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Deland High School is probably the biggest high school (4A), on the smallest piece of real estate, in Florida. (What were they thinking?) Astronomically speaking, its athletic facilities are like a tiny asteroid in the vast Universe of track and field. At Deland, you can hardly go anywhere—or for very far—without running into a fence, building, goal post, or another human being…or a truck tire. (They have lots of truck tires to fill in what little space is not currently occupied by something cemented into place.) So when the school’s track coaches decided to have a Big “D” Meet, it was much easier to come up with a theme, (relays), than the space for its entrants and their coaches, parents, tents, and “stuff.” With sixteen teams entered, the stands—seating for about sixty—filled up in no time, and the spillover leaked into every nook and cranny available; mostly, however, people crept onto a very crowded infield, and in some cases beach towels landed on the track itself.
I would have liked to provide a good crowd shot to emphasize my point, but there were too many people. Everywhere I aimed my lens, I just got more people. (Our idiom for the day of March 5, 2011: You couldn’t see the crowd, for all the people.) In an attempt to get an overhead view, once or twice I threw my camera up in the air, but it was too heavy to heave high enough. (Plus people were screaming “Idiot!” and running into each other to get away.)
I did happen to notice a rocket go up from KSC during the meet; an Atlas V-OTV2 carrying an X-37B Prototype Space Plane. (I tried to take a photo, but the image came out looking like a discus in flight, and we’ve already seen enough of that.) When I got home, I shot off an e-mail to NASA, asking if they could get me a link-up to one of its cameras. Unfortunately, it was the beginning of Bike Week, and after blast off all the techs probably zeroed out on a poker run.
At any rate, the meet was crowded. So what happens when you get a lot of people in a small space? Drama. (Did ya’all country folks think the Big D stood for Dallas?)
Out of the Forest…
From Deland’s neck of the woods, you don’t hear much from Ocala National Forest, except for an occasional explosion. (The Pinecastle Impact Range is the only place on the East Coast where Navy planes “practice” their bombing; mixing a “few hundred” live bombs into the approximately 20,000 a year that they hope will land in their little subdivision [6,000 acres] of the 382,000 acre National Forest.)
Of course, that doesn’t take into account the ones that Jeremiaha Gates, Sr., launches. For those who have never found themselves downrange of the J’s projectiles, he is both fast-- the senior fullback gained 1287 yards on 157 carries during the 2010 HS football season—and furious; he won both of the meet’s strength events. His current PRs, 154’8” in the discus (thrown in the 2010 Deland Relays; first overall) and 47’5” (thrown in the 2011 Deland Relays; first overall), have set the stage for a breakout senior season.
“I’ve got the potential to throw 160, but I have to get consistent before improvement,” he explained. “I like the shot, because I’ve gotten more consistent, and better.”
Consistency, however, eluded most of the dish-slingers despite what might have appeared to be optimum throwing conditions: warm, sunny weather and a promising tail wind.
“Today, I think a lot of people depended upon the tail wind; they thought it would carry the disc further, but when it died out, it was a shorter throw; not as good a measure as you thought.”
Gates is a busy man, what with the shot and discus, the 100 (12.4), the triple jump (39’2 ¼”), and football, where the running back--his biggest game was against Yulee; 250 yards on 28 carries-- helped lead his Trinity Catholic leatherheads to the 2010 State 2B title (7-6 in triple overtime against University School of NSU of Fort Lauderdale).
“I got a football scholarship with Sanford College, in Birmingham, Alabama (1AA). Their biggest major is business, but they have pre-law and education. I’ll probably be majoring in business, with a ‘minor’ in education.”
T & F, however, hardly takes a back seat to football.
“In last year’s State Meet we won the 4 X 100 with a 41.04, the second fastest in the State, and sixth (by time) in the country,” contributed Coach Wesley Fray. “We’re returning three out of four legs, who are also on our football team, and have committed to play in college; Chris Johnson to the University of Florida, as a safety; Tyjuan Fray to Duquesne as a safety; and David Thomas to Duquesne as a wide receiver.”
According to the senior Fray, he and his wife Jovennie started the TCHS track program a decade earlier. Formerly Jovennie McDuffie, she ran for Oak Ridge (where she was the 1988 state champion at 100 meters; 11.94). She was inducted—as Jovennie McDuffie Fray--into the FACA (Florida Athletic Coaches Association) Hall of Fame, class of 2010.
“She’s now the head track coach at Lake Weir (Ocala). Our daughter, Bejai is there.”
The 14 year old freshman is a two-time National AAU champion (Youth/13-14) in the long jump (16’ 9 3/3” in 2009 and 17’11” in 2010) and has a current PR of 18’2 ½”. She has also run 12.29 in the 100 and 25.7 in the 200, both as an eighth grader. Her 18’ ¾” leap at this meet helped Lake Weir finish third (45’ 1 ½”) in the 3 X LJ.
