Meet Preview

The FLYRA Nature Coast Regional Qualifier and Elementary School Showcase is shaping up to be one of the strongest youth track meets of the spring. With state champions, nationally-ranked runners, and deep team battles across nearly every event, it promises to be an exciting day of racing for both middle school and elementary athletes.

Middle School Highlights

Girls Distance Events

The girls’ distance races are headlined by Mary Summers (7 Rivers Christian School), the defending FHSAA 1A State Cross Country Champion.
Summers captured the 2024 FHSAA 1A state title at Apalachee Regional Park last November with a blazing 17:58 5K — one of the fastest cross-country performances ever by a Florida middle school athlete.

Returning to middle school track this spring, Summers holds the top seeds across the 800m (2:16.75), 1500m (4:55.74), and 3000m (9:55.20).

  • Her 3000m seed time is elite for middle school competition and positions her as a heavy favorite heading into the postseason.

  • Her dominance across multiple distances is rare at the middle school level and makes her the clear athlete to watch on the girls’ side.

Chasing her will be a strong pack of contenders:

  • Laken Hartley (Red Sea Running Club) is seeded second in both the 1500m (5:00.84) and 3000m (11:05.72), and is also highly ranked in the 400m.

  • Lindsey Mishler and Jimena Nava-Garcia (both from Red Sea Running Club) bring solid credentials, with Mishler running 5:02.72 for the 1500m and Nava-Garcia seeded at 5:09.39.

  • Ana-Cecilia Maia Menard (Hillsborough Harriers) and Addison Joffre (Hillsborough Harriers) provide additional depth, especially in the longer events.

Storyline to watch: Summers appears almost untouchable at the top, but the battle between Hartley, Mishler, Nava-Garcia, Menard, and Joffre for the podium spots should be intense and could set up thrilling finishes, especially in the 1500m and 3000m.

Boys Distance Events

The boys’ distance races feature powerhouse teams and big-time performances:

  • Omar Castillo and Nicholas Alvarez of Red Sea Running Club (Tavares Middle School) come in as the top two seeds in the 1500m with times of 4:22.73 and 4:23.80, respectively.

  • Reed Hagen (WIND Runners) leads the 3000m field with a seed time of 9:35.70, one of the fastest in the state for middle school boys this year.

  • Trevor Berquist (Ocala Distance Project), a top-5 finisher at last year’s FLYRA Middle School XC State Championship, is seeded 4th in the 1500m and looks poised to make noise.

The boys’ 3000m will be especially exciting, with seven athletes entering under the 10-minute mark — signaling a fast, aggressive race.

Storyline to watch: Will anyone be able to challenge Red Sea Running Club’s depth, especially with multiple runners seeded at or near the top across all distances?

Middle School Sprints and Hurdles

Caleb Moore (Ocala Distance Project) is the top sprint star heading into the meet:

  • He leads the entries in the 100m (11.55), 200m (23.55), and 400m (52.79).

  • Moore’s 400m time currently ranks among the fastest for middle schoolers nationally, and he won his recent 200m from the slow heat — suggesting there’s even more speed to come.

Other names to watch:

  • Brayden Bonomo (Ocala Distance Project) — seeded second in the 200m (23.74) and third in the 100m (11.74). Bonomo gives ODP a powerful 1-2 sprint punch alongside Moore and could push for wins if either event tightens up.

  • Zorean Davis (South Sumter Middle School) — seeded second in the 100m (11.59) and a top contender in the 200m as well.

  • Branden Lewis (South Sumter Middle School) — leads the boys’ 100m hurdles with a 16.42.

On the girls’ side:

  • Callie Gates (Circle Christian School) tops the 400m entries (1:03.74).

  • Minaj Cooper (South Sumter MS) and Jayla Colbert (Wildwood MS/HS) headline the 200m and 100m sprint fields.

  • Taylor Bridges (Middleton MS) leads the girls’ hurdles with a 17.89.

Storyline to watch:

  • Caleb Moore seeks a sprint sweep, but teammates like Brayden Bonomo could turn the 100m and 200m races into must-watch battles.

  • South Sumter’s sprinters add extra depth and will push the pace across all sprint finals.

Middle School Relays

Team strength will shine in the relays:

  • South Sumter Middle School tops the seeds in both the boys’ 4x100m (46.53) and girls’ 4x100m (54.23).

  • Wesley Chapel New Tampa Mustangs lead the boys’ 4x800m with a seed time of 9:40.00h.

  • Ocala Distance Project enters the girls’ 4x800m as top seed with a time of 10:50.

Expect these relays to be close and competitive — particularly the 4x400m finals later in the day.

Elementary School Highlights

Distance and Sprint Stars

Several future stars will be showcased in the elementary divisions:

  • Aliana Alvarez (Red Sea Running Club) leads the elementary girls’ 1500m (5:18.71) and 800m (2:42.57) and is also a top seed in the 400m.

  • Brendan Summers and Ace Hallinan (Hillsborough Harriers) look like the top contenders for the elementary boys’ distance events, with Summers seeded at 5:00.00h for 1500m.

On the sprints side:

  • Priya Lewis (St. Patrick’s Interparish School) looks dominant in the girls’ 100m (14.26) and 200m (30.16).

  • Alan Allen is a sprint and long jump standout for the boys, leading the 100m (14.56) and 400m (1:15.88).

Storyline to watch: Red Sea Running Club and St. Patrick’s Interparish School will clash in multiple elementary sprint and distance races — setting the stage for the next wave of middle school stars.

Elementary Relays

Elementary relay races feature strong entries:

  • Red Sea Running Club fields teams in both the boys’ and girls’ 4x100m and 4x400m.

  • St. Patrick’s Interparish School leads the girls’ 4x100m relay at 1:01.00h.

Final Thoughts

With nationally recognized names like Mary Summers, rising sprint stars like Caleb Moore and Brayden Bonomo, powerhouse distance teams like Red Sea Running Club, and deep talent across the board, the FLYRA Nature Coast Regional will set the stage for explosive performances leading into the FLYRA Middle School State Championships.

Good luck to all athletes — and get ready for some fast times and thrilling finishes!