Belen Jesuit adds to state cross-country championship dynasty, nationals next
Being a part of the Belen Jesuit cross-country team often means being part of a legacy both within the program and your own family.
And runners like sophomore Marcelo Mantecon never want to let family down.
Mantecon and the Wolverines maintained the school’s high standard in excellent fashion on Saturday morning by winning the Class 3A boys’ state championship - the program’s eighth state title in a row and 16th overall - at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee. Both the title streak and amount of state championships are state records.
Mantecon himself joined an elite group of runners all-time both within his school’s history and state history when he cruised to the 3A individual championship.
“I just wanted to come home with the win and I’m grateful to God, my coaches and teammates for believing in me,” Mantecon said on the NFHS Network’s broadcast immediately after the race. “We wanted to break the points record. We didn’t get it, but I couldn’t have asked for a better race from my teammates and me.”
Mantecon’s time of 14:57.8 was the second-fastest ever run on that course behind only former Tallahassee Chiles runner Patrick Koon, who once ran a 14:56.
Mantecon also became the fifth runner in Belen history to capture an individual title and his victory marked the seventh time a Wolverines runner prevailed individually, joining Eric Alvarez, Edward Acosta, Elliot Clemente and Javier Vento. Mantecon is the first to do it since Vento won the second of his two individual state titles in 2020. Next season, he’ll have the chance to join Alvarez and Vento as the only Belen runners to win two individual state titles.
“Marcelo has worked himself to be pretty dominant for us,” Belen coach Frankie Ruiz said.
For Belen, which entered the meet ranked seventh nationally by DyeStat.com, it was a typically dominant performance.
Mantecon was one of five runners, who crossed the finish line in the race’s top seven individually. Senior Joseph Socarras placed third (15:33.3), senior Justin Ruiz finished fourth (15:34.4), senior Marco Prieguez finished fifth (15:36.4) and sophomore Armando Cruz was seventh (15:39.8). All seven Belen runners finished in the top 19.
For the Wolverines, the next step is to chase a national title.
That quest begins next week when the Wolverines compete in the Nike NXR Southeast Regional in Cary, North Carolina. The top two team finishers would move on to the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon on Dec. 7.
Belen finished fourth at that meet last season and is ranked the top team in the Southeast Region.
“I like our chances. What the boys did today with their pack was the recipe for success up there,” Ruiz said. “It’s a completely different environment but they’re getting comfortable running together. Most of those guys have been there before so they won’t be overwhelmed by the circumstances up there. They’re talking to each other during the race and focused and doing things I haven’t had a team do in a while.”
MORE NOTABLES
On the girls’ side, the Fort Lauderdale Dillard girls were unable to repeat as team state champions, but finished second in the Class 3A girls’ race with 86 points behind this year’s state champion Ponte Vedra, which finished with 63.
Eighth-grader Shynah Collins led the Panthers, finishing sixth individually with a time of 18:39.1. Dillard placed three runners in the top 20 and five in the top 50.
Miami-Dade County’s top girls’ finisher was Carrollton’s Grace Aldrich, who ran a time of 18:13.6 to earn state runner-up honors in the Class 2A. Aldrich led the way for the Cyclones, who finished fourth as a team.
Columbus finished third in the Class 4A boys’ race despite entering the meet not ranked in the top 10 based on regional times. Anthony Scarcello was the Explorers’ highest finisher, placing 14th.
Westminster Academy finished tied for third in the Class 1A boys’ race with 104 points. The Lions were nine points behind state champion Tampa Cambridge Christian. Jonathan Pena led Westminster and finished third individually with a time of 15:47.0.
RESULTS
Class 4A - Girls’ team (winner plus top 10 Dade/Broward): 1. Creekside 70; 7. St. Thomas Aquinas 324; 9. Braddock 332. Individuals (Dade/Broward top 30): 1. Mackenzie Roy (Spruce Creek) 17:19.5; 12. Grace Finneran (STA) 18:26.0; 28. Samantha Ruiz (Coral Reef) 19:07.3; Boys’ team (winner plus top 10 Dade/Broward): 1. Gainesville Buchholz 143; 3. Columbus 185; Individuals (Dade/Broward top 30): 1. Gino Palazzolo (Buc) 15:23.6; 12. Mauricio Escalona (BR) 15:57.0; 14. Anthony Scarcello (Col) 16:03.9; 16. Sebastian Coraspe (Dor) 16:05.8; 20. Diego Eseverri (Col) 16:08.1; 23. Alexander Lopez (Col) 16:11.0.
