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Heat, humidity take toll

Race leader Mallory Giordano collapses in the final 100 yards but leads four Plant runners in the top 10 to help the Panthers take the team title.

By JEREMY RASMUSSEN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 23, 2001

CITRUS PARK -- Saturday's USF/Jesuit Invitational at Ed Radice Park was supposed to showcase some of the state's top teams at the site of this year's state cross country meet.

But when the event was rescheduled after the national tragedies and Tropical Storm Gabrielle, several squads, including Fort Lauderdale Saint Thomas Aquinas and Miami Lourdes, could not attend. That didn't mean the meet was without its share of drama.

Plant made a tremendous showing to win the girls team title in the Elite division, spearheaded by a valiant effort from Mallory Giordano, who led until the last 100 yards. As Giordano turned the final corner toward the finish line, she began to labor, then stagger, and then fell down. Her huge lead over Stuart Martin County's Devin Gapstur and Indian Rocks Christian's Melissa Kotchman quickly evaporated.

As Gapstur and Kotchman passed her with 10 yards to go, Giordano appeared disoriented and barely stumbled to the finish line in third. Her teammates, Tabitha Cooney, Paige Redfield and Christina Sandy, also finished in the top 10.

Plant coach Roy Harrison said Giordano held off repeated challenges from Gapstur throughout the race, but combined with the heat and humidity, it might have been too much for her.

"I think she was just dehydrated and pushed too hard," Harrison said. "(Gapstur) moved on her about five times, and she covered every time. Mallory's so strong, she could have relaxed the last quarter-mile, but she pushed it. That's the way she is."

Giordano was taken to Memorial Hospital where she received intravenous fluids and was released, Harrison said. Cooney said the Panthers, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A, weren't in their best form because of the altered schedule. "This is only our second meet. We've had a long layoff, so we're not race tough yet," she said. "This is our senior year now, and we all want to win that state championship. I think (Giordano) is just pushing herself."

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