Ralph's Musings: Volusia-Flagler Freshman/Sophomore Meet

 

In relating the aforementioned to athletic competition, photographs speak volumes. My eldest son, for example, has a photo of himself alongside Tim Tebow (UF quarterback) that was taken during their senior year in college. Although its occasion was not among the happiest of circumstances, it is nonetheless prominently displayed in his favorite places because it means so much to him. In seeing it, you can’t help but notice the difference in build between the two. In every single physical characteristic—height, weight, skeletal and muscle structure, and even age—Tebow had a huge physical, and thus athletic, advantage, which is no doubt why he is studying playbooks in the NFL, and my son is studying historiography in graduate school.

 

Meets such as this are a big step towards “leveling the playing field,” and giving the under-classmen an opportunity to “move up” a few places and win a medal. An added benefit, as seen through the eyes of 17 year old sophomore Destinie Willis, is “If you know who your competition is as a sophomore, when you are as senior you will know who they will be, and who to beat.”

 

 While reading about this meet, please be sure to note athlete ages and study the photographs that I’ve taken, and ask, “How much better might meets such as these be if it was a freshman and sophomore meet, rather than a freshman/sophomore meet?” 

 

 

James Clark and Keneth Pineiro dominated each of their specialties in his own way; James by hundredths of a second, Keneth by hundreds of yards. (But then, Keneth didn’t have to compete against a middle distance version of Seabreeze sprinter Charles Nelson. What a competitor!)

 

Clark, a 16 year old sophomore, is already a big name in three of the most competitive events—both in times run and its strength of competitors—in track. He won the 100 in 11.01, the 200 in 22.19 (both times “inspired” by Nelson), and the 400 in 52.32. I asked him, “Which do you think holds the most potential for you?”

 

“I think the 100,” he answered, “because I have the most things to work on. If I can get those things corrected, I can get some good times.”

 

“And the most competitive?” I asked.

 

“Definitely the 400. I don’t have as much stamina as some of the longer distance sprinters, and I don’t have as much at the end. I started doing the 400 because it is going to help me at the end of the 200, and also the 100. The 400 is your ‘core’ race.

 

“In the 200…I try to run a good curve. (Today) I ran a good curve, but my finish was bad. I felt like I didn’t have it; an extra boost. And my time probably wasn’t that good.”

 

Apparently good enough.

 

Unlike Clark, Pineiro, a 15 year old Deland freshman, was not as liberal with a critique of himself. In fact, getting information from him is like pulling teeth, but for good reason: he is one of the politest young men you’ll ever meet. But only when you can find him. At meets, he rarely stops running, because his life is ruled by a simple, but almost impossible desire.

 

“I try to PR in every race,” he admitted.

 

The obvious question that followed was, “Can this go on forever?” 

 

“Not really. There’s going to be a time when it gets harder, and I begin to plateau. But then, I’m going to work harder.”

 

Woe is the fate of his opponents. With one small, one meet “plateau” of a few tenths of a second in the 1600, his improvements have come quite steadily. This time it was an improvement of (roughly) two seconds in the 1600 (4:37.14) and 11 seconds in the 3200 (10:13.24). His lead in both was gargantuan, and he lapped entire teams of runners. Asked whether it was better to lead by so much in this meet, or run in more competitive meets, he felt each had its merits. 

 

“They’re both hard. It’s important to get experience in setting a pace, and doing what you have to do to get faster.”

 

Both in practice and in varsity meets, DJ Patton--his teammate--displays a similar passion for running all-out, every time.

 

“In practice, we both do pretty much the same workout,” said Pineiro. “We compete with each other. He’s a senior, and I strive to run a better pace, like him.”

 

 

In professional sports, an athlete might be described as a “franchise player,” for the simple reason that winning and losing contests, and even championships, rests squarely on the shoulders of a single, very talented athlete. The same thing may eventually be said about such standout performers as Bentlee Critcher (FPC) and Megan Tse (Spruce Creek). 

