Ninth grader Annabella Tomasic of Bishop Moore secured her second state title at the FHSAA cross country state championships held on March 2, 2024, in Tallahassee. She completed the 5,000-meter race in a remarkable time of 17 minutes, 35.5 seconds, finishing 31 seconds ahead of Celina Coryell, a senior from Satellite, who clocked in at 18:06.3. Tomasic’s performance was the fastest time recorded among all female competitors across four classifications, further solidifying her dominance in the sport.
This victory marks Tomasic’s seventh win in seven races this season. Previously, she won the Class 2A championship as a seventh grader and finished third in Class 2A as an eighth grader, a season that was affected by injuries. This year, after transferring to Bishop Moore, she led her team to a commendable third place in the team standings, behind Chiles from Tallahassee and Ponte Vedra.
In the boys’ competition, Will Moss, a junior from Montverde Academy, captured the Class 2A title with a time of 15:35.3. This achievement is notable as it represents a significant improvement from his 29th place finish last year, where he recorded a time of 16:53.5.
The boys’ 4A team competition saw Buchholz of Gainesville emerge victorious, scoring 58 points against Oviedo’s total of 103 points. Buchholz was previously defeated by Oviedo in the Region 1 race, making their comeback particularly impressive. East Ridge junior Axel Sallault finished as the individual runner-up in 4A, achieving a time of 15:27.5.
Other notable finishes included Jacob Finch from Horizon, who placed sixth at 15:48.0, and Colin Aysun of Oviedo, who finished seventh with a time of 15:54.8. The Lake Nona senior, Matthew Rutan, rounded out the top ten with a time of 15:59.9, just ahead of Oviedo junior Levi Mollica, who clocked the same time.
In the girls’ 4A competition, East Ridge finished fourth, while Lake Minneola secured a tenth place finish. Lake Nona sophomore Arabella Duffell achieved ninth place individually with a time of 18:36.6.
In Class 2A, Cecelia Lear, a sophomore from Mount Dora, placed seventh with a time of 18:55.6, and Montverde Academy finished seventh in the team race. Additionally, Lake Highland Prep’s boys took the tenth spot in Class 2A.
The results from the FHSAA state championships showcase the impressive talent and determination of these young athletes, setting the stage for future competitions.
