Belen Jesuit (Miami)

Cecil Field. Five-man average of 15:54.4, spread 1:17.0. Armando Cruz 15:06, Jack Michalak 15:47, Liam Salom 15:54, Nicholas Veloso 16:22, Dominic De Armas 16:23, with Davi Bodoh at 16:31 and Santiago Muniz at 16:51 behind them.

They are the No. 1 team in Florida in any class, and in a 3A-only field they score 42 points against a second-place 190. Their fifth man converts to 16:23, faster than the No. 2 runner on eleven of the other thirteen teams on this page. That is not a ranking, it is a different category of team.

And Marcelo Mantecon did not run. The defending 3A state champion at 15:03.3 — the fastest returning time by any boy in any class in Florida — stayed home while sixteen Belen teammates raced, ten of them in the Cecil Elite race Cruz won. Belen's projection off its returning five was 15:47.3. They opened at 15:54.4 without the runner who makes that projection, which is to say the gap you see is the gap with their best athlete missing.

Cecil Field. 15:54.4 average, the only team in Florida under 16:00, inside a 1:17 spread. Cruz 15:06, Michalak 15:47, Liam Salom 15:54, Nicholas Veloso 16:22, Dominic De Armas 16:23. They won the Cecil Field team title 75-158.

Marcelo Mantecon did not run, and here is what that is worth in this format: Belen's returning five, with Mantecon in it, projects to a 15:47.3 average and a score of 93 — better than the 108 they earned on the track. They are ranked on what they ran, which understates them, and they are still 61 points clear of the field.

Our preseason projection had Belen's 3A team score at 20 points, the lowest of any boys team in Florida in any class. Nothing about August moved it.

Projected five-man average 11:08.7, spread 1:40.3.
Aiden M. Cruz 10:19.3, Jake Rubiera 10:27.6, Jacob Jasinski 11:20.0, Jose Sosa 11:36.9, Vittorio Stasi 11:59.6.

The feeder system behind the state's best high school program returns a 10:19/10:27 front pair of 7th graders. The Wolverine pipeline is not slowing down.

5-man average 15:54.4 · 1-5 spread 1:17.0 · finished 1-5-8-19-20 · Cecil Field

Armando Cruz 15:06.0; Jack Michalak 15:47.0; Liam Salom 15:54.0; Nicholas Veloso 16:22.0; Dominic De Armas 16:23.0. Then Davi Bodoh 16:31.0; Santiago Muniz 16:51.0.

Cecil Field, five-man average 15:54.4, the only team in Florida under 16:00 and still the only one. Cruz 15:06.0, Michalak 15:47.0, Liam Salom 15:54.0, Nicholas Veloso 16:22.0, Dominic De Armas 16:23.0, inside a 1:17 spread.

They have not raced since. They did not need to. Marcelo Mantecon still has not run, which means the best returning runner in the state is not in that lineup and the gap to second is 67 points anyway. Belen is entered at the Florida Horse Park next Saturday, where they went one-two and won with a 39 last September. Nothing about the last two weeks has made this interesting.

Season average 15:54.4 · 1-5 spread 1:17.0 · finished 1-4-6-20-22 in the class · Cecil Field · This week: 1st at Horse Park (63). Won in week 3; that run is not held against them.

Armando Cruz 15:06.0; Jack Michalak 15:47.0; Liam Salom 15:54.0; Nicholas Veloso 16:22.0; Dominic De Armas 16:23.0. Then Davi Bodoh 16:31.0; Andrew Lima 16:41.8 (16:48.2).

Won the Horse Park by 168 points: Mantecon 15:22.1, Cruz 15:24.4, Jack Michalak 16:13.8, Davi Bodoh 16:16.9, Dominic De Armas 16:24.8. That run is left out of their figure for the plain reason that a win never lowers it; the Cecil Field run, where Cruz went 15:06.0 and Michalak 15:47.0, is the one that ranks them, a 15:54.4 average, still the only team in Florida under 16:00. Mantecon is not in the five below because the only race he has run is the one that is not counted. Add him and the number gets better. They also sent a second squad to the Pine Crest meet and finished second to Doral Academy.

Horse Park, 63 points out of 75 teams: Mantecon 15:22.1, Cruz 15:24.4, Jack Michalak 16:13.8, Davi Bodoh 16:16.9, Dominic De Armas 16:24.8. Two races, two wins, and the Cecil Field run, where Cruz went 15:06.0, Michalak 15:47.0 and Liam Salom 15:54.0, is the one that ranks them: a 15:54.4 average, still the only team in Florida under 16:00. The Horse Park win is left out for the plain reason that a win never lowers a team's figure. They also sent a second squad to the Pine Crest meet on August 28 and finished second there to Doral Academy. Depth is not the word. They have two lineups.

Season average 15:54.4 · 1-5 spread 1:17.0 · finished 1-7-8-20-22 in the class Won in week 3; that run is not held against them.

Armando Cruz 15:06.0; Jack Michalak 15:47.0; Liam Salom 15:54.0; Nicholas Veloso 16:22.0; Dominic De Armas 16:23.0.

Did not race. The Horse Park win by 168 is left out because a win never lowers a team's figure, so the Cecil Field run ranks them, Cruz 15:06.0, Jack Michalak 15:47.0, Liam Salom 15:54.0, Nicholas Veloso 16:22.0, Dominic De Armas 16:23.0, a 15:54.4 average that is the only sub-16:00 team figure in Florida. Mantecon is not in the five because the only race he has run is the one that is not counted. First by 152 points in a 98-team class.

Season average 15:54.4 · 1-5 spread 1:17.0 Won in week 3; that run is not held against them.

