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JAMAL THALJIBoth the PCAC and Bay races this week have heavy favorites in most categories.
It's conference championship time.
Yawn.
The Pinellas County Athletic Conference championships are Thursday at Taylor Park, followed by the Bay Conference meet Friday. Try not to fall asleep reading this, or watching the meets, because few surprises and little drama is expected at either.
About the only real race is the PCAC girls' team title, with defending champion Largo, Palm Harbor U. and Seminole in the mix. Oh, and second place for individuals.
St. Petersburg's Kerry Allen and Tommy Nagy are overwhelming PCAC favorites, barring the unforeseen: injury, illness or car trouble. Allen won her second straight PCAC title last year and is unbeaten this year. Nagy was third last year but has faltered just once in a county race this season. Both Allen (19 minutes, 18 seconds) and Nagy (16:35) also have the fastest times in the county.
Indian Rocks Christian's Melissa Kotchman likewise is the pick to win a fourth straight Bay Conference title. She hasn't lost since she was an eighth-grader.
Kotchman is favored, coach Kris Williams said, though she has a sore hip. Kotchman skipped the Manatee Invitational Oct. 2 and will take it easy Friday - but not easy enough to lose.
"I just don't see (her losing) happening," he said. "She's got a minute on the next person, and the next person's mine (teammate Janelle Hewel)."
The IRC boys, led by No. 1 Tim Rousonelos, are primed to win a fourth straight Bay Conference title, and the Berkeley Prep girls also have the team to beat. But IRC and Shorecrest aren't that far behind the Berkeley girls.
There's quite a bit of distance between Allen, Nagy and their competition, however.
What would it take to beat Allen?
"Someone far more talented than I've seen for quite some time in this county," Seminole coach Bruce Calhoun said. "She's awfully good. She's a phenom. Someone like her comes along every once in a while."
As for Nagy, Calhoun said: "Tommy's an excellent runner. We hope we can keep up with him, we're trying to keep up with him."
The Warhawks are favorites in their own right, to repeat as PCAC boys champions. Tony Nicolosi, seventh last year, is Seminole's No. 1. Largo and St. Petersburg want the title, too, but Nicolosi's confidence is high.
"As a team, if we just run our race, we should win," he said. "Our guys have been running hard. We're confident we can win."
But as big a deal as Thursday might be, St. Petersburg coach Robb Townsend pointed out there are much bigger races to come.
"County people obviously all focus on conference," Townsend said, "even though the district is what you have to do well at the following week."