Clay Today Staff
JACKSONVILLE – Bishop Kenny High School will again play host to one of Florida’s premier high school cross country meets in a primetime event Saturday, Sept. 19, when just before dusk the first starter’s gun will fire and the lights will be on at the Katie Caples Invitational, presented by Puma and The Jacksonville Orthopedic Institute.
The 2009 edition is expected to attract 31 schools from throughout the state and nearly 1,300 athletes to Bishop Kenny’s riverfront campus, across the St. Johns River from the picturesque downtown Jacksonville skyline and the municipal sports complex.
The boys and girls varsity race fields are expected to include 12 teams who finished in the top 5 in their respective classifications at the 2008 FHSAA State Championships, including five of the eight defending state champions: Jacksonville Bishop Kenny (girls 2A), Melbourne Holy Trinity (boys 1A), Miami Christopher Columbus (boys 4A), St. Johns Bartram Trail (girls 4A) and Tallahassee Chiles (girls 3A). Meanwhile, numerous individual cross country and track and field state champions will be competing for their respective teams. Seventeen teams committed to attend were ranked in the flrunners.com preseason all-classification Top 50.
In all, the event is expected to bring schools not just from the Jacksonville metro area (Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau and Flagler counties), but as far away as the Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, Melbourne and Gainesville areas, to the Bishop Kenny campus for a unique cross country experience “Under the Lights.”
Race Schedule (all races are five kilometers)
6:45 p.m. -- Girls JV Race
7:25 p.m. -- Boys JV Race
8:05 p.m. -- Girls Varsity Race
8:45 p.m. -- Boys Varsity Race
9:20 p.m. – Awards Ceremony
About the Katie Caples
Katie Caples, a member of the 1996-1998 BK cross country and track and field teams, was driving home from a March of Dimes walk in Jacksonville to her home on Amelia Island. As she pulled out from an intersection her car was struck on the driver’s side. After six days of effort, she could not survive the trauma of the accident and passed away on April 24, 1998. Her teammates then, and those now, miss her inspiration but keep her spirit alive through this special race.
The Katie Foundation
Katie’s parents, David and Susan Caples, started a foundation in Katie’s memory in 1998 to provide support to and new initiatives for educational, athletic and other programs that will enrich the well being of middle school and high school students. As an example, each year the Foundation underwrites scholarships for students progressing to higher levels of education. The admission for this race goes entirely to funding those scholarships.
The Katie Ride for Life
When Katie obtained her driver’s license, she elected to be an organ and tissue donor. At the time of her death, Katie gave the gift of life to five people from 9 to 62 years of age through heart, liver, lung and kidney transplants. As many as 100 others were enriched by tissue, bone and cornea donations.
There are more than 88,000 Americans currently on the national organ transplant waiting list with 3,000 listed right here in Florida. Every 13 minutes a new name is added to the list and, unfortunately, every 90 minutes someone dies for the lack of an organ.
As the Katie Foundation became aware of the paucity of organs available for transplant, it elected to take a proactive role in educating Americans about the problem. The Katie Ride for Life is its first initiative. The first ride in April 2005 had 202 cyclists and other participants that raised $35,000 and generated significant public awareness on the issue.
The funds raised will be used to help underwrite a ‘Decision Donation’ education program to target sophomores in high school and encourage them to pledge to be an organ donor when they receive their license an ask their parents to make the commitment when they renew their license.
For more information on The Katie Ride for Life , visit www.katierideforlife.com.