ELISA WILLIAMSON

STAFF WRITER

   These days, it is too hot to even go outside to walk from one class to the other. However, this does not stop Gulf Breeze High School’s strong-willed cross country team. 

   On Sept. 7, the cross country team woke up early to get ready for this year’s first meet hosted by Pace High School. The team was both nervous and excited for the outcome of their 5k race. However, all three teams (varsity girls, varsity boys, and junior varsity) did amazing. 

    That morning there was a heat index of 108. Girls varsity were the first ones to run. The starting gun went off at 8:05 am and along with it, all the runners from Gulf Breeze and many other schools. 

    Junior Mira Helms, a varsity runner, said, “I felt great! I think it was a pretty good start of the year for not just myself, but the team overall.” Girls varsity placed fourth as a team. 

    Varsity boys went next and the heat was getting worse by the minute. Finn Youberg and Cade Seeber, both juniors, ran close to each other for most of the race. Youberg and Seeber finished together, and they placed twelfth and thirteenth, respectively. Seeber said that he hopes to get faster throughout the year and his goal is to get to the 16s by the end of the season. Overall, the boys’ varsity team also placed fourth.  

    Junior varsity was the last to go. Both boys and girls ran together. They had to deal with the hottest temperatures. Mariah Casson, a freshman, did a lot better at her very first cross country meet than she expected. She placed 7 with a time of 25:43. 

    Casson was in good spirits about the race when she said, “My goal is to get a better time and to just have fun with the team this season.”  

    The cross country team also raced in the Wildcat Invitational Meet hosted by Washington High School on Sept 21. Most of the varsity girls finished close together which helped them take fourth place as a team. 

    Savannah Jacobi said, “For this race it felt a lot more like we were running together as a team.” The varsity boys did just as great and placed fourth, as well. Seeber and Youberg were, once again, inseparable as they placed eighth and ninth with only ten seconds between them. 

    In the open JV race William Kemp took 2 place with a time of 18:59. Behind him, Robert Andrus, Jacob Littner, Zachary Giovanini, and Ryan Labrato finished together and placed fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively. 

    The Gulf Breeze cross country team has done a spectacular job so far. Coaches Chelsey Adams and Scott Gordon are very proud of the team’s successes. “We hope that the team will get better each week and hopefully when district comes along, we will place top three as a team,” said Gordon. The team has done great so far and everyone is excited to see them improve even more.