Broward boys cross country first team, second team, honorable mention, coach of the year

FIRST TEAM

Jeffrey Belizaire, Coral Springs sophomore: Second-year varsity runner made it to states with a big PR of 16:05.80 at the Class 4A regional meet at South County Regional Park; also runs track; said season highlight was making it to state where he placed 48th.

Alejandro de Bastos, Pembroke Pines Charter sophomore: Two-year varsity runner had a PR of 16:37.90 at regionals and helped the team qualify for the state meet; school’s freshman record holder in the 1,600-meter run; qualified for Junior Olympics in 1,500 and steeplechase, winning both races; also runs track.

Joshua Gammage, Dillard sophomore: Running varsity since the seventh grade; was runner-up at BCAA meet and clocked a personal-best 15:48.72 at the Spanish River Invitational where he finished second; overcame early season injuries to finish 27th at the Class 3A state meet; 12th at districts, fourth at regional.

Dashon Gill, Dillard junior: Clocked a 16:37.28 at Spanish River Invitational where he placed seventh; fifth at the BCAA championships; most proud of breaking 17 in cross country and 4:40 in 1,600-meters last year; made state meet for the first time and placed 33rd.

Shamar Henry, Flanagan junior: Two-time state qualifier and two-year varsity runner called the best thing that happened to him was running a 16:09.40 at the Class 4A regional meet; also runs track and said UCF is recruiting him; placed 27th at state meet.

Hunter Morgan, South Florida HEAT junior: Third-year varsity runner won districts, second in regional, and finished 20th at Class 1A state meet; ran a PR of 16:13.00 at the New World Fall Spectacular; won Spanish River Invitational; also, runs track.

Zack Zimmerman, Fort Lauderdale senior: Captain of the school’s cross country and track teams; was third at BCAA meet; won Class 4A districts and regionals with a PR of 16:00.50; placed 23rd at the state meet; BCAA 1,600-meter track champion and placed 14th at states in the 1,600-meters.

SECOND TEAM

Martin Ahlstrom, St. Thomas Aquinas senior

Jamari Benjamin, Flanagan senior

Majet Bethely, Boyd Anderson junior

Elijah John, Nova senior

Blake Lorenzo, Cypress Bay junior

Tanner Pritchard, Westminster Academy sophomore

Dante Thompson, Cypress Bay senior

HONORABLE MENTION

American Heritage: Richard Krissel; Boyd Anderson: Mackenley Bonamy; Calvary Christian Academy: Mason Morin; Coral Springs: Kensey Frederic; Cypress Bay: Adrian Gandara, Mattias Perez, Ethan Sawyer, Matiz Thompson, Daniel Umarov; Dillard: Gabriel Carty; Fort Lauderdale: Elijah Sherman; Highlands Christian: Benjamin Francis; North Broward Prep: Wills Gillis; Pembroke Pines Charter: Aiden Johnson, Diego Torres; Pine Crest: Chris Amster, Jack Gabrielle, Will Gabrielle, Jayden Lang; St. Thomas Aquinas: Christopher Adams, Rio Ravanzo; South Florida HEAT: Joseph Dorn, Bryce Missig, Dylan Webb; Stoneman Douglas: Cody Alhadeff; Taravella: Jasiah Clapp; West Broward: Ethan Lawrence, Steven Sawyer, Carson Tolbert; Western: Hector Cordero, Alexander Herrera; Westminster Academy: Tyler Pritchard.

CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR

Trish Butler, St. Thomas Aquinas: Guided the Raiders to a runner-up finish at the BCAA meet and a seventh-place finish at the Class 4A state meet; St. Thomas Aquinas also finished fourth in Park Vista, a runner-up finish at Spanish River, districts, and a fourth-place finish at regionals. “Racing most of the season without Martin Ahlstrom, last year’s runner of the year due to illness, this team pulled it together at the state championship with a seventh place finish…the boys fought through struggles all season but stayed on course, learning along the way and finished on a positive note.”

Joe Monks, Cypress Bay: Sixteen-year veteran coach helped the Lightning to the boys’ BCAA title, along with district and regional championships. Cypress Bay finished 16th at the Class 4A meet. “The lads this year were so focused, committed, and dedicated. They worked hard as a training group and excelled to greatness because of their team cohesiveness, loyalty, and true grit in keeping the average spread of less than 40 seconds between the first and fifth man.”