Kacy Smith

During the long bus ride to Titusville, the Estero girls cross country team kept their focus on winning their second consecutive title at the FLrunners.com Invitational Race of Champions. (via Naples Daily News)

Mix one of the states oldest continuously held CC meets, an outstanding venue with a tough as nails course and 32 raring to go teams and you get the 34th Optimist Invitational hosted by Fort Myers HS.

With tears in their eyes and sobs filling the middle of the field in which they gathered at the end of last season, members of the Estero High School cross country team lamented what they perceived to be a blown chance to win a second consecutive state championship. (via The News-Press)

Hello, I’m Kacy Smith from Estero High School! This is my 4th year running for Coach Sommer and it has been quite an adventure so far. I can’t wait to see what my final year has in store for me and the team, along with every other runner here in Florida. As the Cross Country season comes to a start I have been asked to share my experiences from races, practices, and my team. I’d like to thank the people at Flrunners for giving me this opportunity.

With the cross country season less than four weeks away, FLRunners.com is gearing up our 2012 season coverage. Last year we had Quincy O'Connor of Celebration and Olivia Ortiz of Lakewood Ranch chronicle their seasons in a series we called "Their Own Words." This year we're stepping up our game, giving several more runners throughout the state the opportunity to blog about their seasons, whether it be their training, race experiences, goals or random thoughts as their seasons progress. Get involved in the series -- ask questions, make comments and join the fun. Cross country 2012 here we come!

We conclude our 2011 cross country coverage by honoring the top female harriers of the season. Congratulations to our 2011 All Flrunners Girls Cross Country Team.

Carlos Miranda and Olviia Ortiz take home individual honors while the Fort Myers boys and Estero girls are victorious in the team standings.

The Lee County Athletic Conference, held for the first time ever at Dunbar HS went great last night.  The weather was hot to say the least which would indicate slow times to come right? Incorrect the times were as blazing as it was hot out. To no one’s surprise the girls race was all Kacy Smith from start to finish.  

Their feet and calves caked in mud, Kacy Smith and Sarah Candiano took turns leaping two-footed onto waist-high pads. (via The News-Press)

Carlos Miranda's training has paid dividends the last two meets. The Palmetto Ridge junior ran sub 16 minutes for the first time this year when he placed third at the flrunners.com Invitational and then followed it up with a new personal best 15:17.71 at the Pre-State Invitational. Kacy Smith showed she is back as a contender. The Estero junior finished third at the Pre-State Invitational in a season best 17:47.21.

It was a soggy Saturday morning at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex home of the Disney Cross Country Classic. Over 20 teams from throughout the United States came to compete in the 5K event which went on Friday as well.

Around mid-week meet director Mike Boza indicated that the course was going to still be soggy, but not the mudfest that we saw last year. Well that ended up NOT being the case and it was once again a big mud pit. A torrential rain storm passed through on Friday afternoon and evening, only letting up about 30 or 45 minutes before the first race was to begin. Perfect timing as far as many were concerned! It was the best of both worlds... no rain during the meet but the fun true, dirty cross country that purists love!

Big events happening across the country as the season gets into full swing!

Some people learn to embrace change while others shy away from it. Estero junior Kacy Smith knows the leap from 2A to 3A won't be easy, but it doesn't bother her one bit. Last year Smith won individual gold and led her team to a state cross country championship as well.

The field is set for the 2011 Golden South Classic. Boone superstar Marvin Bracy will take on Alabama state champion Aaron Ernest in a battle of the top two sprinters in the country and that is just the beginning of a star studded lineup.

Kacy Smith of Estero won the girls race and set a course record of 18:48 in the process.  She lead Estero to a perfect 15 point victory.  Cypress Lake's Trent Craig edged out Estero's Aaron Rojas by .27 (16:25. 20 to 16:25. 47).  But the Rojas led Estero boys won easily with 36 points: 2-7-8-9-10-(12)-(16).  Inside this article Kacy Smith reveals her secret diet for success.

Kacy Smith was running through the mud and the muck, battling bugs, horrible conditions, and other competitors who simply couldn’t complete the run at the FACA cross country meet in Tampa in September. That meet was a perfect illustration for this gritty, tenacious sophomore from Estero. Besides improving on her 10th place finish at state last year--hoping instead for a gold medal this time around--her other goals include giving the boys on her team a run for their money.

With the string of amazing classes of Florida girls over the past five or so years, this race has seen some killer showdowns.  This year should be no different with a stellar class and the perhaps top five girls in the state going head-to-head.  The Fluehr sisters, Kathryn and Erika, are the odds-on favorite to repeat the 1-2 finish they had at FLR 10 last year.  Returning superstar Stephanie Schappert hopes to mix it up, as do new starlets Kacy Smith and Shelby Davidson!   Top teams including Lakewood Ranch, Estero, Lourdes, and Plant aim to lay a claim to "state's best" title as well.  Can't wait!

What a last two weeks it has been for Kacy Smith!  The sophomore from Estero entered the season on the outside looking in and now... well Stephanie Schappert is going to have her work cut out for her if she wants to repeat for that 2A title!