State meet never gets old for Falcons freshman

The state cross country championship meets are scheduled for this morning in Dade City, and you know what that means. Hannah Howell will again rise before the sun, make the long trip north on Interstate 75 and compete against the top Class 1A runners in Florida.

She did this in 2007 and again in 2008 and again today.

Kind of old, huh?

“Getting to states? I would say, ‘No’ ” said Howell, a freshman at Saint Stephen’s.

Hannah will be joined at Little Everglades Ranch by the Lakewood Ranch girls team, which has a solid chance at a top-five finish in the 3A race, and Palmetto senior Jessica McKinnis, who concludes her cross country career in the same 3A race.

Out-of-Door Academy eighth-grader Peter Runge will run the 1A boys meet.

“I think this is going to be a great experience,” said Natalie Novak, one of four freshmen on the Ranch team. “We’re going to take what we’ve trained for and leave it all on the course. We’re not holding anything back.”

The Mustangs will try to outrun Tallahassee Chiles and Fort Walton Beach for the team title while holding off Stuart South Fork and Wesley Chapel Wiregrass Ranch.

Chiles had the best regional meet in 3A, placing three runners under 19 minutes and a fourth who finished in 19:08.

Fort Walton Beach had four runners finish in 19:41 or better at its region meet.

Ranch, led by freshman Kristin Zarrella’s 19:15 in the 3A-Region 3 meet, had three runners finish in 19:35 or better: Olivia Ortiz in 19:25 and Devin McDermott in 19:35. Ashley Platt finished in 20:02, and Novak finished in 20:12.

“No cross country team from Lakewood Ranch ever won regionals, and now we’re going to states,” Novak said, “so we have a chance to really do something different.”

Ranch has been one of the top 3A teams in the state from the very first meet of the season, the Mountain Dew Invitational at the University of Florida.

The Mustangs placed first that afternoon, beating highly favored Fort Walton Beach.

To prepare for today’s meet, the Mustangs traveled around the state in search of the best talent at the top meets. They also found what little hills there are in Manatee County so they could train running up and down hills in preparation for the uneven course they will compete along today.

This will be the second state meet for McKinnis, who was 33rd in the 3A meet last year, completing the 3.1-mile steeplechase course in 19:43.

Howell was 15th in 1A as a seventh-grader in 19:34.

She lowered that time to 19:06 as an eighth-grader in 2008.

On Monday, Howell ran a 17:35 — her fastest time — on the 3.1-mile course around the Saint Stephen’s campus.

“That gives me confidence,” Howell said. “It’s good to know I’m running my fastest time at the end of the year.”

Howell, who placed sixth in 19:33 at her region meet, thinks she can break into the top 10, especially since the five runners who finished ahead of her are the top five 1A runners in the state.

“My battle each year is to get to states,” Howell said. “This race is a relief.”