LAKE ASBURY - Throughout the 2020 cross country season, Oakleaf High’s girls duo of Taylor Silkert and Sierra Barrera have been just outside the top five finishers of races, but with steady improvement of time that has created tense moments for Knights’ coach James Henderson.

“They have both been running hard since the summer and both have great track finishing speed in the 400 and 800,” said Henderson. “It has just been a matter of time before their distance buildup would catch up to their track speed. Finishing under 20 minutes is going to happen soon.”

Note: At the Clay County Invite, held at Oakleaf High on September 5, Silkert and Barrera finished seventh and eighth in 21:57 and 21:58, with Mussante up front with Fleming Island High’s Emma Millson in 19:38.57 and 19:47.67.

At the Middleburg Bronco Classic, Silkert finished fifth in 20:52 with Barrera on her side in 20:56.

On October 17, at the Fleming Island Invite, Mussante outdid Silkert in their first head to head dual; 20:33 to 20:51 on the same Van Zant course with Barrera fourth at 20:59.

In the Clay County Cross Country Championship race, held Saturday at Lake Asbury’s Ronnie Van Zant Park, both Silkert and Barrera were on both sides of Middleburg High’s Emma Mussante throughout most of the race. Orange Park’s Sofia Menendez bravely was amongst the threesome in the early part of the race, but later succumbed to the pace and fell back.

At the halfway point, just Silkert, Mussante and Barrera were up front as harrier fans anticipated some kind of dramatic finish.

Notable was that Fleming Island’s front five squad; Emma Millson, Grace Adams, Marisa Kortright, Mei Chiang and newcomer Allie Knotts, were running as a pack just 10 yards behind and would eventually win the team title.

With Fleming Island’s frontrunning Millson staying put as the point of the Golden Eagle pack, Silkert, Mussante and Barrera had the top three spots as their play spot for the day.

“We knew the Fleming Island girls would run as a pack so today would be for someone else although Mussante has run great times all season and Millson has been the top runner in the county so far, Taylor and Sierra have been steadily improving from 22 minutes to just about 20 as the season has progressed,” said Henderson.

At the finish, Silkert took the iniative at the right turn at about 300 yards to go to catch the group by surprise.

“I just wanted to beat her once,” said Silkert. “I’m learning from each race how to pace myself and then finish.”

With a 10 yard gap in front of them, Mussante and Barrera staged their own dramatic battle to the finish line with Mussante mustering up enough finishing speed to edge Barrera.

Silkert would hit 20:19.60 with Mussante in at 20:30.00 and Barrera third at 20:30.35.

“I had Homecoming last night,” said Mussante at the finish. “They both ran strong.”

Behind the trio, Fleming Island’s five rolled in to take fourth through eighth with Kortright dubbed top finisher at fourth.

Fleming Island would get a new name as a sixth runner in Elliott Baker in ninth at 21:59.99.

Middleburg finished second behind a strong front from Whitney Mathis at 10th in 22:05.58.

Oakleaf finished fourth with Clay third.

Clay High had a strong showing with four runners finishing in the top 20; Savannah Hill (11th), Ulyana Damme (12th), freshman Kaygon Williamson (18th) and Madisyn Blackburn (19th).

In the boys race, Fleming Island High senior Jaydon Scherer dominated from the front wiht a 17:16.63 run with freshman teammate John Keester IV second at 17:27.90 and Ridgeview High’s James Snipes strong at third in 17:29.91.

Fleming Island won with 18 points with Middleburg at 68 and Ridgeview 82 for the top three.