SCHOOL RECORDS ARE IN STRIKING DISTANCE FOR KEYS RUNNERS

Cross country is not a sport for the weak of heart – nor the weak of anything, for that matter. To be the best, an athlete must be focused, driven and willing to put their training above all. Even then, record-setting runners are a breed apart. This makes the 2025 cross country season even more exciting, as multiple runners from local schools are on the cusp of making history. 

Marathon’s records are some of the freshest on the books, with the time to beat being Jonathan Pitchford’s 15:59 or Vance Bursa’s 15:46, depending on the record keeper. Pitchford ran his personal best in 2018 at states, when he broke the 16-minute barrier with a silver medal performance. Bursa’s time was achieved at the RunningLane XC Nationals in Alabama in December 2024. Though Bursa’s time is not recognized in some record books as Marathon’s fastest as it was outside of FHSAA competition, it was achieved during his senior year of high school. Bursa’s next-fastest 5K, a 16:05 he logged at states in 2024, places him in second regardless of the debate. 

Either way, Bursa and Pitchford have set a high bar for future record hopefuls. This season’s best contenders for making the podium of all-time greats are Antonin Bursa and Lucian Burns, a pair of underclassmen with talent and drive. Bursa, the younger brother of Vance, and Burns train together and perform their best in tandem, something that could help them make Dolphin history of their own.

For the Lady Fins, seventh-grader Molly Joly already stands in the No. 2 spot. She is sandwiched between Naomi Valerdi, whose 2010 20:09 is the best all-time finish for Marathon’s girls, and Ella Dunn, who graduated in 2024. Joly is just over a minute behind Valerdi, and with six seasons remaining for her varsity career, a contender to make school history. 

At Coral Shores, the girls record has stood the longest. Joanna McCoy broke it at states in 2009, and it’s been 16 years since anyone has cracked the top three spots in the Lady Hurricanes’ record books, but sophomore Ali Wheatley is currently in fourth and picking up speed every day. Wheatley needs to shave just five seconds from her personal best to take over the No. 3 spot, and while the No. 1 place is more than two minutes faster than her current best, Wheatley is focused and has all the potential to surpass McCoy, especially given a three-year window in which to do it.

Collin Dickerson holds the Hurricane harrier record, with a 16:42.7 time that has held the top spot since 2014. Current senior Alaric Rodriguez has times in the 18-minute realm to his credit, and stands a solid shot at making the top three. Pushing him is a slew of teammates who often trade places at the finish line.

Key West’s Nicole Matysik has held the Conch record since 2017, when her 18:19 set the bar for future runners. To break into the top three, the time to beat is 20:17. While an improvement of more than two minutes would be unusual for a seasoned varsity runner, if anyone can do it, it’s sophomore Violet Jangraw. Jangraw has made steady improvement each season and has the never-say-can’t attitude to overcome any odds.

Key West’s Robert Perdoza surpassed Owen Allen for the best time in Conch history in 2019. Perdoza’s 15:38 is currently the best Monroe County high school finish since decent records have been kept, and will be challenging to beat. To make Key West’s top three, sophomore Sawyer Hill, senior Prometheus Delacerda and the rest of the pack will need to break 16:17, a lofty feat for any distance runner.

And while the current high school athletes work toward writing their own history, the athletes who own the records have not hung up their racing flats just yet. Last year’s 7 Mile Bridge Run was won by Joanna Stevens, formerly McCoy, and Allen, a pair of Keys locals with their names in the books for their respective schools. Vance Bursa, the winner the previous year, was second. Marathon’s third-fastest cross country runner, Aydan Child, founded Peak Pulse, a running club with branches across Florida. He teamed up with both Bursas and Allen to win the Keys 100 last May under the Peak Pulse brand. 

Monroe County boys all-time best cross country times

Monroe County girls all-time best cross country times

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