JACKSONVILLE - The air was cool, the course was flat and the results were electric. At the Florida Gateway XC Invitational at Lake City's Alligator Lake Park, Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Manta Rays turned Alligator Lake into a record book rewrite.

FSCJ’s standout runner Mei Chiang, a Fleming Island High School graduate, shattered her own school record by 35 seconds, crossing the line in 18:31—a mark that now ranks as the fourth fastest time in the nation for NJCAA Division II this season.

"Her performance was clinical, smooth, and commanding, as she distanced the field early and never looked back," said Hale, a former St. Johns Country Day School coach with Jay Birmingham.

Chiang’s run headlined a banner day for the Manta Ray women. Ellie Cardozo and Leilani Ortega Sandoval both posted personal bests, while Ava Banks, Lauren Hughes and Krista Lovely clocked their fastest times of the season. The squad’s cohesion and depth continue to grow as the championship stretch approaches.

“Mei is in fantastic race shape with our two biggest meets ahead,” Hale said. “All the women raced well today.”

If the women impressed, the men made history with lead runners Benjamin Hale and Cole Fleming delivering one-two punch that toppled every previous mark in the FSCJ record book. Hale surged through the 8K course in 26:54, obliterating the former school record set by John Bear (Orange Park High/Pittsburg State) in 2021. Fleming wasn’t far behind, clocking 27:16, just two seconds faster than Bear’s old mark.

"Their performances weren’t isolated heroics," Hale said. "Edward Julian, Spencer Middleton, David Beasley, Anthony Ress and Alexander Grant all ran personal bests, propelling the men’s team to a school-record average time of 28:16, the fastest in program history."

Hale cited the immense record setting exploits of his Clay County strong rosters for both men and women.

“Ben and Cole moving to the top of the list is a really big deal,” Hale said. “Nine athletes set personal records today, and the men’s average time is really exciting considering we held our number three runner out while he recovers from a cold.”

Hale liked the peaking aspect of his team's season with the NJCAA Region 8 Championship and the National Championships on the horizon—set for Nov. 8 in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

"If today’s performances were any indication, the Manta Rays are not just racing for personal bests anymore—they’re racing for banners," Hale said. "FSCJ appears to be peaking right when it matters most."

Hale noted that the Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) Manta Rays cross country program has deep roots in Clay County. Over the years, many of the team’s top student-athletes have come from the county’s strong high school running programs—and they continue to make their mark at the collegiate level.

"Orange Park High School has produced several Manta Ray standouts, including former school record holder John Bear, top-five runner Christian Mayfield and current team member Anthony Ress," Hale said. "Middleburg High has been equally influential, with national qualifiers Meghan Bonser, Kayla Konnick and Kayleigh McWatters, as well as current co-captain Lauren Hughes continuing that tradition."

Ridgeview High alum Ava Banks, now serving as team co-captain, joins Lauren Hughes in leading the women’s squad, while Fleming Island High continues to be a major pipeline for the program. National qualifiers Gage West and Shealyn Barbuto were Golden Eagles, and today’s roster features three more Fleming Island products—Chiang, Aiden Taggart and Spencer Middleton. Chiang currently ranks fourth nationally in NJCAA Division II, is a four-time FCSAA Runner of the Week and was recently named USTFCCCA JUCO National Runner of the Week.

Rounding out this year’s Clay County contingent is Blake Looney, a former Clay High standout known for his grit and consistency. In all, seven members of the 2025 FSCJ Cross Country team hail from Clay County high schools.

“I live in Orange Park and spend a lot of time recruiting Clay County runners,” Hale said. “These are great student-athletes and a pleasure to coach. The local programs do an outstanding job preparing them for the next level.”