Two girls no Florida runner has beaten, Natalia Gaona-Zelaya and Emma Balaban, could meet for the first time in Saturday's Elite race at Cecil Field. Our simulator has them a second apart. Belen Jesuit is the boys' team pick.
The 9th New World Fall Spectacular is Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, hosted by Bolles. The Elite girls go at 7:30 a.m. and the Elite boys at 8:00.
Forty-six schools are on each side of the Elite sheet, and between them they hold seven of the ten girls and six of the ten boys on our statewide top tens (girls, boys). The course is the one every time on this site is measured against: when we say a runner's time is "worth" something on a neutral course, Cecil Field is the neutral course.
It is built to be fast. Race director Richard Fannin, who founded the meet, set the course up to be the fastest in the state: flat, on the old Navy base on Jacksonville's west side, and measured by a certified course measurer. Running is in the family. His father helped found the Gate River Run in 1978. Belen Jesuit's Marcelo Mantecon set the course record here last year, 14:33, and the girls' record is 17:14, set by MacKenzie Roy of Spruce Creek in 2024.
There will be a marathoner watching. Charles Hicks, a 2019 Bolles graduate, two-time state champion for the host school and the NCAA cross country champion at Stanford, will be at Cecil Field on Saturday. He ran 2:04:35 at the Boston Marathon in April, the second-fastest marathon ever run by an American, and 2:05:35 at Chicago last Sunday.
The race everybody will be watching is the first one of the morning.
Run it yourself. Every Elite team is already loaded.
One click opens the Race Simulator with Saturday's Elite field filled in. Flip it to best times, pull a team out, and watch the scores move.
Run the Elite girls →Run the Elite boys →Two girls nobody in Florida has beaten
Natalia Gaona-Zelaya (Wiregrass Ranch, Sr., 4A) has raced five times this fall and won five times: Ragin' Storm, Whispering Pines, the Florida Horse Park, the Astronaut Invitational and the Stampede Sprint, where she ran 17:34.6 on September 26. She was third in Class 4A at state last November. She is No. 3 on our statewide list and has not lost a race in 2026.
Emma Balaban (IMG Academy, Jr.) has raced three times and no Florida girl has finished ahead of her. She ran 17:14.1 at the IMGA Summit, the fastest time by a Florida girl this fall, then won the Southern Showcase outright in 17:45.2. At the Great American Race of Champions in North Carolina she was 15th of 324 in 17:42.9, the first Florida girl across, with Spanish River's Alba Antunez-Perez next. The 14 ahead of her there were from out of state. She is No. 2 on our list.
They have never raced each other. The one girl they have both beaten is Episcopal's Stella Krueger, the Class 2A state champion at 3200 meters: Gaona-Zelaya beat her by about a minute at the Horse Park, and Balaban beat her by a minute and a half in Cary. Two different courses, a month apart, so that tells you they are both very good and not much more.
Our numbers can't split them either. On each girl's best 2026 race, leveled to this course, the simulator has Gaona-Zelaya at 17:41.3 and Balaban at 17:42.4, about a second apart. Our statewide list has Balaban a place ahead, No. 2 to No. 3, so that is the order we have them finishing, by a step. If both of them start, somebody's streak ends Saturday.
And there is a third girl in the picture. Annabella Tomasic (Bishop Moore, So., 3A) is the reigning Class 3A state champion; she won it as a freshman in 17:35.5. She is the one girl here who has already raced Gaona-Zelaya, and she lost: third at the Horse Park on September 5, behind Gaona-Zelaya and Lyla Hallick. Since then she has won Katie Caples in 17:24.0 and Hagerty in 17:24.8, two of the three fastest times by a Florida girl this fall. The simulator puts her at 17:44.9, 3.6 seconds off the front. That is three girls inside four seconds.
Who else can win it
Lyla Hallick (Vanguard, So., 3A) beat Tomasic at the Horse Park. She was second to Gaona-Zelaya at Whispering Pines and again at the Horse Park, then won Rockledge in 18:10.8 and the Craig Speziale Invitational in 18:40.8. She is No. 7 on our statewide list and No. 2 in 3A, and she is fourth in our order.
Avery Hartley (Bartram Trail, So., 4A) was second at 4A state last November, one place ahead of Gaona-Zelaya. She ran 18:13.0 on this course in August, second to Lake Nona's Arabella Duffell, and she has won Bale N Trail and HMT since. Balaban beat her at the Southern Showcase. If she runs the way she did here in August, she is in the front group.
