By Coach Grant Mollett, East Ridge High School
October 11, 2025 – Jacksonville
Seeking an opportunity to race against some Class 4A state rivals, the East Ridge Knights traveled to Jacksonville to compete in the Fall Spectacular held at New World Sports Complex. East Ridge is no stranger to New World, as they have now competed at this venue five times in the last three seasons. New World presented a flat and fast course while October in northern Florida presented crisp fall temperatures. Couple those things with state level competition and you get some fantastic performances. At New World, results for the Knights produced one current season second best performance, two current season best performances, and six career personal best performances!348 total girls and forty complete teams competed Saturday morning in the New World Fall Spectacular. The elite girls race went off at 7:30 AM. The large field of teams and individuals, doubled up inside of the starting boxes, darted across a long straightaway before the course bent like a horseshoe. The runners then made a near second full loop on the former golf course, now turned, disc golf course at New World, before rushing a 250 meter, slightly descending straightaway to the finish line. Conditions were a runner’s delight, as the temperature sat at approximately 62 degrees at race time.
Senior Rhyen Foley leads the Knights’ Charge at New World; photo by team parent
The first Knight to come across the finish line was senior Rhyen Foley. Foley, who is continuing to work hard to regain her leg strength and her conditioning, led her team with a 19:06 performance! This was a near 45 second improvement from her performance at the Cecil Field Summer Classic in August at New World! This was Foley’s second fastest performance of the current season and is now the seventh fastest result clocked at New World by a Knight. She will continue to prepare herself over the next few weeks in an effort to have her best performances late in the season.
Junior Jessie Volz sets a new career personal best at New World; photo by team parent
The second Knight through the chute was junior Jessie Volz. Volz, last season’s recipient of the team’s most improved award, decided that she was due for even more improvement this season. New World presented itself to be her opportunity, as she rounded the first loop of the course in close proximity to Foley. Volz trusted her training and conditioning, and pushed herself to race at a faster pace than she had been used to previously. She retained her pace, as she completed the second loop, and charged the long straightaway to the finish line. Volz finished in an impressive 19:28! This was a near two minute improvement from her performance at New World last season! Volz is now just the sixth girl to break the elusive 20:00 5K finish! Her performance on Saturday has made her the fourth fastest girl in the school’s twenty-four year history!
Senior Veronica Peterson at New World in Jacksonville; photo by team parent
The third Knight to finish was senior Veronica Peterson. Peterson, also one of East Ridge’s most decorated runners in the school’s history, pushed to a season best performance at New World. She finished in a time of 19:43, which was a near forty second improvement from her performance at the Cecil Field Summer Classic in August earlier this season.
Freshman Hortance Sallault sets a new career personal best at New World! photo by team parent
Up next was East Ridge’s talented pack of runners who have been the bane for many opponents’ this season. Leading the pack was freshman Hortance Sallault, who pushed herself to a new career personal best performance when she clocked a 20:01 finish time at New World! Sallault’s performance on Saturday was more than a minute improvement from her performance at Cecil Field earlier in the season! Her performance also made her the eighth fastest girl in the school’s history!
Junior Taylor Walker sets a new career personal best at New World!; photo by team parent
Rushing the finish line in close proximity to Sallault was junior Taylor Walker. Walker rounded out the Knights’ scoring positions by clocking an impressive 20:05 finish time! This was Walker’s new career personal best performance and she improved on her time at New World last season by nearly thirty seconds!
Senior Adriana Mustin and sophomore Helen Robertson, two other talented runners in the Knights’ chase pack, rushed the finish line nearly in tandem! Both finished in 20:29, as the official results did not account for the tenths and hundredths of a second differential. For Mustin, her result was a new season best performance and a near twenty second improvement from her finish time at Cecil Field earlier in the season!
Sophomore Helen Robertson sets a new career personal best at New World!; photo by team parent
For Robertson, her result was a new career personal best performance, as she improved by more than a minute and a half from her finish time at Cecil earlier in the season! Robertson is now the thirteenth fastest runner in the school’s history!
Career personal best performances were to be had by both junior Lexi Whitehead and freshman Jamie Volz, as they were the final two finishers for the Knights at New World. Whitehead finished in a swift time of 20:51 – a new career personal best performance by 25 seconds! This was also an improvement by more than a minute from Whitehead’s performance at New World last season! Whitehead is now the eighteenth fastest girl in the school’s history!
Freshman Jamie Volz sets a new career personal best at New World!; photo by team parent
Volz, who has now had six career personal best performances over her last six races, finished in an impressive time of 21:26! That is a near five minute improvement from her performance at Cecil Field earlier this season! Volz is now the 26th fastest girl in East Ridge’s history!The Knights took tenth place in the elite division and defeated several other Class 4A teams in the process! Some of the 4A teams that East Ridge was able to defeat included Buchholz, Lake Minneola, Sarasota, St. Thomas Aquinas, Doral Academy, Boca Raton, Wiregrass Ranch, Flagler Palm Coast, Nease, Fletcher, and Bartram Trail. In fact, only Creekside and Spanish River were the 4A teams who finished ahead of East Ridge. IMG Academy was the team champion in the elite division, as they placed their five scorers in the first nineteen finishing positions. Freshman Annabella Tomasic from Bishop Moore was the individual champion. Tomasic finished in a swift time of 17:25.For full results from the New World Fall Spectacular visit: https://fl.milesplit.com/meets/665235-new-world-fall-spectacular-2025/results/1227785/formatted/.
East Ridge will compete in the Hawks Last Chance Open on Saturday October 18th at Lake Minneola High School. The first race is the girls varsity race at 7:30 am.
