Seasoned Northside Christian girls looking for big break




Thu. April 28, 2011 | Bob Putnam

Seasoned Northside Christian girls looking for big break

The Northside Christian girls track team has become pretty good at winning titles at district and region meets.

But that success has not carried over to state.

The Mustangs have not finished higher than 13th in the team standings the past three seasons at the Class A state meet. Part of that is due to underclassmen qualifiers adjusting to being on such a big stage.

But the young athletes are not young anymore. Most are juniors. And they no longer have a just-happy-to-be here sentiment.
Northside Christian coach Jeff Goodwin believes they can contend for a state championship today.

“For the first time we’ve been here, we have a chance of medaling in every entry,” Goodwin said. “We hope that will get us some points. The nerves shouldn’t be there anymore. We really think we can be in the top three.”

The Mustangs have just about every event covered. Jennica Mullins (high jump), Asia Olds (long jump) and Jessica Artille (pole vault) are strong in the field events. Olds is versatile with top-four seed marks in the long jump and 200. Victoria Goodwin can score in the 100 and 300 hurdles. Katelyn Greenleaf is dominant in the distance events (800 and 1,600). Northside also has two relay teams, the 4x100 and 4x800, that can place in the top five.

And that doesn’t include the 4x400 relay, which had the top time in Class A heading into the postseason but was disqualified in the district meet.

“We have athletes that can place on down the line,” Goodwin said. “We just need to have everybody running at their best.”

Northside’s boys team also has a chance to place in the top five. The big point-scorers for the Mustangs will most likely come in the distance events with the 4x800 relay and the 800.

“We’re bringing 27 athletes to the state meet and only four are going for the first time,” Goodwin said. “Most have been here for a while. They know what to expect.”

A-3 region track: Northside Christian girls strike gold eight times




Fri. April 22, 2011 | Thomas P. Corwin

NAPLES — The Northside Christian girls arrived Thursday wearing shirts that said, “Anything is possible for those who believe.”

And in the second-biggest meet of the season, the Mustangs made believers of the rest of the field with a dominating performance.

Victoria Goodwin and Asia Olds led the way with multiple wins as the Mustangs won the Class A-3 region meet Thursday afternoon at Seacrest Country Day School with 131 points, 60 points better than runnerup Evangelical Christian.

The top four finishers in each event advance to the state finals April 29 in Winter Haven.

Northside had eight event winners Thursday.

“We started off strong in the field events, and that helped us dominate the meet,” Northside coach Jeff Goodwin said. “I’m proud of all our girls. It was important to score in as many event as possible. I’ve told a lot of these girls for six years every point counts. It was a total team effort out there. We were blessed to have a lot of firepower.”

Olds won the long jump (18 feet) and 200 meters (25.77 seconds). Goodwin also won twice — the 100 hurdles at 15.89 and the 300 hurdles at 47.27.

“I was determined not to let anything distract me when doing the long jump, because I didn’t qualify for state in it last year,” Olds said. “I needed to stay focused out there, especially after making a few scratches.

“I got a little lucky. In the 200, I stayed relaxed, because if you stiffen up, the competition might catch you. I was focused on staying relaxed in the 200 and finishing strong.”

Thursday’s performance by the Mustangs was par for the season.

“Everyone has worked hard, and we owe a lot of that to our coach,” Olds said. “He pushed us all year and made sure we’ve worked hard.”

Other winners for the Mustangs were Jessica Artille in the pole vault and Jennica Mullins in high jump. The Mustangs also won the 400 and 3,200 relays.

Other girls champions from the area included Admiral Farragut’s Destini Oglesby in the shot put and Canterbury’s Emily Edwards in the 800 and 1,600.

Admiral Farragut won the boys meet with two firsts. David Dang (6-02) won the high jump and Rayshawn Jenkins won the 110 hurdles (14.23). Farragut had 88 team points, squeaking past Northside Christian (85).

“We came up a little short in the boys meet, but our distance runners helped us do as well as we did,” Goodwin said. “The 800 was a big point winner for us. We didn’t have a lot of firsts, but we have good depth in many events.”

