Pine Crest Girls Break Through, Win Class 2A Cross Country Crown

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The wait was so worth it for Pine Crest coach Paul Baur and his girls' cross country team.

After finishing as runner-up the past four seasons, the Panthers rose to the occasion and won the FHSAA Class 2A Girls State Cross Country title Saturday at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee.

It was Baur's first state crown at Pine Crest and second career state title. He won a boys' state track title at Westminster Academy in 2008.

It was the cross country program's first state championship and Pine Crest's 60th overall state title in school history.

The Panthers won with 29 points followed by four-time defending state champion Jacksonville Bolles with 50 and Satellite with 156. Ransom Everglades was fifth with 234 points. Cardinal Gibbons was 11th with 313.

The Panthers total time was 1 hour, 33 minutes and 28 seconds for an 18:41 average.

Pine Crest was led by freshman Tsion Yared in 17:59 for 3.1 miles, finishing runner-up ahead of rival Natalia Varela of Gulliver Prep (18:07) for the first time this season.

The Panthers had five runners in the top 12 and seven in the top 38. Joining Yared on the awards podium were eighth-grader and younger sister Mahdere Yared, 18:25; freshman Maya Beleznay, 18:40; senior Simone Vreeland, 19:07; freshman Emily Faulhaber, 19:16; freshman Amanda Schwartz, 19:47; and senior Samantha Mead, 20:16.

Every runner either ran a best time or close to it. "That's pretty incredible," Baur said.

For the first time, the Panthers entered the race as favorites instead of underdogs.

"I felt good about our chances, our girls had been running really well, excelling at every race we had been at," Baur said. "Everything on paper showed we were ahead. That was a good indication."

The biggest key was every runner was healthy and injury-free.

"Being runner-up the last four years really showed us we were on the right track and the program was going in the right direction," Baur said. "Winning puts the stamp of approval on things.

"It's just a great feeling," Baur said. "All their hard work paid off. The people who came before them and laid the foundation can say they were a part of this, too.

"I hope this is the beginning for them on a big stage like this. Winning the state championship is a big deal by far. Everybody put everything into this one race at the same time and to come out on top, I am just so proud of them."

No one was happier than Tsion Yared, who won an individual state title in 2014, but had not been part of a state champion team until now. Yared worked her way back from a stress fracture that plagued her during last year's cross country and track seasons.

"This is definitely something I have never felt before, being part of a state champion team," Yared said. "It's more fun as a team. Everyone was so happy when we finished the race.

"Last year I did not get to run this race so being healthy and finishing state was amazing. We put in the hard work and let it happen."

Yared said it was a confidence-builder for the team to come in as favorites.

"It was the first time on paper we weren't underdogs at state," Yared said. "People said we were going to win but honestly anything can happen, the tiniest thing can change everything.

"Today everything had to be perfect and it was."

Baur was selected to coach the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) girls' team for the upcoming All-Star meet featuring the top seniors from South Florida.

In other classifications:

CLASS 4A GIRLS: Our Lady of Lourdes, led by senior Sabrina Quijano in 19:19, was top team finisher placing fourth with 176 points. Ferguson was seventh with 247 points. Junior Bridget Alex of St. Thomas Aquinas was top individual finisher placing 12th in 18:55.

CLASS 3A GIRLS: Mater Academy, led by freshman runner-up Valarie Lastra in 18:02 and ninth-place Jinah Mickens in 18:40, was top local finisher placing 16th with 412 points followed by Miami Northwestern, 17th with 418. Doral Academy junior Maria Fernandez was 19th in 18:54.

CLASS 1A GIRLS: Westminster Christian was top finisher placing eighth with 239 points. Its top runner, eighth grader Claire Kennedy, was 26th in 20:22. Miami Country Day sixth grader was 28th in 20:24.