Florida highlights from the opening day of the 2022 adidas Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina on Friday, June 17th.
Skyler Franklin, a freshman at Somerset Academy Central Miramar, won the national elite girls 400 meter dash with a 54.68 clocking pulling away from Nyah Harrison of Nansemond River (VA) in 55.41 and the rest of the field in the seeded section.
Dillard sophomore Christiana Coleman had an exciting finish and kick to win the national elite girls mile run as well with a 5:08.67 personal best victory against Katrina Ford of Northern Guilford (NC) as the close runner-up to her at 5:09.25. Coleman was part of the state record-breaking 4x800 meter relay squad (9:03) for Dillard this spring.
Belen Jesuit seventh-grader Marcelo Mantecon impressively broke 10 minutes in the middle school boys two mile run with a 9:58.95 personal best performance in Greensboro. Mantecon had won the FLYRA Middle School 3K state title a month ago in 9:25 and will return this fall to try and defend his middle school state title in cross country as well.
Another group of middle school runners from South Florida in the Miami Vice Project were winners in the middle school 4x800 at adidas Indoor Nationals with a 8:43 performance following their victories in the 4x800 and 4x400 meter relay last month at the FLYRA State Championships.
Last year's FLYRA state champion in the 100 meter dash and now finishing up his freshmen year at Mandarin High School, Stephen Degregorio was the runner-up in the freshmen boys 100 meter dash with a 11.08 clocking.