Behind Hallick: Antunez-Perez (Spanish River, Sr., 4A), Sofie Stam (Bolles, So., 2A), whose school is the host, Bishop Kenny's Camila Giles (Jr., 3A) and Jillian Jakab (Sr., 3A), Hartley, and Eva Delaney (Creekside, So., 4A). Niceville's Lola Jackson (Fr.) and Harmony Holland (Jr.), seventh and eighth in 4A, are next, then Eva McMenemy-Hoang (Viera, Sr., 4A) and IMG's Sydney Johnson (Jr.).
The girls' team race
IMG Academy scores 100, placing 1-14-20-29-36, and it wins on raw times too, 45 points to Bishop Kenny's 148. IMG competes as an FHSAA Independent, outside the state series, so it is not on our team list, but it beat Niceville 34 to 77 at the Southern Showcase and it brings four girls with 2026 times under 18:40.
Behind IMG is the race between the top two teams in our girls team rankings, and it is close. Niceville 4A scores 134 and Bishop Kenny 3A scores 141. Niceville gets there with a pack: Jackson and Holland go 11-12, and its five scorers are 18 seconds apart, the tightest one-to-five in the field. Kenny has the better front, Giles and Jakab at 7-8, and needs its third runner closer than 28th. Ponte Vedra 3A (260), Creekside 4A (261) and Chiles 3A (268) are next, with Bishop Moore, Carrollton, Bolles and Vanguard behind them.
| Pl | Team | Score | Scorers | Five-runner avg | 1-5 spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IMG Academy Ind. | 100 | 1-14-20-29-36 | 18:38.9 | 1:32.7 |
| 2 | Niceville 4A | 134 | 11-12-33-37-41 | 19:16.8 | 0:18.1 |
| 3 | Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) 3A | 141 | 7-8-28-48-50 | 19:04.0 | 0:48.7 |
| 4 | Ponte Vedra 3A | 260 | 17-27-42-65-109 | 19:22.6 | 1:38.4 |
| 5 | Creekside (St. Johns) 4A | 261 | 10-31-38-52-130 | 19:20.4 | 2:38.6 |
| 6 | Chiles (Tallahassee) 3A | 268 | 15-26-69-77-81 | 19:29.1 | 1:14.4 |
| 7 | Bishop Moore (Orlando) 3A | 305 | 3-16-53-88-145 | 19:28.8 | 3:10.3 |
| 8 | Carrollton (Miami) 2A | 337 | 35-51-71-86-94 | 19:43.9 | 0:51.5 |
| 9 | Bolles (Jacksonville) 2A | 341 | 6-45-80-99-111 | 19:39.0 | 1:51.2 |
| 10 | Vanguard (Ocala) 3A | 353 | 4-25-30-114-180 | 19:31.4 | 3:27.3 |
| 11 | Spanish River (Boca Raton) 4A | 376 | 5-72-84-96-119 | 19:44.1 | 2:03.4 |
| 12 | Lourdes (Miami) 3A | 411 | 24-58-60-132-137 | 19:56.2 | 1:57.2 |
| 13 | Doral Academy 4A | 430 | 22-40-68-127-173 | 19:55.9 | 2:26.3 |
| 14 | St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) 4A | 443 | 23-39-100-112-169 | 19:56.6 | 2:20.2 |
| 15 | Nease (Ponte Vedra) 4A | 451 | 34-49-55-142-171 | 20:02.6 | 1:58.6 |
| Pl | Runner | School | Ran | Where | Worth at Cecil Field |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emma Balaban (Jr.) | IMG Academy | 17:14.1 | IMGA Summit | 17:42.4 |
| 2 | Natalia Gaona-Zelaya (Sr.) | Wiregrass Ranch (Wesley Chapel) | 18:22.4 | Astronaut | 17:41.3 |
| 3 | Annabella Tomasic (So.) | Bishop Moore (Orlando) | 17:24.8 | Hagerty | 17:44.9 |
| 4 | Lyla Hallick (So.) | Vanguard (Ocala) | 18:40.8 | Craig Speziale | 17:53.9 |
| 5 | Alba Antunez-Perez (Sr.) | Spanish River (Boca Raton) | 18:05.0 | Great American | 18:17.4 |
| 6 | Sofie Stam (So.) | Bolles (Jacksonville) | 18:20.1 | adidas XC Challenge | 18:25.2 |
| 7 | Camila Giles (Jr.) | Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) | 18:37.2 | Buchholz Bobcats | 18:38.5 |
| 8 | Jillian Jakab (Sr.) | Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) | 19:22.2 | JAC | 18:46.0 |
| 9 | Avery Hartley (So.) | Bartram Trail (St. Johns) | 19:01.6 | HMT Invitational | 17:50.8 |
| 10 | Eva Delaney (So.) | Creekside (St. Johns) | 19:15.6 | HMT Invitational | 18:04.8 |
| 11 | Lola Jackson (Fr.) | Niceville | 20:34.0 | Wildcat | 19:11.0 |
| 12 | Harmony Holland (Jr.) | Niceville | 18:58.2 | Southern Showcase | 19:29.1 |
| 13 | Eva McMenemy-Hoang (Sr.) | Viera (Melbourne) | 19:09.9 | Astronaut | 18:28.8 |
| 14 | Sydney Johnson (Jr.) | IMG Academy | 18:01.0 | IMGA Summit | 18:29.3 |
| 15 | Emma-Claire Tanenbaum (So.) | Chiles (Tallahassee) | 19:04.5 | FLRunners Invitational | 18:45.0 |
Boys: Belen, Mantecon and the course record
Marcelo Mantecon (Belen Jesuit, Sr., 3A) won the Great American Race of Champions in 14:35.9 and the Southern Showcase in 14:41.6. He is the reigning Class 3A state champion, the runner-up at the Brooks national championship and fourth at Nike Cross Nationals, and he is No. 1 on our list. He holds the course record, 14:33, set at this meet last year.
