Last year marked the graduation of Patrick Koon from Leon High School, a runner who has left an indelible mark on Florida’s high school cross-country and track history. Widely regarded as the best high school runner in the state’s history, Koon was a three-time individual state champion in cross-country. His personal best of 14:43 for the 5k in cross-country and 13:59 for indoor track (ranking 4th all-time nationally) set an unprecedented standard. He also set a Florida all-time best of 8:34.82 for 2 miles, a mark that ranks 6th all-time nationally. With Koon’s departure, the door has opened for a new generation of elite runners to rise, bringing some of the strongest emerging talent in the nation.

Top 10 Rankings:

  1. Marcelo Mantecon (Belen Jesuit) – Undefeated so far this season, Mantecon has posted a 15:01 at Cecil Field and a 15:06 at the Florida Horse Park Invitational. A runner-up at the state meet last year and a national freshman record holder for 3200m, Marcelo looks poised to dominate this season.

  2. Andrew Beroset (Gulf Breeze) – The sophomore standout was 4th at the state meet last year, with a PR of 15:25. This season, he has already finished 3rd at Cecil Field (15:32) and won the Gulf Coast Stampede (15:41), showing strong progression.

  3. Joseph Socarras (Belen Jesuit) – With a 3rd place finish at the Florida Horse Park Invitational in 15:27, Socarras is a state champion in the 1600m with a PR of 4:04.53. His 800m speed (1:51.32) makes him dangerous in any close race.

  4. Craig Allard (Ft. Myers) – Undefeated this season with wins at the Dunbar Tiger Jamboree (16:11) and the DDD Sommer Invitational (16:46), Allard placed 11th at the state meet last year with a time of 15:55.

  5. Justin Ruiz (Belen Jesuit) – Ruiz has consistently run 15:42 this season, placing 7th at Cecil Field and 5th at Florida Horse Park. Last season, he was 6th at the state meet, and he boasts a 9:05 PR for 3200m.

  6. Diego Magarino (Belen Jesuit) – With a season-best of 15:37 at Cecil Field and 15:45 at Florida Horse Park, Magarino has demonstrated his ability to compete with the best.

  7. Joshua Gammage (Dillard) – Gammage has yet to open his season, but last year he placed 12th at the state meet with a time of 15:56. On the track, his 1:54 for 800m and 4:15 for 1600m show his versatility.

  8. Armando Cruz (Belen Jesuit) – Cruz has run 15:47 at Cecil Field and 15:48 at the Florida Horse Park Invitational, consistently performing at a high level for Belen Jesuit.

  9. Marco Prieguez (Belen Jesuit) – Prieguez opened the season strong with a 15:36 at Cecil Field but had a slower outing at Florida Horse Park (16:12). His ability to bounce back will be key moving forward.

  10. Skylar Manatt (Cypress Creek) – Manatt was 15th at the state meet last year with a time of 16:04. He opened this season with a 16:24 at the Florida Horse Park Invitational, and he’ll look to improve as the season progresses.