CRESTVIEW — Alex Buena has won six of seven cross country meets he has been in this season.

Buena, an eighth-grader at Shoal River Middle School, is only in his second season as a cross country runner.

Coach Enrique Torres saw Buena’s talent two years. Buena’s sister, Autumn, was on the team at the time. When she forgot her water bottle before a practice, Buena ran it out to her. Torres quickly noticed Buena’s abilities.

“I told him you should run,” Torres said. “It was just a suggestion but the next day he came out to run and he’s been running since.”

In his first season last year, Alex finished as high as sixth place but spent the majority of the season with finishes of twentieth or worse.

This year, he came out and won the first meet of the season.

“It was amazing,” Buena said of the victory. “I was really happy that I got first place.”

Since that victory, Buena has been on a roll. Other than a fourth place finish at the FSU Invitational earlier this month, Buena has won every event he’s competed in.

His most recent win came at the county championship meet, where he finished with a time of 11:17. The win did not come easy.

“When I started the race, everyone started out strong so I wasn’t close to first place,” Buena said. “In the last 100 meters I passed him (first place runner) and got first place. I was really, really happy but I was also exhausted.”

While Buena is proud to represent his school, he’s even prouder of representing his family.

“It’s a big accomplishment for my school,” Buena said. “I feel like it’s a bigger accomplishment for me and my family because now I’m actually up there in front.”

Buena’s mom, Nicole Navarro, has been shocked at her son’s season so far.

“Every time he wins it’s like the first time and I am beyond proud,” Navarro said. “I tell him all the time, ‘You got this gift from up above.’”

His coach said it has been a really long time since he’s seen someone run as well as Buena.

“The last time I saw someone that good was when I was in high school,” Torres said. “He has a beautiful stride. He has more potential than the runner I used to run with. He hasn’t developed his full potential yet but with work over the summer, he’ll be amazing to watch.”

Buena will now turn his attention to the district meet in Lakeland. His plan is to approach it just like every other meet: with a lot of practice and getting in the right mindset.

“Running, it’s in your mind. You have to have the mentality for it,” Buena said. “You have to believe that you can do it and then once you believe you can do it, there’s nothing that’s going to stop you from doing it.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Shoal River cross country runner having incredible season

BAKER — Expectations are high for first-year Baker School cross country coach Chad Lawhon as the Gators prepare for Thursday’s District 1-1A meet at Freeport.

Lawhon — who expects the boys and girls teams to be competitive — rates the Lady Gators as one of the teams to beat.

"(The girls team) is shaping up very well,” he said. “It’s a lot better than I could ever dream of, this being my first year. We have an opportunity to win it, as long as all of our girls come out and bring their A game."

However, he said, "I am worried about Pensacola Christian Academy, and Paxton is next in line, if I’m not mistaken. But PCA and us are almost neck and neck. If they miss a step, we win and if we miss a step they win.”

Lawhon believes Pensacola Christian is the team to beat on the boys side as well.

“PCA’s boys team is phenomenal,” he said. “They have a good strong team. It looks like we will be coming in second if we bring our A game.

“Paxton’s boys and us are rivals for that second-place spot. If we are healthy, we have a good chance of beating them.” (Paxton)

Baker's girls are led by sisters Maya and Gabi Espinosa. Maya — an eighth-grader who for two years has been turning heads at the varsity level — is the defending district and region champion.

“Our third-fastest now varies between Alex Haven and Tressie Adams,” Lawhon said. “Anna Scott is usually our fifth girl.”

Another Espinosa, brother Ian, battles Gregory Chaitha for the boys' top spot.

“Greg is our number one runner most races,” Lawhon said. “Ian, Greg and Isaac Kimbrell — those three are always neck-and-neck with each other. It seems whatever place the first one comes, it seems like the next two are them.

“In the local meets, they are usually first, second and third, but they haven’t run against PCA yet.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker athletes eye district cross country title