All-Area Athletes & Teams
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1470169
Page 18 www.yoursun.com By VINNIE PORTELL SPORTS WRITER This local high school cross country season nearly had it all. There were comebacks, breakthroughs, debut seasons and championships. The Lemon Bay boys was the only area team to emerge as district champions, while several others — the Lemon Bay girls, Venice boys and girls, Charlotte boys and girls, North Port boys and Port Charlotte boys, all also advanced to regionals. From there, three teams — the Lemon Bay boys and both Tarpons teams — advanced to states, along with Tyler Wadsworth of the Pirates and Juliana Courville of the Lady Indians. Ray Chumbley, who coached the Pirates boys to regionals and Wadsworth to a district and regional title, is the Sun Preps boy's cross country coach of the year. Brenda Clark, who guided the Lady Indians to regionals and helped Courville advance to states for the first time, if the Sun Preps girl's cross country coach of the year. Here's how the All-Area team shaped up: BOYS FIRST TEAM TYLER WADSWORTH PORT CHARLOTTE. SENIOR The area's only district and regional champion, Wadsworth broke the 16-minute mark on multiple occasions, including his seventh-place finish of 15:56 at the 2A state championships. EVAN CRANE NORTH PORT, JUNIOR A top-10 finisher in several local meets this season, Crane kept that going into the post- season. He was his team's top runner at both the district and regional meets, placing 11th (16:32) and 10th (16:52), respectively. RUNE LEDOUX LEMON BAY, SENIOR The arrival of LeDoux turned the Mantas into a deep and formidable team this season. He ran a 16:40 to place second at districts, a 17:32 to place 18th at regionals and, finally, a 16:26 to finish 20th at states. SEAN PERRY LEMON BAY, JUNIOR One of the Mantas' top returners, Perry only got better as the season went on. He placed fourth at districts with a 16:57, ninth at regionals with a 16:56 and 29th at states with a 16:45. SIMON PETTIT CHARLOTTE, SENIOR Pettit helped power the Charlotte boys team on a run to the 3A state championships with a 17:23 time to finish 31st at regionals — best among the Tarpons — before ending the season in 87th at the state meet with a 17:26. BOYS SECOND TEAM JEREMY DUQUE, North Port, junior MATT FINCK, Lemon Bay, senior BRIAN WILLIAMS, Venice, senior KAUHNER MAULT, Port Charlotte, senior ALEX LINCOLNVELEZ, Charlotte, sophomore GIRLS FIRST TEAM JULIANA COURVILLE VENICE, SENIOR It was a breakthrough season for Courville, who placed fourth at districts and fifth at region- als with a pair of sub-20 times before finishing 46th at the 4A state meet. KATRINA MACHADO PORT CHARLOTTE, SOPHOMORE The top runner for the Lady Pirates, Machado finished sixth at districts with a 20:39 and nearly advanced to the 2A state meet as she placed 14th with a 20:55 at regionals. HANNA MARTIN CHARLOTTE, SOPHOMORE Martin helped the Lady Tarpons advance to the 3A state meet with strong postseason running. She finished 17th at districts with a 22:57 and 32nd at regionals with a 21:41. TYLER SABADIN VENICE, JUNIOR A consistent and reliable runner for the Lady Indians, Sabadin had a pair of top-50 finishes at both the district and regional meets — peaking with a 21:26 to finish 46th at districts. SANGIE LINCOLN-VELEZ CHARLOTTE, SENIOR Lincoln-Velez proved to be the go-to runner for the Tarpons in the postseason. She opened with a 23:31 to place 19th at districts, but only got better from there, posting a 21:10 for 24th at regionals and a 20:13 to come in 50th place at the 3A state meet. GIRLS SECOND TEAM AVA TAYLOR, Charlotte, freshman BRENDA SMITH, North Port, sophomore TORI SABADIN, Venice, freshman MAKAYLA RASSBACH, Venice, junior KERRI MATSON, Lemon Bay, junior SUN PREPS ALLAREA CROSS COUNTRY TEAM Breakthroughs and titles highlight this year SUN FILE PHOTOS BY PATRICK OBLEY From left, Amelie Olarte, Ava Taylor, Hanna Martin and Ambrea Hobbs break from the starting line at the 2021 North Port Invitational. The Tarpons nished ninth out of 17 teams in the large school division. Lemon Bay's Sean Perry keeps pace with Cambridge Christian's Christian Escribano during the boys' elite race at the 2021 North Port Invitational. Perry nished 43rd overall out of 215.