His teammate Armando Cruz (Sr., 3A), No. 2 on our list, has already won on this course this season: the Cecil Field Summer Classic on August 21 in 15:06.0. He was second to Mantecon at state last fall and at the Southern Showcase, and sixth in the Great American Race of Champions in 14:50.6. Leveled to this course, the two of them are dead even. Jack Michalak (Jr.), No. 5 on our list, ran 15:01.7 at the Showcase and is third in our order. That is three Belen runners in the top three.
Next come Matthew Ishee (Nease, Jr., 4A), No. 7 statewide, and Buchholz's Andrew Sides (Jr., 4A), No. 8. Flagler Palm Coast sophomore Douglas Seth (15:20.7 at the Showcase), IMG's Fletcher Rodbro (Jr., 14:54.0 on his home course at the IMGA Summit), Belen's Nicholas Veloso (Jr.), No. 9 statewide, Ponte Vedra's Luke Ross (Sr.) and Niceville sophomore Bryant Olson round out our top ten. St. Cloud's Luis Rivera (Sr., 15:20.2 at North Port) and Nease's Rishi Chopra (Sr.) are right behind.
The boys' team race
Belen Jesuit is the pick, and it isn't close. Mantecon, Cruz and Michalak go 1-2-3, Veloso is eighth and Liam Salom (Sr.) 16th, for 30 points. On raw times it is the same story, 46 points and nearly a hundred clear of anyone. Belen is No. 1 in our boys team rankings, and Saturday is a chance to show it on the course every one of our numbers is built on.
The fight is for second. Bolles 2A, the host, scores 132 with the tightest five in the field: Aidan Chandler (Sr.), Aaron Ches (Jr.), Wyatt Cleek (Jr.), Armaan Sharma (So.) and Brantley Rigdon (Jr.) inside 28 seconds of each other. Niceville 4A (185) has Olson up front, Flagler Palm Coast 4A (211) has Seth, and Nease 4A (226) has Ishee and Chopra at 4 and 12 and needs its back three to close the gap.
Vanguard 3A (255), Ponte Vedra 3A (264) and IMG (267) are close behind. Any of the five teams from Bolles down to Ponte Vedra could take the second trophy.
| Pl | Team | Score | Scorers | Five-runner avg | 1-5 spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belen Jesuit (Miami) 3A | 30 | 1-2-3-8-16 | 15:34.1 | 1:11.2 |
| 2 | Bolles (Jacksonville) 2A | 132 | 23-25-27-28-29 | 16:16.2 | 0:27.9 |
| 3 | Niceville 4A | 185 | 10-19-48-52-56 | 16:04.0 | 0:50.8 |
| 4 | Flagler Palm Coast 4A | 211 | 6-24-32-57-92 | 16:04.8 | 1:19.7 |
| 5 | Nease (Ponte Vedra) 4A | 226 | 4-12-58-64-88 | 16:09.8 | 0:55.0 |
| 6 | Vanguard (Ocala) 3A | 255 | 21-35-39-46-114 | 16:17.0 | 0:50.7 |
| 7 | Ponte Vedra 3A | 264 | 9-34-45-54-122 | 16:11.5 | 1:35.2 |
| 8 | IMG Academy Ind. | 267 | 7-22-63-86-89 | 16:09.5 | 1:16.8 |
| 9 | Spanish River (Boca Raton) 4A | 359 | 47-61-71-75-105 | 16:27.7 | 0:30.1 |
| 10 | Jupiter 4A | 434 | 53-55-69-103-154 | 16:36.2 | 0:52.1 |
| 11 | Columbus (Miami) 4A | 460 | 37-82-110-111-120 | 16:39.0 | 0:45.7 |
| 12 | Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) 3A | 503 | 73-81-90-102-157 | 16:42.5 | 0:44.1 |
| 13 | Doral Academy 4A | 533 | 30-94-121-137-151 | 16:46.1 | 1:02.5 |
| 14 | Buchholz (Gainesville) 4A | 536 | 5-76-104-173-178 | 16:45.8 | 1:35.0 |
| 15 | Gulliver Prep (Pinecrest) 2A | 553 | 26-67-98-174-188 | 16:50.3 | 1:12.9 |
| Pl | Runner | School | Ran | Where | Worth at Cecil Field |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marcelo Mantecon (Sr.) | Belen Jesuit (Miami) | 14:35.9 | Great American | 15:06.3 |
