ALL-CENTRAL FLORIDA CROSS COUNTRY
Lyman, Ocoee runners Central Florida Cross Country athletes of the year
Lyman's Bobby Saltsman tops senior-laden boys team; Ocoee's Alyssa Burkert leads young girls squad.
Joe Williams
Sentinel Staff Writer
December 7, 2006
The high-school cross country careers of Lyman's Bobby Saltsman and Ocoee's Alyssa Burkert are at opposite ends of the race.
Saltsman, the Class 4A state champion, has crossed the finish line. It was a journey marked with constant improvement. As a freshman,
he finished 36th in state. By his sophomore year, he was already a top-10 finisher, then a top-five finisher as a junior.
Burkert, has the wide-eyed enthusiasm of a freshman just starting the trip. With a top-10 finish at state already behind her -- she was
Central Florida's top finisher in the 4A meet, placing ninth -- and a promising career ahead, she will be pushed by a pack of gifted young
runners in Central Florida.
"From my freshman year to my senior year, it has been a goal for me to work my way up," Saltsman said. "I would go to cross country
camp in the summer. I never missed any days [of practice]. As I went on with high school, it [the desire of accomplishing his goals] became
more intense."
Saltsman and Burkert, backed by their state performances, are the Orlando Sentinel's cross country runners of the year and lead the
All-Central Florida cross country team.
The girls team is one filled with youth; there are five sophomores, compared to four seniors, on the first two teams. The boys team is
more experienced, with nine seniors in the mix, including Saltsman.
Saltsman had an idea what he was in for, what he wanted to accomplish this season. Burkert had no expectations.
"I wanted myself to do well," said Burkert, who had a time of 19 minutes, 9.15 seconds at the state meet. "I didn't have any huge
expectations. . . . I wanted to see how I stand [compared to the other runners]. As a freshman, I was really happy."
Burkert may not have known what to expect, but Ocoee Coach Valerie Gore had heard some ripples about a talented eighth-grader at
Ocoee Middle School a year ago.
"I heard some talk about her last year, that there was a good runner in the middle school. I was like, 'All right,' " Gore said. "She won the
Orange County Middle School Championship last year [in track]."
Burkert started to show her running abilities at a much younger age. By the time she was 7, she was running in road races with her
stepfather and mother, Bob and Trilby Stevens. Then the family started doing triathlons together. And, last weekend, Burkert competed
in her third half-marathon, a 13.1-mile race.
"Probably, her spirit is the key to her success," Bob Stevens said. "She is just such a spirited girl. When she likes something, she will
stick with it and keep working to get better."
Saltsman, who won the state championship with a time of 15:50, is a success outside of cross country, too. His 4.0 grade-point average,
combined with his running abilities, is getting him interest from Ivy League schools such as Columbia and Harvard, and Florida, too.
"It [this season] was definitely everything I dreamed of it being," Saltsman said. "I just looked at each race as the next step toward
accomplishing my goal of winning state. Once state happened and I won, it was great."
Saltsman's success has grown out of a stubbornness that kicks in when he gets tired during practice and in races. The desire to keep
moving, to take one more step when his body wants to stop has led to a successful career.
"It is a combination of things," Saltsman said.
"It is just my overall love of running, and I can be extremely stubborn. I push myself to work harder."
Saltsman has pushed himself, not only to a state championship, but also to a sixth-place finish at the Great American Cross Country
Festival's Race of Champions, a national high school meet in Hoover, Ala., with a time of 16:12.1.
"I was hoping for a top-10 finish," Saltsman said. "I wanted to get out with the leaders and keep it strong for the last part of the race,
and I was able to do that.
"It was a great experience for me."
Simply put, this season was a great experience for Burkert, too.
Joe Williams can be reached at jwilliams@orlandosentinel.com.
Team Of The Year
Although Bobby Saltsman of Lyman and Alyssa Burkert of Ocoee are the cross country runners of the year, the top boys and girls teams
in Central Florida were at Winter Park. The Wildcats won the boys 4A state championship, and the girls were Central Florida's top 4A
team, finishing fifth.
.
BOYS SECOND TEAM
DANIEL DUNN
Warner Christian, Sr.
Buzz: Dunn had a 10th-place at state (16:57) after running a 16:51.46 to place fourth in region.
JORDAN EISERMAN
Lyman, Sr.
Buzz: Eiserman was 33rd at state in 16:59 and 17th at regional (16:47).
MICHAEL MOELLER
Bishop Moore, Jr.
Buzz: Moeller placed 10th at the 2A state meet (16:56).
JOSH PORTER
Boone, Jr.
Buzz: Porter finished 30th overall at 4A state meet (16:54) after running a career-best 16:30 to finish ninth at the region meet.
