November 1 2026
On to the post-season!
This morning I watched the NYC marathon, tracking an elite runner by the name of Amanda Vestri. Amanda mostly trains in Colorado but spends winters in St. Augustine. I had the pleasure of meeting her through a local running club I belong to. She ran much of the race in the lead pack and finished 16th in the elite field, a solid performance.
Anyone who has ever watched a major marathon on TV knows that you hear and learn a lot about not just your favorite, but other runners as well. One specific runner who got a fair amount of attention was fellow American Jessica McClain. Jessica had an exciting finish as she wasn’t even in the picture near the end as is became a two-woman race. Jessica’s kick brought her back into the frame to steal 3rd place by one second! It was an exciting finish, but not the reason I’m sharing her story.
What’s truly amazing about her story is that she walked away from professional running in 2020, as she felt it had become "all about making the podiums and teams at all costs." She was a high school and college star with a professional contract. She left all that behind when it was no longer fun for her, got a full-time job and began running again, but on her own terms.
She explained that her “personal mission with running is just to keep it fun—to control what I can control and enjoy getting to the starting line. And I'm having a total blast.”
As we move into the post-season, let’s remind our athletes to keep all the fun and love of running in mind – the very qualities that got them to the post-season in the first place.
It's great to chase goals, compete for championships, and pursue lofty goals, but none of that should come at the expense of enjoying the journey.
The best performers learn how to care deeply, but to hold it loose enough to keep the joy. To make it where it doesn't feel like do or die, but instead that they are free to explore their pursuit - Steve Magness.
JV Championship Race Reports
Varsity and JV A Girls Recap Coach Browning
Bishop Kenny and the rest of our competition never had much of a chance, with a stacked PVHS field winning the meet with 48 points to BK’s 65. Sophomore Mary Chase Fender led the Sharks with a 3rd place overall finish. Seniors Layann Issa and Harlee Howton made the most of their final high school races finishing in 8th and 14th. Freshman Lucy Lommel and junior Sasha Chandlee rounded out the team scoring in 13th and 15th places respectively. Junior Giana Dreckman was next for team, finishing 19th overall to earn a spot with the others at the awards presentation.
Following this group was up and coming freshman Vera Velcio and juniors Ava Rihlman, Reese Monteiro and Ann Graves came. Also racing today were seniors Siobhan Barket, Catherine Hoag and Nora Rubocki
JVB Girls Race Recap by Coach Bella
Yesterday, our PVXC JVB girls competed in their second-to-last meet of the season at Bishop Kenny High School. The team delivered an impressive performance, demonstrating the dedication and consistency they have shown throughout their training since the summer.
Weather conditions presented an added challenge. While the boys benefited from slightly cooler weather during their race, the girls competed in hot and humid conditions as the sun started to rise. Despite these obstacles, our JVB girls remained focused, resilient, and determined, refusing to let the weather affect their performance.
Their hard work paid off as the team earned an outstanding first-place finish, showing the effort and commitment they have invested throughout the season. The race showed not only their fitness and preparation but also their perseverance and competitive spirit.
With this meet, the JVB girls' season officially comes to a close. We are incredibly proud of each athlete and all they have accomplished this year. Their growth, dedication, and teamwork have made this a successful season, and we look forward to watching them continue to develop in the years ahead.
As we transition into the offseason, athletes are encouraged to take 2-3 weeks away from running to allow their bodies and legs to recover before beginning preparations for the spring track season. Thank you Sharks and Shark Families for a great season!
Personal Records Achieved
Lainie Cadieu-George: 26:10 → 25:42 (28-second PR)
Saylor Kenning: 25:12 → 24:24 (48-second PR)
#FINSUP
JV Boys Race Recap by Coach Lydia
Yesterday on a spooky Halloween morning, our PVXC Sharks raced their final meet of the 2026 season. We had a total of 33 boys compete, and I can say this last meet definitely brings a bittersweet feeling. The event featured two races for JV boys and JV girls.
And it wouldn’t be true PVHS fashion if we didn’t dodge a classic morning transportation hiccup! With a slightly delayed departure, our athletes didn't let a missing bus shake their focus for a second.
Already very familiar with this course—having run it earlier in the season at the Katie Caples Invitational—our athletes were able to tackle it in a whole new way, benefiting from six weeks of hard training and trading the afternoon heat wave for crisp morning racing. There was strong competition across the board since it’s the end of the season and every team brought their best. The Sharks finished with a 3rd-place team finish, utilizing our 6th runner to break a tie with BK! It is a perfect reminder that even if you aren't in the top 5 scoring spots, every single jersey you pass matters! They finished with a scored average of 18:09 and a spread of 1:18.
SR Nate Marciani led the Sharks, capping off his final race as a Shark with a 7th-place finish and a PR of 17:27. Thank you, Nate, for being a stand-up captain and leader for Ponte Vedra. FR Ben Kimber finished in 9th place with a strong performance of 17:33, fighting hard against a pack of Nease and Bolles runners and just 2 seconds shy of a PR. SR Koi Norris capped off his impressive four years of cross-country with a 24th-place finish in 18:26. SO Cooper Murray faced a flat tire dilemma yet continued to show incredible commitment to the team, taking our 4th scoring spot with a time of 18:36 after stopping to put his shoe back on! We gave JR Jasper Graham a warm welcome back to the starting line after a femur fracture halted his 2026 season before it even began, finishing fiercely at 18:45. The deciding runner for our 3rd-place team finish came down to our 6th runner, FR James Makey, who crossed the line in 18:47. JR Kiesel Wildrick ran a massive 92-second PR to break the 20-minute barrier for the first time, clocking in at 19:57. FR Jack Janus finished in 20:19, closely followed by JR Mohammad Issa and SO Jack Scott, who came back-to-back at 20:44 and 20:45.
It's amazing to see how much everyone has progressed since we first ran this course at the Katie Caples Invitational. JR Carter Beshany demonstrated that attention to detail in workouts pays off, dropping a little over a minute from September. FR James Makey ran almost 2 minutes faster after making the jump up to the JV-A training schedule. SR Liam Menne ran over a minute faster, all while nursing some tendinitis in his knee. FR Connor Straub showed exponential growth in his first season, running 4 minutes faster than he did in October. JR Kevin Watson dropped 2 minutes from September to cap off his race on Saturday.
I just want to say it has been a truly great season coaching all of these athletes. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working one-on-one with you all and seeing how much you've grown—not just since we started summer training in June, but throughout the past three years. I’ll save the rest of my breath because we have a long banquet coming up on December 1st to celebrate all of our accomplishments this season!
Additional PRs:
SR Nate Mariciani – 17:31 --> 17:27 (4 seconds)
JR Kiesel Wildrick – 20:43 --> 19:57 (92 seconds!)
SAVE THE DATE!
END OF YEAR BANQUET - TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1ST, 6-8 PM
PONTE VEDRA HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
