Members from all three Keys schools traveled to Boca Raton on Nov. 8 for the FHSAA Region 4 cross country championships. Key West’s girls plus Sawyer Hill and Coral Shores’ boys plus Ali Wheatley qualified to compete in the 2A division while 1A Marathon’s full boys and girls teams both made the cut. On the line was a shot at making the state championship meet at Apalachee Regional Park on Nov. 16.
The Dolphins’ boys speedsters will make a 10th consecutive appearance in Tallahassee. Their fourth-place performance at regionals was within one second of third. The team’s 18:04 average pace was boosted by the performance of senior standout Vance Bursa. Bursa PRed with a 16:09 second-place overall finish, and though this year’s crop of runners is one of the most talented ever, Bursa’s propensity for pulling off huge upsets is well-documented. Within reach is not only a state medal but Marathon’s school record, a blazing 15:59 time set at the 2018 state meet by Jonathan Pitchford.
Behind Vance Bursa was his brother, freshman Tony Bursa, who finished the race in 20th place in 17:49. Eighth-grader Lucian Burns was next in 18:20, followed by junior Caleb Shelar (18:56) and freshman Allan Taylor (19:04). Joining the top five at states will be sixth grader Anthony Vargas and senior Adrien Holdinga.
The Lady Fins finished seventh as a team, qualifying the entire crew for the big show. This marks the sixth consecutive team appearance in Tallahassee for Marathon’s girls. The Fins were led by their youngest competitor, sixth grader Molly Joly, who finished in 23:03. Next was the oldest, senior Ella Dunn, in 23:33. Sophomore Maeve Merryman was next in 24:45 followed by her cousin, eighth-grader Rebecca Merryman in 25:29. Sophomores Sara Robinson and Madelyn Thornton finished in 25:37 and 26:08 to round out the top five. Also completing the 5K and qualifying for states as the sixth-place runner, whose time is used as a tiebreaker should one be needed, was sophomore Mylana Loza.
In the girls’ 2A race, Key West senior Naima Thomas reached a goal she set in August by qualifying for the state meet with a 20:17 11th-place finish. The top eight teams plus the next four fastest runners earn a spot at the state championships, and Thomas secured the third at-large bid. Just three seconds behind Thomas was teammate Caylaa Makimaa, who claimed the fourth and final at-large spot by outkicking Coral Shores freshman Ali Wheatley.
Wheatley, whose inaugural season with the ’Canes was nothing short of spectacular, missed the mark by one spot, but her top-20 finish at regionals and 20:25 time ensure she will have another shot at the big show next year.
Conchs coach Keara McGraw was delighted with her seniors’ performances at regionals, calling it a “celebratory but emotional day, as most of the team ran their final race at South County Regional Park.” And though Makimaa and Wheatley were competing for the same spot, McGraw couldn’t help but scream for Wheatley as well, a testament to the high level of sportsmanship and camaraderie in the sport.
Thomas and Makimaa, who have been training partners for years, will make the trip all the way to Tallahassee to run a final race together. Never before in school history have two Lady Conchs qualified for states individually. In fact, Thomas joins a short list of three individual qualifiers. Makimaa made that list last season as a junior to join Nicole Matysik as the only at-large qualifiers in school history.
In the boys’ 2A race, Key West freshman Sawyer HIll was the first Monroe County runner to cross the finish line. Hill completed the race in 19:12.3 to close out a fantastic first season with the Conchs.
“This season has been a learning curve and he’s got incredible potential for fast running in his future,” said McGraw.
Next to finish in the 2A boys race was the entirety of Coral Shores’ boys team. Tristan Rios was the team’s first in 19:38. Nathaniel Shugarmann also broke 20, finishing in 19:41, and Jamie Cary was next in 20:16. The ’Canes’ top three are all juniors. Sophomore Tristan Sanchez crossed in 21:56 and freshman Garret Gomila finished in 23:02 to round out the top five, whose times are used in the team race calculation. Juniors Alaric Rodriguez and Adrik Gadea also finished for the Hurricanes after qualifying for regionals. Though the ’Canes did not qualify for states, their improvement this season was remarkable, making for an exciting return next year as the team has no graduating seniors.
The blue wave of Dolphins plus Makimaa and Thomas will take their mark Nov. 16 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee. The course, a grassy, tree-lined meander, is typically fast-paced despite some large hills Keys athletes find perplexing. Course temperatures will be the chilliest, perhaps as low as the mid-50s, for the Lady Fins, whose start time is set at 9 a.m. The Lady Conchs start at 9:25 and Marathon’s boys toe the line at 9:50.
