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BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

Photo by JOE DiCRISTOFALO

NCT's first-year Head Coach Trevor Barlow watched his thinclads place eighth in the Large School Division in Saturday's Pre-State race in Dade City.

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By C.J. RISAK

Hernando Today correspondent

Published: October 18, 2009

DADE CITY - How quickly things can change.
And not just the weather, although there was a welcome alteration of it at the Pre-State Boys Cross Country Meet Saturday at Little Everglades Ranch.
Instead of the recent 90-plus degree, high-humidity stuff that had plagued runners throughout the season, it was cool and in the low 60s.
It would have been perfect to implement the plan Nature Coast Technical Head Coach Trevor Barlow had mapped out, except for one minor detail: The injuries and illnesses that had hurt the team early this season had returned.
"After last week, what I had expected was four (runners) in the 17 (minute range)" Barlow said prior to the race. "We had planned on easing up a bit this week, but with all the illness and injuries we trained right through.
"I don't think we'll have any PRs (personal records) this week."
That was before the race. Barlow's thoughts were quite different after it.
With star Bruce Federico turning in his best run of the year, the Sharks placed eighth in the Large School Division with 238 points. Buchholz was first with 115, followed by Naples with 136 and Sarasota with 178.
Federico had been fighting a bronchial illness from the season's start, and according to Barlow he's just starting to get into form. He showed it here, placing 14th overall in 17:01.85. Chase Sutton of Seminole won the race in 16:15.82.
It was Federico's best time of the season – so far, as Barlow quickly pointed out.
"I was very impressed," he said. "Bruce will be around 16:30 next week."
Federico was also happy with his performance, too. "It was the first time (this season) I've had a week of being healthy," he said. "I'd give it about an A-minus."
The weather helped, he added. "You'd better believe it," Federico said, "except in the back stretch, where there was a heavy-duty head wind."
It will take more than a head wind to slow him down the rest of this season. "It's my senior year," he noted. "I want to be sub-16 (minutes) in about a month from now."
At that same course, he hopes, where the state championship meet will be held.
"Bruce is a very focused individual," Barlow said. "He needs very little coaching. He knows what he needs to do."
Federico's performance was just one of several strong showings by the Sharks. Four runners – Tyler Moore, Jason Black, Cody Van Natter and Tyler Harrison – posted PRs, something Barlow never expected after a week in which illness swept through the team. Among those sidelined was David Cross, who was their fifth scorer at last week's Gator Invitational.
Harrison placed 35th in 17:22.52, with Cody Van Natter 45th (17:38.37), Jeff Van Natter 64th (17:51.22) and Tyler Moore 80th (18:08.88).
"For Bruce, it was his best this year, but to me it's all about the team," Barlow said. "I expected Bruce to do well, the rest I wasn't so sure about.
"Everything we were planning to do came together."
It was a positive performance on a tough course, the type of showing Barlow believes his team can continue to build upon.
Up next for Nature Coast – as well as Central, Hernando and Springstead – is the Crystal River Invitational next Saturday.

Boys Team Results: 1. Buchholz, 115; 2. Naples, 136; 3. Sarasota, 178; 4. Newsome, 188; 5. Hagerty, 210; 6. Flagler Palm Coast, 211; 7. Fort Myers, 216; 8. Nature Coast, 238; 9. Miami Sunset, 247; 10. Sickles, 264; 11. Baker, 274; 12. Manatee, 275; 13. Seminole, 290; 14. Columbia, 338; 15. St. Cloud, 375; 16. Barron Collier, 415; 17. Harmony, 419; 18. North Port, 464; 19. Northeast, 486; 20. Lake Region, 491; 21. North Fort Myers, 499; 22. St. Petersburg, 555; 23. Lakewood Ranch, 605; 24. King, 621; 25. Lakeland, 764.
Top 10 individuals: 1. Chase Sutton (Se), 16:15.82; 2. Brandon Scott (C), 16:22.78; 3. Andrew Mendoza (Sa), 16:24.96; 4. Ryan Stafford (FM), 16:29.78; 5. Julian Gines (Si), 16:36.36; 6. Peter Licari (H), 16:42.84; 7. Gary Salomon (LR), 16:49.09; 8. Sean Mendes (H), 16:52.57; 9. Jason Lust (FPB), 16:53.79; 10. Jacob Hudak (Se), 16:54.40.
NATURE COAST TECHNICAL (238) - 14. Bruce Federico, 17:01.85; 35. Tyler Harrison, 17:22.52; 45. Cody Van Natter, 17:38.37; 64. Jeff Van Natter, 17:51.22; 80. Tyler Moore, 18:08.88; 95. Jason Black, 18:25.34; 149. Stephen Murphy, 19:54.02. 

Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at 352-544-5278 or online at acastro@hernandotoday.com.

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