Armando Cruz 15:06.0; Jack Michalak 15:47.0; Liam Salom 15:54.0; Nicholas Veloso 16:22.0; Dominic De Armas 16:23.0.

Did not race. The Horse Park win by 168 points is left out because a win never lowers a team's figure, so the Cecil Field run ranks them, Cruz 15:06.0, Jack Michalak 15:47.0, Liam Salom 15:54.0, a 15:54.4 average that is still the only sub-16:00 team figure in Florida. Mantecon is not in the five below because the only race he has run is the one that is not counted. Add him and it gets better. They have two lineups and have needed one.

Season average 15:42.7 · 1-5 spread 1:10.7 · finished 1-3-4-15-17 in the class · This week: 1st of 28 at the Southern Showcase (57). Won in week 1, week 3; that run is not held against them.

Marcelo Mantecon 15:07.1; Armando Cruz 15:24.1; Jack Michalak 15:27.2; Nicholas Veloso 16:17.2; Davi Bodoh 16:17.8.

Won the Southern Showcase with 57 in a 28-team championship race: Mantecon, Cruz and Michalak 1-2-3, Nicholas Veloso 32nd in 15:51.7, Davi Bodoh 33rd in 15:52.3, Dominic de Armas 36th in 15:57.0, with Jesuit of New Orleans second on 113. On Friday night the second seven won the Class 3A scoring of the Spanish River Race of Champions with 197 over Mater Lakes, Daniel Garmendia 31st in 16:43.3. The Cecil Field and Horse Park wins are not held against them. First, and it is not close.

Season average 15:42.7 · 1-5 spread 1:10.7 · This week: 1st of 28 at the Southern Showcase (57). Won in week 1, week 3; that run is not held against them.

Marcelo Mantecon 15:07.1; Armando Cruz 15:24.1; Jack Michalak 15:27.2; Nicholas Veloso 16:17.2; Davi Bodoh 16:17.8.

First at the Southern Showcase with 57, a 1-2-3 finish and a fourth and fifth man 50 seconds behind the third. The Belen B team won the Class 3A scoring of the Spanish River Race of Champions with 197 the night before. The season figure counts the Showcase run, not the Cecil Field or Horse Park wins, because a meet a team won is never allowed to lower its number.

Converted average 15:42.7 · 1-5 spread 1:10.7 · finished 1-3-4-15-17 in the class

Marcelo Mantecon 15:07.1; Armando Cruz 15:24.1; Jack Michalak 15:27.2; Nicholas Veloso 16:17.2; Davi Bodoh 16:17.8.

A second group won the STU Bobcat Invitational on Saturday with 26 points; none of the top seven ran. The varsity won the Southern Showcase on Sept. 19 and the Horse Park on Sept. 5. Marcelo Mantecon, Armando Cruz and Jack Michalak are three of the best in the state, and the fourth and fifth are faster than most teams' top three. First.

Season average 15:42.7 · 1-5 spread 1:10.7

Marcelo Mantecon 15:07.1; Armando Cruz 15:24.1; Jack Michalak 15:27.2; Nicholas Veloso 16:17.2; Davi Bodoh 16:17.8.

Did not race its top seven. The second group won the STU Bobcat Invitational with 26, ahead of Gulliver, with Liam Salom second in 16:33.8 and five Belen boys in the top eight. The first five are still the Southern Showcase five: Mantecon, Cruz, Michalak, Veloso, Bodoh. First, by 257 points in the virtual race.

Converted average 15:47.6 · 1-5 spread 1:27.6 · finished 1-3-5-17-31 in the class · This week: 2nd of 40 at the Great American XC Festival (117).

Marcelo Mantecon 15:06.4; Armando Cruz 15:21.1; Jack Michalak 15:38.8; Nicholas Veloso 16:17.9; Dominic De Armas 16:34.0.

Second of 40 in the Great American Race of Champions with 117: Mantecon first in 14:35.9, Armando Cruz sixth, Jack Michalak 19th, Nicholas Veloso 55th. The next seven won the Red Invitational with 129. First.

Season average 15:47.6 · 1-5 spread 1:27.6

Marcelo Mantecon 15:06.4; Armando Cruz 15:21.1; Jack Michalak 15:38.8; Nicholas Veloso 16:17.9; Dominic De Armas 16:34.0.

Second of 40 in the Great American Race of Champions with 117: Mantecon first in 14:35.9, Cruz sixth, Michalak 19th, Veloso 55th, Dominic De Armas 98th. Christ School of North Carolina won with 83. Belen's next seven won the Red Invitational with 129 over 43 teams. First by more than 200 points in the virtual race.

Converted average 15:47.6 · 1-5 spread 1:27.6 · finished 1-3-5-17-32 in the class

Marcelo Mantecon 15:06.4; Armando Cruz 15:21.1; Jack Michalak 15:38.8; Nicholas Veloso 16:17.9; Dominic De Armas 16:34.0.

Did not race. Second of 40 in the Great American Race of Champions on October 3 with 117: Mantecon first in 14:35.9, Cruz sixth, Michalak 19th, Veloso 55th. First by a long way.

Season average 15:47.6 · 1-5 spread 1:27.6

Marcelo Mantecon 15:06.4; Armando Cruz 15:21.1; Jack Michalak 15:38.8; Nicholas Veloso 16:17.9; Dominic De Armas 16:34.0.

Did not race. Second of 40 in the Great American Race of Champions with 117 on October 3: Mantecon first in 14:35.9, Cruz sixth, Michalak 19th, Veloso 55th, Dominic De Armas 98th. First by more than 200 points in the virtual race.