Nash Higgins Relays: Alonso Ravens Edge Steinbrenner Warriors in Final Event

Nash Higgins Relays
Andy Warrener



On-Site Coverage

The drama of the 44th Annual Nash Higgins Relays reached its pinnacle Saturday evening as the girls 4x400m relay teams took the track. The Alonso Ravens and Steinbrenner Warriors were tied at 57. Whichever team finished in front of the other won the meet. The Wharton 4x400m relay led the whole way but the race between Steinbrenner and Alonso kept the stadium in suspense.



The first handoff happened simultaneously but Alonso began to build a lead by the second handoff. By the third, Alonso had a four-second lead on Steinbrenner and the Raven anchor leg run by Megan Wetzel held the lead and climbed up second place behind a terrific Wharton 4x400m effort that took first in 4:01.62. Steinbrenner sunk back to seventh in the relay and had to settle for second place in the team competition. The Ravens ended the day up 65 to Steinbrenner's 59.

"This was a great day for our program," Ravens coach Roger Mills said. "Hopefully, this will be a stepping stone for continued success."

On the boys side, Steinbrenner cruised to their second straight team title, with 53 to Jefferson's 41. The Steinbrenner boys won the high jump and shuttle hurdles. Zack Reinhardt was runner-up in the high jump at 6-0 and helped his team take the relay. The Warriors scored in every event except pole vault. The Warrior boys also grabbed third in the 4x100m and fourth in the distance medley.

As exciting as the girls team finish was, some individuals and relay teams had monster afternoons at Leto High. The most impressive race was the girls 4x800m relay where the top five teams all finished under 10:03. The Wharton girls 4x800m relay ran their best time of the season a 9:51.13. They are not far off of their scorching school record of 9:48.

"They could beat that (school record) by the end of the year," Wildcat coach Anthony Triana said.

Wildcat runner Jasmine Robinson ran a 2:22 split, the fastest split and freshman Searra Woods dropped five seconds off her split from a week ago at the Wharton Invitational. The Wharton 4x8 chopped nearly 15 seconds off their time from last week. 4x800m runner-up Alonso chopped nearly 30 seconds off of their time from last week, running a 10:01.39. That time set a new school record for the Ravens. Newsome was third in 10:02.36, Plant fourth at 10:02.79 and Freedom was fifth in 10:02.90. The Bloomingdale 4x800m boys set down the Nash Higgins meet mark with a lean 8:15.86, almost ten seconds ahead of the field. The Bloomingdale boys also won the distance medley.

Newsome won the pole vault relay but Plant City junior Jackson Hardee broke his personal record five times at the meet.

"I just knew I had it in me, I felt like this meet was the one to get my new PR," Hardee said.

Hardee just kept trying new heights. Topping out last season and seeded at 10 feet, Hardee went all the way up to 13-6 before he failed to clear 13-9 going for the school record. Hardee credits his summer work at Sky Pilot Vault Club in St. Cloud for his great start to 2014.

Jefferson's Deiondre Porter set down former teammate Joshua Wyche's meet mark in the long jump with a jump of 23-0.5 even though Hillsborough would win the long jump relay. The Terriers would win the boys triple jump as well. Hillsborough girls jumper Jada Roberson clipped the meet mark in the triple jump at 35-3 and helped her team take the triple jump relay. Hillsborough girls thrower Chloe Jones won both disc (96-6) and shot (35-8) and helped the Terriers take the shot put relay. Jefferson's Juwaun Brown set down the meet record in shot with a throw of 51-3.5, helping his team take second in the shot put relay. Gaither senior Brad Smith threw 143-4 in disc to help the Cowboys win the discus throw relay. Smith was also third in the shot (45-0).

Sickles' Mercedes Innocent set down the meet mark in the girls high jump, clearing 5-4. Anna Peyton Malizia of Plant also cleared 5-4 but took second on number of tries. Freedom won the high jump relay.

The King High School boys relays, the 4x100m and 4x400m picked up where they left off last week at Charles Johnson, winning both events again Saturday. The 4x100m team ran a 42.75 and the 4x400m team, comprised of the same four athletes, ran a 3:27.67. The Lions also won the 4x200m relay.

Middleton did not have the individual standouts from a week ago but their throwers relay team boys and girls won their events, the girls for their second-straight Nash Higgins Relay win. 


Elite Performances

Girls Highlights

Boys Highlights