The 2022 FSU Invitational middle school girl’s race saw the Run Florida Run #2 and #3 ranked athletes Cheyenne Thomas and Lainee Mercer go head to head at ARP. Mercer is the last athlete to beat Thomas this year, with her win at the Florida Horse Park Invitational. Thomas has been on a winning streak ever since having won 4 in a row, with records set along the way.
When the gun went off, however, there was no question about who would be taking the top spot on the podium. Thomas had nearly a 15-meter lead in the first 200 meters of the race, and it just kept growing. Thomas hit the first split 18 seconds faster than Scarlett Griffin our eventual 2nd place runner and Mercer. Thomas ended up winning the race in a new meet record of 10:28, breaking her own meet record of 11:04 set in 2021. Griffin of Emerald Coast took the runner-up spot in 10:57, while Mercer finished 3rd in 11:05.
Red Sea Running ended up putting 4 girls in the top 11 and won the meet with a low 45 points. Ruckel Middle School finished second with 102 points, and Red Hills Running Club finished 3rd with 118. Red Sea (Tavares Middle School) are the defending public school state team champions and will be looking to defend their title at the end of October.
Do You know where your athlete is running?
With the recent events in the news about runners being harassed and even abducted, it is important that families have a piece of mind when their athlete is out on the road. Garmin has created a watch that will allow you to track your runner, without the need for them to carry a cell phone. The Garmin Fenix 945 LTE is one of our favorite products, and we consider it a must-have for runners everywhere.
