More Community School Cross Country

• Prep cross country: Community School girls win state; Immokalee's Pierre, Estero's Montoya finish second
• Prep cross country: Community School girls lead area contingent into state meet
• Prep cross country: Seahawks flying high at region meet

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NAPLES — For a girl that has done so well for her team already this season, it’s funny how little is known about a talent so much is expected of.

That is to say, Kathryn Fluehr — the top runner of Community School’s outstanding cross country team — is just a sophomore, and though her name has been in the conversation of top runners all season long, nobody, not even her coach or Kathryn herself for that matter, knows how much better she can and will be.

Kathryn and her sister, Erika, finished in the top two spots in the Optimist and Seahawk invitational meets, but it’s this week’s meet in Titusville at the Florida Runners Invitational that really has her excited.

“Time-wise, she ran an 18:41 this week, but I think she said that this week her goal is 18:30, which might be a little too lofty,” said Cassie Barone, the Seahawks’ coach. “She’s excited to have a girl running in front of her this week, but I have no idea how fast she’ll be running by the end of the season, I’m just hoping she’ll surprise me.”

It might sound a little strange that a runner isn’t out to win a meet that she is traveling close to five hours to run in — on homecoming day, no less. But for Fluehr, it’s a means of getting better, and with plenty of running still in her future, that is the most important thing.

“I’m excited because usually around the third mile I have to push myself,” Fluehr said. “This week, others in front of me will be pushing me and last season, we finished in fifth place here, so that makes it exciting, too.”

Certainly, pack running has benefited the Seahawks in the two aforementioned meets. Community’s top five runners all finished in the top nine and top seven total runners, respectively, and the combo of Kathryn and Erika has been the ignition to the team’s motor.

“Our team is the same as it was last season and that helps,” Fluehr said. “We all get along with each other, and my sister and I help each other out, but we all really help each other and it all works out.”

Barone attributes Fluehr’s success to the work that she put in with the track team after the cross country season. For Fluehr, who has been running for Community since sixth grade, every meet is still an exercise in improvement.

“I don’t think that I am peaking yet,” Fluehr said. “I never thought I could be this fast, but we’ll see how much further down I can get my times to go.”

OTHERS CONSIDERED

Joane Pierre, Immokalee, cross country: Led all local runners Saturday at the Spanish River Invitational by finishing second in the Class 1A-2A meet. Immokalee finished third out of 22 teams.

Nina Schmidt, Naples, volleyball: Schmidt had a total of 37 kills in five matches as the Golden Eagles finished as runners-up in the Bishop Verot Invitational on Saturday. She also had 9 kills, 2 aces and 12 digs against Golden Gate, and 8 kills, 2 aces, and 2 blocks in a win over Palmetto Ridge.

Emma Smyser, Gulf Coast, golf: Shot a career-best 74 at the Collier County Athletic Conference tournament Thursday to claim medalist honors. She led the Sharks to a five-stroke victory.

Sundai Weston, Gulf Coast, volleyball: Had 28 assists Wednesday as the Sharks swept Lely to win the Collier County Athletic Conference championship.