This upcoming cross country season is stacking itself up very nicely throughout all divisions! There are girls from each division that have started to show that they have the training and strength to be some of the best in the state. Here are a few girls that look to be promising candidates as state contenders.

Lindsay Rosenberg

Rosenberg is going to be a freshman at Oak Hall School (1A). As an 8th grader at Oak Hall, Rosenberg ran the 1600 at the FHSAA State Championship with a time of 5:04.11, placing second. Her current personal best is 5:03.26, and that was ran at the Royals Invitational back on March 20th. She also ran the 3200 at states. Her time was 11:14.60, a personal best that puts her in 3rd. In her 2014 cross country season, she ran at the, flrunners.com Invitational 15, and had a season best of 19:29.92. She then qualified for the state championships and ran 20:19.80 putting her in 37th.

In an interview, Rosenberg states that she plans on using her speed training to improve her kick at the end of the 5K. She not only wants to bring her kick to this upcoming cross country season, but she also wants to bring the excitement that she feels every time she steps onto the starting line.

She has four goals for herself and her team this season.

“I want to run as hard as I can for my teammates and coaches, place top 10 at the state finals, help to bring home a state championship for my team and I. Most of all, I want to enjoy every moment of it.”

For more on Rosenberg, check out her TFX’s Profile Here

Leigha Torino

Torino is a junior at North Marion HS (2A). She has had a VERY promising 2015 track season. She placed 2nd at the state championships in the 1600 with a personal record of 5:06.29, placing 3rd. She placed 5th in the 3200 as well at 11:17.44. During the 2014 cross country season, Torino ran 18:40.29 at the Marion County Interscholastic Athletic Conference Championship meet. She qualified for the 2A state cross country finals and ran 18:59.40, placing 10th.

For more on Torino, check out her TFX’s Profile Here

Emma Tucker

Tucker is a senior at Chiles HS (3A). She, as well as the others, placed in both the 1600 and 3200 runs at the state track finals. In the 1600, she ran her best time, 5:02.05, placing 2nd. She also placed 6th in her 3200 at 11:17.44. Her current PR is 11:01.97. She ran that at the FSU Relays with some tough competition. Some of the top times across the State were recorded in that one race where Rafaella Gibbons out-kicked Julia Montgomery in the homestretch, putting up two of the top times in the state. In her 2014 cross country season, Emma ran a personal best of 18:44 finishing 3rd at the state championships.

For more on Tucker, check out her TFX’s Profile Here

Kayley DeLay

Kayley DeLay is from Fletcher High School (4A). This year, at the track and field state finals, DeLay placed 3rd in the 1600 at 5:03.04. Her PR is 4:57.93 from the 4A District 1 meet. In cross country this past season, DeLay placed 4th in the state meet with a strong time of 18:20.50.  Earlier in the season at the FSU invitational (Pre-State), a course with a few hills that are respectably tough, she ran her personal best of 17:58.30.

“Kayley is highly motivated and disciplined and inspired and encouraged by very supportive parents,” says DeLay’s coach, Daniel Holloway. “Not only from her track season, but from knowing her and her family and continuing to go on long runs with her, I expect great things this upcoming Cross Country season from her.”

To see more on DeLay, click here to see her TFX’s profile

Emily English

Emily English is a junior this upcoming year at George Jenkins HS (4A). She placed 5th in the 1600 at 5:04.15 at the state meet, which is also her personal best. On the same day, she placed 6th in the 3200 with a time of 11:16.66, which is also her personal best. For her to run two personal records in the same day, at a very important meet, gives us a general idea of what she has in store for this upcoming cross country season!

During her 2014 cross country season, she ran her PR 19:11.20, at the North Port XC Invitational. Sadly, she did not qualify for the state championship meet.

To check out Emily’s TFX Page, click here

Each one of these five girls have put in extraordinary work to become some of the best ever since they started their running careers. They have shown that they can run some of the best times in the state. They have shown that they can run with the best in the state. Now they are going to prove that they can be some of the best in the state.