Race is on to catch Sheridan

By JOHN C. COTEY

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 4, 2001

NEW PORT RICHEY -- Gulf coach Dean Lofton would like to have the county's top runner again this year. Heck, that has been the case for the last four seasons, and it's a luxury he could get used to.

And quite frankly, he'd like to think either Cindy Wade or Melissa Dattoli could be that runner. Just one problem.

Ridgewood's Lizzie Sheridan.

"I'd say she's No. 1," said Lofton, conceding the obvious. "Both Melissa and Cindy at USF (meet) beat Danielle Coyle (River Ridge) and Nicole Guercio (Mitchell). Sheridan is the only girl they didn't beat."

Note he said didn't, not couldn't.

"Anything can happen. Any girl, from Coyle, my two or Danielle Shimer (Land O'Lakes) or Guercio could have an improvement and come around and be able to push anybody out.

"But right now my money's on Lizzie."

To beat Sheridan would mean beating a tough and tireless worker who treated summer vacation like boot camp, running 55 miles a week and fine-tuning her already comparable skills as a runner.

"It's an honor," Sheridan said. "I never thought in a million years people would be looking up to me in that way. Of course, it's more pressure, but I think it's positive pressure, and just motivates you to run harder."

That can't be good news for the competition. Last season, Sheridan emerged early as a bona fide contender by taking second at the first two meets. But she finished fifth at the SAC meet, and then 12th at districts.

Coming into 2001, Sheridan, a senior, plans on being the best from start to finish. At the USF meet three weeks ago, she finished in the top 10 for women and beat half the USF runners, said coach Glenn Cable.

Saturday, she was the county's top finisher (but second overall) at the Gator Invitational, though her time was 20 seconds faster than last year's.

"That's a pretty big jump," she said. "I put in a lot more time and running and worked to improve. I expect a huge improvement. I do want to try and win races, but I also want to run in the 18s."

Her best time last year was 19:17, a mark her coach expects her to eclipse.

"The girl to race this year will be Lizzie Sheridan," Cable stated matter-of-factly.

Those chasing include:

Gulf's Wade and Dattoli. Wade came on strong at the end of last season, finishing third at the SAC meet (in 19:24) and seventh at districts. She also took third Saturday, three spots ahead of Dattoli, who beat Wade at USF. If anyone catches Sheridan, it's one of these two.

Land O'Lakes' Shimer and Debra Mann, who are nursing injuries right now. Shimer is troubled by a knee injury that nagged her all summer and Mann can run but has been bothered by hip problems. Last year, Mann posted the seventh-best time in the county, and Shimer's was eighth.

River Ridge's Danielle Coyle, who was 11th at districts, 22nd at regionals and fourth at the SAC in a season-best 19:45. "I think Danielle is one of the best around," coach Eric Hermanson said. "By the end of the year, she might even take them (Wade and Sheridan) over to be one of premier runners in the county, if not the premier."

Mitchell's Nicole Guercio, who finished 67th at state last year after qualifying as an individual. "She's been conditioning on her own over the summer, and taking it very seriously," coach Florie Buono said. "She's starting the season off right about where she had her fastest race last season."

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