The 2015 FLYRA Middle School State Championship promises to be one of the best yet! Check out our girls preview and don't forget to watch our LIVE COVERAGE and stay tuned for archived videos, photos, recaps, results & more.
Girls Sprints/Hurdles Preview By Damion Thomas
This year's sprinting and hurdling events on the girl's side is loaded with state and national elite talent. Here is an event-by-event preview of the girl's sprint and hurdling events for this weekend's FLYRA Middle School Track and Field State Championships.
Girls 100m Dash
Last year's 100m field was so competitive, the top 6 finishers were separated by only .1 seconds, with 8 girls dipping under 12.5 seconds. This year's field, highlighted by 12 year old Pure Athletics phenom Tamari Davis (pictured below), is expected to provide even more electrifying performances. Last month, Davis shocked the track world blazing an uncontested wind-legal 11.77 seconds over 100m at the 2nd Annual V12 Athletics Invitational, making her the clear favorite in this event. Davis' time stands as the fastest time ever recorded for a 12 year old girl. She was seventh last year as a FIFTH GRADER with a time of 12.35 One of Davis' biggest challenges will come from three time defending AAU National Champion Briana Williams (pictured on cover). The 7th grader seeks to be crowned State Champion after finishing 5th last year. To do so, she will have to improve on her season best time of 12.53 set in Mid-April. Denise White, last year's 3rd place finisher, is also a formidable challenger to Davis. Others to watch include Plantation American Heritage's Mryka Cadet, Trackstar duo Ken'Naria Gadson and Zayne Jack, and William Dandy's Jan'Taijah Ford. Cadet, was 4th at the 2A Region 4 meet advancing to state in this event.
Girls 200m Dash
This year's 200m race returns the top two finishers from last year in Denise White (pictured below) and Briana Williams. Last year, both White and Williams dipped under the 25 seconds barrier running 24.80w and 24.92w respectively. White, with a season best time of 25.54 will be looking to repeat as state champ. Expect tough challenges to come from Plantation American Heritage's Danielle Bess, Tamari Davis, Miami Garden Express' Vashti Claybrook, and Jan'Taijah Ford. Bess enters as top seed with the 24.71 clocking she posted at the FHSAA 2A District 15 meet. Just recently, Ford produced a time of 24.95, placing 1st at the FLYTAF Championships. Davis enters as the #3 seed, but is undefeated and has shown great form this season. While I will cut short of saying Robin Reynolds' meet record of 24.39 is in jeopardy, we could possible see six girls dip under the 25 seconds barrier.
Coach Gary Evans had this to say about his sixth grade standout Tamari Davis.
Tamari is a focus and dedicated when it comes to this sport. Some of the things Tamari has been focusing on this year is her block start, controlling her heels, and controlling her left arm. Tamari strength is her closing speed and the turn over she creates with her long legs. After Memorial Day weekend Tamari will me into her last phase of training which is her post-season phase. Biggest thing Tamari likes about track is getting to come down and train with the professional athletes during spring break. She really enjoys that.
Girls 400m Dash
This year's 400m field is stacked with the state's best talent and judging from the performances already displayed this season, the meet record of 55.08 set by Robin Reynolds in 2008 is in jeopardy of being broken. 8th grader Jan'Taijah Ford comes in with the top seed time of 54.70, ran earlier this year at the UM Alumni Invitational Meet. Ford is having an outstanding breakout season and is seeking her first 400m state title. Plantation American Heritage's 7th grader Danielle Bess (pictured below), with a personal best of 55.89, ran last month, pose a serious threat to Ford's title hopes. Last week at the FHSAA Class 2A High School Track and Field State Championships, Bess captured her first 400m title running away from the field. She will be looking to add another title to cap off an impressive season in which she also captured FHSAA District and Region titles. Strong challenges will also come from Vashti Claybrook (57.05), TrackStar's Ken'Naria Gadson (57.25), and South Dade Express' Kasia Cooper (57.72). Defending champion Jermecia Brown is also down to compete.
