Rheinhardt Harrison finished his cross country season in a familiar spot — at the top.
Harrison, the reigning All-News4Jax runner of the year from Nease, defended his championship in winning the boys Class 4A crown on Saturday morning at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee.
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Harrison, a junior, ran a time of 15 minutes, 26.9 seconds. Teammate Anderson Ball finished behind Harrison for the second consecutive year, running a 15:43.5. The two were well in front of the pack by the second mile and coasted to their 1-2 finish.
The area likely isn’t done bringing home cross country titles. The Class 1A and 2A meets are Sunday morning.
It puts a bow on a sterling two-year run for Harrison. He won last year’s title with a 15:24.57 and will look to join a very short list in 2021. Only four runners in state history have won three titles in their career. Harrison could become the fourth.
Even winning two in a row is a feat not often accomplished.
Only 30 runners in state history had won back-to-back championships.
Locally, five boys runners have pulled a double in their careers.
Lee’s Clarence Williams (1947-48), Wolfson’s Matthew Rogers (1996-97), Paxon’s Nicolas Wilson (2000-01), Flagler Palm Coast’s Justin Harbor (2004-05) and Bolles' Charles Hicks (2017-18) have all won consecutive individual championships.
In the boys 4A team race, Bartram Trail took third, 10 points behind champ Columbus. Jahari White was the top runner for the Bears, taking seventh in 15:59.8.
On the girls side, Elizabeth Iliff, the reigning All-News4Jax girls runner of the year, was the top individual runner. She finished seventh in 18:57.3. Flagler Palm Coast’s Jada Williams was 10th (19:17.7).
In boys Class 3A, Ponte Vedra was third in the team standings. In the girls 3A event, St. Augustine was fourth and Ponte Vedra was fifth. Sharks runner Lauren Bing had the best individual finish, taking 10th in 19:01.6.
Class 4A
at Apalachee Regional Park, Tallahassee
Boys
Team top 10
1. Columbus 84; 2. Viera 89; 3. Bartram Trail 94; 4. Chiles 117; 5. Plant 143; 6. Sarasota 178; 7. Creekside 180; 8. Nease 200; 9. Newsome 228; 10. George Steinbrenner 254.
Individual top 10
1. Rheinhardt Harrison (Nease) 15:26.9; 2. Bradley Ball (Nease) 15:43.5; 3. Jared Hammill (Wharton) 15:51.9; 4. Seth Martinez (Lennard) 15:55.4; 5. Michael Toppi (Viera) 15:56.6; 6. Wynne Thomas (Plant) 15:57.2; 7. Jahari White (Bartram) 15:59.8; 8. Christian Ivonnet (Columbus) 16:05.1; 9. Orlando Cicilioni (Sarasota) 16:05.7; 10. Ben Kirbo (Chiles) 16:05.8.
Locals who finished in top 50: 14. Jemesu Picone (Bartram) 16:19.8; 20. Jalani White (Bartram) 16:29; 24.4 McCall Williams (Creekside) 16:35.6; 28. Roger Arias (Bartram) 16:41.1; 36. Jackson Dravo (Creekside) 16:50.9; 42. Jesse Benavides (Creekside) 16:55.2; 47. Branden McDonald (Bartram) 16:57.
Girls
Team top 10
1. Plant 79; 2. Newsome 92; 3. Lakewood Ranch 136; 4. Timber Creek 162; 5. Mandarin 162; Fleming Island 166; 7. Niceville 194; 8. Sarasota 211; 9. Viera 225; 10. Creekside 229.
Individual top 10
1. Amber Schulz (Timber Creek) 18:26.1; Keleigh Scallon (Newsome) 18:9.3; 3. Lillian Holtery (Niceville) 18:29.9; 4. Penelope Sosa (Coral Park) 18:47.1; 5. Megan Wells (Newsome) 18:48.3; 6. Isabella Babilonia (Viera) 18:54.1; 7. Elizabeth Iliff (Creekside) 18:57.3; 8. Jacquelyn Abanses (Steinbrenner) 19:08; 9. Aurora Melzer (Lakewood Ranch) 19:16.6; 10. Jada Williams (Flagler Palm Coast) 19:17.7.
Locals who finished in top 50: 14. Naila Etique (Nease) 19:27.6; 25. Emma Millson (Fleming Island) 19:52.7; 28. Alyssa Wyatt (Mandarin) 19:59.4; 29. Marisa Kortright (Fleming Island) 20:02.1; 32. Lauren Conover (Mandarin) 20:06.7; 33. Mei Chiang (Fleming Island) 20:08.8; 37. Anna Loehle (Mandarin) 20:13.2; 38. Grace Adams (Fleming Island) 20:13.7; 39. Kate Palmer (Creekside) 20:16; 48. Lindsay Gonzales (Mandarin) 20:30.5.
Class 3A
at Apalachee Regional Park, Tallahassee
Boys
Team top 10
1. Belen Jesuit 30; 2. Sunlake 123; 3. Ponte Vedra 142; 4. Lake Wales 178; 5. Fort Myers 184; 6. Jesuit 192; 7. Dunbar 194; 8. Palmetto Ridge 204; 9. Fort Walton Beach 213; 10. St. Augustine 237.
Individual top 10
1. Javier Vento (Belen Jesuit) 15:22.2; 2. Aiden Villasuso (Belen Jesuit) 15:41.6; 3. Jacob Rogers (Leon) 15:46.4; 4. Kevin Updike (Lake Wales) 15:54.4; 5. Patrick Koon (Leon) 15:55.5; 6. Tyler Wadsworth (Port Charlotte) 15:55.8; 7. Diego Gomez (Belen Jesuit) 15:57.3; 8. Adam Magoulas (Belen Jesuit) 15:57.4; 9. Colby Robbins (Sunlake) 15:58.2; 10. Aiden Arnold (Winter Springs) 15:59.4.
Locals who finished in top 50: 11. Lucas Bouquot (Ponte Vedra) 15:59.9; 31. Grant Doherty (Ponte Vedra) 16:43.2; 35. Joshua Cills (Ponte Vedra) 16:47.6; 40. Benjamin Koppman (St. Augustine) 16:51.5; 47. Colin Lytle (Ponte Vedra) 16:55.6
Girls
Team top 10
1. Winter Springs 72; 2. Leon 86; 3. Fort Myers 123; 4. St. Augustine 133; 5. Ponte Vedra 154; 6. Osceola 191; 7. Robinson 198; 8. New Smyrna Beach 212; 9. Harmony 226; 10. Sunlake 227.
Individual top 10
1. Caroline Wells (Winter Springs) 17:16.5, 2. Kambry Smith (Fort Walton Beach) 18:16.1, 3. Alanie Rivera (Harmony) 18:24.4, 4. Lillian Unger (Leon) 18:31.1, 5. Amy Meng (Fort Myers) 18:33.9, 6. Evie McIver (Winter Springs) 18:47.3, 7. Brooke Mullins (Harmony) 18:49.9, 8. Deanna Bottino (Choctawhatchee) 18:51.8, 9. Ashley Fitzgerald (American Heritage) 18:56.4, 10. Lauren Bing (Ponte Vedra) 19:01.6.
Other locals who finished in top 50: 18. Reilly Barber (St. Augustine) 19:23, 21. Gabriella Berardi (Ponte Vedra) 19:47.5, 22. Ellie Moritz (Ponte Vedra) 19:57.6, 24. Emma Mussante (Middleburg) 20:01, 25. Karah McElhone (St. Augustine) 20:01.2, 34. Illiana Woodruff (St. Augustine) 20:17.4, 36. Mya Stam (St. Augustine) 20:20