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Newsome, Plant Win Region Titles

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A Tribune staff report

Published: November 11, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - Newsome took the girls title and Plant won the boys title Saturday morning at the Class 3A-Region 2 cross country meet at Central High School's football stadium.

Land O' Lakes High's Felix Soto won his second straight regional title with a time of 16 minutes, 28 seconds. Trenor John Wilkins of Plant was second in 16:48.

Ocala Vanguard's Tori Lawson won the girls race in 19:10. Wharton's Katrina Skinner was second with a time of 19:35.

Newsome had 75 points to win the girls title. Wharton was second with 83 points.

"We did well," Newsome girls coach Lee Dunn said. "We have a lot of depth."

"I'm disappointed," Wharton girls coach Wes Newton said. "Maybe, it's bad coaching."

Plant's boys took the title with 68 points. Lakeland Jenkins was second with 74 points. Wharton's boys were third with 109 points. Newsome's boys were fourth with 144 points.

The top six teams and the top 15 individuals will advance to the Class 3A state championships Saturday at Little Everglades Ranch near Dade City.

Larry Bugg

Class 2A-2

TITUSVILLE - Wiregrass Ranch freshman Ariel Gray took fifth and the led her team to its first state appearance during the Class 2A-Region 2 meet at Chain O' Lakes Park.

Grey, who has the top time for any female in Pasco County, ran a 19:50 and qualified as an individual.

Wiregrass Ranch is in its second year of cross country competition.

Grey also won the Sunshine Athletic Conference girls race this year. She has become the top Pasco County runner since two-time district champion LeeAnn Eble of Pasco High was injured before the conference race. Eble has a sprained right ankle and was unable to run in the conference or district races.

Wiregrass Ranch had 125 points to finish fifth and qualify for the Class 2A state meet Saturday at Little Everglades Ranch near Dade City.

"We had three girls run their personal bests," said Wiregrass Ranch coach Don Howard. "They all ran really well."

The Wiregrass Ranch boys finished 11th with 247 points. Zephyrhills High's boys finished 14th with 322 points.

Wiregrass Ranch's Ryan Pulsifer finished 14th and qualified for the state meet. He had a time of 17:17.

The top six teams and top 15 individuals qualify for the state meet.

Larry Bugg

Class 4A-2

PALM BAY - Brian Atkinson has bad news for anyone chasing him, and it's that he is still improving.

The Melbourne High runner attacked his own course record at Bayside on Saturday at the Class 4A-Region 2 cross country meet. He destroyed the 5-kilometer course, turning in a 15:33.72, more than half a minute faster than his previous record.

"My first mile was way too fast," he said. "I saw the mile time and got a little scared, but I just relaxed. Hopefully, it'll be faster at state."

That's where he'll be next week, having advanced along with the rest of the Melbourne boys and girls by winning the meet. Bulldogs were sixth and ninth behind Atkinson, while the girls had a group finish.

The Bayside boys were second and also advanced as a team to the state meet next Saturday in Dade City.

Helen Mann led four Melbourne girls grouped in the front on Saturday. She was third with a 19:22.55, followed by Candice McNaughton (19:45.85), Danielle Todd (19:54.07) and - two more spots back in seventh, Michelle Atkinson (20:00.08).

"My job was to stay with the lead pack, and hopefully we'd come in together," Mann said. "They went out pretty fast, but that was OK. That just pushed me."

McNaughton's time was a personal best by four seconds.

Two other runners also beat Atkinson's 2006 course record, including the boy pushing him.

"I wanted to open up a gap in the forest from Derek Wehunt, the runner from Sickles," Atkinson said. "That's basically what happened."

Wehunt's time was 16:01.75.

The previous course record was 16:10, held by the winner, Atkinson. Other boys beating it Saturday were Wehunt and Jonathon Lanning of Sarasota.

"I went out there to beat him, but I just didn't feel it today," Wehunt said. "At least it was for regionals and not for state."

"We went out fast and it was a way hard race," said East Lake's Katherine McMeekin. "There was a lot of competition here. I got really close to my PR. I think I missed it by one second."

East Lake's girls, who finished fifth, will be making its first trip to the state meet as a team.

Brian McCallum

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