PONTE VEDRA - Ridgeview High cross country runner James Snipes got a second big run at Ponte Vedra High School with the surly running newcomer taking second place amongst a gathering of some of the strongest cross country programs in north Florida at the district 2-3A championship races. Snipes’ last visit to Ponte Vedra High got a first place finish at the Craig Speziale Invitational earlier in the regular season.

“We went a little too fast in the first mile so I slowed a bit to have something left for the finish,” said Snipes. “I was keying off the Matanzas guy (winner) and I knew if I chased him I’d get a fast time.”

Ponte Vedra took top honors for the boys over Fleming Island with Ridgeview fifth with Ridgeview’s James Snipes having his best race thus far with a second place finish in 16:02. Snipes’ time is the closest he has gotten to breaking the elusive 15 minute mark in cross country.

The top eight teams plus three individuals will travel to Panama City for the region 1-3A race on Sat., Nov. 6 at 10 a.m.

Fleming Island’s boys team, running as a strong four man contingency within the top 20 finishers, took second behind Ponte Vedra 54-70 with Matanzas High’s Zach Spooner winning the individual title in 15:58. Snipes was second at 16;02 wiht Ponte Vedra’s Grant Doherty third at 16:05.

Fleming Island top finisher was Alex Bendig, a senior, who was fifth in 16:39. Sophomore John Keester IV, Fleming Island’s top finisher for most of the 2021 season, was second in at 16:44 with junior Danny Sakowski third in at 11th in 17:04.

Snipes’ much improved teammate, Julio Rodriguez finished 15th in 17:20 as the Panthers’ second finisher.

Middleburg’s top finisher was Logan Moore, a junior, who took 18th in 17:34. Orange Park’s Noe Benitez just missed the third qualifier spot by nine seconds with an 18:11 finish for 36th place.

In the team points, Ponte Vedra’s girls scored first at 28; St Augustine second at 61 and Fleming Island third at 70. Clay was seventh, Middleburg 10th and Ridgeview 12th for the girls.

For the boys Ponte Vedra won at 54 with Fleming Island second at 70 and Matanzas third at 79. Ridgeview was fifth, Middleburg sixth, Clay 11th and Orange Park 12th.

Fleming Island, Middleburg and Ridgeview all advance as one of the top eight teams at districts.

Middleburg was led by junior Logan Moore who came in at 18th in 17:34 with senior teammate Dylan Anderson in at 30th in 18:03.

Fleming Island’s girls got a top finish from Allie Knotts who has spearheaded the frontrunning duties for the Lady Golden Eagles with state meet veteran Grace Adams following closely to Knotts’ seventh place finish with 12th place finish. Fleming Island, the region champion last year, got five girls inte top 20; Knotts, Adams, Katelyn Thompson, Lauren Schaudel and Marliea Feld.

“I knew it was a fast field and I was trying to stay close,” said Knotts, who has been the top finisher for Fleming Island, who won a district and a region title last year in Class 4A.

One runner who’s pedigree; mom and dad both accomplished road runners and marathoners, Grace Adams knows what big races look like and, having been to the state meet last year and an integral part of the Golden Eagles region title, Adams ran a strong finish to bolster Knotts’ effort up front.

“We’ve been training through right now, hoping to taper closer to the region and state races,” said Adams, who finished 12th in 20:05 with Knotts top finisher at 19:34 for seventh overall. “Allie is running great, but we have such a tight group; me, the Thompson sisters that we get in close together to keep our points down.”

The remainder of the Fleming Island finish included junior Katelyn Thompson at 14th in 20:11, senior Lauren Schaudel at 18th in 20:31 and sophomore Marlea Feld in 19th at 20:32 right behind Schaudel. Fleming Island’s fifth finisher was freshman Ava Hendrix at 25th in 20:41.

Clay High, who got two runners, Savannah Hill and Ulyana Damme to the state meet last year, got seventh to advance to regions with sophomore Gabriella Barrios top finisher at 20:48 for 27th. Clay got a 34th from sophomore Kaygen Williamson in 21:25 and a 37th from Hill in 21:35.

Orange Park junior Hope Carter sprinted in at 36th to grab one of the three at-large advance tickets for her first region meet. Carter finished in 21:26.

Middleburg’s girls finished 10th led by Kennedy Young at 48th in 22:05. The Broncos boys team finished