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Heat, humidity take toll

With second-place team finish behind Miami Gulliver Prep, Jesuit knows how much ground it must make up before the state meet in October.

By JEREMY RASMUSSEN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 23, 2001

CITRUS PARK -- Despite the arduous conditions, Jesuit coach Mike Boza said Saturday's USF/Jesuit Invitational was a good chance for his team to size up its top competition.

As temperatures soared and the sun blazed on fields still wet from recent heavy rains, several runners struggled to complete the course at Ed Radice Park. The Tigers pleased their coach with a second-place finish behind Miami Gulliver Prep. "We lost four seniors from our state championship team, and Gulliver (which finished fourth last year), has everyone back," Boza said. "We were happy to stay with them, and this shows us how much we need to make up by the end of the season."

Boza said that since most teams are in the middle of heavy training, their midseason times would not be too impressive. In fact, no runner broke 16 minutes on the 3-mile course. Gainesville's Ryan Barnett crossed the finish line first in the boys Elite race in 16:02. Suncoast's Eric Ward (16:06) finished second followed by Jesuit's Andy Biladeau (16:07).

Interestingly, the times of some of the runners in the Open race, which followed the Elite race, would have been good enough to place near the top of the Elite event as well. Admiral Farragut's John Biffar won the Open division with a time of 16:13, and Sickles' Adam Sisler was not far back at 16:20.

"I really didn't think I pushed as hard as I could have," Sisler said. "My workouts have shown that I can break 16 (minutes), but I need to be better motivated in the race.

"It's hard to run in this heat, and the course is set up more for spectators than for good times. But it's the state course, and I have to learn to like it."

Berkeley Prep, without the services of Rolf Steier, who was running in the Great American Meet near Charlotte, N. C., finished last in the Elite meet.

Boza said Jesuit and the other Hillsborough County teams enjoy an edge in being able to train at the actual site of the state meet on a regular basis.

"It's absolutely an advantage being able to come out here and test the course," he said. "We've done four time trials out here already this season."

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