JACKSONVILLE - Cross country was once again in full bloom on Friday morning, Nov. 6, at the Cecil Field World Course as programs in Classes 1A and 2A battled for the coveted Top 8 team spots or individual spots to advance to region races next week.

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Region cross country

Region 1-4A: Oakleaf freshman Julie Wilmoth, with an 18th-place 19:43.10 finish District 1-4A, advanced as individual and will compete at West End Park in Gainesville on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 a.m.

Region 1-3A: Fleming Island, Middleburg boys and girls teams will compete at Cecil Field World Course on Friday, Nov. 13, at 8:30 a.m. Ridgeview's Bob Petrosky and Clay's Theodore Davila advance as individuals.

Region 1-2A: Keystone Heights boys and girls teams will compete at Cecil Field World Course, Friday, Nov. 13, 7:30 a.m.

Region 1-1A: St. Johns Country Day School boys and girls will compete at West End Park, Gainesville, Saturday, Nov. 14, 8 a.m.

State championship races scheduled for Friday on Nov. 20 at Apalachee Region Park in Tallahassee.

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St. Johns Country Day School, in District 2-1A, got an outstanding race performance by senior Eleanor Myers who finished right behind the Lady Spartans No. 3 spot; Olivia Morris, to give the Spartans a boost in their team points to finish second behind Oak Hall, 35-78.

"It was nice and cool and I felt great," said Myers. "I saw Olivia up front and just decided to get to her and hang on."

With sophomores Kate Staten and Ella Rose Hanna doing what they do as the top two runners for St. Johns throughout the season, third for Staten and 12th for Hanna, Morris's third spot finish was expected by coach Russell Ivey.

"Eleanor has been so consistent and unwavering this year," said Ivey. "All of our girls have such unique styles and gifts as runners and Eleanor possesses a lot of them and knows when to pull which tool from the bag.  Eleanor is very communicative and a great teacher for our young squad."

With Staten the third of the top three, first to Emma Akhundjanov of Providence and second to Reese Allen of Oak Hall, it was going to be, as is cross country, the strongest five to determine team points.

"One and two do one and two, it is the three, four and fives that wins meets," said Ivey.

The fifth for St. Johns was little sister Lillian Hanna in 24th place.

For the Spartan boys, Thomas Nichols battled the front runners from Providence, overall winner Sean Cunningham in 15:34, and Jack Kline from Cornerstone Classical Academy in 16:09, to take the front spots while Nichols ran strong to his 12th place finish to bolster St. Johns sixth place finish. The Spartan boys also finished in a strong pack, Judson Myers, Nathan Kipnis, Marcus Giles and Isaiah Larsen all in the top 38.

As a bonus, St. Johns was without top runner Arlo Kistner, who had an illness, but is expected back for regions.

"Arlo has had a sickness that has been lingering so we held him out at District," said Ivey. "Our team had no doubt that they would survive and advance for him to lead us at Region.  We are hunting the podium with both of our teams at region."

In the district 2-2A race, held just prior to the District 2-1A race, Keystone Heights also produced results enough to get another week of racing with Melody Tyre battling the gauntlet of teams from Bolles, Episcopal and Wolfson to finish 22nd and get the Lady Indians a sixth place finish. Top 8 advance to regions.

Keystone Heights also got an outstanding performance from senior Olivia Griffin, who has been running stronger as the season has progressed after a junior season of back ailments, with Griffin just 10 seconds away from the Lady Indians number two, eighth grader Ryleigh Thomas, as 31st and 32nd.

Up front, the race had four runners less than 19 minutes led by Sofie Stam of Bolles with an 18:18. Bolles edged Episcopal, 30-31, with Episcopal's Stella Krueger taking second in 18:34.

For the Keystone Heights boys, with Bolles running away with an 18-point winning total (15 is a perfect team score), the Indians finished seventh to advance led by Noah Yara's 16:58 for 16th place and 17:24 for Hunter Sheppard for 20th.