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Runners advance to regionals

By TERRY JONES
Published November 4, 2005

There are some fast cross country runners in these north Hillsborough County high schools.

Three schools - Wharton, Gaither and Sickles - have triumphed in the postseason, sending cross country teams to regional meets this weekend. Individual cross country athletes from Freedom and Jefferson also have been victorious.

And in swimming, several Freedom students have advanced to the state meet.

Class 3A, District 3

Wharton's boys and girls teams swept this district meet, sending both teams forward to the regional meet scheduled for Saturday.

Girls

The Wildcats girls scored 28 points to win the district championship, with the top four runners averaging 20 minutes, 44.60 seconds for the 3-mile course.

The Wharton runners by finishing place included: 3. Tiffanie Saxton, senior; 4. Jessica Forrester, senior; 6. Katrina Skinner, sophomore; 7. Kathia Skinner, sophomore; 8. Kristin Galbraith, senior; 10. Lauren Galbraith, junior; and 11. Jessica Wooden, senior.

Boys

Wharton's boys scored 40 points, with an average time 17:20.40. Regional qualifiers by placement finish included: 2. Ryan Courtoy, senior; 3. Baker Burchfield, junior; 9. Pedro Carela, junior; 12. Corey Murray, sophomore; 14. Sadat Kahin, senior; 23. Daniel Layton, sophomore; and 24. John Grellner, freshman.

Freedom's Javier Beauzeville qualified in eighth place with a time of 17:31 and will compete at the regional meet as an individual.

Jefferson's Evander Jones continued to maintain his status as a favorite for the Class 3A state champion, by winning the 3A, 4 district championship with a time of 15:56.75. He has a good chance to either take the title or at least place in the top three.

Class 4A, District 4

Girls

Gaither senior Amanda Quick won the 4A, 4 individual title with a time of 18:29.44. The Cowboys tied with Sickles for team third place with scores of 82.

Sickles got the official third-place nod, when its No. 5 runner Marissa Hatcher edged Gaither's Jennifer Zambrana.

The Sickles team advancing to the regional meet by place and grade include: 7. Angela Hegge, junior; 15. Jennifer Snyder, senior; 21. Megan Vaglia, freshman; 30. Cynthia Plunkett, junior; 32. Hatcher, senior; 42. Kaia Tershowski, senior.

Gaither's team advancing includes: 1. Amanda Quick; 5. Katie Quick, junior; 18. Heather Zarbo, senior; 22. Emily Seymour, junior; 36. Jennifer Zambrana, freshman; 38. Shannon Fisher, freshman; and 51. Alexandra King, sophomore.

Boys

The Sickles boys won the first district cross country championship in school history. The Gryphons scored 79 points, with an average of 17.26.15. Runners included: 2. Derek Wehunt, freshman; 4. Ciprian Mejia, sophomore, 13. Daniel Wehunt, freshman; 26. Kyle Kraft, junior; 35; Sean Jansen, junior; and 43. Tracy Wein, junior.

Although most swimming regional meets are yet to be contested and the date and time for the state championships have yet to be established, Freedom did compete its Class 2A, Region 3 meet and advanced several to the state meet.

Girls

Brittany Bergeron placed sixth in the 50 freestyle for the Patriots. Her time was 26.48 seconds.

Boys

Defending state champion Michael Silva led the Patriots' charge with a first-place finish in the 200 individual medley and a second in the 100 breaststroke.

Teammate Jim Stocks placed eighth in the individual medley.

Silva, a two-time state champion in the breaststroke, finished 9/100 of a second out of first in the regional meet.

Led by Silva, the Freedom boys won the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:34.09. Joining Silva were Matthew Szabunio, Jeffrey Magol and Stocks.

The Patriots also placed third in the 200 medley relay. Swimming were Szabunio, Silva, Magol and Stocks.

In other individual competition, Szabunio placed third in the 50 freestyle and eighth in the 100 freestyle and Magol was fifth in the 500 freestyle.

[Last modified November 3, 2005, 08:48:08]