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© St. Petersburg Times, published December 4, 2001
INVERNESS -- No successful runner ever is satisfied.
See Tony Lyons.
The Citrus junior finished first more often than not during the 2001 season, claimed the district title, placed second at regionals, sixth at state and was -- without question -- the area's dominant runner.
"I feel like I could have run faster," Lyons said.
His opponents might disagree.
Lyons didn't just win races, he crushed the opposition. In the season's most significant local events, Lyons won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship by eight seconds over Trever Scales of Central and the Class 2A, District 3 title over teammate C.J. Bryant by nine seconds.
"He's a natural," Hurricanes coach Bruce Nelson said. "He's really got perfect form. He's really a smooth runner. And he's kind of even-tempered.
"He just goes with it and just runs. He doesn't psyche himself out. Some people are their own worst enemy, but he's real relaxed and real cool. He ran every race real well all year."
Lyons also earned all-area honors as a sophomore, then ran track the following spring. But during the summer, when Citrus' other cross country runners trained hard at Whispering Pines Park in Inverness, Lyons was in South Carolina working construction.
"I didn't train as much as I should have," Lyons said.
It didn't seem to matter. From the start of the season through the state championship, no local runner came close to accomplishing what Lyons did. He solidified his status with solid showings in the regional and at state, where his time of 15 minutes, 51 seconds earned him all-state honors.
"He can get better," Nelson said. "We're expecting improvement out of him. Some guys punched all the buttons and got everything out of their bodies. Tony didn't run much last summer, and we're going to put him through a tougher regiment next year. I think the goal for him is to be real competitive for the state championship."
Lyons again will run track in the spring, concentrating on the 1,500-meter, 3,200 and 4x800 relay. Then his plan is to spend the summer with his running shoes on.
Nelson thinks Lyons is capable of competing for a state title next fall. Bryant, Lyons' primary training partner this season, agrees.
"He'll be up there," Bryant said. "It's going to be hard, and there will be a lot of competition. But I think he can do it."
Although Lyons would like to become the second Hurricanes runner to win a state championship, receiving a college scholarship might be his top priority.
"Next year, I need to stay home and train," Lyons said.