St. Thomas Aquinas Boys Gear up for State - Taking over the DyeStat Snapchat

The cross country state meet is just one day away! Teams from all over the state have punched their ticket to get on the bus this weekend and run at Apalachee Regional Park. For those of us who remember the frigidness of the morning air at the state meet last year, it’s definitely going to be a refresher, as temperatures are looking to be in the mid to high 60s.

RELATED - FOLLOW ST THOMAS on SNAPCHAT at DyeStat_com

Having punched their ticket, the boys of St. Thomas Aquinas prep for not only the state meet, but a state championship. And there’s a reason why. The boys at Aquinas have performed in a matter of fact/workmanlike manner.

Along with running high mileage on a weekly basis, a fair amount of their summer training was spent focusing on pack-running, which is now their friend as they move as a force to be reckoned with, if not completely unchallenged.

Boys head coach Joe Hazera says that it’s simultaneously exciting and nerve-racking coming into the state meet at the top of the list.

“When you enter a competition as the favorite, it is a representation of everything that your athletes and coaches have worked for,” he says. “But being the favorite means that everyone else is looking to knock you off.”

When you have a target on your back, what do you do? You run to get out of range before the seeker can fire the shot. However, it’s usually not easy to hit multiple moving targets if you’re not a trained marksman, and the Aquinas boys know this. They say that it gives them the advantage of depth because they all work off of one another and they progress as a team.

Like a wave, they roll as one.

Aquinas will definitely have runners trying to slip through, go around, and even break up their tight pack. However, they might have a more comfortable margin to work with. Based on the most recent virtual meets, Aquinas supposed to win with 172 points. Coming in second would be Lyman with 251 points.

Despite the virtual meets, the boys say that they haven’t been paying attention to the rankings; that they focus on the competition.

“There are a lot of good teams out there,” says senior Riley Maus. “On Saturday, there are no favorites.”

Darian Adriano, who is the captain of the Raiders, feels honored to be able to lead his team to a very possible state championship. He honored to lead a team that is not simply dedicated to the sport, but to each other as well, and that’s clearly shown in the way they run.

“Everyone has stepped up this year in order for us to achieve everything we have accomplished,” he says.

Junior Ivan Donaher also added that if one runner falls off of the pack, there will always be someone ready to step  up and take their place without hesitation.

“In any given race, there is never any set number to a given runner,” says junior Antonio Martinez. “Every one of our guys could finish first on our team one week, and fifth on our team the next. This just keeps everyone hungrier, fighting to be the first Raider through the line.”

The boys will have the likes of Lyman, Winter Springs, Sarasota, and Mandarin all vying to take the top spot. Though they realize that this one’s for all the marbles, they boys are simply ecstatic. They come to win, and don’t plan on leaving without a state championship trophy. They plan to leave it on the course, and to put everything on the line.

But first, they need to take a selfie.

The boys will also be taking over the DyeStat_com Snapchat account this weekend, so be sure to follow the boys as they post updates! Stay updated and find out what Aquinas cross country is all about. To get all of the action, follow at: DyeStat_com. Or, scan this picture!

“XC is a sport that is extremely goal oriented. Individual and team goals are set prior to the season and then adjusted as the season progresses,” says Hazera. “Being the current top ranked team in 4A, it would not be honest if our goal was anything less than to be State Champions.  However, if this team produced multiple personal bests and improved greatly from previous performances, we would still consider it a successful meet.  There is little more that can be done if the competition has a bigger day.”

The boys look forward to a great end to an even greater season. They’re eager to get the chance to race against the top in the state, and they’re more than confident in their abilities to succeed.

It’s not the most talented who wins. It’s the most relentless who does.