Sunlake's Cade Whitfield has been a school record-breaking machine as of late including a sub 50-second performance in the 400 at Eagle Twilight on Thursday. (Photo by Lisa Brock)
Take a look at some of the most exciting races to watch from the Eagle Twilight on Thursday evening at East Lake High School in Tarpon Springs, Florida. While a smaller weekday meet, it was high quality with the teams that were present producing some quality times and entertaining finishes.
Girls 300m Hurdles - Anna Cincotta (East Lake) 44.90
The senior from East Lake put on a show in one of her final opportunities on her home track at East Lake. Cincotta won the 100-meter hurdles a 14.19 PR, leaped a season-best of 5.66 meters in the long jump, clocked a new personal best of 12.15 as a runner-up in the 100-meter dash, and finished off her day winning the 300-meter hurdles with her first sub 45-second race at 44.90 for the victory.
Boys 100m Dash - Tavis Wilson (Wharton) 10.72
Wharton senior Tavis Wilson was a double winner in the sprints for the boys 100 and 200 meter dash at the East Lake Eagle Twilight including a very fast performance thrown down for 100 meters with a wind-aided 10.77 effort for the win. His 200 meter dash winning time of 22.17 was a PR as well.
Girls 100m Dash - Sophie Haag (Calvary Christian) 11.89
The Calvary Christian sophomore Sophie Haag was entered individually at the Eagle Twilight with one sole purpose of clocking her first sub 12-second performance in the 100-meter dash. Despite hoping to be racing with River Ridge's Ella Tennant, who ended up being a scratch. Haag got very favorable winds (+4.9 reading) and a push from hurdles champion Anna Cincotta to roll to a lifetime best performance of 11.89 in the seeded section of the event. Haag is currently the top-ranked sprinter in 2A for the girls' 100-meter dash and third fastest in the 200-meter dash.
Boys 400m Dash - Cade Whitfield (Sunlake) 49.62
Coming into the race with a seed time and personal best of 51 seconds in the 400, Sunlake mid-distance runner Cade Whitfield showcased his range as well as his patience as he laid back thru the first 200 meters of the race before pouring it on in the final 200 to chase down Wharton's Talik Jeffers for a breakthrough 49.62 performance and the victory. It was a great follow-up race to his 1:55 school record race in the 800 at Satellite last Friday to earn another school record again at East Lake.
Girls 800m Run - Brooke Reif (Wharton) 2:17.75
After rolling thru the first 400 meters of the race with a 71-second split, it looked like it might a tall task for Brooke Reif or anyone in the girls' 800 field to go under 2:20. Boy, were we wrong. Reif turned on the jets the next 400 meters with a huge negative split and a 66-second last lap to win the race with a personal best time of 2:17 by the Wharton junior. She just missed breaking 11 minutes for 3200 meters last week in a great fourth-place showing of 11:01 at Set Goals No Limits Distance Showcase and seems to be running her best as we approach championship season.