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Young runners making an impact

Photo by RICK ANDREWS

Hartman's official 5-kilometer time at the flrunners.com Invitational was 19 minutes, 37 seconds.

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By BILL WARD

wward@tampatrib.com

Published: October 6, 2009

In the vacuum created by the numerous standout distance runners who graduated from last year's Tampa Tribune all-Hillsborough County cross country teams, there was bound to be several freshmen and sophomores who would step up and fill the void.

Sickles freshman Sarah Hartman is certainly one of those young runners. Thing is, no one, not even her coach, saw this coming: second place at the flrunners.com Invitational Large School division Friday in Titusville.

"That was a complete and total surprise," said veteran Gryphons coach Dave Rittenour. "I knew she had run in middle school and that she played competitive soccer. And after a few meets for us, it was pretty obvious she was capable of running in the 20-minute range for 5 kilometers. But what she did Friday was beyond my expectations - and hers."

Hartman eclipsed her 5K personal best by nearly a half minute, taking the runner-up spot in 19:37. On the same Chain of Lakes course used for the elite Race of Champions division the following day, Hartman split the first mile in 6:06, came through two miles in 12:36 and was unchallenged for the runner-up spot the remainder of the race. Taking first was junior Kristen Yocom of Winter Springs, who went 19:25.

A soccer player on a Palm Harbor Nighthawks squad that last season was a State Cup semifinalist, Hartman ran her middle school track at Villa Madonna, Rittenour said. He was hoping she would be a contributor to his varsity squad but had no expectation for her to be his No. 1 runner.

Another freshman making an impact is Newsome's Brianna Jackson, who won Saturday's Don Bishop Invitational at Brandon High. This course is typically faster than the one run at the flrunners.com meet, but Jackson was still impressive with her time of 19:48.

And then there are Plant freshmen Caroline Gibson and Julia Rodriguez, and their sophomore teammate, Molly Harry, a Panthers basketball player who is competing in her first season of cross country. That trio is part of a Plant varsity squad that was ranked No. 2 in the state after the opening week of the season and was 10th Saturday at the Race of Champions.

On the boys side, several sophomores, including Chamberlain's Max del Monte and Plant's Travis Christenberry and Sam Powers, are making names for themselves. And a freshman, Lars Benner, is currently Newsome's No. 3 runner.

Saturday, del Monte won the Invitational division at flrunners.com in 16:06, Christenberry and Powers were part of a Panthers team that finished an area-best ninth in the Race of Champions at flrunners.com and Brenner finished seventh at Don Bishop.

CREST RUNNER RECOVERING: In a rare moment for cross country, Strawberry Crest freshman Christony Pal suffered a broken leg during Saturday's Don Bishop meet.

According to Crest coach Ben Henderson, Pal was on the track for the race's final 300 meters and with 200 to go, buckled and fell to the track. He was taken to the hospital where it was discovered he had broken the femur in his left leg. Henderson said Pal is recovering well but will be in the hospital through Wednesday and will not be able to bear weight on the leg for 6-8 weeks.

SHUMATE SATURDAY: The annual Millard Shumate Invitational is Saturday at Picnic Island. Host coach Mark Altimari of Robinson says 23 teams are slated to compete. Girls are set to run at 8 a.m., followed by the boys at 8:30. This will be the first year the meet's namesake will not be there. Shumate, a longtime local race director and runner, passed away in March after a bout with pneumonia. He was 86.

Reporter Bill Ward can be reached at (813) 259-7456.

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