Florida HS XC - College Watch List

With a new year and a new season, there is a new crop of seniors who will be looking for a home in 2016. Every race they run will be an opportunity for them to showcase their strengths to potential suitors with the hopes of signing a highly coveted athletic scholarship. Below we take a look at some of Florida’s top senior prospects and how they’ve done so far this season.  Our list comprises for the most part the fastest times recorded by seniors so far this season.  Shortened courses, head to head competition will obviously have an impact on the top seniors by the end of the season.

 

VIEW THE TFX LIST OF RANKINGS HERE

 

Boys

 

Brandon Marquez - Unattached

 

Marquez has taken the road less traveled during his high school career. Starting his high school career running at Timber Creek, Marquez was one of the most exciting freshman the state has ever seen. Unfortunately, the team dynamic did not work out and Marquez decided to run unattached his Junior and Senior years. We saw him open up the season with a 15:48 win at the Wickham Park Jamboree and will likely see him next at the Foot Locker South Regional Championships.

 

Strengths - Brandon has great range with a 800 PR of 1:58.40 and a 5k Cross Country PR of 15:10. He is not afraid to take the lead and can grind it out with most.

 

Athlete Profile

 

See Brandon’s post-race interview from the Wickham Park Jamboree

 

 

Adam Bradtmueller- Sarasota

 

Sarasota’s move to 4A makes the chase for an individual state title an interesting one. Bradtmueller should be in the mix, as his PR’s are comparable to the best runners in the state. With a win at the Wiregrass Invitational in a time of 16:07, Bradtmueller is having a great start to his senior season after being sidelined for a good portion of his junior track season with an injury.

Strengths -  Bradtmueller has a great mix of speed and endurance. He has a PR of 1:58 in the 800 and 15:25 for 5k.

 

Athlete Profile

 

Adam’s Latest Blog Post for DyeStat Florida

 

 

Steven Cross - Merritt Island

 

Cross enters the season as Florida’s top returner with last year’s graduation of Leon’s Sukhi Khosla. Cross finished 8th at Foot Locker South in 2014 and as a Foot Locker National Finalist he will be chasing his first state cross country title. After winning the Trinity Prep Invitational by 25 seconds and the Astronaut Invitational by 11 seconds, it is likely we could see Cross go on to an undefeated regular season campaign.  

Strengths - Cross runs well when it matters the most. If you take a look at his PR’s you’ll see that all of his best times were run at the peak of his season. His 1600 and 3200 PRs were run at the state meet and his 5k PR came at the Foot Locker South Region, where he was competing for a spot to run at the National Championships.  Foot Locker South proved he could handle an anaerobically challenging pace from the start with the endurance to finish races.  It is likely we could see Cross have an undefeated senior season campaign against all Floridian boys.

 

Athlete Profile

 

See Steven’s post-race interview from the Astronaut Invitational

 

 

See Steven tackle his 12 Mile long run in a featured workout video

 

Jonathan Jackson - Nease

 

Jackson is name that many might be unfamiliar with, as he didn’t really start to come on until the end of the 2014 cross country season. Jackson was the first Florida runner to cross the line at the Spikes and Spurs invitational and most recently won the UNF XC invitational. With

a good season it would be no surprise to see Jackson place in the top 5 at Apalachee Regional Park (ARP) come November 7th for State.

 

Strengths - Jackson’s strength’s as a runner is “how strong he is, as a runner”, and his fluidity.  He possesses a great easy flowing running form which speaks to his potential upside. He has  PR’s of 9:35 for 3200 and 15:49 for 5k and so far this 2015 cross country season he looks even better than those times from previous seasons.  Jackson stock is quickly rising early in the season.

 

Athlete Profile

 

Watch List

Luke Peterson - Shorecrest Prep - Athlete Profile
Justin Pacifico - Flagler Palm Coast - Athlete Profile
Bruno Zayas - Belen Jesuit - Athlete Profile

Girls

 

Hannah Brookover - Calvary Christian

 

Brookover opened up her senior year this past weekend with a third place finish at the UNF XC Invitational going 19:06.  Hannah will be hoping to make a run for her first individual state title in November.  Having run 18:19 at the NXN Southeast Championship in 2014, Brookover should be ready to battle Freshman Rebecca Clark of Mount Dora Christian Academy for top 1A honors.  This past track season she went 5:07.22 for third in the 1600 at State and 11:20.12 for third in the 3200.  

 

Strengths - Brookover’s strengths come in the form of experience and tenacity.  She has run in multiple state championships and competitions over the years, at all levels.  Anyone who has seen her compete over the years, and especially in the 1600 at this past year’s Florida Relays, can attest to her tenacity. Her desire not to lose is a great indicator that she can compete at the next level.

 

Athlete Profile

 

Julia Montgomery - Pine Crest

 

Montgomery will be looking to finish out her high school career after an uneven 2014.  While some may see the ups and downs, we see the determination and follow-through.  Training and racing is never a straight-line.  Those who persevere and continue to improve over time have endured the rigors of the sport and faced challenges that in the long run make them better on the course and on the oval.  Montgomery will be hoping to return to the top of the podium and claim her 3rd individual cross country state title after winning back-to-back as a freshman and sophomore. This past weekend she easily won the Martin County Under the Lights meet by a whopping 36 seconds going 19:09.  She will also be hoping to lead her team to a State title after finishing runner-up the past three seasons to Bolles.  The 2A Girls battle will be hotly contested come State.  She has a total of 4 individual state titles (2 - xc and 2 - track) and has a very legitimate shot at capturing a 5th.

Strengths - Montgomery has a lot of experience running in major races. She has good range with a 5 flat 1600 PR from the FSU Relays this past spring and 5k cross country PR of 17:52 from Districts in 2013.  Montgomery is battle tested and her performance this past weekend at Under the Lights is very indicative she is ready to roll for her senior seasons.

 

Athlete Profile

Emma Tucker - Chiles

 

As the top runner for Chiles, Tucker is part of a rich tradition that has seen many team and individual state titles over the past decade. With a 19:20 season opener at the UNF XC Invitational, Tucker looks to be in good shape to make a run at the 3A title at ARP in November.

 

Strengths - Tucker’s best races and fastest times have all come from running at the state championships which is a good indicator she peak’s when it matters most. She has a 5k PR of 18:44 from the 2014 state meet.

Athlete Profile

 

Lauren Archer - Ransom Everglades

 

Archer enters her senior year as one of the most veteran runners in the state. Having competed at a high level since middle school, she likely has more experience than anyone she will run against this season. She will be hoping to use this experience to capture her first individual state title of any kind. Archer will have tough competition in 2A, having to go against newcomers Nicole Matysik from Key West, up and comer Caitlyn Collier from Bolles, and fellow veterans Julia Montgomery of Pine Crest and Mackenzie Wilson of Bolles, amongst others.

 

Strengths - Archer has great range. With a PR of 2:13 for the 800 and 18:34 for 5k, Archer can win from the back and the front.  Archer has even dropped down in distance on Ransom’s 4x400 State Runner-up team from 2015.

 

Athlete Profile

See Lauren’s post race interview following her win at the Dade County Youth Fair

 

See Lauren’s post race interview from her runner-up finish at the Wickham Park Jamboree

Watch List

Abby Reimer - Ponte Vedra - Athlete Profile

Shelby Smith - Holy Trinity - Athlete Profile

Mackenzie Wilson - Bolles - Athlete Profile

Lindsay Tomaini - Community School of Naples - Athlete Profile

 

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