The 2016 Hagerty Invitational hosted by Hagerty High School will feature 25 teams and over 900 athletes from surrounding Central Florida under the direction of Hagerty Athletic Director, Jay Getty.

The meet will be held on the grounds of the Seminole State College campus in Oviedo. 

Coach Getty states, "With the course in great shape for racing, we look forward to once again providing a great spectator course that inspires competitors to some of their best times of the year. Add the competitive nature of our full 25 team field and the performances should provide a great meet. Now, if mother nature would just cooperate with some lower humidity and temperatures on Saturday, that would be fantastic."

List of Teams

Astronaut   Titusville, FL
Boone   Orlando, FL
Colonial   Orlando, FL
Cornerstone Charter   Orlando, FL
DeLand   DeLand, FL
East River   Orlando, FL
Faith Christian   Orlando, FL
First Academy   Orlando, FL
Freedom (Orlando)   Orlando, FL
Hagerty   Oviedo, FL
Holy Trinity Episcopal   Melbourne, FL
International Community School   Winter Park, FL
Lake Brantley   Altamonte Springs, FL
Lake Highland Prep   Orlando, FL
Lake Howell   Winter Park, FL
Lake Mary   Lake Mary, FL
Lake Nona   Orlando, FL
Lyman   Longwood, FL
Orange City University   Orange City, FL
Oviedo   Oviedo, FL
Sanford Seminole   Sanford, FL
Spruce Creek   Port Orange, FL
Trinity Prep   Winter Park, FL
Windemere Prep   Windermere, FL
Winter Park   Winter Park, FL
Winter Springs   Winter Springs, FL

A total of 4 races are scheduled to compete, 2 Varsity and 2 Junior Varsity,

Race Schedule:
6:30am Front Gate Opens
7:30am Coaches Meeting
8:00am Varsity Girls Race
8:35am Varsity Boys Race
9:10am Girls Junior Varsity Race
9:45am Boys Junior Varsity Race

Varsity Girls Individuals

For those hoping to see a fully loaded Winter Park Wildcat team led by Junior Rafaella Gibbons, you'll have to wait until Coach McWilliams unleashes her top squad at the FLRunners Invitational in a few weeks.  "Coach Mac" let us know the plan is to hold out her top 4 runners this week after split duty last week, as the Varsity travelled to Georgia for the Coach Benson Double Dip Invitational, and the Junior Varsity competed at the Florida Horse Park Invitational.

This sets up a very intriguing battle up front with runners we've seen over the last few weeks race very competitively. 

Holy Trinity's senior stand-out, Samantha Folio, has had a great season so far.  Her senior campaign is off to a rousing success. 

Wins at the Wickham Park Jamboree and the Deland Invitational showed she is in 19 flat shape early.  Her only loss so far this season just happens to be to the state leader, MCC's Amanda Beach at the Holy Trinity Invitational where she finished 2nd. 

An off week last week at Astronaut for ACTs should be just what the doctor ordered as she will face the likes of Lake Brantley's super frosh, Ashley Klingenberg, and Winter Springs super frosh, Elayna Bahr and several others in the field.

As we've seen, Folio is not weary of leading early. It would behoove the rest of the field to keep it close early on and hope the race develops in the latter stages. If that's the case, keep an eye on Klingenberg who is gaining valuable race experience to go along with her 2:14 800m speed.

Varsity Girls Teams

The Winter Park Girls are deep.  Even without their top 4, they will be a formidable force to overcome with their pack running.  We see Winter Park winning the meet followed by Coach Gallon's Spruce Creek girls who were slightly better than Lake Brantley's girls last week at the Astronaut Invitational, 112-127.

Varsity Boys Individual  

It's a long season and the smart coaches know it's not what happens early in the season that really matters. 

Take for example Trinity Prep's Trent Mandato who has raced sparingly so far this season but has to be considered one of the top boy harriers in the State.  So far, his season efforts have been sparingly planned with a just single outing, which he won, at the Ted Benz Invitational.  It also helps to have a great supporting cast and familiar jerseys that find themselves in that lead pack with you.  At Ted Benz, the Trinity Prep boys went 1-2-3 as fellow Saints Patrick Salas and Kayamo Galloway both showed why Coach Vinal's Trinity Prep boys are one of the top teams in the State.

Last week at the Astronaut Invitational, Lyman's Bryce Bell paid the price for going out hard in the stifling high grass and uneven footing at the revamped Chain of Lakes course that Coach Canfield favors for his home Invitationals. Expect him to bounce back and be in that lead pack along with Mandato, Galloway, Salas, and Winter Springs Matt Doyle.

Winter Springs Matt Doyle season so far has been been one of consistency.

He maybe one to watch and see if he is able to have that break-out race and solidify Winter Springs as a weekly contender for top honors.

We see the eventual order as follows: Mandato, Bell, Galloway, Salas and Doyle.

Speaking of Doyle, we've been waiting to see if Freedom's Timothy "Flash" Doyle can start to move up into contention in some of these early season races.  After an outstanding track season where he was the 4A State 1600m Champion, we expect him at some point to show that fitness and fortitude on the course.  It wouldn't surpise us at all to see him in the front pack as well.

Varsity Boys Teams

There's no doubt about the team champions going in.  The defending 2A State XC Champions from Trinity Prep are deep and loaded once again.  The race is really for 2nd and it will be interesting to see if Oviedo can close the gap on Winter Springs. 

Last week at the Florida Horse Park Invitational, Winter Springs showed their season progression was firing on all cylinders with the cooler temperatures in Ocala on the 5026m course.

Last week Oviedo ran at Astronaut in just the opposite type of conditions but they lack a true low stick up front.  They will have to depend on their low 36 second 1-5 spread and hope the formation is able to stay together, making the race for runner-up honors and Coach Brown's Lions ever so much tighter.