The tradition continues! The flrunners.com Middle School State Championship is now in its eight year. Can you believe it? In this history we have seen some of the greatest stars of Florida high school athletics get their start.
The flrunners.com coverage team will consist of Jason Byrne doing photos and commentary and Doctor Bob will be hosting a live webcast, sponsored by Track Shack. You can watch it all here starting at 9:00 on Saturday.
What records will go down this year? In this article we look at which might be in jeopardy.
----------------------------
Girls 100 Meters
Now nationally famous Robin Reynolds of Miami Jackson first became well-known to many after her phenomonal performance at the flrunners.com Middle School State Championship last year. At that meet she pulled off an amazing feat similar to the one at the high school state meet this year. She won four events: the 100, 200, 400, and 800. In two of those events (the 100 and 400) she pulled off state meet records.
It will take a big performance, but that 100 meter state record may be challenged this year. Reynolds ran a 11.93. The top seed going in is Amani Andrews with a regional time of 12.01! This could be possibly a short-lived record!
Girls 1500 Meters
Grace Vandergrift, who finished in 4th place at the 4A state meet for Durant this past weekend, holds the 1500 Meter state meet record with her time of 4:55.65 in 2007. This one seems like it could potentially be challenged by a number of atheltes.
It seems like Mallory White has been competing at the middle school state meet forever! In fact, White made her first appearance in the state meet in 2005 when she was in just the 4th grade! that year she medaled in three events.
Well now five years later she had multiple middle school state championships and has already done well on the high school scene as well. Mallory enters with a 2:18.31 800m PR so is in a really good position to make her mark upon history!
Mallory White does not enter with the top seed, but the previouslly mentioned star and veteran of this meet has run a 5:08.85 1600m, which translates into roughly a 4:47 1500. So she would not have to have even her best day to improve upon this record.
Courtney Filliben of Miami will also be a serious contender. She has already ran under the record time this year at the Miami Elite Invitational, where she clocked a 4:49.81.
There are a number of others also with a shot at this one including Stefanie Kurgatt of Maclay (5:14 1600), CeCe Williams (sister of 3A 1600 Champ Lily Williams), and Mary Ann Brown of Clay County (5:20 1600).
Girls 800 Meters
Christal Washington set the middle school state meet record way back in 2004 before going on to high school and winning multiple state championships in that event for South Broward High. Her high school credentials included a 2:05.83 time at Nike outdoor in 2007 that is #2 All-Time in Florida. Quite a legend to live up to!
But Christal's record may be in some serious trouble! Maclay 8th grader Stefanie Kurgatt wrapped up the 1A State Championship two weeks ago with a stunning time of 2:14.93! It's safe to say that even at less than 100% effort this thing may go down.
And Stefanie will have company. Mallory White enters with a PR of 2:18.31, which also is under record pace. Hannah Howell of St. Stephens may also have a shot at challenging on a good day. Her best int he evnet is 2:20.65.
Girls 3000 Meters
The record belongs to Katie Traylor who went on to be part of that star-studden and nationally-ranked Episcopal Girls XC team. Katie is a junior now and has PRs of 5:07 for 1600, 11:13 for 3200, and 18:25 for the 5K. She made her mark on the middle school state meet in 2005 with her 10:47.71 record that has stood for four years.
It may stand no more after this year!
With all of the girls vying for this one, it is more likely than not that this one is going to be lowered by a significant margin.
Emily Edwards of Canterbury will be the favorite. She's had a fantastic year this season as just a 7th grader. She has run under 11:30 for 3200 meters no less than 3 times this year including an 11:22.17 at Florida Relays, which translates to a 10:35 3000!
Danielle Dunn of St. Johns Country Day will hope to challenge her high school 1A rival here. Dunn has a 3200m PR 11:24 (converts to a 10:37 3000) from very early in the season, but hasn't been able to break under 11:30 since then. If she can knock a few seconds off and run like she was in early March then she might pull off the upset.
Courtney Filliben of St. Thomas the Apostle in Miami also could pose a treat to Edwards. Afterall, Courtney is the only one of the bunch to actually run under the record at this specific event. That came last month at the Miami Elite Invitational with her 10:39 performance in the 3000 meters.
McKenzie Dummer of Holy Trinity, who qualified through the FHSAA State Series where she ran a 11:40 3200 at region and a 12:06 at state, has an outside shot to challenge. That 11:40 translates awfully close to the record... to a 10:52. It would take a PR day, but it's definitely within reach.
Girls 200 Hurdles
This event is always interesting because it is run so seldom in the state! Not only do they normally run 300H (or sometimes 400H) in the high school meets, but in middle school they seldom run hurdles events at all and when they do they don't typically run anything more than 100.
So this is always the wildcard where someone may just break out.
The record was set last year by Alyse Rogers, with a 29.09. Rogers had a pretty good freshman season for Andrew Jackson this year, qualifying for state and running a 15.56 100H PR at regional.
It will take a PR in the event, but Ebony Morrison will be hoping to take that record down. At the South Region Qualifier last month Morrison ran a 29.56 to become the state leader in the event. That is if Morrison can make it to the event... there is a conflicting event in Miami that puts some attendance from South Florida athletes in question.
Girls 4x800
Way back in 2004 the South Florida Starz came up and dominated so many events, still holding all three girls relay records to this day. Their 4x800 record of 10:10.48 looks to be the only one in jeopardy this year. (in all likelihood their 4x400 record of 3:51.30 will stand decades!)
