1A Region By Region Virtual Meets/Meet Previews



Class 1A/2A head one step closer to the big dance with regional championships taking place this week. We break down each classificiation region by region to give you a glimpse of how each meet could play out. Check out our virtual meets/meet previews and get in on the action!

1A Regional By Region Virtual Meets:
 

1A Region 1 - Girls - Boys

1A Region 2 - Girls - Boys

1A Region 3 - Girls  - Boys

1A Region 4 - Girls - Boys


1A Region 1 Meet Preview

Question marks are swirling around last year's 200/400m regional champion Tamani Wilson. Wilson went onto win the 400 state championship and finished third in the 200. However, after starting the season with Maclay she has since transferred to North Florida Christian. According to our her athlete profile, Wilson competed at the Bob Hayes Invitational as a Marauder, but two weeks later ran unattached at the UNF Spring Break Invitational. No district performance looks like she might be out of the running for another state title. So that mean's the sprints are an open race. Brittney Arney of Central High School has the fastest time coming in of 12.57. Darrielle McQueen who won the 1A-3 district championship in the 200 will compete in that event as well as the jump where she has racked up six state championships in her high school career. Can she make it eight or even add a sprint title to the resume before she heads to the University of Florida in the fall? Providence has one of the best distance squads in 1A lead by Eden Meyer and Emily Stallings. Look for that strength to put them in a good position for a regional team title. In the field events, 

On the boy's side North Florida Christian and Maclay will battle it out for the team title. NFC junior Christian Philpott is the top seed in the 200, 400 and long jump (all of which he won district titles last week), and could help the school's relay squads score major points. Philpott is the reigning 1A state champion at 200 meters. Maclay is traditionally strong in the distance events and Friday will be no exception with James Connor Daughton and Jack Rutledge as well as their 4x800m relay team. Griffin Rutherford and Alex Strickland of North Florida Christian give the team even more depth. An individual to watch is Gabrielle Moore of Freeport. Moore was the New Balance Nationals Indoor champion in the pentathlon is a very versatile athlete who has signed with the University of Arkansas. He is coming off district championships in the pole vault, long jump, discus, and 110 meter hurdles. He finished in the top seven in four events last year at the 1A state meet.

1A Region 2 Meet Preview

First Academy junior Teahna Daniels is one of the top sprinters in the state and best in the country. Last week she cruised through districts as she gears up for regionals and the state meet. With season bests of 11.37 and 24.24 look for the goal to not be on times, but to just get through healthy. Tymiah Montgomery, daughter of former professional sprinter Tim Montgomery, is only a 7th grader at Oak Hall. She has run 12.35 and 26.43 and is definitely a sprinter we will need to keep an eye on in the year's to come! Oak Hall finished second at the 1A Cross Country Finals and will score the bulk of their points in the distance events. Eighth grader Grace Blair has gone 2:19.25 for 800 meters, and 5:16.23 for 1600 meteres. Look for her teammates, freshman Nadiria Evans, and 7th grader Lindsay Rosenberg to be right there in the mix with her in the half lapper. Circle Christian's Denate  Chapman is the favorite in the 1600 and 3200 meters. Also, in the mix will be Mount Dora Bible's Rebecca Clark and Christina McKinney.

The First Academy boys were second at the 1A state meet last year. Pretty amazing seeing as the Royals scored ZERO points at the state meet in 2012. Transfer Michael Timpson Jr., son of Michael Timpson who was a star sprinter Penn State and played in the NFL, is the top sprinter in all of 1A with a personal best of 10.71. He is the top seed in both the 100 and 200 and has a chance to win a state title in each in the coming weeks. Timpson and sophomore Jacquez Durham, who is seeded second in the 100 and 200 give the team a formidable 1-2 punch. Coach Ricky Argro said Timpson has a great start and Durham (his nephew) has one of the best work ethics around. He is ranked second in the state in the 110's and tops in the 300m hurdles in 1A. The one weakness in TFA's arsenal is their distance events. 1A Cross Country Finals champion Franco Martins of Windermere Prep has run 4:18.34 for 1600 meters and 9:27.24 for 3200 meters. Both are the top times in 1A and make Martins a threat to sweep the first week of May at the state meet. Joseph Janson, Troy Clark, and the Geneva School pair of Nicholas Gonzalez and Isak Davis will look to break up the party. University of Florida signee AJ McFarland is the top seed in the discus (172-11) and number two seed in the shot put. Chris Miller of TFA has already hurled the shot over 50 feet with a season best of 50-9.5.

