Newsome’s girls and boys cross country teams took on the FSU Invitational Pre-States meet on September 30th at Apalachee Regional Park. Select members of the program made the trip all the way up to Tallahassee to compete on Florida State’s cross country course, and the results showcase the clear competitive edge of the athletes as well as the strength of their respective teams. As the season progresses, both teams are full of optimism and dedicated to improve in the races to come.
The meet brought thousands of runners from high schools all over Florida together to compete on the course used for the state final, which will also be held in Tallahassee on November 17th. The race was highly anticipated among all cross country runners state-wide, and the pressure to perform was intense. “You run with a bunch of top-tier schools across the state,” said Van Petty, Newsome senior and varsity team member after the meet. “We were running with kids from Miami, Tallahassee, even Pensacola and the Keyes,” he added. The meet drew contenders from nearly every corner of Florida, which led to an abundance of intimidating competition for Newsome athletes.
The team saw notable performances from multiple athletes, including Joshua Uhrig, a junior who timed 16 minutes and seven seconds in the five kilometer race, and Van Petty, who timed 16:15. Following behind them in the top 5 for the team was Santiago Foster with a time of 17:02, Jonathan Robinson with a time of 17:09, and Caine Cokkinias with a time of 17:19. “Overall, it was nothing spectacular, nothing bad. We just have to get great before we go back up there,” said Brian Sears, coach of the Newsome boys cross country team. “We saw we could run with a lot of people, but we also saw that we have to get better,” he added. As the season continues on, the team fully expects to continue working on honing their skills and practicing every day. Among team members, hopes are high for the rest of the season. “I can’t wait to see how everyone really improves, and I think pre-states was a great benchmark for us,” Petty said, reflecting on the results of the meet. “If we can work from here, I think we can potentially place at states,” he added.
On the girls side, Newsome senior Reese Anderson surged ahead to take 9th place overall with a time of 18:39. Following behind her was freshman Lily Topp with a time of 20:08, sophomore Grace Mohr with a time of 20:13, junior Rachel Harrar with a time of 20:51, and senior Jessica Brickhaus with a time of 21:10. “The girls raced really well on a super tough course, and I can’t wait to go back for state,” said Anderson in the aftermath of the meet. “I think this race really sets the tone for our team to be competitive and keep working hard through the rest of the season,” she added. The girls team hopes to return to Tallahassee for state finals, and they plan to continue the good work as the rest of the season unfolds.
Overall, both teams showed a commendable amount of endurance and dedication in the weeks leading up to the race, as well as during the event. “The season has really only just begun,” Petty said.