Florida's exceptional HS Track & Field talent is on display this weekend not only in NW Florida at the FSU Relays, but also in SW Florida at the Guy Thomas Memorial Classic at Dunbar HS in Ft. Myers. Two powerhouse teams from the Miami area, American Heritage and Miami Northwestern, bring their talent across Alligator Ally to challenge the SW Florida schools.
Heat Sheets and Live Results
Here is a look at a few of Saturday's highlighted events.
Girls 100m
Some of the focus will be on the girl's 100m where Sr. McKenzie Travis of Evangelical Christian brings the FL #1 girls ranking and US #3 11.44 that she ran on this track in winning the Dunbar Tiger Classic in February. The University of South Carolina Commit was 3rd at NIN in the 60m with a 7.37 and was 2nd at the Milrose Games in the 60 running a 7.26. Dunbar Sr. Kayla Hopkins should challenge Travis. She ran 12.01 at the IMG Spring Break meet last week and has run 11.73. Two girls looking to go sub-12 are Jr. Kimora Kinsey of Miami Northwestern who has run 12.09 and Sr. Serenity Aragon of American Heritage who has run 12.21.
Girls 4x100m Relay
In the Girl's 4x100m Relay, Miami Northwestern comes in with a seed time of 46.66. They won at the Bob Hayes Invitational last week in 47.58. The Northwestern girls have some other fast company in a race where the exchanges can make the difference. Just .79 seconds separates the teams of Lehigh (48.80), Dunbar 48.26), Chaminade-Madonna (48.01), and Parrish 48.60).
Boys 4x100m Relay
The Girl's 4x100m Relay race may be the race of the meet. American Heritage and Miami Northwestern are ranked FL #1 and 2 and Dunbar is #7 (41.20). American Heritage's 40.42 is US #2. Northwestern's 40.81 is US #9. Parrish is the 4th team under 42. They come in with a 41.88.
Boy's 800m
Devin Jones leads a field of 18 where 8 boys have gone under 2:00. Jones, a Jr. at Miami Northwestern, is ranked FL #3 with a 1:54.21.
Joshua Dorestin
Dunbar SR 1:55.73
William Montanye
Gulf Coast SR 1:57.13
Max Sedmak
Estero JR 1:58.58
Patrik McDonald
Venice JR 1:59.00
Jaden White
Dunbar JR 1:59.27
Beckett Walker
Gulf Coast JR 1:59.40
Jake Jacoby
Cape Coral SR 1:59.77
Girl's 400m
Miami Northwestern teammates Tyra Cox and Kashia Hoo know each other well. The Jr.s have run 55.28 and 55.62 and are ranked FL # 8 and #10. All 8 girls scheduled to run in the final heat, in addition to Cox and Hoo, have run under 60.
Arihonna Starks
Miami Northwestern SO 58.74
Leanna Rose
Miami Northwestern SO 58.063
Liusmar Rivas Velasquez
Barron Collier JR 57.04
Torri Gary
Lehigh SR 57.52
Ava Heskett
Gulf Coast JR 58.62
V'Darielle Johnson
Gateway (Fort Myers) JR 59.00
Boy's 400m
Tywan Cox of Miami Northwestern leads the state In the 400 with a 46.43. the Jr. is the twin brother of Tyra Cox. Jr. Dorian Mallary of Lehigh ran a 49.04 last week in winning the South Fort Myers Wolfpack Invitational. He has run a 47.48. Sr. Matthew Groves of Venice is another with a seed time under 49. He ran 48.12 last spring in his AA District and has run 48.31 this season and last week was 2nd in the 200m at the IMG Spring Break Invitational in 21.65.
Girl's 200m
Evangelical Christian's Mckenzie Travis is scheduled to run in the 200 for the first time this year. Last year she ran a 23.15. That time would have her ranked FL #1 ahead of Tyra Cox's State leading 23.47. Cox is not scheduled to run in the 200, but four of her teammates should challenge Travis and display the depth of talent in the sprints at Northwestern.
Jr. Kimora Kinsey 24.75
Sr. Shakynah Tresvant 24.40
Jr. Kahalia Hoo 24.85
So. Sanaa Foster 24.85
Rounding out the final heat are Sr. Kayla Hopkins of Dunbar (24.55), Jr. Skye Jackson of South Plantation (24.95) and Sr. Serenity Aragon of American Heritage (25.08.)
Boy's 200m
The boy's 200m is a showcase of sub-22 talent. It should be one of the most competitive races of the day. All eight entrants scheduled to run in the final heat are under 22.
Keon Trimble
Clewiston SR 21.96
Parker Vitoritt
Parrish SR 21.77
Eric Fletcher
Dunbar SR 21.65
J'Vari Flowers
Miami Northwestern SO 21.29
Guylijah Theodule
Miami Northwestern SR 21.63
Dorian Mallary Jr
Lehigh JR 21.76
Damian Howard
North Port JR 21.85
Deylen Platt
Venice SR 21.99
1600m
In the girls and the boy's races, the #1 seeds come in with times that are 10 seconds ahead of the #2 seeds. In the Girl's races, Lehigh Sr. Gianna Del Pizzo is currently ranked FL #2 with a 5:01.37 just .07 seconds behind American Heritage Sr. Sienna Alvarez-Coia who ran5:01.30 in winning at the Sam Burley Hall of Fame Invitational. Alvarez-Coia is not scheduled to run.
Gulf Coast Sr. William Montanye has run 4:24.48 in the early season but ran a 4:17.82 last spring and ran a 4:18.68 Mile indoors this year in winning at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainsville.
Girl's 4x400m Relay
The Miami Northwestern girls are ranked FL #1 and US #1 in the 4x4 this season with a 3:41.91. American Heritage has run 4:01.05 this season, but the girls could easily go under 4:00. Watch for these two teams to battle each other and as the saying goes "anything can happen in the 4x4!"
Boy's 4x400m Relay
Throw out the seed times. Miami Northwestern comes in as the FL #3 ranked squad with a 3:15.29. American Heritage is ranked #4 with a 3:16.47. These two should battle each other and we may see both go sub-3:15. Joining Northwestern and Heritage in the final heat are: Southwest Florida Christian, Venice, Lehigh, Chaminade-Madonna, Dunbar and Riverdale.
