Virtual meet rankings for each classification taking the top 8 performances in each event and scoring as a meet.
The Bolles Bulldog Classic was a good opportunity for both the host school Bolles and Montverde Academy to measure up against one another early in the season as two of the top programs right now among 2A girls squads. The Bolles squad winning with 129 points total proved to have much too much depth and numbers over a lighter but star powered Montverde Academy team with 68 points as the runner-up nearly doubling their total.
One of the great battles between athletes from both of their teams came in the fast section of the girls 100 meter hurdles between Montverde Academy's Michelle Smith (1st, 14.67) and Bolles' Ellie Smith (2nd, 14.77).
The difference between the two teams should certainly tighten up at the state meet with scoring points tougher to come by at that level compared to a regular season invitational meet, which will tilt favor in balance of Montverde Academy including several individual state title hopefuls in their lineup. Montverde Academy was also missing one of their top athletes in Javonya Valcourt still recovering from an injury at the Louie Bing Invitational.
Montverde Academy's fastest sprinter in Micayah Holland opted not to run the 100 meter dash (11.64 PR) and instead ran the 200 meter dash fresh to the tune of a sub 24 second performance on Friday night.
However, a tradeoff will be that the versatile Michelle Smith, who ranks as 2A's fastest right now in the 300 meter hurdles, 800 meter run and second fastest in the 400 and 100 meter hurdles certainly cannot possibly compete in all of those events or at least as well as she can in a single day state meet on short recovery. She had an opportunity to do 3 of the 4 events at the Bolles Bulldog Classic, but scratched the 800 after winning both the 100 meter hurdles and 400 meter dash earlier in the meet.
Bolles will have a similar decision to make with their star distance runner Jillian Candelino, who could win state titles in the 1600 and 3200 as well as score in the 800 meter run, but also is a key leg and anchor for their 4x800 meter relay, which ranks fastest in 2A. Likely triple for her will be the 4x800, 1600, and 3200 on the same day at the state meet.
The edge for Bolles right now projects to be in their well rounded group of field event athletes with the best individual performers right now for 2A with Vivian Stovall in the pole vault, Emily Rohan in the javelin, and Zee Curtis in the discus. If Bolles can produce three state champions in the field events, that will be a tough early hole for Montverde Academy or any program in 2A to overcome.
Ellie Smith also will be valuable for the Bolles team cause as she is not only a likely All-State point scorer in the 100 meter hurdles, but versatile enough and expected to place potentially top 3 at the state meet in the pole vault and triple jump.
Montverde Academy will need to run the table and dominate the sprints with Micayah Holland and Javonya Valcourt and others, while getting the most of their sprint relays as their 4x100 and 4x400 meter relay squads are capable of being 2A state champions.
Ashley Conklin and Isabella Kirst in the pole vault as well as Shaunece Miller in the high jump will be pivotal for them in the field events to not allow Bolles to build too big of a lead before the running events start. Their next best sprinters after Holland and Valcourt in Mia Dansby and Alivia Williams will also need to step up for more points than currently projected as well as hold down the relays if an athlete like Michelle Smith might have to be held out of one or both to focus on scoring as many points in the individual events.
The current 2A girls state meet scoring breakdown has Bolles winning with 124 1/2 points over Montverde Academy with 112 points. It is very possible that both loaded teams could crest into the triple digits at the state meet battling for first place in the 2A classification come May.
Virtual Meet Rankings by Classification: