2A State Meet: Bolles Girls Win Nailbiter Over Hallandale, Washington Boys Dominate

FHSAA Outdoor State Finals, Friday
Andy Warrener

On-Site Coverage

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Girls Highlights

Story by Andy Warrener / Photos by Jeff Adams

The nail-shredding finish to the final girls event at 2A states was dwarfed by the team score that delayed the final point total until after the 4x400m relay. Mackenzie Wilson of Bolles won the 3200m in 10:50.95 edging the Bulldogs to within three points of Hallandale. Then the 4x400m went off. Miami Jackson won it in 3:58.15 but all eyes were on the Hallandale and Bolles teams. Bolles wound up third but Hallandale was right behind in fourth. All eyes turned quickly to the girls discus which was just wrapping up. There Danielle Spence scored a second-place victory with a throw of 122-6. Lamisha Simmons was seventh in the event but Spence's big eight points pushed the Bolles girls over the top and they won 66 to 65. 

"This is a huge day for her," Bolles cross-country and distance coach said. 

Spence and the Bulldogs were locked in battle all day with Hallandale. Hallandale senior Edquisha Alvin won the high jump at 5-7. Teammate Kimani Rushing won the girls triple jump at 38-1 and was third in the 100m hurdles along with teammate Lamisha Simmons in third. Rushing and Simmons went first and second in the 300m hurdles. Meanwhile eighth-grader Caitlyn Collier won the 800m in 2:13.54. Mackenzie Wilson placed second in the 1600m (5:03.34) locked in a ferocious battle with Pine Crest's Julia Montgomery who finished less than three-tenths of a second. Wilson would win the battle with Montgomery in the 3200m, winning it in 10:50.95, less than two seconds ahead of Montgomery.

Girls duking it out on the track was a trend Friday as sprinters in senior Deana Hill of Lake Highland Prep and sophomore Alfreda Steele traded titles with Hill repeating as state champ in the 100m, this time in 11.94 and Steele with 11.99. Then Steele got hers in the 200m, clipping Hill in 24.04 setting a new personal record.

"She's a great runner," Hill said of Steele. "She can roll with the big dogs, she's going to be a great athlete. 

Steele also was runner-up in the long jump.

The 4x800m top-seeded relays stood little chance Friday. After top-seeded Holy Trinity's relays settled for second in Class 1A, Class 2A followed suit with Bolles girls demolishing their regional mark of 9:49.97 and finishing first with a 9:15.19. The girls were bolstered by two new athletes they brought in for states. Lily Arnold took the lead leg and Jasmine Burkett took over the second leg as the girls incinerated their seed time and crushed runner-up Pine Crest by almost 30 seconds.

"We felt as if Jasmine got the lead, we'd be in pretty good shape," Ryan said. "It was a great way to start the meet and set the tone for the day."

Jones senior Stefani Kerrison defended her 2013 state title in the 100m hurdles in 14.02 and took third in the 300m hurdles. She got a terrific chase in the 100m hurdles from Rockledge senior Danielle Phillips who finished second in 14.15. Phillips won the girls long jump with an impressive 19-5.

Tampa Catholic's Nicole Carrol was utterly unfettered by the wet conditions Friday. Carroll increased her personal record, her school record and won her second straight Class 2A state title, clearing 12 feet. Track officials stopped Carroll at 12 feet due to the conditions. Carroll felt like she could have gone higher. 

"It was really crazy in the beginning, I took three tries to get 10 feet," Carrol said. "They made me stop at 12."

When asked if she could have gone higher, Carrol shrugged her shoulders with a smile and said, "may-be".

In the 2A girls long jump, Danielle Phillips of Rockledge improved on her runner-up finish from 2013, going 19-5, out-jumping Alfreda Steele of Pasco by more than a foot. 

Godby's Caitlin Wilson won the girls 400m in 54.87.

Boys Highlights

Story by Andy Warrener / Photos by Jeff Adams

On the boys side, Booker T. Washington rolled to a comfortable victory with 61 points to runner-up Florida State University School with 39. The Tornadoes took first and third in the 100m with Nigel Bethel II and Deltron Hopkins, respectively. The pair also went first and third in the 200m, Bethel in 21.22. Krondis Larry won the boys 400m in 48.74. Naturally, the boys combined to win the 4x100m relay in 41.19. A second place finish in the 4x400m relay sealed the deal for the Tornadoes.

There were some fantastic individual feats as well.

Bolles senior Harry Glasser, also a wrestler, cleared 16 feet to win the boys pole vault. Glasser was just off his personal best of 16-4.75 which is also his school record. 

"It's great because I've been close to winning the event since my sophomore year," Glasser said.

Dunedin's Ahmad Middleton was crestfallen last week when he was bumped by another hurdler and failed to qualify for the 110m hurdles. Middleton took out his frustration in the 300m hurdles, scorching out a 37.12. As it stood Friday, it was the seventh-best time in the nation.

"I made up for it, I really did," heaved an out-of-breath Middleton.

Middleton was also third in the long jump at 20-0.5.

The top-seeded Pine Crest boys held serve and won their 4x800m in 8:08.19 clipping their regional time by more than three seconds. 

In the 2A throwing events, Rashodd Hadley of Baker County out-threw top-seeded Dane Stolsig of West Florida Tech. Stolsig fouled on all three of his throws in the finals in the wet conditions but the junior has not seen his last state finals.

The boys high jump also found hard-going with Wakulla teammates Corion Knight and Keith Gavin both clearing 6-4 with Knight taking first on scratches. 

A berserker rage filled Pine Crest's John Decker down the last straightaway in the boys 800m. Monteverde Academy's Jesse Wear led most of the race but would not withstand Decker's burst down the home stretch.

Gaby Correa of Ransom Everglades won the boys 1600m in 4:21.41.

Immokalee's Leonel Delacruz made his move on the final turn of the 3200m to win it in 9:29.17, shattering his regional time by more than 15 seconds. 

 

Elite Performances

Girls

Boys