Merritt Island's Cross second in muddy Race of Champions

(Photo: Lyn Dowling/For FLORIDA TODAY file photo)

TITUSVILLE – After Steven Cross finished his duel with Ryan Rodriguez in the 15th annual flrunners.com Invitational Race of Champions on Saturday, the mud-spattered Merritt Island junior staggered a little and gasped.

"It was a hard race," he said. "Conditions were really bad, the worst I've ever seen it here, that's for sure," the Merritt Island junior said. "It was all hard; everything about it was hard."

So it was. The course at Chain of Lakes Park suffered the results of downpours during the day Friday and overnight with ankle-deep mud in some areas.