DADE CITY -- Olivia Ortiz wanted to create a memorable moment for herself at Saturday’s state cross country meet.
She never expected to do it for a generation of cross country fans, but then the Lakewood Ranch High junior usually exceeds expectations.
Ortiz created something few people at the Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City will forget and earned a place in her school’s record books by becoming its first state cross country champion.
Ortiz won the Class 3A girls state title, turning in the best time of all the female competitors in all classifications, to lead the Mustangs to a third-place finish behind Estero and Tallahassee Chiles.
She outdid everyone by almost 10 seconds with a time of 17 minutes, 39.35 seconds. The next fastest time was turned in by Tallahassee Chiles senior Lily Williams, who crossed the finish line 17:49.29.
Only five girls ran the 3.1-mile course in less than 18 minutes, and four of them competed in Class 3A, which was hyped as the glamour race because of the elite competitors. Ortiz was the only girl to beat 17:40.
The 3A race also featured Estero’s Kacy Smith, who won the 2A meet last year with a time of 17:47.10. Ortiz ran an 18:24.55 to place fifth in last year’s state meet.
“To be a state cross country champion is a tremendous honor. It’s unbelievable. You only get so many chances to be one,” Ortiz said. “I train extremely hard and tried to make sure that I was focused today because my number one goal was to win states. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
“The tough competition helped me because competition makes you better and holds you to a faster time. You don’t get many chances to do something like this in life and I feel that I am blessed.”
Ortiz played possum during the first half of the race, trying to save her strength for a big push at the end. She kicked into high gear with about 200 yards to go and took the lead with about a minute left.
“I like to stay back, see how I feel and how the race is going,” Ortiz said. “There was one girl ahead for most of the race, and there were three of us behind her. I was surprised that I won by as much as I did because 3A was the most anticipated race of the day.”
It was quite an accomplishment for the 16-year-old, who didn’t get into running until her freshman year of high school.
“When I first started I never thought I would be a state champion by my junior year,” Ortiz said. “I knew I really liked running and was getting into the sport and learning all about it. By the end of my freshman year, I was taking it more seriously and it’s paying off.”
Ortiz’s performance was instrumental in helping the Lakewood Ranch girls finish third overall with 126 points behind winner Estero (69) and Chiles (87). Estero won the Class 2A state title last year, and Chiles was the 3A state champion, finishing ahead of the runner-up Mustangs in 2010.
“I am happy with third place because I knew Estero and Chiles would be extremely strong, which they were. I just wanted to get into the top five,” Lakewood Ranch girls coach Mary Quinn said. “None of our girls did a big PR (personal record), but it did help having Kristin Zarrella run for us today. She ran in the 19s. Had she not run in the 19s, I don’t know if we would’ve placed third.”
Zarrella, who finished sixth at last year’s state meet with a time of 18:30.04, missed the district and region meets because of an abdominal strain. She placed 36th overall with a time of 19:52.60.
The Mustangs got significant contributions from Devin McDermott, who placed 22nd overall in 19:17.88, Natalie Novak (29th overall, 19:43.84) and freshman Katie Wray, who rounded out the team scoring with a 65th overall finish (20:32.75).
Ortiz was the key and nothing about the talented junior surprises Quinn.
“Her determination is what separates her from the others. She wants to win and do whatever it takes to accomplish that,” Quinn said.
Ortiz says getting to the top will keep her working even harder to stay there. Her performance capped an incredible fall sports season that saw Lakewood Ranch athletes collect four individual state championships and a boys golf team title.
“I am always worried about someone out there training harder, and that makes me work even harder,” Ortiz said. “Coming into a race like this you don’t know who is going to have a great day. It could be anyone’s day, and this race had so many great runners.”
Bayshore sophomore Canaan Meester-Kitterman turned in the best time (16:19.65) among area boys participants and finished 24th in the Class 3A meet.
Manatee High junior Chris Pate turned in a time of 17:14.88, which placed him 88th overall in 4A competition. Out-Of-Door sophomore Peter Runge finished 30th in the Class A race, turning in a time of 17:18.19.
Saint Stephen’s placed 13th overall in the Class A boys meet. Freshman Tobin Howell placed finished 51st overall with a time of 17:45.99 to lead the Falcons. The other scorers were Evan Amato (70th overall), Spencer Nora (72nd), sixth-grader Henry Howell (109) and Brian Gentry (114).