BRANDON QUEEN
Atlantic, Sr.
Buzz: Queen won a district title (16:40), was fourth at regional (16:32.88) and ninth at the 2A state meet in 16:56.
JONATHAN SUTTER
Lake Howell, Sr.
Buzz: Sutter ran a 17:10 in the 3A state meet after going 16:41 at region.
ANDREW WINNER
Boone, Jr.
Buzz: Winner had a solid season that included running in the 16-minute range at three meets this year.
BOYS FIRST TEAM
SHANE COOK
Lyman, Sr.
Buzz: Cook finished in eighth place in the state meet at 16:19 after placing fourth at regional meet (16:15).
RANLEY GOUSSE
Trinity Prep, Soph.
Buzz: Finished sixth in 1A state meet (16:47) and ran a career-best time of 16:27.16 to win regional championship.
PETER POSADA
Winter Park, Sr.
Buzz: Another state championship for the Wildcats, who were led by Posada's 20th-place finish at state (16:39).
KYLE MILLER
Timber Creek, Sr.
Buzz: Miller posted finishes of 16:52 at state and 16:33 in the region. He had eight races in the 16-minute range during the season.
SETH PROCTOR
Edgewater, Sr.
Buzz: The Eagles' consistent front-runner this season was 22nd at state with a 16:44 after running a 16:38 at region.
SLATER STITCH
Warner Christian, Sr.
Buzz: Stitch was seventh in 1A state meet (16:47). Ran a personal-best time of 16:28.12 at DeLand Invitational.
ALEX WILLS
Colonial, Jr.
Buzz: Another solid year for Wills included a third-place finish at 4A state (16:08) and a third-place regional showing (16:00).
GIRLS SECOND TEAM
BRIYANA BLAIR
Boone, Sr.
Buzz: Finished 37th at 4A state meet (20:11.80) and was 23rd at regional meet.
NATALIE BRETHAUER
Winter Park, Sr.
Buzz: Brethauer's runs at regional and state meets played a key role in the Wildcats' postseason success. She ran a 19:41.19 to finish
19th overall at state.
EMILY KEETER
Winter Springs, Soph.
Buzz: Placed 46th at state meet with a 20:20.69 and was 19th at region.
BROOKE NEBEL
Spruce Creek, Soph.
Buzz: Ran a 19:48.90 to finish 23rd overall at 4A state meet; placed 11th at region and 13th at district.
ALLIE PRENDERGAST
Lake Highland Prep, Jr.
Buzz: Finished 23rd at the Class 2A state meet (20:27.0) after going fifth at region and third in the district.
KIRA SODERSTROM
Trinity Prep, 8th grade
Buzz: Soderstrom may have the brightest future of anybody on this list. She finished 18th at the Class 1A state meet in 20:22.2.
BRITNEY WOTTON
Trinity Prep, Fr.
Buzz: A big part of the Saints' success at state, placing 25th in a 20:27.2 and also was 13th at region.
GIRLS FIRST TEAM
KELSEY DUNN
Warner Christian, Sr.
Buzz: Ran a 20:09.7 to finish 16th at the Class 1A state meet and also was 10th at the regional and second at district.
MEGGIE EMONS
Winter Park, Soph.
Buzz: Finished 15th at state (19:31.94), eighth at region in a career-best 19:19 and was sixth at district.
JAMIA HUTTO
Oak Ridge, Jr.
Buzz: An injury-plagued season limited her to running in only four meets, but finished second at district in 19:18.
BRITTANY KOZIARA
Boone, Soph.
Buzz: Won Metro Conference championship (setting a school record) and placed 12th at state (19:25.80).
ERIKA LANGHAUSER
Oviedo, Sr.
Buzz: Was Seminole Athletic Conference champ, ran a personal-best 19:11.70 in FACA All-Star meet and was 14th at state meet
(19:28.35).
MANDY PERKINS
Spruce Creek, Soph.
Buzz: Finished one place and one second behind Burkert at 4A state meet (19:10.15) and was Five Star Conference champ (20:29.01).
JESSICA PRENDERGAST
Lake Highland Prep, Fr.
Buzz: Prendergast finished 11th at the 2A state meet (19:55) after taking second at region and first in district.
Boys Runner of the Year
BOBBY SALTSMAN
Lyman, Sr.
Buzz: Going out as the Class 4A state champion with a time of 15:50. Ran in the 15-minute range in at least five meets during the season,
including a career-best time of 15:38 at the flrunners.com Invitational.
Girls Runner of the year
ALYSSA BURKERT
Ocoee, Fr.
Buzz: Burkert was the top Central Florida finisher at the Class 4A state meet (19:09.15), placing ninth, to go with a fourth at regional and
a first in the district race.
