Dillard’s Gill, South Florida HEAT’s Bemis are Broward Cross Country Coaches of the Year

After coming oh so close over the past few years, Davidson Gill’s girls’ cross country team at Dillard finally broke through to win its first-ever team state title. Bob Bemis’ boys team at South Florida HEAT, meanwhile, had a breakthrough season of its own.

It’s why Gill and Bemis are the Miami Herald’s Broward Cross Country Coaches of the Year.

Gill’s girls team won the Class 3A state title after coming up just short the past few years. The Panthers finished as state runner-up in 2022, fifth 2021 and third in 2019. The Panthers did not compete in the state series in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There was no denying them this year, though. Not with the way their season had gone.

Senior Christiana Coleman won her first individual state title to lead the group, and each of Dillard’s top four runners — seventh graders Shynah Collins and Miley Gill as well as senior Raquel Edwards in addition to Coleman — finished in the top 11 of the Class 3A field. Sophomore Abigail Richards finished 34th to round out the Panthers’ point scorers.

Meanwhile, Bemis’ boys team at South Florida HEAT finished third in Class 1A, the best finish in program history. It’s the latest major step forward for South Florida HEAT, which finished 24th in 2021 and 14th in 2022 before reaching the podium as a team this year.

Sophomores Joseph Dorn and Augusto Caceras led South Florida HEAT at state finishing 19th and 20th, respectively. Seniors Chipper Edwards and Hunter Morgan weren’t far behind in 28th and 30th place. Senior Dylan Webb rounded out South Florida HEAT’s point scorers with a 56th-place finish.