TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (October 29, 2021) – Daytona State College sophomore Harleigh Crist successfully defended her individual state championship with a record-breaking run at Friday's NJCAA Region 8/FCSAA State Cross Country Championships, held at Apalachee Regional Park.
With Wednesday's heavy rains in the rear-view mirror, Friday morning delivered near-ideal conditions for the 61 runners who toed the start line.
Crist finished the 5K race in 19:37.30, bettering the 19:44 by Pasco-Hernando State College's Olivia D'Angelo in 2018.
Crist joined D'Angelo as the only repeat state champions in the six-year history of the event. By virtue of winning the individual title, Crist was also recognized as FCSAA Women's Runner of the Year.
Lake-Sumter State College's Kyja Williams (20:26.90) and Daytona State's Juliet St. Angelo (20:34.10) finished second and third, respectively.
Despite a 1st-3rd finish, Daytona State was unable to hold off Pasco-Hernando State for the team title.
Led by fourth-place finisher Kylie Kanaar (20:54.20), the Bobcats had four runners in the top 14 and finished with 53 points to claim its fifth state championship in six seasons.
By virtue of winning the team title, Pasco-Hernando State's Jacki Wachtel was named FCSAA Coach of the Year.
Daytona State finished with 67 points followed by Florida Gateway College with 77 points and South Florida State College with 87 points. Lake-Sumter State, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Pensacola State College and Tallahassee Community College rounded out the team standings.
Chipola College and Seminole State College fielded participants but did not have a team score.
Florida Gateway's Ariel Anderson (21:06.50), Pasco-Hernando State's Katerina Dobkowski (21:12.50) and South Florida State's Francesca Chillemi (21:13.20) rounded out the top seven individual finishers, which comprised the FCSAA All-State Team.
The teams will now get ready for the 2021 NJCAA Cross Country and Half Marathon Championships in Richmond, Va., November 13 and 16, respectively.
The 2022 NJCAA Championships will take place at the ARP.
