On Oct. 5, Keys runners met at Larry & Penny Thompson Park in Miami for the annual Larry Wooten Invitational. Marathon’s Vance Bursa won the event, finishing the 5K course in 16:53. Eighth grader Tony Bursa was the next Keys runner to cross the finish line with a season-best 18:32, earning 17th place overall. The next Keys finisher was Key West’s Colbin Hill with a time of 19:04, good enough for 31st place in a field of more than 200 runners.
Marathon’s boys had one more sub-20 finish with Jakub Bursa, who ran the race in 19:05. The Bursa brothers’ times, plus solid finishes from Dillon Shelar and Allan Taylor, placed the Fins fifth out of 30 teams participating. Key West had success from Andrew Fedor with a 20:42 finish. Fedor and Hill combined with Jerven Louis, Sebastian Jaroszewicz and William Forester for 20th place overall. The top Coral Shores runner of the meet was Nathaniel Shugarman, who finished in 21:50. Rounding out the ’Canes’ top five were Jamie Cary, Connor Daniels, Sean Andrews and Tristan Sanchez.
Marathon and Coral Shores were well-represented at Wooten. Marathon’s girls were third overall in the meet with the top time from senior Mikkel Ross, who crossed the line 15th overall in a time of 22:46. Ella Dunn, Maeve Merryman, Rain Banks and Sara Robinson completed Marathon’s top five. Lady Cane Kai Guth was first for Coral Shores. The Hurricanes had solid finishes from Julia Rush and Hayden Teal as well. With just three runners, the ’Canes did not count toward team standings, but the competition gave Coral Shores some race experience heading into districts.
The Lady Conchs opted out of Wooten to compete at the Florida Runners Invitational at Holloway Park in Lakeland. There, they experienced a hilly, challenging course, something head coach Keara McGraw acknowledged is nearly impossible to mimic on a flat island like Key West. The grueling course was an unpleasant surprise for the runners, but the experience will benefit them greatly should they qualify for the state meet course, which has similar conditions. Caylaa Makimaa was first for Key West, finishing in fifth place overall in a phenomenal 20:52. Naima Thomas was next, crossing the line in 22:30, a nearly 20-second personal best time. Laira Anaya, Violet Jangraw, Ava Gonzalez, Mia Steer and Deanna Mercier also completed the race.