Mario Ojeda won the 800 (1:58.08) and Beaush Feaster won the pole vault for Northside (13-0). The Mustangs also won the 3,200 relay.

ST. PETERSBURG — Northside Christian's track and field trophies continue to pile up at a rapid pace inside the Mustangs' track room. Northside coach Jeff Goodwin took a look around the room and noticed they may need an extra rack to stack awards on.

And after Thursday's dominating performance at the Mustang Invitational, there's no reason to believe the Mustangs should not invest in an extra rack, as both boys and girls squads took first-place honors with 150 and 158.5 points, respectively.

"We just had a big meet on Tuesday, the Ed Wells Invitational, and we just mixed it up today," Goodwin said. "We showed our versatility and we showed our depth.

"A meet like Ed Wells, we didn't show our depth, we showed our firepower, and a meet like tonight we get to show our depth."

Northside's girls, who finished second Tuesday at Ed Wells and edged out Keswick Christian by 75 points Thursday, had several athletes who could excel in different events, including junior Asia Olds, who won the 100 meters (12.93), 400 (1:02.13) and long jump (5.22 meters).

On the boys side, the Mustangs edged the Crusaders by 60 points and had a similar array of athletes do well, with jumper Jeffrey Golden taking first in the long jump (5.78 meters) and triple jump (12.57).

"Jeffrey Golden came through for us in the jumps," Goodwin said. "Kyle Riffe did well in the discus, and nobody really knows who he is. I just need someone big, strong, and we're getting better in that area."

Admiral Farragut's Rayshawn Jenkins continued his successful season by easily taking the 100 (11.59) and 200 (23.48), and Tampa Prep's Yuri Costa won the 1600 (4:55.09) and 3200 (10:41).

ST. PETERSBURG — There is one event Northside Christian coach Jeff Goodwin loves coaching during the postseason and that’s the 4x400-meter relay.

When his girls’ 4x400 team was disqualified Thursday afternoon in the Class A, District 9 meet at Shorecrest Prep, it seemed to be the only thing that went wrong for the Mustangs.

Northside easily outpointed the field for the team titles, with girls and boys finishing 135 and 65 points, respectively, in front of Indian Rocks Christian.

“Our first leg kind of moved a little bit and that caused the disqualification,” Goodwin said. “You know, it hurts bad since it’s my favorite event. But both our teams ran great today. We had several take multiple events this afternoon and we’re looking forward to going down to Seacrest Country Day (for regionals) and improving.”

The slight error in the 4x400 would not overshadow the superb day Goodwin’s girls had out on the rubber track, as distance runner Katelyn Greenleaf stayed in top form by taking the 800 (2:22) and 1,600 meters (5:18). Teammate Asia Olds took the long jump (5.29) and the 200 meters (25.93).

Bishop McLaughlin’s Victoria Harris was impressive in winning both the discus (117-6) and the shot put (33-5).

The Northside Christian boys had similar results, with athletes doing well in multiple events. The Mustangs’ Evan Howard led the way by taking the 100 meters (11.34) and finishing second in the 200 (23.04). Also, Mustangs’ distance runner Mario Ojeda capped a good day by claiming a title in the 1,600 meters (4:42) and finishing second in the 800 (2:03.07).

Indian Rocks Christian senior jumper Jon Kistemaker had a solid day, with a district title in the pole vault (13 feet) and a fourth-place finish in the triple jump (39-11).

CLEARWATER — For the past three years, Lakewood and Northside Christian had a stranglehold on the girls team title at the Ed Wells/Kiwanis Invitational track meet.

The schools have alternated as champions with the Spartans winning in 2008 and '10 and the Mustangs taking first in '09.

On Tuesday, both teams were at it again in the closest race for a championship since the meet added a girls competition in '06.

Heading into the final event, Lakewood and Northside were tied with 97 points. The winner would be decided in the 4x400-meter relay. The Mustangs took the lead in the first two legs. The Spartans caught up by the third. On the final leg, Northside Christian's Sarah Schultz and Lakewood's Gincy Marcelin were nearly stride-for-stride. Marcelin had just enough kick to lunge ahead for the win.

