The J.W. Mitchell girls team and the Ridgewood boys qualified Saturday for next week's state cross-country championship meet.
The Mustang girls were paced by Kelli Williams, who finished in fourth place with a time of 19:48.95.
"I'm thrilled, so excited," Williams said after crossing the finish line.
"It though it was a really good course," Williams said of race circuit through Withlacoochee River Park.
Williams' top-15 finish would have qualified her for the state meet, also to be held at Withlacoochee River Park. The rest of Mitchell girls, however, will be at the state meet after taking the sixth and final qualifying place at the regional meet.
The Gulf High girls finished in eighth place.
The winning girls team was from Wiregrass Ranch High School.
On the boys side, Ridgewood's Tyler Camacho just beat teammate Mason Chilmonczyk to the finish line, capturing 14th place with a time of 17:15.05. Chilmonczyk took the 15th and final individual qualifying place by coming home with a time of 17:15.30.
Camacho called making it to the state meet "the biggest thing I've ever done in high school."
Chilmonczyk was equally elated. "I feel like the happiest guy in the world."
The Ridgewood boys team qualified for the state meet by finishing in fourth place.
Struggling with his emotions, Ridgewood Coach J.D. Baker's called his team's state-qualifying performance "unbelievable."
"It's a great feeling when you get to this point, especially after seven years," Baker said.
Wiregrass Ranch was also took first place among the boys. Mitchell, in 10th, and Gulf, in 13th, did not qualify for state.
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