Pinellas County athletes continue to raise the bar for themselves. Monday’s make up date for the County Championships at Clearwater High School proved it yet again. The Lakewood boys looked poised to re-claim the county title, and they did with 119 points but Gibbs (93) gave them a good push. They took three of the top five spots 100m finals and three in the top five spots in the 200m. Efforts from junior Jaquez President, second in both the 200m (22.06) and in the 400m (49.86) and Damien Daniels, third in 100m (11.14), helped keep it close but the Spartans got help from all over. Freshman Devonte Persha won the 800m (1:59.16). Senior Antonio Bryant got second in the high jump (5-10) and fifth in the long jump (20-10.5). The Spartans were just too much. The Griffin twins, on their own took first and second in the triple jump, third and fourth in the long jump. Senior Timothy Holmes swept both the 110m hurdles (14.60) and 300m hurdles (37.09). Holmes set a new meet record with his time in the 300m hurdles.
And then of course the big horses drove their teams.
For Gibbs, senior Baylor-bound Trayvon Bromell won all three of his events, the 100m, the 200m and the 4x100m relay. Bromell was already looking for a little redemption having false started at the Florida Relays just three days prior. Bromell responded by shattering all three PCAC meet records. After running a scorching 10.53 to break the record in the prelims, he ran a 10.82 in the finals. It was another disappointing turn for the young Spartan; at least in his own eyes. However, that quickly turned around in the last two events. In the 200m, Bromell ran with fury crushing the meet record and his own personal in 20.86--third fastest all-conditions high school time in the nation this year. Next, Bromell would run the anchor leg on the 4x100m relay. Bromell got the baton from President and was at least 10 meters behind Lakewood anchor leg Marquez Valdes. A Lakewood upset seemed almost certain until Bromell hit a higher gear, caught and passed Valdes in the last 70 meters of the race. It was a jaw-dropping comeback from an elite athlete, giving Gibbs the 42.37 victory over Lakewood's 42.60.
“I had to make something happen (in the 4x100m), so no one would remember that 10.82,” Bromell said.
Bromell is still chasing Jones High School’s Levonte Whitfield for the state’s top mark in the 100m. Whitfield is second-ranked in the 200m behind Kendal Williams, both leading times from a hot battle at Bob Hayes in mid March. Bromell is gaining valuable experience in marquee events in 2013.
“I learned that there are other people out there that are working just as hard as you,” Bromell said. “So you gotta push and stay focused if you want to stay on top.”
Bromell continues to find ways to raise the bar for himself.
“We’ve always had great sprinters at Gibbs,” Gladiator coach Anthony Givens said. “Perry Joseph, Matt Brown, Jarvis West, Jarrell Young, these guys were all great sprinters but (Bromell) has crushed all their records, made them look like average runners.”
The throwing events were captured by St. Petersburg senior Jeremy Kerr as he took first in the shot (45-9) and disc (134-4). The distance races were dominated by Countyside, namely senior Paul “Megadeth” McKenna who took first and set a new meet record in the 3200m (9:46.75) and placed second to teammate and junior Andrew Llewellyn (4:38.40) in the 1600m.
The most exciting competition of the day was for the triple jump crown. Shaquem Griffin was vying to defend his PCAC title and meet mark of 46-8 but East Lake junior Artavis Scott and brother Shaquill had other designs. First Scott broke the mark with a jump of 46-8.25 in prelims. Next Shaquill would jump 46-9 on his final jump of the prelims. Then came the finals with Shaquill holding the top mark. All three athletes had made several long jumps and run their preliminary heats of sprints and relays and the marks held as fatigued legs gave way to gravity. Then, on his second jump of the finals, and to the rhythm of a clapping and cajoling audience, Shaquem sprinted down the lane, hopped, skipped and jumped in the pit hitting a mark of 47-3.5, pushing the meet record out even further and taking first place. The mark ranks him fifth int he state.
“Every time we (Scott, Shaquill and East Lake sophomore George Campbell who didn’t compete in jumps due to an injured wrist) compete it’s fun,” Shaquill said. “We push each other to be the best and have fun with it.”
St. Petersbrug senior Cayman Ellis set a new meet mark of 14-6 in boys pole vault but was still six inches off his personal record and state mark of 15 feet.
In the action on the girls side, it was a three-horse race between Osceola, Lakewood and Pinellas Park.
In perhaps the most notable individual accomplishment of the meet, Pinellas Park junior Deterrica Simpkins won the sprinting triple crown with first place finishes in the 100m (12.53), the 200m (25.45) and the 400m (59.74). Simpkins set a new meet record in the 200m in just her first year running open events outside of the 200m for the Patriots.
“It feels good, it shows all that hard work is paying off,” Simpkins said.
Simpkins admits she’s probably best at the 400m but it’s the event she least likes.
“It’s definitely a love-hate relationship (with the 400m),” Simpkins said. “I love to win it but I hate to run it.”
Simpkins, along with two other of the top five finishers in the 400m offered up their lunches after the race in recognition of just how tough that race can be.
Simpkins scored 30 points on her own for the Patriots. Senior teammate Jasmine Laska chipped in 20 points on her own as she repeated as PCAC champ in both the shot (32-11) and the disc (110-4).
The Lakewood girls got a more balanced effort as senior Erika Allen took second place in both the 100m (12.63) and the 200m (25.82). Senior Ashlee Funderburk won the 300m hurdles (47.59) and sophomore Melissa Dones’ got second in the 100m hurdles (17.03).
However, Osceola pulled through in the end with 119 points to Lakewood’s 71 and Pinellas Park’s 68.
The Warriors dominated the hurdles as senior Olivia Bush won the 100m hurdles (16.78) and took second in the 300m hurdles (49.02).
“I finally three-stepped all the hurdles (in the 100m hurdles),” Bush said as she is approaching her personal record in both events.
Junior Jeanna Cube won the girls high jump (5-4) and the long jump (16-05.50) and sophomore Jennifer Kistemaker won the pole vault, going 12 feet and breaking the meet and her own personal record.
“I’ve been trying to get on this new pole that’s been a little scary to get on,” Kistemaker said. “I’m hoping to catch my brother before the year is out.”
Kistemaker is chasing her brother, Jonathan’s high school mark of 13 feet and has aims at hitting it this year. Jonathan is an Osceola High graduate. Kistemaker also got fifth in the 100m hurdles (17.78).