The margin of victory: 0.06 seconds.

That was enough for the Spartans to beat the Mustangs 107-105 to become the first team to win consecutive girls titles at the meet.

Lakewood was paced by Kala Funderburk, who was the girls most valuable runner. The Memphis recruit won the high jump, 200 and 400 and anchored the winning 4x800 relay. She also set meet records in the high jump (5 feet, 4 inches) and the 200 (24.84).

Northside Christian's Katelyn Greenleaf was just as strong, winning the 1,600 and 3,200 and finishing second in the 800. In the 1,600 she broke her own meet record with a time of 5:11.12.

Funderburk usually runs the anchor leg on Lakewood's 4x400 relay but she had competed in the maximum four events by the time of the race. Still, the Spartans came through with a different lineup.

"We put Kala in some individual events because we knew she could win and give us points," Lakewood coach Megan Geidner said. "The other girls were nervous for the 4x400 but they just have this we're-not-going-to-lose mentality."

ST. PETERSBURG — It's not too often a track and field coaching staff will direct runners to run as slowly as they can yet still win the race, but that's what Northside Christian coaches Jeff Goodwin and Barry Greenleaf did Thursday at the Bay Conference Championships.

The meet was rescheduled from last month, and it occurred a day before the Distance Carnival at the University of Tampa and TFA Invitational at Orlando's First Academy — two key events in which Mustangs runners will compete.

Despite the cautious overtones, the meet still turned into a Northside Christian invitational of sorts, as the Mustangs cruised to easy victories. The boys tallied 207 points for first place over Keswick Christian's 100 points and Shorecrest's 100 points, while the girls compiled 210, plenty to beat Keswick Christian (78.33) and Shorecrest (57.33).

The Mustangs set three school records, in the boys 4x400 relay (Lucio Ojeda, Matt Montanari, Glen Dorsey II, Jimmy Van Deilen), the boys 4x100 (Ojeda, Van Deilen, Jeffrey Golden, Evan Howard) and the girls pole vault, in which Jess Artille cleared 10 feet, 1 inch. The Mustangs have combined to set nine school records this season.

Mario Ojeda, the No. 3-ranked runner in the 800 in the Florida Runners Class A poll, took first in the event with teammates Joe Chapman and Garet Marr finishing second and third, respectively. Ojeda teamed with Chapman, Marr and Montanari (fourth in the state in the 800) to capture the 4x800. Today the team takes on Trinity Prep, the state's top-ranked team.

Katelyn Greenleaf, ranked fourth in the state and 58th in the nation in the 1600, paced herself to a 5:42.60 time for a first-place finish in the event in preparation for today.

"I want to see how well I do in the event and try to improve on it so I know where I stand," said Greenleaf, who finished fourth in the 3200 at the state finals last year.

Class 1A-District 9

WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. Thursday/Shorecrest Prep, St. Petersburg

TEAMS: Academy at the Lakes, Bayshore Christian, Bishop McLaughlin, Calvary Christian, Cambridge, Carrollwood Day, Indian Rocks Christian, Northside Christian, Seffner Christian, Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian, Tampa Prep, Tampa Bay Christian.

OUTLOOK: Once again, perennial track power Northside Christian is the heavy team favorite in both the girls and boys meet. … On the girls side, Asia Olds (sprints), Katelyn Greenleaf (distances) and Victoria Goodwin (hurdles) could lead the Mustangs to a 100-point-plus margin of victory. Individually, Cambridge's Madison Cox (400), Bishop McLaughlin's Victoria Harris (discus) and Tampa Prep's Carly Reiner (sprints and jumps) and Claire Snyder (3,200) should contend for titles. … In the boys competition, Northside and Indian Rocks Christian athletes are the top seeds in most events. … From Hillsborough County, Seffner Christian's Brandon Ardley enters the meet ranked No. 1 in the long jump at 21-3, Cambridge's Damarcus Faison leads all high jumpers (6-2) and Tampa Prep's Yuri Costa is a close No. 2 seed in the 1,600 (4:47.11). From Pasco, Bishop McLaughlin's Christopher Pirrello has the meet's No. 1 time in the 3,200 (10:23.78).