 

Critcher’s name, as well as his face—not to mention his athletic ability—may call to mind a sense of déjà vu. It was his older brother Kenlee who starred for Flagler-Palm Coast from 2007 through 2010. This exceptional athlete seemed to have no end of talent, having competed for FPC (with his PR in parentheses) in the 60 (7.45), 100 (11.50), 200 (24.07), 400 (52.19), 600 (1:32.22), 800 (2:06), 60H (8.46), 110H (14.48), 300H (38.20), discus (109-4) and pole vault (11’ 6”). 

 

His coach, David Halliday, confirms that it is difficult not to draw comparisons between the two.

 

“Bentlee is very similar to his older brother, Kenlee (state qualifier in 2009 and 2010…including being a member of the 2009 State Championship team),” he e-mailed me.  “I feel that he may not be quite as explosive, or quick, but he is still very skilled and fast. He is more serious and much more analytical than his brother. If he does perform well, he wants to know why and how he can improve next time. He is a ‘pleaser.’”

 

Bentlee, when asked about an element of sibling rivalry, is quite candid.

 

“Absolutely,” he maintains. “My goal is to run faster and do better than him. Of course you want to set PRs, like his school record 38 (.20 at the 4A Region 1 Meet on April 28, 2010, where he also set his 14.48 best in the 110H).”

 

Do you wonder if they banter each other?

 

“Oh yes. He tells me, ‘You’ll never be faster than me.’ But I’m only a sophomore and I have two more years.”

 

In what was his last freshman/sophomore meet, Bentlee went on a scoring spree that may someday be equaled, but never surpassed. He won the 110 hurdles (15.56), the 300 hurdles (41.94), the pole vault (10’6”)—all were PRs--and the second leg of the victorious FPC 4 X 4 team (Eric Mejias inn 53.5, Critcher in 53.5, Eddie Mutungu in 55.6, and Turrel Matthews in 53.8; 3:36.65). If you count that split in the 400, it too was under his previous best of 57.05 (this past February 26th at the Louie Bing Invitational).

 

With that kind of schedule, one has to wonder, how can one even concentrate on the very technical events that he specializes in?

 

“I’ll be pole vaulting sometimes, and have to run over and do the hurdles, then come back to it. It can be pretty tiring.”

 

But then, it is a busy schedule like this that provides the opportunity for breakthrough performances, such as his 41.94 300H.

 

“Before this, I was more of a 400 runner, and not so much of a sprinter; not in that kind of physical shape. So I had to learn the technique. Coach Charone Williams has been helping me with it.”

 

Like Critcher, Spruce Creek’s Megan Tse was seemingly everywhere at once: the 100 hurdles (first in 16.22), the 100 (first in 12.61)—never mind that they follow each other!—and the 300 hurdles (first in 48.94). For awhile she seemed capable of winning the meet by herself.

 

“I guess I was ready to set PRs,” she said in an understatement. 

 

Two of the three were lifetime bests: the 100 (by .41) and the 100 hurdles (by 1.19). By the time she ran the 400 (1.23 off her best), she seemed to be feeling the effects of her schedule…maybe.  Of the three races, it was probably the shorter hurdle race that might have caused her a moment of concern.

 

“In the 100 (hurdles), you have to worry about your foot placement, because you have to three-step. Also, the force of your arms, because that’s where you power to lean forward toward the hurdles. It’s not like the (open) 100, where your arms are moving much faster, because you have to move your legs as fast as you can.”

 

Right, but who has time to think of all that when you are running fast enough to win?

 

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same. When there was a Kenlee Critchard pole vaulting for FPC, there was Ryan Gaines vaulting for Creek. Now Flagler has Bentlee Critchard pole vaulting and high jumping, and so it only stands to reason that Spruce Creek would have Kristen Gaines doing likewise. Both also hurdle; Kristen ran the 100 hurdles, finishing eighth in 20.01. And like Bentlee, Kristen is philosophical about bouncing from one event to the other.

 

“It’s not too bad here, because they (the HJ and PV) are close together,” she rationalized. “But at meets where they are at opposite ends of the track, it is kind of difficult, but manageable.”

 

Apparently so, as Kristen “managed” two wins; 4’8” in the high jump, and 8’6” in the pole vault. I asked her what she considered her strength in the pole vault.

