Article by Grant Mollett, M.ED – East Ridge High School
Photos by Dave Worthington
August 28 – Inverness, Florida
The East Ridge High School girls cross country team opened the 2021 season today, as they competed in the Whispering Pines Invitational at Whispering Pines Park in Inverness, Florida. It was an overcast morning in central Florida morning, and the temperature hovered around the mid-70s. The morning’s conditions were a positive turn from the dreaded afternoon heat the runners have been practicing in for the past several weeks. This was the third time that the Knights had competed at the Whispering Pines Invitational. Last season this particular meet was canceled due to the outbreak of Covid19. In 2019, the last time the Knights competed at Whispering Pines, East Ridge’s girls’ varsity team placed fifth out of twelve teams.
Girls from 24 different schools throughout Central Florida participated in this morning’s meet. The gun sounded at 8:00 AM sharp, and the girls were off and running. East Ridge’s first runner to cross the finish line was junior Sophie Roemmen. Sophie, an exchange student from Germany, placed seventh overall out of a field of 96 varsity female runners and finished in a swift time of 22:33! Freshman Hanna Warren came through the finish chute second for the Knights. Hanna put up a time of 23:12 and placed thirteenth overall in her very first cross country meet as a Knight. Following just eight seconds behind her teammate, was junior Bre Peine. Bre finished in fourteenth place in a time of 23:20.
The fourth Knight to finish was freshman Neely Lugo. Neely finished in seventeenth place and posted a time of 23:48 in her first cross country meet in her high school career.
The fifth finisher and final scorer for East Ridge was junior Alanis Melgar who finished in 36th place and in a time of 25:14. Alanis ran the course at Whispering Pines two years ago when she was a freshman, and her time this season was more than a minute improvement from her freshman performance. The sixth finisher for the Knights was freshman J’Mariana Douglas. J’Mariana placed 45th and posted a time of 26:14 in her debut as an East Ridge Knight.
East Ridge High School took the honors this morning as they outperformed ten other complete teams! The Knights claimed their title at Whispering Pines by placing three of their runners in the top fifteen. Also, East Ridge was able to edge out their cross-town rival, Lake Minneola High School, who was runner up at Whispering Pines. The overall individual winner for the girls’ varsity race was Catalina Veldwijk from Lecanto High School. Catalina finished the race in a swift time of 21:13.
The Knights also had six runners participate in the girls’ junior varsity race this morning at Whispering Pines. Freshman Isabella Stuemke was the overall individual champion in the junior varsity race this morning! Isabella ran in a time of 26:33 in her debut as an East Ridge Knight. Sophomore Addison Dodd was the second Knight to cross the finish line in the junior varsity race. Addison placed eighth overall and in a time of 28:46. Sophomore Kayden Page was the third Knight to finish and she placed tenth overall in a time of 29:02. Following Kayden in were her teammates – sophomore Sarah Tingler and junior Brenna Oliveri. Sarah finished in eleventh place and in a time of 29:05. Brenna finished in twelfth place in a time of 29:09. Junior Alexandra Dimitros came in 32nd place and finished in a time of 36:56.
For full results for the girls’ varsity race at the Whispering Pines Invitational visit: https://www.arrowliveresults.com/WhisperingPinesInvitationalVarsityGirls6116.
For full results for the girls’ junior varsity race at the Whispering Pines Invitational visit: https://www.arrowliveresults.com/WhisperingPinesInvitationalJuniorVarsityGirls6118.
The girls’ cross country team will travel to Central Winds Park in Winter Springs on Saturday, September 4th to participate in the Winter Springs Invite.
