By Coach Grant Mollett, East Ridge High School
Photos contributed by Jeff Warren, Quiana Peterson, and Marcus Mustin
Deland, Florida
The East Ridge High School girls cross country team competed in their second regular season meet today – the Deland Invitational at Sperling Sports Complex in Deland, Florida. It was another overcast Central Florida morning, and the temperature hovered around the mid-70s. This was the third time that the Knights had competed at Sperling Sports Complex. The last time East Ridge competed at Sperling was the 2021 4A District 2 Championships. That day, the Knights fell short of qualifying for the regional meet by one team position. This time around, the Knights had something to prove to themselves and to some of the District 2 teams that participated in today’s meet.Girls from 21 different schools throughout Central Florida participated in this morning’s meet. The siren sounded at 7:30 AM, and the girls took off across a soccer field, then through a gate, and out along the perimeter of Sperling. The course progressed with one large loop around the perimeter, then one small loop around the softball and baseball fields, and then one last large loop around the perimeter, culminating to a one-hundred meter straightaway to the finish chute. 
East Ridge’s first runner to cross the finish line was sophomore Veronica Peterson! Veronica took fourth place out of a field of 167 female runners at Sperling! Additionally, she set a new school record with her performance this morning! Veronica broke a seventeen year old school record last November with her time of 19:33 at the 4A Region 1 Championships in Gainesville last season. This morning, she shattered her own record, by finishing in 19:25!
Sophomore Rhyen Foley came through the finish chute second for the Knights! Rhyen took fifth place overall and finished in a swift time of 20:07 – her third fastest time in her high school career! Her result is now the second-fastest time set by an East Ridge runner at Sperling!
East Ridge’s third finisher was junior Hanna Warren. Hanna took eighth place overall and finished in a time of 20:36! Hanna was a freshman the last time the Knights competed at Sperling, and her time today was a near thirty-second improvement from her performance in 2021! Hanna’s performance is now the third fastest time by a Knight at Sperling.
The fourth Knight to finish was freshman Taylor Walker. Taylor finished in fifteenth place and posted a time of 21:33! Taylor has improved her time in each of the three meets she has competed in this season. Her new personal best also placed her as holding the sixth fastest time of any Knight at Sperling! The fifth finisher and final scorer for East Ridge was sophomore Adriana Mustin who finished in 29th place and in a time of 22:16. Adriana’s performance now sits as the eighth fastest time that a Knight has run at Sperling! The sixth finisher for the Knights was junior Neely Lugo. Neely placed 36th overall and posted a time of 22:48 – a new season best by a minute! The seventh finisher for the Knights was senior Lina Maldonado. Lina placed 50th overall and finished in a time of 23:37. Lina’s performance this morning was not only her new season best time, but it also was a fifty second
Junior Madi McCormack placed 64th overall and finished in 24:13. Junior J’Mariana Douglas placed 102nd overall and finished in a time of 27:53. Senior Sarah Tingler placed 110th overall and finished in a time of 28:17 – a new season personal best performance! Freshman Lexi Whitehead placed 114th overall in a time of 28:26 – a new season and career personal best! Senior Karlie Saintlot placed 128th overall and finished in a time of 29:32 – a new season personal best performance! Sophomore Alyssa Schacht placed 139th overall and finished in a time of 30:22 in her debut as a Knight. Sophomore Shane George placed 144th overall and finished in a time of 30:51. Junior Bianca Brauti-Heidemann placed 147th overall and finished in a time of 31:28. Junior Isabella Stuemke placed 166th overall and finished in a time of 36:51.East Ridge High School was the team runner up at Sperling this morning! The Knights were able to place their five scoring runners in the top thirty positions! East Ridge was able to defeat five of its rivals from Class 4A District 2 at Sperling – Spruce Creek, Hagerty, West Orange, Seminole (Sanford), and University (Orange City). The Knights were edged out by The Master’s Academy out of Oviedo, who took first place by placing their top five scoring runners in the top twenty positions. The Master’s Academy placed fifteenth at the Class 1A State Championships last season. The overall individual winner for the girls varsity race was junior Mackenzie Roy from Spruce Creek High School. Mackenzie finished the race in a swift time of 18:36.
For full results for the girls varsity race at the Deland Invitational visit: http://results.tfmeetpro.com/Elite_Timing_and_Event_Management/Deland_Invitational_2022/.
The girls cross country team will compete at the Hawks on the Hill Invitational at Lake Minneola High School on Saturday September 9th.
