Dominant Bolles girls team sets state record in winning 2A cross country title

It was a state championship and a state record all wrapped up in one.

The Bolles girls won the Class 2A state cross country championship on Sunday morning at Tallahassee’s Apalachee Regional Park and did so in record-setting fashion.

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No, the Bulldogs didn’t replicate their sweeps of the top seven positions like they did at both districts and regionals, but they were better than any other team in state history.

The Bulldogs' 18 points were the lowest ever in a girls championship event

Cocoa Beach (1984) and Northside Christian (1995) shared the previous record with 21 points. Episcopal had the previous low among local team title winners with a 22 in 2006. The title was the 12th in program history for the Bulldogs, tied with Tampa Plant for the most in state history. It was the 11th state title as a coach for Bolles' Tony Ryan and his eighth at the school. Ryan also won three consecutive titles at Bishop Kenny from 1994-96.

Depth, of course, was the key, including a 2-3-4 finish.

Jillian Candelino finished state runner-up in 18 minutes, 42.4 seconds, followed by Ella Mickler (18:53.7) and Maxine Montoya (19:05.9). Those three places accounted for six of Bolles' 18 points. Madelyn Popp (19:17.2) was seventh and Layne Rivera was 10th in (19:31.7).

The bad news for teams around the state — Candelino, Mickler and Popp are all underclassmen. So, too, are Leila Bata and Hadley Ropp, who finished 15th and 16th, respectively.

The Bishop Kenny girls had a solid top five effort (192 points). Mary Schmidt was the low Crusaders runner, taking 30th in 20:52.3.

The Bolles boys team had a state runner-up finish in Class 2A, earning 84 points behind champ Satellite (26). Cole Rutkowski was the highest area finisher, taking 10th in 16:16.1.

In Class 1A, Matthew Stratton of St. Johns Country Day was third in 15:59.8 in the boys race and Laci Watford of University Christian (19:23.6) was sixth.

Class 2A

At Apalachee Regional Park, Tallahassee

Sunday

Boys

Team

1. Satellite, 26; 2. Bolles, 84; 3. Berkeley Prep, 97; 4. St. Andrews, 139; 5. Kings Academy, 151; 6. Bishop Moore, 198; 7. Bishop Kenny, 222; 8. Tampa Prep, 231; 9. Trinity Prep, 231; 10. McKeel, 279.

Individual top 10

1. Joshua Stern (Satellite) 15:31.5; 2. Matthew Mule (St. Andrews) 15:43.9; 3. Gabriel Montague (Satellite) 15:50.8; 4. Justin Wilson (Satellite) 15:56.8; 5. Joseph Wester (Satellite) 16:00.3; 6. Simon Devoss (Astronaut) 16:00.6; 7. Nicholas Carpenter (Trinity Prep) 16:07.5; 8. Jonathan Eide (Calvary Christian) 16:13.8; 9. Ethan Lipham (Berkeley Prep) 16:14.4; 10. Cole Rutkowski (Bolles) 16:16.1.

Locals in the top 50: 15. Michael Teal (Bishop Kenny) 16:32; 17. Aidin Hasan (Bolles) 16:37.2; 20. Matthew McClure (Bolles) 16:45; 24. Caden Kwiatkowski (Fernandina Beach) 16:50.6; 28. Steven Durr (Fernandina Beach) 17:02.4; 31. William Morales (Bolles) 17:13; 39. Ian Kelbert (Menendez) 17:30.9; 45. Aidan Ryan (Bolles) 17:39.1; 48. Pablo Moreno (Bishop Kenny) 17:41.6.

Girls

1. Bolles, 18; 2. Montverde Academy, 98; 3. Satellite, 129; 4. Gulliver Prep, 144; 5. Bishop Kenny, 192; 6. Carrollton, 227; 7. South Walton, 229; 8. Berkeley Prep, 233; 9. Calvary Christian, 241; 10. Kings Academy, 247.

Individual top 10

1. Eleanor Tymorek (St. Andrews) 18:27.6; 2. Jillian Candelino (Bolles) 18:42.4; 3. Ella Mickler (Bolles) 18:53.7; 4. Maxine Montoya (Bolles) 19:05.9; 5. Lily Henne (Montverde) 19:11.5; 6. Emma Hencock (St. Brendan) 19:15.4; 7. Madelyn Popp (Bolles) 19:17.2; 8. Carlyn Bobo (Lake Placid) 19:28.7; 9. Hailey Howard (Calvary Christian) 19:30.2; 10. Layne Rivera (Bolles) 19:31.1.

Locals in the top 50: 15. Leila Bata (Bolles) 19:37; 16. Hadley Ropp (Bolles) 19:41.9; 30. Mary Schmidt (Bishop Kenny) 20:52.3; 37. Hind Ossi (Bishop Kenny) 21:01.6; 40. Hannah Kowkabany (Episcopal) 21:08.1.

Class 1A

Boys

Team scores

1. Seffner Christian, 61; 22. Oak Hall, 83; 3. Maclay, 126; 4. Circle Christian, 155; 5. Mount Dora Christian, 177; 6. Cambridge, 183; 7. St. Francis, 191; 8. Southwest Florida Christian, 192; 9. Indian Rocks Christian, 212; 10. South Florida HEAT, 222.

Individual top 10

1. Austin Montini (Oak Hall) 15:48.8; 2. Jackson Yarbrough (Maclay) 15:49.1; 3. Matthew Stratton (St. Johns Country Day) 15:59.8; 4. Dalin Mitchell (Seffner Christian) 16:01.2; 5. Riley Novack (Mount Dora Christian) 16:05.2; 6. Jonathan Pitchford (Marathon) 16:21.7; 7. Mitchell Curtis (Mount Dora Christian) 16:24.2; 8. Leo Rutledge (Maclay) 16:30.9; 9. Christian Giller (Seffner Christian) 16:32.8; 10. Andrew Stowe (Seffner Christian) 16:38.

Locals in top 50: 29. Victor Farfan (St. Joseph) 17:13.1; 45. Jacob Kailes (St. Johns Country Day) 17:28.4; 50. Donald Dempsey (Bishop Snyder) 17:44.5

Girls

Team scores

1. Oak Hall, 55; 2. Cambridge, 55; 3. Circle Christian, 67; 4. Lakeland Christian, 146; 5. Maclay, 160; 6. South Florida Heat, 166; 7. Out-of-Door, 189; 8. Bell Creek, 218; 9. Providence, 237; 10. Canterbury, 237.

Individual top 10

1. Caroline Lehman (Cambridge) 18:07.8; 2. Eliana Black (Cambridge) 18:28.5; 3. Sinkenesh Parker (Circle Christian), 18:44.3; 4. Lauren Jones (Oak Hall) 18:57.4; 5. Jessica Edwards (Canterbury) 19:19.5; 6. Laci Watford (University Christian) 19:23.6; 7. Ava Povich (Evangelical Christian) 19:25.7; 8. Kaylin Olivarez (Baker) 19:31.6; 9. Katie Beam (First Baptist) 19:36.3; 10. Gabby Aulisio (Oak Hall) 19:52.8.

Locals in top 50: 18. Lindy White (Providence) 20:22.8; 24. Emily Wheldon (Bishop Snyder) 20:34;


About the Author:

Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.