Niceville's Howell wins 3A state cross country meet

Poised, collected and displaying an air of confidence that resides only in the most elite and focused of runners, Thomas Howell entered Saturday’s 3A cross country state finals in Tallahassee relaxed and carefree.

There was no tinge of arrogance for the Niceville junior, who was coming off a pair of district and regional titles. In fact, just a year removed from dropping out of the finals with an asthma attack, winning wasn’t even on the forefront of his mind.

"I kind of went into the race with an easy mindset," said Howell, who finished sixth at state his freshman year. "There were no worries about winning or posting a low time – I just wanted to enjoy the race.