| 2 | Armando Cruz (Sr.) | Belen Jesuit (Miami) | 15:06.0 | Cecil Field | 15:06.0 |
| 3 | Jack Michalak (Jr.) | Belen Jesuit (Miami) | 15:01.7 | Southern Showcase | 15:27.2 |
| 4 | Matthew Ishee (Jr.) | Nease (Ponte Vedra) | 15:54.0 | Cecil Field | 15:54.0 |
| 5 | Andrew Sides (Jr.) | Buchholz (Gainesville) | 15:49.0 | Cecil Field | 15:49.0 |
| 6 | Douglas Seth (So.) | Flagler Palm Coast | 15:59.5 | Spikes & Spurs | 15:16.4 |
| 7 | Fletcher Rodbro (Jr.) | IMG Academy | 14:54.0 | IMGA Summit | 15:17.4 |
| 8 | Nicholas Veloso (Jr.) | Belen Jesuit (Miami) | 15:51.7 | Southern Showcase | 16:17.2 |
| 9 | Luke Ross (Sr.) | Ponte Vedra | 15:59.1 | Craig Speziale | 15:20.3 |
| 10 | Bryant Olson (So.) | Niceville | 16:07.8 | Pace Patriot | 15:28.9 |
| 11 | Luis Rivera (Sr.) | St. Cloud | 15:43.5 | St. Cloud | 15:32.8 |
| 12 | Rishi Chopra (Sr.) | Nease (Ponte Vedra) | 15:39.0 | Cecil Field | 15:39.0 |
| 13 | Dylan Stacey (Jr.) | Centennial (Port St. Lucie) | 17:36.1 | Pine School | 15:43.0 |
| 14 | Jonathan Kiros (Sr.) | Chiles (Tallahassee) | 15:47.0 | Cecil Field | 15:47.0 |
| 15 | Ryder Dempsey (So.) | Geneva Classical Academy | 16:30.3 | George Whitmire | 15:51.9 |
Meet details
- Where: Cecil Field, 13531 Lake Newman Drive, Jacksonville. Gates open at 6:00 a.m.; parking is free.
- Saturday: Elite girls 7:30, Elite boys 8:00, girls B 8:30, boys B 9:00, JV girls 9:30, JV boys 10:00, Elite awards 10:45. The middle school and C races are Friday night, starting at 5:00.
- Awards: medals and hoodies to the top 25 Elite boys and girls, trophies to the top three teams.
- Tickets: $10 on GoFan. Timing and live results by 1st Place Sports.
How we built it
- Every school on the Elite sheet, scored on each runner's best 2026 5K, top seven per team. Five score, sixth and seventh displace. Teams can enter up to ten and pick their seven on race day, so the real lineups may differ.
- Each time is leveled to Cecil Field using how the same runners have done across courses. The "Score it on best times" buttons skip that step.
- Where two runners are both on one of our rankings lists, statewide or class, the order here follows the list, so the times in the table are not always in order. Team scores are counted from that order.
- Roy Griak in Minnesota is left out. The only runners we have from it are from Florida, most of them in their first real race of the season, so there is nothing to measure the course against. The live simulator still counts it, so its boys' numbers will differ from ours.
- "Calvary Christian (FL)" on the girls' sheet is read as Calvary Christian Academy of Fort Lauderdale; the boys' sheet names Calvary Christian of Clearwater. "Cornerstone" is Cornerstone Classical Academy of Jacksonville.
- Leon's boys have raced only at the St. John Paul II Panther Invite, a course we can't price yet, so their times go in as run.
- A team on the sheet is a fact. Which runners start is not, and a scratch at the top changes everything above.
- Meet details are from the host's meet information.
Results and a recap will be up after Saturday. Until then, the simulator is open, and every Elite team is one click away.
Featured image: Natalia Gaona-Zelaya of Wiregrass Ranch winning the Florida Horse Park Invitational on September 5. Photo: Run Florida Run; graphic by Run Florida Run.