Dozens of parents gathered along fences and bleachers, waiting in anticipation for the starting shot to go off and mark the beginning of the 5,000-meter race.
On Nov. 2, fifteen different schools gathered at Hagerty for cross country’s FHSAA District 4A-2 meet. The girls raced at 8 a.m., followed by the boys at 8:30 a.m.
After both races concluded, Coach Jay Getty handed out awards to the individual qualifiers and top two teams. Junior Noah Mott was the champion runner at the event with his time of 15:51, and the boys team walked away with first place for their lowest team score of 32 points.
“We have had a great team this year, and we’ve been performing well at every meet, and just winning some great times,” Mott said.
The runners were front-loaded at the beginning of the week, prepping routes, perfecting pacing and strengthening endurance. The rest of the week served as rest days to ensure the players would run well at home.
These practice methods proved successful, with several players beating their personal record at the district meet. Senior Athena Turner was thrilled with her time of 21:36, a breakthrough 23 seconds under her previous PR time.
“During the two miles, it started getting a little hard, but in the end, I caught up to one of my teammates, and we both ended up running together during the entire thing. So I was really proud of myself…and then I was just so excited to celebrate with my teammates,” Turner said.
Senior Jacob Leon was a top performer for the boys, earning fourth place overall with a time of 16:08. The environment of districts and heightened competition contributed to his improved performance. At the Seminole Athletic Conference championship last week, he topped his PR.
“I like districts and the more competitive meets, because when it’s more competitive, [you] usually run better times. It’s a better experience and I like when we’re running it, [since] the meets are more serious,” Leon said.
Running at districts was a new experience for freshman Tara Brewster (21:53), who has been pleased with her first season on the team, hitting a new PR every race. Her appreciation for her teammates and the potential to improve at every meet contributes to the love she has for the sport.
“It’s great for the body [and] the mind. It makes me a happier person. It keeps me healthy, my love [for] racing and seeing where I can be the next week or so,” Brewster said. “It’s kind of like a present, you never know what’s going to be inside. You race and then at the end, you’ll find out you’re the top one.”
Getty was impressed with every runner’s performance and is eager to take the qualifiers to the regional championships next week at Cecil Field, Jacksonville.
“[I’m] excited for both teams. Everybody ran really well, we managed the environment effectively, and we’ll be on [top] at regionals next week,” Getty said.