1A Region 3 Meet Preview 

Daryth and Gaby Gayles headline the sprints at the 1A Region 3 Championship. The Holy Trinity seniors and Stanford University signees come in as the top seeds in the 100, 200, 400, and long jump. Gaby is currently ranked first in 1A in the 200 (23.94) and 400 (54.76), while Daryth is second in the 100 (11.89) and first in the long jump (19-5.5) state wide. Gaby is a two time state champion in the 400 while Daryth won the 100 as a sophomore in 2012. Challengers in the 100 and 200 include Assata Trader of Shorecrest Prep and Deterrica Simpkins of Northside Christian. Admiral Farragut's Brittany McGee is one of the top hurdlers in the state regardless of classification and should pick up more regional hardware to add to her collection. Watch out for her in the high jump and long jump as well. She won district titles in all four events last week. The distance events should be very competitive with less than eight seconds separating the top eight runners. Last year's 3200m state champion Sarah Candiano has run 5:02.44 for 1600 meters and 11:21.04 for 3200 meters. Hannah Brookover, Grace Casagrande, and University of Georgia signee Alex Eaton make for a stacked field. Community School of Naples sophomore Stephaie Paul is the favorite in both the shot put and discus. Other names to look out for include Bobbi Labrant of Indian Rocks Christian in the pole vault and freshman Katie Barnett who will compete in the springs and jumps for Shorecrest Prep.

The boy's side might not have the household names, but don't let that fool you. James Lovett of Holy Trinity was fourth last year at the 1A state meet in the 100 meter dash and comes in with the second fastest time in the field at 10.98 behind Kyle Taylor-Laird of Melbourne Central Catholic who beat him last week at the 1A District 12 Championship. Lovett and Taylor-Laird will go at it again in the 200 meters with Lovett, the best time in the group at 22.13. Ben Knox of Northside Christian and Tevon Thompson of Moore Haven are two of the top seeds in the hurdle races. Chris Robin and Daniel Welch are the lone two runners to break two minutes in the 800. Speaking of two, Andrew Cacciatore and Trevor Kattenberg make up a  powerful duo for Holy Trinity. The pair is seeded first and second in both the 1600 and 3200 with times of 4:29.41 4:30.93 and 9:29.64 and 9:48.59 respectively. Cal Davidson Turner is having a great season for Cardinal Mooney and has the third fastest time in both  In the field events, Liam Pembroke of St. John Neumann is knocking on the door of 50 feet in the shot put. The senior has a season best of 49-11. Clearwater Lakeside Christian's is one of those best kept secrets, having hurled the discus 174-9 this year. Look for University of Florida signee Chris Olson to push him to a new personal best. Evangelical Christian's Drew McMichael finished as the 1A runner-up last year in the pole vault and is looking to bring home a state title to conclude his junior year.

1A Region 4 Meet Preview By Coach Key

Westminster Academy's boys look to score points in every event, led by state 400 leader, junior Andrew James, who will also run 100 and 200, chased by Julien Christopher from Highlands Christian.  WA's 4 x 8 is top ranked in 1A, with the 4 x 4 ranked 2nd.  Brandon Bejerano looks to win region titles in 1600 (4:24 at UF) and 800 (1:57.79 at Disney) but will get a fight at 1600 by Boca Christian pair Otto and and will run both relays.  The throwing core looks to sweep shot put with four over 46', with Mitch Etienne at 52'10"; but may get a challenge from Rion Hamlin of Jupiter Christian. Hozie Hankerson in knocking on the door of a 160' discus throw.  Ryan Moore's 6'4 high jump looks solid, along with a 40' triple jump which ranks 4th behind Jonathan Saintil (Dade Christian) at 44'2.   WA's Jordan Mansour and Elijah Thompson seek a 1 -2 in the pole vault over 13', but will be challenged by Chris Robertson of John Carroll.  WA's challenge to TFA at the 1A State Meet might ride on a pair of hurdlers -- Sanders Desir and Terrel Phillips -- in both 110s and 300s.

On the girls' side, D-15 foes South Florida HEAT and Westminster Academy should battle to the wire this week. The HEAT plan is to hammer away with multiple points in key events such as hurdles (Wirth and Isabelle) and 3200 (Evans et al), while the WA hopes rest on the hopes a few elites, such as Ebony Brown in the sprints and jumps, Denise Spann at 400 and 200 meters, Brooke Oman and Keeley Casey in the high jump, Karin Sastre in the pole vault, and Isabelle Luke in the throws. Luke will have to chase Hunter Sullivan of John Carroll who has season bests of 39-0 and 124-5. The distance crew of Westminster Christian in Miami; the quartet of Natasha Strump,  Victoria Hoppe, Dana Thomas, and seventh grader Hailey Mira-- will pile up some points as well.