Koon seeks third consecutive elite victory at Pre-State event at Apalachee Regional Park, with Ruiz and Mantecon of Belen Jesuit Prep also ready to challenge for top honors; Cambridge Christian and Bishop Kenny lead deep girls elite field 

By Todd Grasley for DyeStat

The Florida State Invitational/Pre-State meet Saturday marks the midway point of the Florida high school cross country season.

It’s a chance for the top tier individuals and elite teams to evaluate where they are at on the pristine Apalachee Regional Park course in Tallahassee. College races are scheduled at the same venue Friday.

It’s the 12th consecutive year the event is held at the venue and a familiar site for Leon High senior and Stanford commit Patrick Koon, who headlines the boys elite field.

Can Koon Lower His Course Record and Three-Peat

Koon passed former Leon standout Sukhi Khosla on the all-time Apalachee Regional Park list when he ran 14:50.0 to win his second straight FSU Invitational/Pre-State elite 5-kilometer race last season.

Now, Koon has his eyes set on lowering that time and earning a three-peat.

Koon has run sparingly this season, mostly at small meets, so this will be his first significant test of the season, as he sets his sights on the FHSAA Cross Country State Finals and additional postseason events.

Koon was eighth at the Eastbay South Regional in 2021 and 37th at the Eastbay Cross Country Championships in San Diego.

Belen Jesuit Prep senior Joshua Ruiz, who ascended on the course’s top 20 all-time list after finishing fourth last year, will pose the biggest threat to Koon.

Ruiz, a University of Florida commit, is unbeaten in three races this season and coming off a new personal best and the fastest ever 5-kilometer effort in Florida high school history with his 14:38.79 victory Sept. 16 at the Southern Showcase in Alabama.

Koon won the Southern Showcase last year in 14:43.09.

Other athletes to watch include Belen Jesuit freshman Marcelo Mantecon, the only other entry in the field to break 15 minutes (14:52.09) in a 5-kilometer race, and fellow Ruiz brothers Joseph and Justin.

Matt Ryan of Nease High is the defending 4A state champion and ran 15:02.90 to place 10th on Sept. 16 at the adidas XC Challenge at WakeMed Soccer Complex in North Carolina.

David Serra, a Wake Forest commit and 2A runner-up from Ransom-Everglades High, will also be in the mix.

Serra is coming off a fantastic track season, including running 4:09.32 for 1,600 and a state title as well as the 3,200. Serra has started the season with back-to-back wins at the Astronaut Invitational and Spanish River XC Invitational.

Belen Jesuit, one of the top programs in the nation, is poised to dominate the team standings with a 15:11.38 team average and 62-second spread.

The Wolverines have won the Pre-State event eight times, six of those at Apalachee Regional Park, including the last five.

Brother Martin out of New Orleans is also in contention with a strong showing from its impressive trio of Daniel Falk, Noah Mooney and Luke Regan.

Loaded Girls Elite Field Features Eight Under 18 Minutes

The elite girls race might be one of the deepest fields in meet history, with the top eight all having run under 18 minutes this year, led by Cardinal Mooney senior Addison Dempsey.

Last year’s 2A state runner-up, Dempsey finished third at the adidas XC Challenge with a 5-kilometer personal-best 17:20.2. Also competing in her first Pre-State elite race will be Lake Highland Prep seventh-grader Annabella Tomasic.

After finishing second behind Mackenzie DeLisle of Bishop Verot on Aug. 25 at the Cecil Field Summer Classic in Jacksonville, Tomasic has rattled off three straight wins, all under 18 minutes, including a 17:48.42 performance at the Katie Caples Invitational, one of the fastest performances in meet history Sept. 16 at Bishop Kenny High in Jacksonville.

DeLisle will be joined by Creekside sophomore Alyson Johnson and four seniors Gianna Del Pizzo of Lehigh Senior, Ashley Fitzgerald from American Heritage, Hannah Kasper of Cambridge Christian and Ansley Kelly from Riverdale in that top group of runners.

Johnson had a stellar track season, winning the 4A state title in both the 1,600 and 3,200.

Fitzgerald, a University of Florida commit, is the top returner from a year ago after finishing second in the Pre-State elite race in 17:53.7.

On the team side, it is expected to be a two-team race between Cambridge Christian and Bishop Kenny to decide the title.

Cambridge Christian lost top runner and reigning Gatorade Florida Cross Country Runner of the Year Eliana Black to IMG Academy, but are still having a strong start this season, with Kasper and junior Ava Hendrix leading the way.

Cambridge Christian’s 18:56.9 team average is the best in the field, but the Lancers’ 1-5 split of more than 100 seconds will have to improve. Bishop Kenny will rely on a tight pack and 44-second 1-5 split.