By Jill Benavides
mail@floridanewsline.com

Avery Hartley, Eva Delaney, Allie Austin, Brianna Motycka, Ivey Egell, and Emma Godfrey clenched the Florida Youth Running Association (FLYRA) Middle School XC 3K Girls’ Club and overall state championship title Oct. 26 in Lakeland, making it a three-peat victory for the No Excuses Running Club to be the No. 1 girls’ team in all of Florida (2022, 2023, 2024). Hartley dominated the Holloway Park course taking first, followed closely by Delaney (second), Austin (third), Motycka (fourth), Egell (10th) and Godfrey (21st) in the Club Division.

Even more impressive are their overall state standings in all of Florida with 957 female athletes competing at the state level:  Hartley (No. 1), Delaney (No. 4), Austin (No. 5), Motycka (No. 6), Egell (No. 20), and Godfrey (No. 48). These six amazing ladies ran the fastest average in No Excuses Running Clubs’ history with a score of 20 and an average time of 10:53.

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To say these six athletes faced adversity during their season is an understatement. All six say their faith in God was their Rock; they did not waiver from their goal. Now they have their sites set on track 2025.

Jill Benavides is the co-founder of No Excuses Running Club and coach of the Fruit Cove Middle School girls’ and boys’ cross country teams.



Photo courtesy Jill Benavides

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