Top Florida Teams Gathering At Apalachee Regional Park For "Pre-State"

By Todd Grasley of DyeStat/Natasha Swanson photo

October 16 is a date that has long been circled on the 2021 cross country calendar in the Sunshine State.

Teams from all over Florida and a few from outside the state are on the way to “Florida’s Cross Country Playground” at Apalachee Regional Park for the Florida State University Invitational, commonly known as "Pre-State."

With ideal temperatures slated for the start of the elite races, course records could be in jeopardy.

Stanford Commit Caroline Wells Leads Girls Field

Winter Springs senior Caroline Wells tore up the track in the spring with times of 4:42.40 in the mile, 10:08.77 in the 3,200 meters, and 16:16.02 to place second in the 5,000 meters at The Outdoor Nationals, presented by Nike. This fall, she has run the fastest time in state history on a 5-kilometer course, with her 16:40.20 effort at the Hagerty Invitational in Oviedo.

If there is a clear favorite in the 32-team field this weekend, it is Wells. The Stanford commit won the event last year in 17:24.20 and picked up her first cross country state championship on this same course in 17:16.50.

One week later, she was seventh at the AAU National Cross Country Championships in December, a race won by former Tully NY star and North Carolina State freshman Brooke Rauber in a course-record time of 16:54.90. That record will be in jeopardy Saturday.

Wells’ biggest competition will come from Jillian Candelino of Bolles, the 2A state runner-up who has run a school-record 17:38.90 to win the adidas XC Challenge, as well as IMG Academy’s Layla Haynes from the island of Barbados, and the Cambridge Christian duo of Caroline Lehman and Mary Ellen Eudaly.

Lehman recently committed to Notre Dame and is the 1A cross country state champion, while the Arkansas-bound Eudaly boasts a 4:51 personal-best mile.

Lehman, Eudaly, along with eighth-grader Eli Black and sophomore Madeleine Gear can place four in the top 15 for Cambridge Christian.

Bolles and IMG Academy both have the depth to make the podium as well. The Bulldogs are no stranger to success in Tallahassee. One of the winningest girls programs in state history, they finished runner-up in 2017 and 2019 and won the 2A title in 2018 and 2020.

Is Sukhi Khosla’s 14:59.45 Boys Course Record Going To Fall?

It’s not easy to break 15 minutes at Apalachee Regional Park. Only one high school runner has accomplished that feat: Sukhi Khosla of Leon, who ran 14:59.45 at the 2013 FSU Invitational/Pre-State.

On Saturday, three individuals have the potential to lower that mark starting with Oregon commit Rheinhardt Harrison of Nease.

We know about Harrison’s track speed with a 4:01.16 mile, but he spent the summer pounding out the miles with the best harriers in the country out in Flagstaff, Ariz. He didn’t have any immediate plans to make noise out of the gate in cross country, but that changed Oct. 2 when he cruised to a personal best and state record 14:45 to win the New World Fall Spectacular. He might just be getting started.

Belen Jesuit senior and University of Florida commit Adam Magoulas is no stranger to success at the course. Magoulas was the runner-up at this meet last year behind teammate Javier Vento. He’s now the leader of this Wolverine squad and he’s set the example with a personal-best 14:57.70.  

Senior Michael Toppi was fifth at last year’s state meet but has been having a stellar senior season including a runner-up finish behind Harrison at the New World Fall Spectacular and a new personal-best 14:55.  His performance caught the eye of legendary coach Bob Braman and he was offered a scholarship to run for the Seminoles. This weekend, he has a chance to show out on his future home course with the Florida State team nearby.

Two others to keep an eye on that could shake up that top group are Leon sophomore Patrick Koon and Warner Keith from Spain Park of Alabama. Koon is trying to take down Khosla’s school record and have the same impact for coach Andrew Wills as Khosla and other great runners that came before him like Foot Locker finalist Matt Mizereck. 

The team battle should be a dogfight between the state’s top two programs overall, Viera of Melbourne, the 4A favorite, and 3A powerhouse Belen Jesuit.

Viera will have Toppi upfront with Magoulas countering for Belen. It should be close through the top three runners, but Viera’s four and five scorers could be the difference-makers.