The Royal Runners (First Academy) will hope to hit the delete key on the 4x8 record. They enter with four girls who have run a 10:04.
Girls High Jump
Barbara Vilson of Miami Campbell Drive Middle may be able to take down--or is it take over?--Dorian Corbett's 2006 high jump record of 5-3. Vilson has cleared 5-4 this year. So if she opts to compete here instead of the USATF South Florida Qualifier the new record may be hers!
Ariella Maturrell is in a similar boat if she comes, having cleared 5-2 at region, but also from Miami.
Girls Pole Vault
This is another event not often contested in middle school meets, but the record has now been equaled twice. Emily Cook of Monteverde first cleared 9-6 in 2005, which at the time was a huge record. Last year Megan Walker of Pt. St. Joe matched it.
Raquel Alina Anderson is the top seed going in, having also cleared 9-6. And 7th grader Lillian VanWinkle of Maclay cleared 9-3 last week at the Panhandle region, after clearing 9-0 at the high school 1A State Meet.
Girls Long Jump
Deandra Doyley's long jump record of 17-6.5 is the longest standing of any record at the middle school state meet. It has been around since the very first year back in 2002! Could it be on its final day?
Adanna Thompson of the 1A State Champion PK Yonge has cleared 17 feet twice this season, including a 17-9.75 at the 1A Region 2 meet back on April 24. She only managed to hit a 16-11.5 a week later at the high school state meet though. If she can equal or better that PR then Deandra Doyley will only have one active record left (the 100H).
Girls Triple Jump
Yet another record seriouslly in trouble. This event is not often contested at the middle school level so often kids are trying it out for the first time in the middle school state meet series and put up less than impressive jumps, but that's the spirit of this meet... getting kids introduced to the sport!
Anything but unimpressive, two years ago Lakia Bright set the new mark with a jump of 32-04.25. She is going to have a host of girls looking like they can replace that record this year.
Darielle McQueen of North Florida Christian is far and away the favorite to do so. She comes in with a 37-0 from last week's Panhandle qualifier. Dantasia Welch of Pt. St. Joe was second at that same qualifier with her 33-0... so both have already proven they are capable!
Boys 100 Meters
Here's another record that has stood since day one! Ryan Colson's record of 10.97 was set way back in 2002 and eitht years later it's still on top! It would be really fun to see that change hands this year.
Bradford Middle has a fine tradition of sprinters and their top gun this year is James Phillip. The eigth grader enters with a PR equal to that 10.97 record, which he set last month at the North qualifier. Could this be the year?
Boys Pole Vault
Some guy by the name of Riley Egan currently holds the boys pole vault record of 10-0, which he achieved way back in 2004. Just kidding... of course Riley became a huge star in high school eventually setting the state meet record and being #2 All-Time in Florida....
That is until last week. You see this could be a really tough two weeks here for Riley. Just last week we saw Mike Vani take down his one year old state meet record in the 3A Meet (coached by his same coach) with a vault of 16-8. This week in all likelihood that middle school state meet record will be wiped clean.
It's pretty ironic that after all of these years that 10-0 has seemed so unreachable. (another one of those events seldom competed by middle schoolers) But it seems this year something is in the water or maybe the pole vault is being taught earlier. Who knows!
Three guys Kyle Weaver of Maclay and Corey Smith of Holy Trinity may be set to smash this thing to bits. Both have topped the mark by over two feet! Weaver enters with a 12-3 seed and Corey with a 12-0. Beaush Feaster of Northside Christian also enters with a seed taller than the record... a 10-6.
Love it!
Boys Shot Put
In year two of the meet (2003) Ryan van Rensburg set a huge mark of 50-3.25 that has stood up mightily ever since. Kevin Delgado, the national middle school leader in the event, has thrown over 50 feet twice in his career and will look to get a big one on Saturday to take down this record.
His PR of 54-0 came back in February. In March he equaled the record with a 50-3. But he hasn't had many meets since then, being that the Dade County season concludes so early. So can he muster another big throw? Let's hope so!
Boys Discus
Justin Osking, this year's 2A State Champ for Lincoln Park, has gotten a lot of attention this year. The sophomore threw a season best 182-3.5 this year at district and a 56-7 shot--second in the state. Two years ago it was this young man at the middle school state meet making waves and a name for himself with a 156-11 throw (also winning the shot that year).
But Osking's reign in the record book may be short lived. Trevor Kintyhtt of Lakeside Junior High comes in as the state leader by a mile. He threw 174-5 at the North Region meet, which is also reportedly the national best for middle school (although record keeping is spotty for middle school nationally). That is a big big throw! But being that Kintyhtt makes a habit of throwing over 160 feet, it is a fairly safe bet that he will find his name on the legendary list soon!
Boys 4x100 Relay
For personal reasons that I should probably keep to myself, I would LOVE to see the 4x100 record held by the defunct Florida Heat Track Club go down. It has sat there unchallenged at 45.03 since 2004. Hopefully this is the year!
American Heritage enters as the favorites to win it all and their 44.50 leads the state in the event. Two other teams may be surprise challengers in the Wolf Runners (45.25) and Bradford Middle (45.44).
The tradition continues! The flrunners.com Middle School State Championship is now in its eight year. Can you believe it? In this history we have seen some of the greatest stars of Florida high school athletics get their start.
The flrunners.com coverage team will consist of Jason Byrne doing photos and commentary and Doctor Bob will be hosting a live webcast, sponsored by Track Shack. You can watch it all here starting at 9:00 on Saturday.
