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Race Produces Every Emotion

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By BILL WARD, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 18, 2007

DADE CITY - Just about every type of emotion seemed to be experienced by area runners and coaches in Saturday's 3A state cross country meet.

•There was joy felt by the Plant boys finishing a strong fourth under first-year coach Mike Boza.

•Wharton standout senior Katrina Skinner suffered the disappointment of being unable to finish a race she was in contention to win.

•Running without his team for the first time this season, Chamberlain sophomore Mark Parrish came up with a stunning fourth-place showing in the fastest 5-kilometer time (15 minutes, 58 seconds) of anyone from the area.

•Land O' Lakes junior Felix Soto was excited about taking an impressive sixth after finishing 25{+t}{+h} at last year's finals.

•Plant girls coach Roy Harrison felt the satisfaction of his team beating Wharton and Newsome, the two squads that bested his Panthers at last week's regional meet.

•Newsome felt the pride of grabbing sixth in the girls' race after moving up to 3A this year, as well as taking a 10th-place individual medal in the boys' race by junior Keegan Bixler.

•There was surprise when Freedom junior Alyssa Franks posted the best finish of all Hillsborough County girls, placing 12th in the 3A race.
Boza could hardly contain his excitement about his boys' team. Duncan Hock closed out his senior season with an 11{+t}{+h}-place finish in a personal-best and school-record 5k time of 16:10. And sophomore teammate Trenor Wilkins was within shouting distance of Hock, taking 19{+t}{+h} in 16:30.

"I'm feeling great," said Boza, who before arriving at Plant led Jesuit to four state titles. "I couldn't have imagined that I would feel this close, this soon to a group of guys. I just take my hat off to them."

Competing in the meet's first race with frost still on the ground, Skinner was in a battle for the lead until about a kilometer to go. That's when she dropped out after what Wildcats coach Wes Newton "just laying it all out on the line and running out of fuel." Skinner experienced a similar situation at last year's regional meet, where she led much of the way but was unable to finish.

Parrish's performance might have been the biggest surprise by any local runner. Yes, he's one of the most talented sophomores in the state, but running as an individual qualifier at state without the usual support of a team can undo many - and it rarely results in a personal best.

"I was hoping to do real well but top five, I didn't expect that," Parrish said.

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