Lyman, Ocoee runners Central Florida Cross Country athletes of the year
Lyman's Bobby Saltsman tops senior-laden boys team; Ocoee's Alyssa Burkert leads young girls squad.
Joe Williams
Sentinel Staff Writer
December 7, 2006
The high-school cross country careers of Lyman's Bobby Saltsman and Ocoee's Alyssa Burkert are at opposite ends of the race.
Saltsman, the Class 4A state champion, has crossed the finish line. It was a journey marked with constant improvement. As a freshman,
he finished 36th in state. By his sophomore year, he was already a top-10 finisher, then a top-five finisher as a junior.
Burkert, has the wide-eyed enthusiasm of a freshman just starting the trip. With a top-10 finish at state already behind her -- she was
Central Florida's top finisher in the 4A meet, placing ninth -- and a promising career ahead, she will be pushed by a pack of gifted young
runners in Central Florida.
"From my freshman year to my senior year, it has been a goal for me to work my way up," Saltsman said. "I would go to cross country
camp in the summer. I never missed any days [of practice]. As I went on with high school, it [the desire of accomplishing his goals] became
more intense."
Saltsman and Burkert, backed by their state performances, are the Orlando Sentinel's cross country runners of the year and lead the
All-Central Florida cross country team.
The girls team is one filled with youth; there are five sophomores, compared to four seniors, on the first two teams. The boys team is
more experienced, with nine seniors in the mix, including Saltsman.
Saltsman had an idea what he was in for, what he wanted to accomplish this season. Burkert had no expectations.
"I wanted myself to do well," said Burkert, who had a time of 19 minutes, 9.15 seconds at the state meet. "I didn't have any huge
expectations. . . . I wanted to see how I stand [compared to the other runners]. As a freshman, I was really happy."
Burkert may not have known what to expect, but Ocoee Coach Valerie Gore had heard some ripples about a talented eighth-grader at
Ocoee Middle School a year ago.
"I heard some talk about her last year, that there was a good runner in the middle school. I was like, 'All right,' " Gore said. "She won the
Orange County Middle School Championship last year [in track]."
Burkert started to show her running abilities at a much younger age. By the time she was 7, she was running in road races with her
stepfather and mother, Bob and Trilby Stevens. Then the family started doing triathlons together. And, last weekend, Burkert competed
in her third half-marathon, a 13.1-mile race.
"Probably, her spirit is the key to her success," Bob Stevens said. "She is just such a spirited girl. When she likes something, she will
stick with it and keep working to get better."
Saltsman, who won the state championship with a time of 15:50, is a success outside of cross country, too. His 4.0 grade-point average,
combined with his running abilities, is getting him interest from Ivy League schools such as Columbia and Harvard, and Florida, too.
"It [this season] was definitely everything I dreamed of it being," Saltsman said. "I just looked at each race as the next step toward
accomplishing my goal of winning state. Once state happened and I won, it was great."
Saltsman's success has grown out of a stubbornness that kicks in when he gets tired during practice and in races. The desire to keep
moving, to take one more step when his body wants to stop has led to a successful career.
"It is a combination of things," Saltsman said.
"It is just my overall love of running, and I can be extremely stubborn. I push myself to work harder."
Saltsman has pushed himself, not only to a state championship, but also to a sixth-place finish at the Great American Cross Country
Festival's Race of Champions, a national high school meet in Hoover, Ala., with a time of 16:12.1.
"I was hoping for a top-10 finish," Saltsman said. "I wanted to get out with the leaders and keep it strong for the last part of the race,
and I was able to do that.
"It was a great experience for me."
Simply put, this season was a great experience for Burkert, too.
Joe Williams can be reached at jwilliams@orlandosentinel.com.
Team Of The Year
Although Bobby Saltsman of Lyman and Alyssa Burkert of Ocoee are the cross country runners of the year, the top boys and girls teams
in Central Florida were at Winter Park. The Wildcats won the boys 4A state championship, and the girls were Central Florida's top 4A
team, finishing fifth.
.
BOYS SECOND TEAM
DANIEL DUNN
Warner Christian, Sr.
Buzz: Dunn had a 10th-place at state (16:57) after running a 16:51.46 to place fourth in region.
JORDAN EISERMAN
Lyman, Sr.
Buzz: Eiserman was 33rd at state in 16:59 and 17th at regional (16:47).
MICHAEL MOELLER
Bishop Moore, Jr.
Buzz: Moeller placed 10th at the 2A state meet (16:56).
JOSH PORTER
Boone, Jr.
Buzz: Porter finished 30th overall at 4A state meet (16:54) after running a career-best 16:30 to finish ninth at the region meet.
