Leon County cross country teams turned in several strong performances at the FHSAA 1A District 2 and 2A District 1 meets Friday, Nov. 6, with Maclay and Florida High leading the local results.
The 1A District 2 meet was held at Cecil Field Golf Course in Jacksonville, while the 2A District 1 meet took place at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee. Both meets featured 5,000-meter races for boys and girls.
1A District 2
Maclay School led the Leon County teams in the boys race, finishing third in the team standings with 77 points, just six points behind champion Cornerstone Classical Academy (71) and five behind runner-up Oak Hall (76).
Senior David Barton paced the Marauders, placing fourth overall in 16:38.00. Will Cintron followed in 14th with a time of 17:39.00, while Ben Lawson finished 18th in 17:55.00.
Logan Phipps placed 19th in 17:59.00, and Gavin McVay completed Maclay’s scoring five with a 22nd-place finish in 18:10.00. Benton Belcher (45th, 20:00.00) and Luke Jackson (58th, 20:50.00) also competed for Maclay.
Community Christian School finished eighth in the boys team standings with 203 points. Everett Malick led the Warriors, placing 10th overall in 17:15.00. Lincoln Eisenberg finished 17th in 17:50.00, followed by Jericho Wilson in 53rd (20:33.00), Dominic Graff in 60th (21:00.00) and Josiah Durbin in 77th (23:09.00).
North Florida Christian’s Malachi McClendon finished 50th overall with a time of 20:20.00.
In the girls race, Maclay finished fifth in the team standings with 105 points. Freshman Madison McVay led the Marauders, placing 10th overall in 20:13.00. Ava Wenleder followed in 14th with a time of 20:56.00.
Lilly Bell finished 24th in 21:38.00, Marguerite Miller placed 28th in 22:13.00, and Mackenzie McVay rounded out the scoring five in 32nd with a time of 22:21.00. Abigail Stephens (42nd, 23:16.00) and Mary Price (53rd, 24:34.00) also competed.
Community Christian’s Anna Cate Cole finished 50th overall in 24:19.00, while North Florida Christian’s Kylee Young placed 75th in 26:25.00.
Oak Hall won the girls team championship with 35 points, while Maclay finished 70 points behind the leaders.
2A District 1
Florida High had an outstanding showing at its home district meet, winning the girls team championship and finishing runner-up in the boys standings.
The Seminoles girls won with 31 points, placing five runners in the top 11. Freshman Vera Vanlandingham led Florida High, finishing second overall in 21:44.40. Eighth-grader Emma Whittington placed fourth in 21:47.70, followed by senior Leah Boutwell in fifth at 22:22.10.
Maie Moody, an eighth-grader, finished ninth in 23:10.40, while sophomore Elin Quisenberry completed the scoring five in 11th with a time of 24:36.00. Blakely Newlin (12th, 24:40.20) and Linnea Whittington (13th, 25:13.10) also finished among the top 13.
Florida High finished ahead of Pensacola Catholic, which placed second with 46 points, and Freeport, which finished third with 84.
The Seminoles boys finished second with 44 points, just five behind team champion Pensacola Catholic (39).
Sophomore Lawson Phillips led Florida High with a second-place finish in 16:58.20. Senior Yoshi Hutt placed fifth in 18:14.30, while eighth-grader Ezekiel Wyman finished ninth in 19:18.20.
Junior Elijah Rhodes placed 16th in 19:42.40, and sophomore Christian Acree rounded out the scoring five in 18th with a time of 19:52.00. Grant Phillips (20th, 20:05.60) and Conner Fleming (22nd, 20:08.30) also competed.
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