The year 2020 will live on in infamy for many.
For the Sunlake High School boys cross-country team, it will be viewed in a more positive lens — it will be remembered, as the year the Seahawks became the most decorated group of prep runners in Pasco County history.
The team has achieved many accomplishments and created lasting moments in becoming one of the area’s most dominant forces over the past couple seasons, under the guidance of head distance coach Randal Reeves. For one thing, it finished in fifth place at the 2019 state meet.
But, last month, the program accomplished something it has never done: A second-place overall finish at the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) 3A state championships.
The event was held Nov. 14 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, and Sunlake’s runner-up finish represents the all-time best mark ever achieved by any Pasco County prep cross-country program.
The 3A state title went to Miami’s Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, which tallied 30 points after its top five runners went first, second, seventh, eighth and 18th place, respectively. It represents that private school’s fourth state title and 12th all-time.
Meanwhile, Sunlake tallied 123 points, as its fleet went ninth, 12th, 42nd, 46th and 48th.
Third place went to Ponte Vedra High School (143), whose runners went 11th, 31st, 35th, 47th and 54th.
Put another way: Sunlake can lay claim as the best public school distance program in 3A.
Junior Colby Robbins, who paced the Seahawks, broke the 16-minute mark by clocking 15:58.2, which equates to a 5:08 per mile pace.
Following Robbins were sophomore Alejandro Pena (16:02.7); juniors Andres Alfonso (16:52.3) and Cason Meyer (16:55.6); and, senior Cade Whitfield (16:55.6).
The team’s sixth and seventh varsity runners — whose scores aren’t tallied in the results — were junior Max Goserud (17:10.7) and sophomore Nathan Lee (17:45.8)
The timed average for Sunlake boys was 16:33, equating to an average of 5:20 per mile. There was just a 58-second gap between its number one through number five runners.
The pinnacle state showing concludes a banner campaign for the Sunlake team, which also swept its conference, district and regional championship meets along the way. This all happened after the team was quarantined for nearly two weeks between September and October — as a result of a positive COVID-19 test.
Making the feat even more impressive is the team’s small roster size compared to other top-flight 3A programs that often boast 50 to 100 athletes.
For instance, Sunlake’s 15-boy roster paled in comparison to Belen Jesuit’s 53-person crew.
In addition to Sunlake, several other local teams and individuals exhibited solid showings at the state finals, including the Sunlake girls team, which finished 10th in their meet.
Elsewhere on the team front, the Steinbrenner High boys program garnered a 10th-place finish at the 4A meet — a year after they claimed its first state crown.
Meanwhile, a pair of the six other individual qualifiers from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area garnered top-three finishes in their respective classifications.
Wharton High senior Jared Hamill earned a third-place finish in the 4A meet, turning in a 15:51.9 — the quickest time among all local runners from every classification, respectively.
Land O’ Lakes native Elli Black — a home-schooled seventh-grader who runs for Cambridge Christian School — finished state runner-up in the 1A girls meet, posting 18:28.5.
Other state qualifying individuals included Steinbrenner senior Jacquelyn Abansas (eighth place, 19:08.0, 4A girls); Wharton junior Brooke Reif (31st, 20:04.2, 4A girls); Land O’ Lakes junior Maranda Hildebrand (74th, 21:09.7, 3A girls); and, Gaither senior Lorenzo Martinez (89th, 17:39, 3A boys).
Roundup of local teams and individuals at the 2020 FHSAA cross country state championships:
Boys
4A
Steinbrenner (10th place)
Ethan Bhatt senior (52nd, 17:02.3)
Ryan Campbell, senior (55th, 17:06.6)
Zachary Harrigan, senior (61st, 17:13.4)
Sohan Khanvilkar, senior (66th, 17.19.8)
Jaden Simpson, junior (73rd, 17:23.9)
Bryce Krueger, senior (93rd, 17:55.4)
Ronald Aeschleman, junior (99th, 18:04.3)
Individual(s)
Wharton: Jared Hammill, senior (third, 15:51.9)
3A
Sunlake (Second)
Colby Robbins, junior (15:58.2)
Alejandro Pena, sophomore (16:02.7)
Andres Alfonso, junior (16:52.3)
Cason Meyer, junior (16:55.6)
Cade Whitfield, senior (16:55.6)
Max Goserud, junior (17:10.7)
Nathan Lee, sophomore (17:45.8)
Indvidual(s)
Gaither: Lorenzo Martinez, senior (89th, 17:39)
2A
No local teams or individual runners
1A
No local teams or individual runners
Girls
4A
Individual(s)
Steinbrenner: Jacquelyn Abanses, senior (eighth 19:08.0)
Wharton: Brooke Reif, junior (31st, 20:04.2)
3A
Sunlake (10th)
Shannon Gordy, senior (40th, 20:23.4)
Shelby Viseur, junior (47th, 20:29.5)
Sara Ellington, junior (50th, 20:37.2)
Ashley Spires, senior (55th, 20:42.7)
Caitlyn Culpepper, junior (82nd, 21:23.8)
Annie Winborn, sophomore (84th, 21:28.4)
Alanta Lofton, sophomore (94th, 21:59.5)
Individual(s)
Maranda Hildebrand, Land O’ Lakes junior (74th, 21:09.7)
2A
No local teams or individual runners
1A
Elli Black, Cambridge Christian (Land O’ Lakes resident), seventh grade (second, 18:28.5)
Published December 02, 2020
