PONTE VEDRA - St. Johns Country Day School senior cross country runner Matthew Stratton took step one; a sloshy one albeit, with a win at the district 2-1A cross country championship race held in Tallahassee on the Apalachee Regional Course, also the state meet course.

“With the rain and storms around us, we went at the race on a safe pace to be sure we didn’t turn an ankle or fall,” said St. Johns coach Greg Stratton, who got a second from his boys team behind Maclay by just two points, 66-68, while Bishop Snyder took third, 84, in a tightly

competed race on the sloppy, hilly course.

Matthew Stratton and teammate Graham Myers took first and second honors in a conservative 16:22.5-16:54.3 split with Snyder’s Donald Dempsey third at 17:03. Stratton has posted times in the low 15 minute range with a 15:10 just two weeks ago.

In the girls race, St. Johns took third behind a astounding 27-point top score of Maclay with Providence second at 87. St. Johns scored 112 points with freshman Rebecca Stratton (Stratton No. 2) finishing a strong eighth in a personal best of 21:13.8.

“Maybe we should do a dance for rain everytime Rebecca races,” said Stratton. “I’ve said she thinks a little too much out there about splits and times when she should just run from the heart and compete.”

St. Johns will be at the New World Sports Complex in Jacksonville on Fri., Nov. 5 for their region 1-1A championship race at 7:45 a.m.