, Jacobsen and River Ridge teammate Danielle Coyle, and Gulf's Melissa Dattoli and Danielle Florey.
"I think there's four or five girls that can win it," Wesley Chapel coach Don Howard said. "I think it would be hard to argue against the way Dani has been running. But I think Stephanie has her best meet ahead of her. It should be exciting, it should be close."
Keppel is confident that a third different SAC champion will be crowned in as many years, and that it will be Shimer.
"I think Dani's going to win it," he said. "Stephanie will make it close, but Dani has just put in more miles. She's a lot more confident than she's been her three previous years."
But in previous seasons one runner and one team dominated. With the exception of Masterson and his Mitchell squad, that no longer is the case.
The Gulf girls could be upset in a bid to win a fourth consecutive crown by River Ridge, or even a healthy Land O'Lakes team. While in the boys individual race, the runner-up spot is up for grabs by talented athletes such as Wesley Chapel's Kurt Able and David Forry, Land O'Lakes' Steven Bell and Mitchell's John Tuccio.
River Ridge boys coach Dave Heywood didn't realize just how talented the county was until his Royal Knights finished 12th out of 45 teams in the 3A division of last weekend's Disney Classic.
William Gonzalez was ninth with a performance of 17 minutes, 4.17 seconds. Brett Litak was 25th (17:31.42). But Heywood thought the field of teams from all over the state would be far tougher. Then again, he competes in a strong county already.
"We went to the Disney Classic expecting to get blown out, and we came in 12th. I was surprised at that finish," he said.
"I looked at all those times and I thought if Mitchell or Land O'Lakes or Wesley Chapel had been out here, those guys really could have won it."
That's because Pasco County is a place where two boys runners, Masterson and Bell, have broken the 15-minute barrier and more should follow in the postseason. It's a county where Shimer, Amerman and Coyle have surpassed the 19-minute mark, with even more to follow in the weeks and meets to come.
"When I stop to look at our conference," Heywood said, "I'm pretty impressed with the guys and girls that we do have."