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Large Field Set At Gator Invitational

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By LARRY BUGG Tribune correspondent

Published: September 14, 2007

Nearly 600 high school cross country runners will take part in the 11th Gator Invitational today at Crews Lake Park.

Close to 50 boys and girls teams will be running in the event, which begins at 8 a.m.with the girls race, followed by the boys at 8:35 and then a JV boys race at 9:40.

Land O' Lakes High School's cross country teams are hosting the event.

Crews Lake Park is located south of the Suncoast Parkway near Shady Hills Road.

The Land O' Lakes marching band will play during the JV race and before the awards ceremony.

'We will have a very competitive field and look forward to a great seasonal opener at the Gator Invitational,' said Kris Keppel, race director and Land O' Lakes girls and boys coach. 'The two-loop course will be fun and challenging.

'It the course will feature paved roads and paved bike path, sand, grass and mulched trails.'

For many of the teams, this is the first multi-team race of the cross country season.

The field includes the Class 2A top-ranked Jesuit team; the fourth-ranked Class 2A Crystal River boys team; the Class 3A 10{+t}{+h}{+-} ranked Chamberlain team; the Class 3A eighth-ranked Land O' Lakes boys team; the Class 3A third ranked Tampa Sickles team; the Ocala Vanguard boys team, which was 16{+t}{+h} at the Class 3A meet; the 16{+t}{+h}-ranked Class 3A Gaither girls; the Class 3A fourth-ranked Ocala Vanguard girls team; the consecutive Class 2A state runner-up Hernando boys team; and the Class 3A 20{+t}{+h}-ranked Lake Region girls team.

The rankings were made by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA).

There will be plenty of star athletes running in the 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) race. Land O' Lakes junior Felix Soto will be running. So will Pasco High junior Leeann Eble, the Tampa Tribune's Pasco Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2006.

Conner Revord and Jordan Schilit of Jesuit, Derek Wehunt and Ciprian Mejia of Sickles and Tori Lawson and Elizabeth Cain of Ocala Vanguard will be competing.

Among the Pasco County standout runners will be Wesley Chapel's Kirsten Fee and Wiregrass Ranch freshman Ariel Gray.

All of Pasco County's boys and girls cross country teams are scheduled to compete as well as teams from Hillsborough, Hernando, Citrus, Polk and Marion counties.

Teams will be competing today at the site for the Class 3A-District 3 meet on Nov. 1 at 4:30 p.m.

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