This weekend saw Ocala area schools spreading out across multiple meets, showcasing their talent and early-season fitness. Athletes from Vanguard, West Port, Forest, and Ambleside competed at the Wildwood Invitational, Cecil Field, and Jim Ryun Invitational.
Wildwood Invitational
The Wildwood Invitational, notably run on a shorter 2.6-mile course instead of the standard 5K, saw Ambleside Ocala competing against schools from around the region.
Boys Race
- Ambleside finished 7th as a team with 181 points
- Top Ambleside finisher: Baeron Reed, 15th place, 18:29.17
Girls Race
- Individual Ambleside results:
- Augusta Beard, 31st place, 25:20.67
- Cassidy Charske, 35th place, 26:48.54
- Tori Olwagen, 38th place, 27:24.30
Cecil Field Invitational
Vanguard and West Port made their presence felt at the Cecil Field Invitational, competing against some of the top teams in the state.
Girls Elite Race
Vanguard’s girls team had an outstanding performance, finishing 3rd overall with 155 points. Top finishers included:
- Pippa Worden – 19:53, 27th overall
- Riley Carter – 20:00, 30th overall
- Emma Curtis – 20:08, 33rd overall
- Reese Cartwright – 20:09, 34th overall
- Ava Curtis – 20:10, 35th overall
Boys Elite Race
Vanguard’s boys team finished 19th overall with 525 points. Notable performances:
- Kartik Koti – 16:34, 35th overall
- Jaylen Blackburn – 16:47, 52nd overall
- Alexander Lammens – 17:41, 119th overall
West Port also had a strong showing in the Boys Elite Race, with Luke Lombardo finishing 47th with a time of 16:40.
Jim Ryun Invitational
Forest High School represented Ocala well at the Jim Ryun Invitational, with both their boys and girls teams competing.
Boys Race
Forest’s boys team finished 8th overall with 233 points. Top finishers:
- Collin Moore – 18:09, 16th place
- Luke Gutierrez – 18:32, 24th place
- Zach Vickerman – 18:44, 29th place
Girls Race
While Forest didn’t field a full girls team for scoring, they had individual runners participating:
- Jordan McLean continued her impressive early season with a 4th place finish, clocking 19:59.1
- Other Forest girls gained valuable experience competing against top-tier competition
Looking Ahead
With strong early-season performances across multiple meets, Ocala area cross country teams and individuals have set a solid foundation for the season ahead. As runners continue to build fitness and experience, we can expect even faster times and higher finishes in the coming weeks.
For complete results from these meets and other high school cross country events around Florida, visit https://runfloridarun.com/results/. This comprehensive resource provides detailed information on race outcomes, individual performances, and team standings from across the state.