 

“Probably my plant, because I’ve never once missed the plant.”

 

And that bane of all aerial acrobats, the crosswind?

 

“Here it is kind of a problem, because we’re facing the ocean.”

 

Right about then, one of the team tents tumbled end over end, running the entire length of the stands, which, thanks to my lightening like shutter finger, you can see in “Trackside.”

 

“A tail wind is an advantage, but then it’s harder to push the pole away. The wind pushes it towards the crossbar.”

 

Among her personal advantages, the freshman suggests, “My strengths are my height (5’8”) and my age (15).”

 

And a brother who jumped 14’ in high school (May 8, 2010, at the FHSAA Meet in Winter Park)?

 

“I started pole vaulting this summer, and he was away. I’ve never had any coaching from my brother. I started with Coach (Martin) Malloy.”

 

How high can you go this year?

 

“I’m trying to get 9’, or 9’6” in the pole vault. In the high jump, 4’10” would be ideal, and 5’ would be a dream.”

 

 

The Girls sprints were each won by different athletes. Briana Young of Deltona, who was second in the 100 to Tse (12.79, exactly tying her PR at the 2/25/11 Deltona Meet), came back to win the 200 in 26.35 in a brand spanking new personal best. 16 year old sophomore Paige Way of Flagler won the 400 in 1:00.98, her third PR of the day; 13.29 in the 100 (5th) and 27.21 in the 200 (4th).

 

“I just came back last week, from shin splints, so I’ve only been at practice for a week. But I’ve been eating healthy, and getting rest,” she said, helping explain her day of personal bests.

 As all too many runners who ignore pain have learned, 14 year old freshman Lindsey Sullivan’s shin splints progressed into a stress fracture, serious enough to threaten the rest of her season.

 

“This is my last meet,” she sighed. “Unless it gets better, I’m taking off for the rest of the season. It will be at least six weeks. I’ll be cycling, doing pool stuff, and maybe I can run Districts (4A, District 2, at Spruce Creek on April 20th).”

 

Lindsey “jogged” the 3200, winning easily in 12:55.47. 

 

“This is only the second time I’ve run it (her best is 12:11.89 on March 1st), but I ran the 3000 in 11:03 (.56 at the Spruce Creek Invitational on March 12th).”

 

Fellow SC freshman Shelby Thames must be thinking, “It took you twice to win?” 

 

“That’s the first time I ran the 1600,” she said after her race. “Coach Steph just put me out there. I’ve done the 400 and 800, and I’m on the 4 X 4 and 4 X 8, but I’m still seeing what events I can run, and how I will do. Just experimenting.”

 

The 15 year old is apparently pretty good in science. Winning by ten seconds (Orange City’s Christen Daniels was second in 6:13.50)—Shelby ran 6:03.85—she just might want to limit her variables for a few more meets before trying another formula. 

 

Paxton Shamlou, a freshman at SC, took the third of three SC wins in the individual distance events.

 

“I’ve won other (800) races, but in 2:34,” she said. “It feels good when you push yourself in every practice and finally see a successful outcome,” in reference to her 2:32.37 F/S Conference Championship PR.

With wins in the 800, 1600, 3200, 4 X 400 (that’s a distance race, right?), and 4 X 800, the Spruce Creek Girls won all five distance events. That brings us to….

 

 

Girls - It was close; very, very close. Going into the final relay, the 4 X 400, Spruce Creek decided who would win. Creek scored the relay win, and ten points, FPC took second (8), so Mainland’s 6 wasn’t enough to outscore Deland, but placed them one point beyond Orange City (who finished fourth). The final: Deland 64, Mainland 61, and Orange City 60…as second, third and fourth place teams (Spruce Creek won with 214). 

 

Boys – To steal a phrase from football, Flagler went deep; very deep. Scoring eight firsts, seven seconds and three thirds—not to mention the 40 point effort by Bentlee Critchard—they scored 184.5 to second place Creek’s 131. Seabreeze, one shy of 100 points, was third.

 

 

Legions of Spruce Creek athletes, coaches, teachers, and alumni volunteered their time to make it a memorable day for the athletes involved. I thank you for all those who benefitted from your generosity.