Training transition

SARASOTA — Training has become a way of life for Riverview High senior Jessica Lonas.

But that wasn’t always the case for the Lady Rams’ top cross-country runner.

There was a time when Lonas treated cross-country practice as just another workout. It was simply a way to stay in shape for soccer — the sport that consumed the vast majority of her time.

Two years after she started running, Lonas’ impressions of the two sports began to change. Running began to grow on Lonas, and, before long, she was ready to trade in her cleats and focus solely on her secondary sport.

“I like how cross-country makes you feel,” Lonas says. “You feel like you’ve accomplished so much after a hard workout or race, and I didn’t get that out of soccer.”

She quit soccer prior to the start of her junior year. Lonas, who initially only attended cross-country practice twice a week, started going to practice every day and also began adding strength and core workouts to her routine.

The regimen proved to be challenging at first, but by the time track season rolled around, Lonas had become accustomed to her new training approach.

“When we first got her, she started out quick,” coach Paul Opitz says. “I kept telling her the only thing keeping her from running fast were the little things in training.”

The Lady Rams co-captain reached her initial goal for the season of running a 19-minute, 30-second 5K Oct. 10 at the FSU Invitational, where she finished in 19:28. Now, Lonas is seeking to break the 19-minute mark in hopes of garnering the attention of college coaches. Lonas has a preferred walk-on spot at Florida State and also is looking at Southern Methodist University and Georgia Tech.

On Oct. 29, Lonas crossed the finish line in 19:30.50 to finish second at the Class 4A-District 8 meet while helping lead Riverview to a second-place overall finish.

“I’m really happy and proud of myself,” Lonas says. “I never thought of myself as a runner. Running was just something I did for fun, but now I’m getting really competitive in the sport.”

As the district runner-up, Lonas and the Lady Rams will compete in the Class 4A-Region 2 meet Nov. 8, at North Port High. Riverview, which began the season ranked 22nd in the state in Class 4A and is now ranked seventh, is hoping to advance to the state meet for the 18th consecutive season.

The top six teams and top 15 individuals will advance to the Class 4A Cross-Country State Championships Nov. 15, in Tallahassee. The Lady Rams have finished in the top 10 in the state each of the past 15 years.

“We’ve been doing really well,” Lonas says. “A lot of the (younger) girls have really stepped up.”

In addition to preparing for the regional and state meets, Lonas also is scheduled to compete in the Senior All-Star Meet Nov. 22, in Orlando, which will mark her final cross-country race in a Riverview uniform.

“It’s bittersweet to see it go away,” Lonas says of her senior season. “I’ve met a lot of good people. I still feel like I’m a freshman sometimes. It’s weird to think (high school) is almost over because I feel like I’m still that little kid.”

Rams win district title
The Riverview High boys cross-country team scored 43 points to win the Class 4A-District 8 meet Oct. 29, in Largo.

Senior Blake Riley claimed the individual district crown, crossing the finish line in 16 minutes, 26.19 seconds.

Junior Warran Grajalez was third in 16:59.12, followed by senior Matthew Berman (fourth, 17:10.90), sophomore Blake Bright (15th, 18:07.99) and Read Quarles (20th, 18:29.65)

As the district champion, Riverview will advance to the Class 4A-Region 2 meet Nov. 8, at North Port High.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].