Maclay (Tallahassee)

Cecil Field. Five-man average 17:24.4, spread 1:51.0.
David Barton 16:15, Gavin McVay 17:15, Beau May 17:36, Will Cintron 17:50, Logan Phipps 18:06, Ben Lawson 19:07, Benton Belcher 20:30.

The best actual performance by a 1A boys team this month, and the biggest single move on the board. Maclay was fourth in the preseason returner rankings at a 18:04.9 average with a 3:43.6 spread — a good front and a hole behind it. At Cecil Field they averaged 17:24.4 and closed the spread to 1:51.0.

That is 40.5 seconds off the five-man average and nearly two minutes off the spread, on a course where the average boy ran level with his state time. Barton opened eight seconds up on Sean Cunningham, the top-ranked individual in the class. McVay, May and Cintron all ran inside 17:50, which is the part that actually matters: the preseason version of this team had one runner under 17:50 and now it has four.

Five points behind a team that has not raced. If you want to rank on evidence rather than arithmetic, Maclay is first and it is not particularly close.

Cecil Field. Five-man average 22:32.6, spread 1:48.0.
Lilly Bell 21:42, Madison McVay 21:55, Ava Wenleder 22:08, Marguerite Miller 23:28, Abigail Stephens 23:30, Mackenzie McVay 23:47, Mary Price 25:23.

Zero returners from the 2025 state meet. Maclay's girls had no preseason team ranking, no projected score, and no presence in the returner data at all. They are eighth in Class 1A.

Their 1:48.0 spread is the third-tightest in the top ten, built on a three-girl block inside 26 seconds and no runner in the scoring five slower than 23:30. Seven finishers. This is a program that assembled a full team over the summer and it is not visible in any preseason document anywhere.

5-man average 17:24.4 · 1-5 spread 1:51.0 · finished 1-12-23-36-46 · Cecil Field

David Barton 16:15.0; Gavin McVay 17:15.0; Beau May 17:36.0; Will Cintron 17:50.0; Logan Phipps 18:06.0. Then Ben Lawson 19:07.0; Benton Belcher 20:30.0.

Season average 17:31.2 · 1-5 spread 1:28.5 · finished 3-32-36-37-40 in the class · Horse Park · This week: 19th at Horse Park (602).

David Barton 16:21.1 (16:26.3); Logan Phipps 17:30.4 (17:35.6); Gavin McVay 17:54.1 (17:59.3); Beau May 17:48.0 (17:53.2); Will Cintron 17:47.5 (17:52.7). Then Ben Lawson 18:14.0 (18:19.2); Benton Belcher 20:04.2 (20:09.4).

The best season average in Class 1A, 17:31.2, and second, because Pensacola Christian beat them on Saturday. David Barton was the class's best runner at the Horse Park in 16:21.1, but Gavin McVay went 17:15 at Cecil Field and 17:54 in Ocala, and the fourth and fifth men were 17:48 and 17:47. Nothing wrong with this team. They were 19th in a 75-team race, and the team ranked above them was 16th.

Season average 17:31.2 · 1-5 spread 1:28.5 · finished 3-33-37-39-43 in the class

David Barton 16:23.5; Logan Phipps 17:43.2; Gavin McVay 17:48.3; Beau May 17:48.9; Will Cintron 17:52.1.

Did not race its varsity; the JV ran Nights of Thunder. David Barton 16:23.5 and then four boys between 17:43 and 17:52, the Cecil Field and Horse Park runs folded together. Seven seconds a runner behind Pensacola Christian, and they were 59 points behind them on the same course at the Horse Park. Second.

Season average 22:36.5 · 1-5 spread 2:54.2 · finished 33-46-72-114-153 in the class

Madison McVay 21:15.6; Lilly Bell 21:42.0; Ava Wenleder 22:27.2; Mackenzie McVay 23:27.8; Marguerite Miller 24:09.8.

Did not race its varsity. Madison McVay 21:15.6, Lilly Bell 21:42.0, Ava Wenleder 22:27.2, Mackenzie McVay 23:27.8, Marguerite Miller 24:09.8, on Cecil Field and the Horse Park. New to the ten at tenth as Westminster Academy dropped out.

Season average 17:32.0 · 1-5 spread 1:36.2 · finished 3-37-39-40-46 in the class · This week: 24th of 28 at the Southern Showcase (581).

David Barton 16:19.9; Logan Phipps 17:46.4; Gavin McVay 17:48.3; Will Cintron 17:49.4; Beau May 17:56.1.

Twenty-fourth of 28 in the Southern Showcase championship race with 581, a field led by Belen Jesuit 3A: David Barton 31st in 15:51.5, then Will Cintron 17:21.7, Logan Phipps 17:23.5, Beau May 17:36.3 and Ben Lawson 17:52.7 in a 250-boy race. Barton is the best runner on any 1A team and the four behind him sit between 17:46 and 17:56 on the season. Second again, eight seconds a runner behind Pensacola Christian.

Converted average 17:32.0 · 1-5 spread 1:36.2 · finished 4-37-38-40-45 in the class

David Barton 16:19.9; Logan Phipps 17:46.4; Gavin McVay 17:48.3; Will Cintron 17:49.4; Beau May 17:56.1.

Did not race. Twenty-fourth at the Southern Showcase on Sept. 19 against a big out-of-state field. David Barton is one of the best front runners in 1A; Logan Phipps, Gavin McVay, Will Cintron and Beau May are close together behind him. Second.

Converted average 17:36.5 · 1-5 spread 1:50.6 · finished 3-38-39-44-58 in the class · This week: 28th of 39 at the Alexander Invitational (Georgia) (615).

David Barton 16:19.0; Gavin McVay 17:48.3; Logan Phipps 17:48.3; Will Cintron 17:57.6; Beau May 18:09.6.

Twenty-eighth of 39 at the Alexander Invitational in Georgia on Saturday with 615, among teams from five states. David Barton was tenth of 341 in 15:29.0. Fourth at the St. John Paul II Panther Invite on September 26. Second.

Converted average 17:36.5 · 1-5 spread 1:50.6 · finished 4-38-39-45-59 in the class

David Barton 16:19.0; Gavin McVay 17:48.3; Logan Phipps 17:48.3; Will Cintron 17:57.6; Beau May 18:09.6.

Did not race. Twenty-eighth of 39 at the Alexander Invitational in Georgia on October 3, where David Barton was tenth of 341 in 15:29.0.