Florida Athletes Shine Saturday at the Southeast Meet of Champions
In the girls' 400m, Florida produced two sub-54 performances.
Some of Florida's top talent closed out the Southeast Meet of Champions with authority on Saturday, stacking wins, personal bests, and making some statement performances against some of the top competition in the region.
Senior Zamarii Sanders of Cardinal Newman (TC) delivered one of the top sprint performances of the weekend, winning the boys' New Balance Showcase 100m final in a wind-legal 10.37 (-0.6). The Florida standout secured the title in a talented field and continued to demonstrate why he is one of the nation's elite sprinters.
On the girls' side, Foundation senior Lee Peters was the runner-up in the showcase final with an 11.52. The two-time FHSAA 1A state champion once again proved she can compete with the Southeast's best after another consistent championship performance.
In the girls' 400m, Florida produced two sub-54 performances.
Flanagan junior Lenee Barbary took the win in 53.32, building on her runner-up finish at the FHSAA 4A State Championships. Montverde Academy senior Nakira Hudson followed closely behind in 53.94, adding another notch to her outstanding season after winning the FHSAA 2A state title earlier this month.
After running an impressive 4:04.95 to win the mile Friday night, Spanish River senior Preston Sangely came to capture the boys' 800m title in 1:51.49.
Sangely controlled the race through a 55.75 opening lap before holding off Louisiana state champion William DeCuir of Catholic B.R. over the final stretch. The double victory further cemented Sangely as one of Florida's premier middle-distance talents, not only this season, but in Florida high school T&F.
Venice senior Atarah Robinson nearly completed a distance double of her own after winning the girls' mile Friday in 4:47.72.
The Florida star returned for the 800m and finished second in 2:09.89, falling only to Georgia 6A champion sophomore Morgan Means of Heritage HS (GA). Robinson remained undefeated this season in the 1600m/mile and had only two losses in the 800, both of which came in double-attempt situations following previous 1660/Mile wins.
Providence junior Sean Cunningham added another major distance victory to his season by winning the boys high school 2-mile in 9:10.90. Cunningham is the reigning FHSAA 1A 3200m state champion.
Freshman sensation Avery Hartley of Bartram Trail captured the girls' 2-mile title in 10:33.49, adding another impressive performance to an already outstanding premier high school season where she is the number two-ranked freshman in Florida in the 3200m.