“They (Lake Weirs) have a strong Boys program; they won Districts (3A, District 5, April 22, 2010; 113 points) last spring,” added Wesley. “My wife and I are helping to build the Girls program.”
Teaming “Up”
What you won’t find in the meet results (listed elsewhere on the website), are total team results. The explanation is that the meet was not planned that way.
As Deland’s Coach Lowenstein explains, “My goal was to make each event a team championship. At times (in most meets), it is frustrating trying to stretch your team to cover each event. Here, you can bring a few athletes and do the best you can, or enter everyone in something and have fun. This is what a lot of coaches told me: ‘It was the most fun meet of the year.’”
Judging from the level of competition, and especially the events listed (such as the Coed 4 X 200 and the Throwers 4 X 100), he accomplished his mission statement. Many teams who were present split their squads, sending some athletes to more competitive meets elsewhere, giving those present a chance to shine.
As a case in point, there were (new or equaled) PRs by three athletes, ironically, with the same last name—but from different schools.
Spruce Creek junior Ryan Patton, who led all triple jumpers with a leap of 43’10”, set a two foot PR. (The junior’s previous best was 41’9” at the 4A District 2 Meet on April 22, 2010.) And Deland’s DJ Patton, who finished first in the 1600 with a 4:37, beat his best by 14 seconds.
“That was the first invitational mile that I’ve ever won,” Patton II (DJ) told me. “I battled it out with my freshman teammate, Ken Pineiro. With 800 to go, I decided to pass Ken and not let anyone pass me. I focused on my form, and breathing. With 600 to go, I really started up my kick, because I knew that people would be surging on me.”
Being a team race, the pleasure of an overall win was compounded by a team championship.
“It was the greatest of pleasures to have my teammates with me, because we were the top mile team. It was so much fun! Ken and Taylor (Hack) are both freshmen—as was fourth team member Graham Carlson, who ran 5:56.38--and after I graduate, they will still be here to take leadership of our track and cross country teams.”
Two of the three Deland scorers—Patton and Taylor Hack (4:55.23) set PRs en route to their 3 X 1600 team title. The third, Ken Piniero (4:41) came within two seconds of doing so. (He ran 4:39 at the East Coast Classic the weekend before.)
Patton-ted
A third Patton, Caroline, shared the lead in the Girls pole vault with Deland’s Carolyn Coffey. (You couldn’t make this stuff up if you were a published muselogist.) She was just shy a couple of vowels of also sharing first names; the “sometimes y” rule coming into effect. Patton is a junior at Zephyrhills High School.
“First meet (this year) I cleared 9’,” she reminisced, “and this meet I got nine again.”
Caroline, when airborne, looks like a pole vaulter. (When she smiles, she could be a cover girl.)
“We do lots of weights; low weights, high reps. Also, pole carries and sprints.”
I asked if she had ever competed with Deland’s pole vaulter, CC (Coffey).
“I just met her today.”
And her goals for the season?
“9’ 6” is my real goal. I know I can do it. Once I clear it the first time, then I think I’ll be able to do it at other meets.”
Patton III is a multi-faceted athlete who also does the 100 meter hurdles (17.79 at this year’s Mitchell Early Bird Meet), 300 hurdles (58.63 at the 2010 Wildcat Fast Times Meet) and shot put (28’8” PR at the April 21, 2010 3A District 7 Meet).
“I also do judo (out of school), cross country, soccer (sweeper), and the hurdles in track. Today, I was supposed to do the hurdles, but one girl (on our relay team) didn’t show up, so I’m just pole vaulting.”
But not the high jump. That belonged—in this meet at least—to Spruce Creek junior Allison Lampert.
“I am so happy,” she said about her Girls HJ leading, team leading, and team champion (15’3” for Spruce Creek) jump. “If you get it down—what feels right—it’s easy.”
What wasn’t easy was trying to keep her excitement under control after clearing a new best height, 5’5”. Being the last one left in the competition, and with the bar raised two more inches to 5’7”, she seemed unable to keep her elation subdued long enough to jump.
“I tried not to think about it. I tried to keep my mind clear…but I was just excited. I haven’t jumped much this year because I’ve been running the 4 X 1, 4 X 4, and 200.”
Allison ended the 2010 Outdoor track season with twin third place finishes, first at the 34th Golden South (5’2”), and then at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals (5’2 ½”).
“I want to go to the Nationals again. Last year I was the only one to go. I want more teammates to go. All of our events are really strong, so we have a really good track team. I think it will be a lot of fun.”
Winning always is.