BRANDON QUEEN
Atlantic, Sr.
Buzz: Queen won a district title (16:40), was fourth at regional (16:32.88) and ninth at the 2A state meet in 16:56.
JONATHAN SUTTER
Lake Howell, Sr.
Buzz: Sutter ran a 17:10 in the 3A state meet after going 16:41 at region.
ANDREW WINNER
Boone, Jr.
Buzz: Winner had a solid season that included running in the 16-minute range at three meets this year.
BOYS FIRST TEAM
SHANE COOK
Lyman, Sr.
Buzz: Cook finished in eighth place in the state meet at 16:19 after placing fourth at regional meet (16:15).
RANLEY GOUSSE
Trinity Prep, Soph.
Buzz: Finished sixth in 1A state meet (16:47) and ran a career-best time of 16:27.16 to win regional championship.
PETER POSADA
Winter Park, Sr.
Buzz: Another state championship for the Wildcats, who were led by Posada's 20th-place finish at state (16:39).
KYLE MILLER
Timber Creek, Sr.
Buzz: Miller posted finishes of 16:52 at state and 16:33 in the region. He had eight races in the 16-minute range during the season.
SETH PROCTOR
Edgewater, Sr.
Buzz: The Eagles' consistent front-runner this season was 22nd at state with a 16:44 after running a 16:38 at region.
SLATER STITCH
Warner Christian, Sr.
Buzz: Stitch was seventh in 1A state meet (16:47). Ran a personal-best time of 16:28.12 at DeLand Invitational.
ALEX WILLS
Colonial, Jr.
Buzz: Another solid year for Wills included a third-place finish at 4A state (16:08) and a third-place regional showing (16:00).
GIRLS SECOND TEAM
BRIYANA BLAIR
Boone, Sr.
Buzz: Finished 37th at 4A state meet (20:11.80) and was 23rd at regional meet.
NATALIE BRETHAUER
Winter Park, Sr.
Buzz: Brethauer's runs at regional and state meets played a key role in the Wildcats' postseason success. She ran a 19:41.19 to finish
19th overall at state.
EMILY KEETER
Winter Springs, Soph.
Buzz: Placed 46th at state meet with a 20:20.69 and was 19th at region.
BROOKE NEBEL
Spruce Creek, Soph.
Buzz: Ran a 19:48.90 to finish 23rd overall at 4A state meet; placed 11th at region and 13th at district.
ALLIE PRENDERGAST
Lake Highland Prep, Jr.
Buzz: Finished 23rd at the Class 2A state meet (20:27.0) after going fifth at region and third in the district.
KIRA SODERSTROM
Trinity Prep, 8th grade
Buzz: Soderstrom may have the brightest future of anybody on this list. She finished 18th at the Class 1A state meet in 20:22.2.
BRITNEY WOTTON
Trinity Prep, Fr.
Buzz: A big part of the Saints' success at state, placing 25th in a 20:27.2 and also was 13th at region.
GIRLS FIRST TEAM
KELSEY DUNN
Warner Christian, Sr.
Buzz: Ran a 20:09.7 to finish 16th at the Class 1A state meet and also was 10th at the regional and second at district.
MEGGIE EMONS
Winter Park, Soph.
Buzz: Finished 15th at state (19:31.94), eighth at region in a career-best 19:19 and was sixth at district.
JAMIA HUTTO
Oak Ridge, Jr.
Buzz: An injury-plagued season limited her to running in only four meets, but finished second at district in 19:18.
BRITTANY KOZIARA
Boone, Soph.
Buzz: Won Metro Conference championship (setting a school record) and placed 12th at state (19:25.80).
ERIKA LANGHAUSER
Oviedo, Sr.
Buzz: Was Seminole Athletic Conference champ, ran a personal-best 19:11.70 in FACA All-Star meet and was 14th at state meet
(19:28.35).
MANDY PERKINS
Spruce Creek, Soph.
Buzz: Finished one place and one second behind Burkert at 4A state meet (19:10.15) and was Five Star Conference champ (20:29.01).
JESSICA PRENDERGAST
Lake Highland Prep, Fr.
Buzz: Prendergast finished 11th at the 2A state meet (19:55) after taking second at region and first in district.
Boys Runner of the Year
BOBBY SALTSMAN
Lyman, Sr.
Buzz: Going out as the Class 4A state champion with a time of 15:50. Ran in the 15-minute range in at least five meets during the season,
including a career-best time of 15:38 at the flrunners.com Invitational.
Girls Runner of the year
ALYSSA BURKERT
Ocoee, Fr.
Buzz: Burkert was the top Central Florida finisher at the Class 4A state meet (19:09.15), placing ninth, to go with a fourth at regional and
a first in the district race.