Class 3A - Girls’ team (winner plus top 10 Dade/Broward): 1. Ponte Vedra 63; 2. Dillard 86; 7. Lourdes 249; Individuals (Dade/Broward top 30): 1. Masha Dorofeev (Fort Myers) 18:05.05; 6. Shynah Collins (Dil) 18:39.1; 12. Peyton Williams (Dil) 18:49.1; 17. Latiah Gore (Dil) 19:08.08; 18. Alessandra Perez (Lou) 19:08.9; Boys’ team (winner plus top 10 Dade/Broward): 1. Belen Jesuit 20; 9. Pembroke Pines Charter 312; Individuals (Dade/Broward top 30): 1. Marcelo Mantecon (Bel) 14:57.8; 3. Joseph Socarras (Bel) 15:33.3; 4. Justin Ruiz (Bel) 15:34.4; 5. Marco Prieguez (Bel) 15:36.4; 6. Joshua Gammage (Dil) 15:37.1; 7. Armando Cruz (Bel) 15:39.8; 10. Alejandro De Bastos (PPC) 15:45.3; 13. Diego Magarino (Bel) 15:46.8; 19. Michael Brunet (Bel) 16:09.6; 23. Dudley Moise (McA) 16:15.8; 25. Adam Stewart (PPC) 16:20.6; 30. Stefan Lungescu (AH) 16:30.4.
Class 2A - Girls’ team (winner plus top 10 Dade/Broward): 1. Jacksonville Bishop Kenny 88; 4. Carrollton 175; 9. Coral Springs Charter 394; 10. Cardinal Gibbons 398; Individuals (Dade/Broward top 30): 1. Margaret Bartlow (North Bay Haven) 17:56.2; 2. Grace Aldrich (Car) 18:13.6; 8. Daniela Hernandez (Car) 18:48.0; 18. Harper Thomerson (Calv) 19:28.4; 20. Claire Chanon (CG) 19:32.0; 27. Kendall Parrott (CSC) 19:44.5; 30. Karina Martinez (StB) 19:48.9; Boys’ team (winner plus top 10 Dade/Broward): 1. Fort Myers Bishop Verot 65; 8. Mater Lakes 252; 9. Gulliver 318; Individuals (Dade/Broward top 30): 1. Parker Adams (Bolles) 15:24.6; 8. Gabriel Carr (Sun) 16:18.2; 13. Kevin Aguilar (ML) 16:26.7; 22. Emilio Perez-Garcia (Gul) 16:44.3; 24. Wills Gillis (NBP) 16:48.2; 28. Adrian Ruiz (ML) 16:52.4
Class 1A - Girls’ team (winner plus top 10 Dade/Broward): 1. Tampa Cambridge Christian 57; 6. Westminster Academy 248; Individuals (Dade/Broward top 30): 1. Mary Summers (Seven Rivers) 17:58.4; 12. Eugenia Fantoni (WA) 19:42.6; 16. Sabrina Martinez (RP) 19:52.5; 26. Grace Dorn (Sheridan) 20:10.5; 29. Noelle Richardson (WA) 20:19.5; Boys’ team (winner plus top 10 Dade/Broward): 1. Cambridge Christian 95; 4. Westminster Academy 104; 8. Palmer Trinity 337; Individuals (Dade/Broward top 30): 1. Blake Young (IRC) 15:37.8; 3. Jonathan Pena (WA) 15:47.0; 4. Tanner Pritchard (WA) 15:56.1; 5. Augusto Caceres (SFH) 15:59.9; 14. Joseph Dorn (SHC) 16:14.6; 15. Mateo Sotelo (Divine Savior) 16:20.1; 25. Juan Pablo Bracamontes (PT) 16:40.6; 29. Lucas Latimore (WA) 16:44.2.
