Class 2A State Track: Bolles’ Collier Sweeps Distance Events, AMH Best Of Boys Teams

First up it was the 800m final on Friday. Collier lined up against Space Coast's Skye Zeller, whom she'd only beaten by one-hundredth of a second at the 2015 state meet. The field was pretty level through most of the first lap but Collier dropped the hammer heading into the second lap and went unchallenged through it to break the tape at a jaw-dropping 2:06.74, now the second-best time in the nation this season.

Next, it was in Friday's nightcap, the 3200m, Collier battled with the lead pack for position. As Collier advanced her position, Gulliver Prep eighth-grader Natalie Varela gave chase and she held on to Collier, keeping her within a few yards. Into the final lap, Collier made another move and Varela countered, keeping it close through the back stretch and challenging her on the last turn. Down the final straightaway, Collier was able to pull away and win it in 10:48.02. Varela took second in 10:51.47. 

Finally on Saturday, the 1600m was ready to go. Again, Collier moved into the lead position. Again, Varela would not let her pull away. Again, Collier was just too strong and another burst down the straightaway clinched her third state title in 5:02.59. Varela was not far behind at 5:05.73. The predicament now for Collier is to find ways to keep challenging herself as she seems to be one of the most dominant distance runners in the state, regardless of classification. Collier capped the meet with a leg on the fourth-place 4x400m relay. 

"I always think there have to be girls that are faster and I have to get the mentality where I know I'm not the best and if I want to be the best, I have to think like that," Collier said. "I'm always critiquing myself, always trying to find something better I can do in a race."

So much for complacency. Still, watch out for Varela going forward. Collier scored 30 individual points and was a part of 35 of Bolles' 65 points that bagged the 2A girls team title. Suzanne Dannheim, Rachel Shapiro, Brittany Wilkinson and Ally Hajda won the 4x800m relay for Bolles in 9:26.05. 

The Plantation American Heritage boys won the 2A team title with 63 points. Runner up Cocoa scored 42. The backbone of the Heritage team was sprinter Anthony Schwartz. Schwartz had an incredible weekend, winning the 100m final in 10.68, the 200m final in 21.77 and anchored the winning 4x100m relay in 41.45. 

"I hate being second, even in practice," Schwartz said. "This was my first time running individual events at the state meet, so it was great to come out here and get those wins."

The Heritage boys still hold down the top relay time in the state, a 40.95 from UF Pepsis Relays. Schwartz even helped the 4x400m relay win the event in 3:17.39. Schwartz, just a sophomore, played a part in 40 of Heritage's 63 points that won them the boys 2A title. Heritage teammate Mckinly Brown won the boys 110m hurdles in 14.63, just behind Brandon Schultz of Ridgewood (14.65) and won the 300m hurdles in 37.51. 

"This was my last high school meet so I had to put it all out there for my team," Brown said. 

Lake Wales sophomore Maiah Walker, already the state leader in the 400m, ran a 54.17 to hold off Spoto's Janae Caldwell (55.36). The pair had squared off at regionals, where Walker's 53.27 still holds as the third-best time in the nation. Freshman Monte Parker of Stranahan clipped senior Justice Ari Dixon of Bolles 48.89 to 49.19 to win the boys 400m title. 

Palatka's Ka Tia Seymour went sub 12 (11.85) to win the girls 100m title into a slight headwind and went 23.98 into a negative 2.0 headwind factor to win the 200m. Rockledge's Keosha Sanders and Kylee Cobbs-Marcus went 12.06 and 12.07 to take second an third. Seymour, Kari Rasher, Tazarryia Poole, and Jaelyn Hendrieth teamed up to win the 4x100m relay in 47.10. Sanders was on the runner up relay in 47.18. 

Lincoln Park's Caleb Pottorff was locked in a battle with a pair of Trinity Prep runners in Charles Cook and Trenton Mandato but managed to hold on for the win in 9:16.39. Cook and Mandato took second and third in 9:17.40 and 9:19.73. Pottorff lined up for the 1600m on Saturday and held the lead through the first two laps. Heading into the third lap, Hernando's Trevor Foley moved into the lead. Coming into the bell lap, Foley got kicked by a trailing runner but held his stride. Foley turned up the pace, trying to avoid another encounter with a track spike.

"I got scared (after the first clip), it pushed me because it throws off your rhythm so much," Foley said. 

Foley hit the turn into the bell lap and accelerated and no one challenged him. Foley came in at 4:18.98, a personal record by more than five seconds.

"The gameplay coming in was to sit, then with 600 meters to go, hit it," Foley said. "I knew if I had the lead at the 400 mark, I was going to be able to out kick everyone."

The time was just one second off Hernando's school record and the Hernando County record.

"I definitely knew I was capable of running that time but not with these (windy) conditions," Foley said. 

Pottorff took second in 4:23.27.

Rockledge's Kaira Simmons went 20-2.25 to win the girls long jump. That mark takes over Simmons' already state-leading 20-1.25 from districts. Simmons came back on Saturday to take fourth in triple jump behind Florida High's Adrianna Mitchell (39-1.5). 

Astronaut's Tristan Schulthesis cleared 6-10 on his second attempt to win boys high jump. Schulthesis went for 7-2.5, which would have been a new FHSAA state record but could not quite clear it. 

Miami Jackson's Tiara McMinn has a busy weekend as she won girls high jump at 5-8, the 100m hurdles in 14.20 into a negative 2.5 headwind factor, the fastest of any classification. Hallandale's Tia Strackman could have won in almost any other classification with her 14.34. McMinn pulled the hurdle sweep with a 43.21 in the 300m hurdles. Strackman took second with 43.71. 

"There was some pretty good competition out there," McMinn said. "All I do is execute my race, keep my form and run fast."

Frederick Brown of Santa Fe won boys long jump at 23-10.75.

Diego Fagot of Fort Lauderdale's Calvary Christian, went 55-4.5 to win boys disc with Palatka's Eron Cater in second at 54-8.5. Carter bounced back and went 183-11 to clobber the field in the discus. The next best thrower was more than 20 feet behind. 

Ransom Everglades' Debbie Ajagbe went 141-10 to claim the girls discus title. Ajagbe also took second in the shot behind Godby's Dorian Solomon (41-8). 

Satellite's Noah Mumme won the boys pole vault at 14-6.