The 2024 season was the first in many years that all three Monroe County teams were represented at regionals, with Marathon and Coral Shores qualifying as teams and Key West sending an individual qualifier. Marathon went on to the next round, making the long trip to Tallahassee to compete at the state level. The top runners at Marathon and Coral Shores were upperclassmen, but the younger runners proved they could definitely keep up, setting the stage for more postseason hardware for Keys athletes in 2025.
Runner of the Year
Vance Bursa
Senior, Marathon
Marathon senior Vaclav “Vance” Bursa shouldered the pressure of the expectations placed upon him and left it all on the course at Apalachee Regional Park, where he completed his fourth consecutive state championship race. Bursa finished in 16:05, good enough for a ninth-place medal and a time just a few seconds shy of a school record. After an amazing sophomore season, Bursa battled injuries that left doubt about his return to the podium, but he quietly worked through everything thrown between him and the goal he set for himself to medal. Bursa finished first at districts this season and second at regionals as well as winning a treasure trove of medals at local and South Florida races.
Tony Bursa
Freshman, Marathon
Tony Bursa has been to the FHSAA 1A State Championship meet four times already and he is just a freshman. The youngest Bursa brother ran out from the shadow of his talented family to come into his own with a season-best 17:49 at regionals, where he finished 20th after bringing home an eighth-place medal from districts.
Lucian Burns
Eighth grade, Marathon
Just an eighth-grader, Lucian Burns set an impressive 18:20 PR at the FHSAA 1A Region 4 Championships in November. With a strong work ethic, Burns gradually climbed from the sixth-man spot to one of the team’s top runners this season and capped off his season with a state appearance.
Allan Taylor
Freshman, Marathon
Marathon’s Allan Taylor is just a freshman, but he is not new to competitive running. Taylor made his second state appearance this year with the Fins and proved he had what it takes to keep up with Marathon’s fine-tuned runners. Taylor PRed at a home meet on Oct. 16, finishing in 18:16 on a flat, fast out-and-back course, then came close to that time a few weeks later at districts, where he was 13th overall.
Alaric Rodriguez
Junior, Coral Shores
Junior Alaric Rodriguez put in the work in the offseason, and it paid off when he ran his personal best 18:22 on Oct. 16 in Marathon. Rodriguez won the Upper Keys Invite later in the season and helped his team qualify for regionals. His work ethic coupled with training on the track this spring will set him up for an exciting senior season.
Tristan Rios
Junior, Coral Shores
Hurricane harrier Tristan Rios helped qualify his team for regionals by running his personal best, a 19:26, at the FHSAA 2A District 8 Championships. The junior peaked at the end of the season, dropping two minutes from his first race, and his willingness to train hard sets him up for a stellar senior campaign in 2025.
Sawyer Hill
Freshman, Key West
Freshman phenom Sawyer Hill was consistently the top runner for the Conchs, running his PR, 18:56, at the 305 Classic on Oct. 11. From there, he went on to finish 21st at districts and cracked the top 100 at regionals, for which he qualified as an individual. The hard-working harrier has a very bright future with the Conchs running program.
William Forster
Senior, Key West
Key West’s Will Forster peaked at the right time this season, running a PR of 20:27 at the FHSAA 2A District 8 Championships, the senior’s final race with the Conchs. Forster shaved off over three minutes this season alone and was integral to the Conchs’ cohesiveness, serving as a leader for his team.
