Bishop Moore’s ninth grader, Annabella Tomasic, secured her second state title at the FHSAA cross country state championships held on March 2, 2024, in Tallahassee. Tomasic completed the 5,000-meter race in an impressive time of 17 minutes, 35.5 seconds, finishing 31 seconds ahead of Celina Coryell, a senior from Satellite, who clocked in at 18:06.3. Her performance not only clinched the Class 3A final but also marked the fastest girls’ time across all classifications at the event.
Tomasic’s victory came after a remarkable season where she won all seven of her races. Previously, she captured the Class 2A championship as a seventh grader and finished third in her eighth-grade season, which was affected by injuries. This year, she transitioned to Bishop Moore and played a pivotal role in leading her team to a third-place finish in the overall standings, behind Chiles of Tallahassee and Ponte Vedra.
Will Moss Dominates Boys’ 2A Competition
In the boys’ 2A division, Will Moss of Montverde Academy claimed the title with a remarkable time of 15:35.3. This victory is particularly notable as it represents a significant improvement from his previous year’s performance, where he finished in 29th place with a time of 16:53.5.
The competition in the boys’ 4A category saw Buchholz of Gainesville turn the tables on Oviedo, scoring a decisive victory with 58 points. Oviedo, who had been favored after a strong performance in the regional race, managed 103 points. The Lions led initially but could not maintain the momentum, allowing Buchholz to finish stronger. East Ridge junior Axel Sallault took the individual runner-up title in 4A with a time of 15:27.5.
The standings also featured notable performances from other athletes. Jacob Finch of Horizon secured sixth place at 15:48.0, while Oviedo’s Colin Aysun finished seventh with a time of 15:54.8. Lake Nona’s Matthew Rutan rounded out the top ten at 15:59.9, just ahead of his teammate Levi Mollica, who recorded the same time.
The girls’ 4A competition saw East Ridge finish fourth, while Lake Nona’s Arabella Duffell placed ninth with a time of 18:36.6. In the 2A category, Cecelia Lear of Mount Dora achieved seventh place with a time of 18:55.6, while Montverde finished seventh in the team standings.
As the FHSAA state cross country championships concluded, the event highlighted not only the individual talents of athletes like Tomasic and Moss but also the competitive spirit and teamwork shown across various schools in Florida.
