Photo Gallery: Larry Kelly Invitational
Results: Larry Kelly Invitational
While much of the state was looking to Jacksonville at the Bolles Bulldog Classic for a chance at seeing a sub 9 minute performance in the boys 3200 meter run, Trinity Prep senior Nick Carpenter and Hagerty junior Brayden Seymour decided they would stage their own race attempt at the time barrier at the same time at Bishop Moore High School's Larry Kelly Invitational in Orlando.
Seymour was the state leader in the coming into this weekend from a 9:17 run last month traveling out to California for the Sundown Track Series, which he finished in the back end (15th place) of a field that saw the winner Colin Sahlman of Newbury Park (CA) run the fastest high school 3200 meter time ever at 8:33.32. The Hagerty school record holder also was race sharp than most distance runners in Florida having participated in a series of indoor mile races at the Armory in New York City including a 4:15 mile PR in the Millrose Games one month ago.
The University of Penn commit Carpenter had a prior 3200 meter personal best of 9:12 at last March's Set Goals Not Limits Distance Showcase at Satellite High. This past fall's FHSAA 1A state cross country champion had opened his 2022 outdoor season last Friday on his home track at the Citrus League Championships winning both the 1600 meter run in 4:24 and 800 meter run in a 1:58 personal best.
The race conditions were fairly ideal on Friday night at Bishop Moore for their 3200 meter run with temperatures having cooled down by their race starting around 10 PM local time.
Seymour took over pacing duties early thru the first 3 laps, while Carpenter ran up front for the next 3 laps. The pair hit the 1600 meters mark in 4:32, while.a pair of Seymour's teammates in Miguel Pantojas and Jonathan Leon tried to keep up as long as they could thru the first half of the race.
Entering the final lap and 400 meters to go at 7:59, Seymour had regained the lead but Carpenter right on his shoulders. On the backstretch, Carpenter made the final move for the lead and dropped a 60 second for his last 400 meters split to just get under the 9 minute barrier in a 8:59.56 victory with a 13 second PR. Seymour had to settle for a 14 second PR in second place with a time of 9:03.06, which was faster than the winning time of the Bolles Bulldog Classic 3200 winner Michael Toppi of Viera at 9:03.94.
Carpenter becomes just the 12th runner in Florida high school history to break 9 minutes for 3200 meters. With the state currently already having the state record holder Rheinhardt Harrison at 8:47 and now Carpenter under 9 minutes, this could set up for a special and deep year in the 3200 meter run at some later races such as FSU Relays and certainly the state meet with others like Seymour, Toppi, Patrick Koon and others capable of pushing under 9 minutes too.
It was good night for Coach Jay Getty and his distance boys at Hagerty as not only did Seymour break his own school record in the 3200, but saw teammates Miguel Pantojas at 9:27 for third place and Jonathan Leon at 9:38 for fourth place drop fast times in the race.
Other notable performances from the meet on Friday night at Bishop Moore High School included 8th grader D'Asia Duncan of Geneva School winning the 100 meter hurdles with a sub 15 clocking at 14.83 and Astronaut freshman Madison Carr running away with the girls 3200 meter race at 11:13.