Bess had this to say when asked about going straight from the high school state meet to the middle school state meet in back to back weeks and the game plan for this week.
" It's apart of my training. It comes with the territoryWell, I'm always expecting to run well. My training went well this week. My plan is whatever my coach thinks I need to do and to stay focused.
Girls 100mH
Last year Pine Crest's Britta Strain (pictured below) finished a close second to Ladasjah Brown of Fort Lauderdale Track Club. The 8th grader will be looking to improve one place to the top of the podium. To do so she will have to fight off tough challenges from Lauderdale Lakes Middle School duo Daishon Spann and Amaya Thomas, Falcon Track Club's Jordan Bryant, and Florida High's Auryn West. Spann has been dominant in this event all season and is the state leader at 15.34. Spann will be looking to display her event range versatility at the state level and build on an already impressive career.
Girls 200mH
Britta Strain is the defending State champion, making her the pre-race favorite. She is the state leader at 29.30. Challenge again will come from Amaya Thomas (29.80), as well as Maya Ashley (Unattached) and Camryn Constant of Berkeley Prep.
Coach Paul Baur had this to say about her.
"Britta is as tough as they come. She is a national champion in rodeo. Getting off a moving horse and hitting the ground running is what makes her so good over the hurdles. Training has been very good this year with no injuries so she is ready for tomorrow."
Girls Distance Events Preview By Todd Grasley
Girls 800m Run
Seventh grader Sierra Oliveira of Evangelical Christian is one week removed from the 2A state finals where she placed second behind Grace Blair of Oak Hall in 2:15.62, the second fastest time she has run all season. Her 2:14.90 at the 1A Region 3 Championship is the top time in the field. Oliveira was fourth at last year's middle school state meet. Jatana Folston of Ransom Everglades (running for Miami Gardens XPress), is the defending runner-up having run 2:23.50 last year and comes into the meet with a season best of 2:15.78, where she finished third at the 2A State Finals. Look for these two to battle it out for the title and to break the meet record of 2:17.01 set by Daesha Rogers in 2011. Daishon Spann and Kasia Cooper have all run under 2:20 this season, while sister Domonique Spann and Gianna Milan return after finishing sixth and seventh respectively last year.
Girls 1,500m Run
The top seed in the girls 1,500m is another youngster who has high school state meet experience. Mt. Dora Bible 8th grader Rebecca Clark is competing in her first middle school state championship and would like nothing more than to come home with the win. She was the regional runner-up in the 1,600 the last two years, but has opted to focus on the 3,200m at the state meet where she was fourth and second in 2014 and 2015. Her seed time of 4:47.32 is the fastest in the field by a second over Ashley Klingenberg. Klingenberg, a 7th grader at Teague Middle School, ran 4:48.61 against a field of high school and collegiates at the Embry Riddle Spikes Classic. Avery Patterson and Lawton Campbell have also dipped under 5:00 this season. Don't count out Natalie Varela of Miami Elite who was fifth last year, third at the middle school XC state championships, and has a season best of 5:00.92.
Girls 3,000m Run
Last year, Rafaella Gibbons broke her own meet record set in 2012, going 10:10.50 to win the girl's 3,000m run. Gibbons went onto win the 4A Cross Country Finals, an individual title in the 3,200m, and a team title as the anchor of Winter Park's 4x800m relay. It's evident this meet really brings out the future stars of our sport. Fast forward to the 2015 edition of the meet and we have a clear cut favorite in this event. Rebecca Clark, who we mentioned above has a personal best of 10:57.35 for 3,200m which she ran at the Florida Relays. Her seed time of 10:12.32 is by far the best in the field. Trinity Prep's Audrey McAnally, who was 11th last year, and Natalie Varela are the only others who have times under 11 minutes. 2014 runner-up Tsion Yared of Pine Crest who ran 10:22.00, will not run due to a season ending injury.