Northside Christian’s Katelyn Greenleaf has surged ahead of the pack, putting so much distance between herself and the rest of the county competition that her ponytail is the only guidepost for runners to keep track of her.

Greenleaf, the county’s female runner of the year in cross country and track last season, has three straight top-10 finishes at cross country meets.

Better still, she has two years left to improve on those numbers.

The junior is among a handful of underclassmen who have risen to prominence in the county. Besides Greenleaf, five of the seven first-team, all-county selections return. And they’ll be together for a while considering none of them are seniors.

Top runners
1. Katelyn Greenleaf, Northside Christian: The runner of the year posted four of the county’s top five times last season and won conference and district titles.
2. Alex Eaton, St. Petersburg: The freshman, who transferred from Canterbury, finished 20th at the Class A state meet with a personal-best 19:45
3. Hannah Palm, Keswick Christian: The sophomore is the top runner for one of the county’s premier programs and was 34th at state last season.
4. Alexis Irwin, Osceola: The junior was a top-five finisher at last year’s district and region meets.
5. Victoria Goodwin, Northside Christian: The junior teams with Greenleaf to give the Mustangs a solid 1-2 punch at the top of their lineup.
6. Savannah Broome, Shorecrest: The freshman is the Chargers’ top runner and placed in the top 10 at regionals.
7. Rachel Kistemaker, Keswick Christian: The sophomore ranks among the best private school runners in the area.

Top three teams
1. Keswick Christian: The Crusaders return nearly every key contributor from last year’s team that finished 11th at state.
2. Northside Christian: The Mustangs have the best runner in the county and a strong supporting cast.
3. St. Petersburg: The addition of Eaton could give the Green Devils the edge to vault to the top of the conference standings.

For the fans
District meets, Nov. 1-6: The first six placing teams and top 15 runners in meets in which 14 or fewer teams are entered, and the first eight placing teams and top 15 runners in each meet in which 15 or more teams are entered advance.
Region meets, Nov. 11-13: The first six placing teams and top 15 runners in each meet advance to state.
State finals, Nov. 20: Little Everglades Ranch, Dade City

District assignments
4A, District 4: Alonso, Bradenton Manatee, Chamberlain, Clearwater, Countryside, East Lake, Freedom, Gaither, Northeast, North Port, Palm Harbor University, Pinellas Park, Plant, Port Charlotte, Riverview, Sarasota, Sarasota Riverview, St. Petersburg, Seminole, Tampa Bay Tech, Wharton.
3A, District 5: Bradenton Bayshore, Boca Ciega, Braden River, Dixie Hollins, Dunedin, Englewood Lemon Bay, Gibbs, Lakewood, Lakewood Ranch, Largo, Osceola, Palmetto, Tarpon Springs
2A, District 5: Academy of the Holy Names, Auburndale, Avon Park, Berkeley Prep, Frostproof, George Steinbrenner, Jesuit, Lake Wales, Lennard, Lakeland McKeel, Lakeland Tenoroc, Middleton, Mulberry, Robinson, Spoto, St. Petersburg Catholic, Strawberry Crest, Tampa Catholic.
A, District 5: Academy at the Lakes, Admiral Farragut, Bayshore Christian, Calvary Christian, Cambridge, Canterbury, Carrollwood Day, Clearwater Central Catholic, Indian Rocks Christian, Keswick Christian, Lakeland Christian, Lakeland Santa Fe, Lake Wales Vanguard, Northside Christian, Seffner Christian, Shorecrest Prep, Tampa Bay Christian, Tampa Prep, Walker Memorial Junior, Winter Haven All Saints,
Independent: Lakeside Christian

There seems to have been a misunderstanding regarding Northside Christian

NAPLES