Lake Minneola

Cecil Field, third in the Elite race. Average 16:23.0, spread 2:42.0. Quentin Thompson 15:16, Jacob Kelly 16:07, Drew Sasson 16:08, Matthew Lydiard 16:26, then a wait, then Joshua Ping 17:58, with Noah Perez 18:00 sixth.

Thompson's 15:16 is the fastest mark by any 4A boy in Florida this weekend, by one tenth of a second over Strawberry Crest's Jaxon Kiper, and 74 seconds better than his own state time, and the front four is the best front four in the class: Lake Minneola's top four average 15:59.3, Nease's average 16:03.8. The whole gap between first and third is the fifth man.

Ping ran 20:13.0 at state and 17:58 in August, which is a 135-second improvement and still the thing keeping this team from second. Preston Pautienus, an 18:05.8 state runner, did not race.

Their 16:23.0 average is the second-best number in Florida, better than Flagler's and 14 seconds better than Bolles's. They rank fifth, because standard scoring does not care about averages.

Quentin Thompson 15:16, Jacob Kelly 16:07, Drew Sasson 16:08, Matthew Lydiard 16:26 — a front four nobody outside Belen can match. Then Joshua Ping at 17:58, place 295 in the virtual field, and a 2:42 spread that is the widest in the top ten.

Close that gap by a minute and Lake Minneola is second in Florida.

5-man average 16:23.0 · 1-5 spread 2:42.0 · finished 1-16-17-29-154 · Cecil Field

Quentin Thompson 15:16.0; Jacob Kelly 16:07.0; Drew Sasson 16:08.0; Matthew Lydiard 16:26.0; Joshua Ping 17:58.0. Then Noah Perez 18:00.0; Bradyn Kelly 18:48.0.

Cecil Field, 16:23.0 — the second-best five-man average in the state, better than Flagler's and better than Bolles's — and fifth, for the reason above. Thompson 15:16.0, Jacob Kelly 16:07.0, Drew Sasson 16:08.0, Matthew Lydiard 16:26.0, and then Joshua Ping at 17:58.0.

A 2:42 spread, the widest in the top ten, and their fifth man is worth more than half their score on his own. Nothing has changed since week one: close that gap by a minute and they are second. They are entered at the Horse Park, where they were tenth last September.

Season average 16:48.7 · 1-5 spread 2:54.6 · finished 6-25-27-43-303 in the class · Horse Park · This week: 9th at Horse Park (372).

Quentin Thompson 15:46.8 (15:52.0); Jacob Kelly 16:28.7 (16:33.9); Drew Sasson 16:33.0 (16:38.2); Matthew Lydiard 16:46.0 (16:51.2); Joshua Ping 18:45.6 (18:50.8). Then Noah Perez 18:48.5 (18:53.7); Mathias Perez 18:53.9 (18:59.1).

The drop of the week, and it is one runner. Quentin Thompson was third at the Horse Park in 15:46.8, Jacob Kelly 16:28.7, Drew Sasson 16:33.0 and Matthew Lydiard 16:46.0 followed, and the first four finish 6-25-27-43 in the class field. Joshua Ping was the fifth man at 18:45.6, which finishes 303rd. The team was ninth in Ocala with 372, behind Columbus and Creekside, and the season now says tenth here. Close that fifth-man gap by a minute and this is a top-four team.

Season average 16:44.6 · 1-5 spread 2:50.5 · finished 3-18-26-39-295 in the class · This week: 1st of 18 at Hawks on the Hill (40).

Quentin Thompson 15:39.3; Jacob Kelly 16:19.1; Drew Sasson 16:29.8; Matthew Lydiard 16:44.9; Noah Perez 18:29.8.

Won Hawks on the Hill with 40 over Lake Highland Prep 2A's 78 in an 18-team field: Quentin Thompson second in 15:29.0, Jacob Kelly third in 16:05.3, Drew Sasson fourth in 16:21.8, Matthew Lydiard sixth in 16:37.5, Noah Perez 26th in 18:14.1. Four in the first six and a fifth man a minute and a half back; the 2:50.5 spread is the widest in the ten by a distance. Eleventh to ninth, with the third-best average in the ten. The fifth runner is the whole conversation.

Converted average 16:44.6 · 1-5 spread 2:50.5 · finished 3-18-26-40-287 in the class · This week: 3rd of 37 at PR'ville (210).

Quentin Thompson 15:39.3; Jacob Kelly 16:19.1; Drew Sasson 16:29.8; Matthew Lydiard 16:44.9; Noah Perez 18:29.8.

Third of 37 in the Championship race at PR'ville in Huntsville on Saturday: Quentin Thompson 13th in 15:32.7, Matthew Lydiard 21st in 15:37.6, Jacob Kelly 27th in 15:42.6, Drew Sasson 34th in 15:52.3. That front four is as good as anyone's in 4A. PR'ville has no Florida-leveled rating yet, so the race is not in the season figure, and the fifth man is still well back. Ninth, where it was.

Converted average 16:44.6 · 1-5 spread 2:50.5 · finished 3-16-28-38-291 in the class

Quentin Thompson 15:39.3; Jacob Kelly 16:19.1; Drew Sasson 16:29.8; Matthew Lydiard 16:44.9; Noah Perez 18:29.8.

Did not race. Third of 37 at PR'ville in Huntsville on September 26 with 210, Quentin Thompson 13th, and won Hawks on the Hill on September 19. The front four are as good as anyone's in the class; the fifth is the question. Eighth.

Converted average 16:44.6 · 1-5 spread 2:50.5 · finished 3-15-27-38-292 in the class · This week: 1st of 12 at the Wildwood MH School Invitational (17).

Quentin Thompson 15:39.3; Jacob Kelly 16:19.1; Drew Sasson 16:29.8; Matthew Lydiard 16:44.9; Noah Perez 18:29.8.

Won the Wildwood Invitational on Saturday with 17: Quentin Thompson, Jacob Kelly, Matthew Lydiard and Drew Sasson first to fourth. Third of 37 at PR'ville on September 26.