KEY WEST HARRIERS HOST FIRST HOME MEET SINCE 2017

October 13, 2022

On Oct. 8, Key West hosted its first home cross country meet since 2017. The Conchs’ home course is the Robert E. Price Memorial Cross Country Course at the Key West Golf Club, named for their longtime coach who mapped out the course more than 15 years ago. In attendance were Key West, Sugarloaf School and Basilica School. Key West’s Colbin Hill was the overall winner in 18:49, followed by fellow Conchs Daniel Roy and Jerven Louis. In fourth place was Sawyer Hill, Colbin’s younger brother, who ran the hilly, grassy 3.1-mile course in 21:59 – not too shabby for a student not yet in high school. Coach Mark Coleman said his team’s conditioning “is all coming together” just in time for districts on Oct. 18.

Finishing first for the girls was Caylaa Makimaa in 22 minutes, nearly a minute faster than she ran earlier in the week on Marathon’s fast-paced flat course. She was followed by Naima Thomas in second and Gianna Marchant in third. Girls coach Keara McGraw was very happy with the performance of her team, noting that they have all improved tremendously this season and are running their best when it is most crucial. She said her girls’ battle cry all week was “48 hills,” a nod to the number of inclines on the tough two-loop course. Hill training is hard to come by in the flat Florida Keys, but McGraw and Coleman have been creative this season, adding bridges and Fort Zach runs to their teams’ repertoire in order to prepare.

Basilica School brought three runners to their future home course. Sawyer Hill was first among the school’s middle school runners, followed by Owen Wright and George Clarke.

Sugarloaf brought more than a dozen runners, led by Gilbert Chase, whose 25:26 time was good for first place in the younger division. Brady Wright and David Temple took second and third. Jillian Callum was the first girl to cross the line for the Sharks in 30:19, followed by Berkely Tripp, Harper Reeves and Hannah Andreas. Coach Alex Smyth was happy to have a solid showing so close to home as his runners prepare for the Junior Orange Bowl race on Friday, Oct. 13 at Larry and Penny Thompson Park. The race will be a 2.1-mile course taken on by middle school runners across south Florida.