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Team to beat -- GulfBy JOHN C. COTEY
© St. Petersburg Times, NEW PORT RICHEY -- It lost the county's best runner, a four-time Sunshine Athletic Conference champion, and yet when area coaches scan the cross country landscape, they still see the backsides of the Gulf girls team. "The team to beat is going to be Gulf," River Ridge coach Eric Hermanson said. "Everyone likes to talk, but the grapevine says they look pretty good. "They lose Barbara Carr and are still the best team. That's not fair." But it is the reality. The Bucs lost Carr but return seniors Cindy Wade and Dawn Selvidge and sophomores Melissa Dattoli, Amber Shuhart and Christina Angelillo among 13 others. In their first meet Saturday, the Bucs proved Hermanson correct by winning the Gator Invitational as Wade (third), Dattoli (seventh) and Shuhart (eighth) finished near the front. The Bucs have a combination no one else in Pasco County has -- an almost certain top 10 finish every race by Wade and Dattoli, and the deepest talent pool. "We did the USF race (three weeks ago) as a time trial, and these kids just blew away their best times from last year," coach Dean Lofton said. "I know they're going to be a pretty good team. Maybe as good or better than last year and we had Barb Carr. Everyone is running so much better than they did last year." Wade was the team's No. 2 runner last year, which qualified for the state meet. She is expected to beat out Dattoli for the team's No. 1 spot, but Lofton expects the battle to make both better. Wade was third at the SAC meet and seventh at districts. Dattoli was a late bloomer last year, shocking the field with a crucial 13th-place finish at districts, and is much improved. Along with Selvidge and Angelillo, she was an honorable mention all-county pick. "I know Gulf is definitely taking it away this year," Mitchell coach Florie Buono said. "Ridgewood will be good also. We're hoping we might be able to take them. Land O'Lakes only has three solid runners. But I know I can't take Gulf. The race is for second."
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