Boys Distance Events Preview
Boys 800m Run
Aside from the 100, this may be the boys race I am looking forward to seeing the most. 4A state champion and Ole Miss signee John Rivera owns the fastest time in the field with his US#4 1:50.38 from the Florida Pepsi Relays. He will get a Texas test from Xavier Wolf of Klein Collins who ran 1:52.10 and is the TTFCA Meet of Champions gold medalist. 2A runner-up Jose Penalver of American Heritage, 3A third place finisher Dalton Morley, and 1A state champion Justin Bridgewater of The King's Academy are also in the field that has over 20 guys under 1:57. Two Georgia entrants could spoil the party with Montgomery Tavares of Hillgrove and Brian Faust of Marist. Tavares has a PR of 1:53.76 and finished 10th at the Georgia Meet of Champions. Faust is a mid-distance stud having covered 400m in 47.16s and 800m in 1:53.93. He is coming off an GHSA State Championships (1A Private, 4A & 7A) title in the 800.
Boys Mile Run
South Carolina's best chance at a Flo Golden South championship comes from Hilton Head sophomore Sam Gilman. Gilman was runner-up at the SCHSL State Championships. Frostproof's Antonio Gomez is peaking at the right time clocking a 4:18.33 to win the 2A Region 3 championship then adding a runner-up finish at state to his resume. Evan Babatz of Fort Myers was 6th at the FSU Relays with a time of 4:17.95. Kaleb Wolfenden of Georgia could be another athlete who contends in both the mile and 800, but he will have the four lapper first. He was 4th at the GHSA State Championships (1A Private, 4A & 7A) in 4:17.95 and runner-up in the 800.
Boys 3,200m Run
Pace Academy junior Jake Douglass makes the trip down to Florida from neighboring Georgia. Douglass has the top seed at 9:46.53 and was sixth two weeks ago at the GHSA State Championships (1A Public, 2A & 3A). Brice Easton, a member of the Lakewood Ranch 4A champion 4x800m relay team and Josh Skielnik of Jupiter Christian who was 5th at state will try to keep the title in FL.