More On The Greatest Boys 3,200 Ever Run In Florida History


By Brandon Miles - Flrunners

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TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA -- I do not have to double-check the stat to say it.

We witnessed the greatest high school boys 3,200 meter race in Florida state history on Friday night at the FSU Relays when not one but five runners broke the illustrious sub-9 minute barrier in the event. 

Trinity Prep senior Nick Carpenter won the race in a time of 8:57.92, claiming a fierce battle over the final 200 meters, and he did it against a who's who list of the state's best distance runners.

The conditions set the stage. Friday night in Tallahassee was a relatively cool night for Florida in the mid 60s, and the wind lessened over the course of the evening. By race time, the stage was set for the magic to happen at the FSU Relays in the last race of the night -- the fast section. 

The high school 3,200m has historically been one of the best -- and deepest -- races at this meet over the years in Florida, but the last two years it did not happen at all. In 2020, the FSU Relays was canceled entirely due to coronavirus restrictions and in 2021 the meet only allowed collegiate competition.

So the build-up and wait for this race was longer than just this week, or this season. 


Brayden Seymour of Hagerty, a 4:11 miler, did much of the pace-setting earlier on as he hit 66 seconds for the first lap and held the lead through the first 1,600m with a 4:34 split. 

After the pace fell off somewhat with a 69-second lap for our lead pack, Leon sophomore Patrick Koon realized there would be no sub-9 if no one took charge.

He surged on lap six to wake up the field -- and every top contender -- with a 65-second lap.

It would be two seniors -- and the two 9:04 performers from two weekends ago at the Bolles Bulldog Classic -- who would then make a move. Michael Toppi of Viera and Carpenter of Trinity Prep made the pass on Koon on the backstretch and began the last lap grind needed for sub-9 to happen.

Both appeared be the leaders in the field coming off the final turn.

A win for Toppi would have certainly been a storybook finish, since he was racing on his future home track -- Mike Long Track Stadium -- and he was a Florida State University recruit, but Carpenter -- who was mistakenly credited with a sub-9-minute performance two weeks ago only for be updated to a 9:04 performance two days later due to a timing malfunctoin -- was not to be denied and landed in first place.  

The sub 9-minute race saver Koon was also rewarded with a late push and he moved up to take the runner-up nod in 8:58.30 to break the Florida sophomore class state record.

The former sophomore state record was held by Ryan Deak, who set it back in 2002 at the Arcadia Invitational with a 9:00.12 performance. On Friday, Koon became the first sub-9 minute sophomore in Florida state history. 

Meanwhile, Ethan Lipham of Berkeley never really challenged for the lead during the race but had the best kick of the entire field, splitting 59.79 for his final 400 meters to pick off three places. He took third in 8:59.15, which was a new school record.

Hagerty's Seymour also got a second wind after being gapped slightly going into the last lap. He finished strong over the final 100 meters to get himself just under nine minutes at 8:59.72. 

Toppi went from challenging for first to fifth-place, but he got the sub-9-minute monkey off his back, too, in a 8:59.85 personal best and new school record.

With all the great runners that have come through Satellite High School in recent years, Dayton Law is now their school's state record holder in the event with a PR of 9:03.87. He rounded out the top six in the seeded section at FSU. 


A total of 18 boys broke 9:20, and 27 were under 9:30, and 39 were under 9:40. Fifty-nine of the 62 finishers were under 10 minutes during the three sections of the 3,200m.

The FSU Relays has firmly established itself after a two-year hiatus as the place and venue in late March to run a fast 3,200m time in Florida. 


FINAL RESULTS: BOYS 3,200m FAST SECTION