Lecanto Middle School’s girls team and Crystal River Middle School’s boys team claimed county titles at the Citrus County Middle School Cross Country Championships on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2026, held at Lecanto Middle School. Both teams earned automatic berths in the FLYRA Middle School State Cross Country Championships, set for Saturday, Oct. 31, at Holloway Park in Lakeland.
The Lecanto Panthers girls team captured their third straight county championship, scoring 25 points to finish ahead of runner-up Crystal River with 40. Aubrey Sunseri won the individual girls title, breaking her own Lecanto Middle School record with a time of 12 minutes, 29.84 seconds. Team members included Addison Keen, Teagan Tibbetts, Cheyenne Green, Annamarie Bryan, Ariana Williams, Sophia Giddens, Avery Peck-Byrd and Nevaeh Moore, along with Brooklyn Jahnke, Cheznie Nelson and Leilani De Leon.
On the boys side, Crystal River Middle School edged Lecanto 30-37 to claim the county title. Brody Wester won the boys individual championship, setting a Crystal River school record with a time of 11 minutes, 26.17 seconds. The Bearcats roster included Cypress Collins, Jackson Stephens, Landon Stephens, Lincoln Reynolds, Chase Alford, Michael Reeves and Blake Wester, as well as Lucas Radley, Raiden Trent, Jeremiah Tyson, Tyler Weeks and Kendall Wright.
Both championship teams now advance to the state meet in Lakeland later this month. The FLYRA Middle School State Cross Country Championships will take place Oct. 31 at Holloway Park. For more on Citrus County middle school athletics, visit the Citrus County Chronicle and the Florida High School Athletic Association.
Originally reported by Citrus County Chronicle – Inverness
Sources: Citrus County Chronicle – Inverness
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