The top eight schools and first 15 individual finishers advance to next week's regional meets.
By Times Staff Writer
Published October 21, 2003
WHEN: Thursday.
WHERE: Taylor Park, Largo.
STARTING TIMES: Girls - 4 p.m. Boys - 4:40.TEAMS: Boca Ciega, Central, Countryside, Dixie Hollins, Dunedin, Gibbs, Lakewood, Land O'Lakes, Largo, Mitchell, Northeast, Ridgewood, River Ridge, Springstead, Tarpon Springs, Wesley Chapel.
THE SKINNY: Girls - Central's Kerri Costanzo and Magen Loew advanced out of district and made it to state last year and are the county's best hopes in a solid field. Land O'Lakes' Danielle Shimer is ranked 10th among 3A runners on flrunners.com, and Wesley Chapel's Stephanie Ammerman is 13th. Largo is the 12th-ranked team and has the advantage of running in its backyard. Boys - Pasco County teams will more than hold their own, led by Mitchell and outstanding senior Jeff Masterson. Steven Bell (Land O'Lakes) and Kurt Able (Wesley Chapel) will shoot for top-5 finishes. Central's improving squad is paced by Jacob Bess, a first-year runner who hasn't looked like it. Bess finished fifth (17:11) in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference race.
CLASS 2A-5
The top eight schools and first 15 individual finishers advance to next week's regional meets.
WHEN: Saturday.
WHERE: Anderson Snow Sports Complex, Spring Hill.
STARTING TIMES: Girls - 8:30 p.m. Boys - 9:15.
TEAMS: Clearwater Central Catholic, Freedom, Gulf, Holy Names (girls only), Hernando, Hudson, Jesuit (boys only), Nature Coast Tech, Newsome, Osceola, Pasco, Robinson, St. Petersburg Catholic, Tampa Catholic, Zephyrhills.
THE SKINNY: Girls - Tampa's Academy of Holy Names is the team to beat, with runners (Aileen Fletcher and Sara Petrick) who have gone under 19:50 this season. St. Petersburg Catholic's girls finished sixth at the flrunners.com small-school race two weeks ago, just ahead of Hernando, which tied for ninth. But the Leopards have been surging behind Leela Hadsock and an improved supporting cast. Boys - Hernando has lacked a true No. 1 star this season, but its consistency has been impressive and will pay off. The Leopards finished fourth in the flrunners.com invitational, ahead of some of the teams competing here, as its top four runners were within 7 seconds of each other. Coach Ernie Chatman said the course is challenging but that at this point of the season "you look at places as opposed to times anyway, at least you should be.".
BOYS: Jacob Bess, Central, 17:11; Mike Laird, Hernando, 17:30; Bret Chatman, Hernando,17:35; Bryan Gordon, Central, 17:36; Ben Martucci, Hernando, 17:42; Logan Emerson, Hernando, 17:53; Andrew Martucci, Hernando, 18:03; Jake Bowe, Hernando Chr., 18:10; Josh Bergeron, Central, 18:19; Kyle Keene, Nature Coast, 18:25; Josh Dubois, Central, 18:29; Thomas Mountain, Hernando, 18:33.
- Compiled by John Schwarb from Land O'Lakes Invitational, Lecanto Invitational, Zak Lukas Invitational, flrunners.com invitational, Citrus Invitational and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championship.
