3A State Meet HQ: Bartram's Uruburu gives Bears team championship; NW girls win again

FHSAA 3A Outdoor State Finals
Todd Grasley

On-Site Coverage

Our coverage team will be on-site both Friday and Saturday. Here is the crew this week: Todd Grasley, Jeff Adams, Mike Leary, Chris Sumner, Alex Bermudez, and Connor Bussiere.


Highlights:
 

Lakewood Ranch girls/Carol City boys win 4X800 relays



Girls: McDermott anchors LR to state tiltle, finishing her senior campaign on top

The girl’s 4X800 relay was a great way to start off the day at the 3A State track meet. Northwestern took out strong, leading the first 1600 meters of the race. The real battle came down to the top seeds in the heat, Lakewood Ranch and Estero. Devin McDermott of LR split 2:16 to bring home the victory for Lakewood Ranch, beating out Estero’s Bethany Jenkins on the anchor leg, winning a state title to finish our her senior year. Lakewood’s splits were 2:22, 2:18, 2:18 and McDermott’s 2:16.

Boys: Carol City runs strong for win, Belen dominant to take second from first heat

Belen Jesuit, running in the first heat, dominated for nearly the entire race. Taking command early on, they showed no signs of letting up at any point in the race. They won the first heat of the day, running 7:54.98.

In the second heat, Miami Central took the race out hard. The heat, though, ended up coming down to Bartram Trail and Carol City. Carol City began the anchor leg with a large lead, but Bartram’s Marcus Taylor battled back, closing to within just a few meters with about 300 to go. However, he couldn’t quite make up the distance, and Carol City claimed victory with a strong anchor leg from Juan Paul Green, winning in 7:52.23.

 

Field event recap: Lake Weir's Hamilton, Gulf Breeze's Droogsma both grab double gold; Hillsborough's Green grabs US #3 triple jump, 50-3

The field events at the 3A State Championship did not disappoint. Jeremiah Green of Hillsborough High School made his second big mark on the national triple jump stage today. His leap of 50-3 not only won him a gold medal, but it also gave him his second jump in the US top three of the year. The junior jumped 50-6.50 earlier in the year, which places him second nationally behind senior Felix Obi of El Paso, Texas.

Junior Austin Droogsma grabbed two coveted gold medals at this year’s meet, first winning the discus in dominating fashion. Droogsma, from Gulf Breeze High, threw 185-06, nearly 12 feet farther than second place. The junior also won the shot put with a mark of 56-02.

Shemael Hamilton of Lake Weir also went two for two on the day, winning both the girl’s triple and long jumps. Hamilton, a senior, jumped 18-09.5 to win the long jump, then came back to leap 39-04, winning her second piece of hardware of the day.

Jasmine Willaims of Miami Carol City won the girl’s discus with a throw of 152-09, which gives the junior the top throw in the state this year.

The boy’s long jump was a too-close-to-call battle between Raphael Webb of Gainesville High and Ryean Mastin of Ridgeview. Webb, a junior, was declared the winner, though he and Mastin both jumped 22-11.50.

Other field event winners:

  • Girl’s shot put: Lloydricia Cameron, Miami Northwestern threw 41-04.25
  • Girl’s Pole Vault: Anna Heinzman, Lecanto High jumped 11-06
  • Boy’s Pole Vault: Josh McDaniel, Lakeland High 15-06
  • Girl’s Seated throw Adaptive: Arielle Rausin, North Fort Myers High 13-02
  • Boy’s Seated throw Adaptive: Matt Giardino, Lecanto High 18-03
  • Boy’s high jump: Donavon White, Sebring High 6-06

 

Tristie Johnson Caps Season Seeing Double Gold

Ed White senior Tristie Johnson finished her senior year at the top of the 3A sprint world. One of several athletes to win double gold medals on the day, Johnson won both races in dominant fashion. In the 100, she closed hard to win in 11.85 and claim gold, then came back for the 200. After running prelims and one final, it would be fair to wonder if she had what it would take to win the 200, but she left no doubt whatsoever. The senior sprinter finished in 23.80, leading wire to wire, showing that she wanted to leave her legacy on the state meet.

Kendal Williams: Athlete on Fire

After running 10.69 and securing the top seed for the 100 meter finals, Stanton sophomore sensation Kendal Williams lined up for the boy’s 200 prelims. With a slight wind blowing down the homestretch, it seemed as though Williams was bound to run a serious time. The young Jacksonville native didn’t disappoint, running a wind-legal, US #2 time of 20.89. He then came back to win both the 100 and 200 in 10.49 and 21.05, respectively. The sky seems to be the limit for this young talent, and he is almost sure to be the next great sprinter from the state of Florida.



Uruburu Brings Bartram Trail a State Championship

Nick Uruburu had as good a day as anyone at the state meet. After cruising in the prelims to secure himself a good spot in the prelim, Uruburu came out firing. The junior ran to a 46.76 in the final, which puts him at the US #5 spot for the year. He beat out Juan Paul Green of Carol City (46.80) and Dwight Davis of Hallandale (46.89). With this race, all three athletes moved into the top ten nationally. Not content there, Uruburu ran what may be the best anchor leg that most of the track fans at UNF today have ever seen. One single point separated BT and Miami Northwestern for the team title, and the race looked as thought it might be Northwestern's. Uruburu was handed the baton in fifth place, NW in third, and Hallandale, leading the race, was fifty meters ahead. Methodically making up ground, Uruburu cruised around the track until, going into the homestretch, he was 25 meters behind. The lead looked insurmountable. Insurmountable, though, has never met Uruburu. In the last 100 meters, the junior closed to pass not only Northwestern and several other teams, but he also caught Hallandale five meters before the line to take the win. He secured a six-point victory for the Bartram Bears of St. John's county. Big things are to come from this promising young talent.

Lily Williams: A Meet for the Recordbooks

There are few words that come to mind that can explain how dominant Lily Williams of Tallahassee Chiles was today. Williams, off to Vanderbilt next year, began her day by winning the 1600 meters, leading the majority of the race, running 4:53.60. She ran a 71 first lap to keep the pace honest; by 600 meters, she had opened up a 20 meter lead over the lead chase pack. She came through 800 at 2:21, and it seemed clear that this was her race to take. Coming down the home stretch on her final lap, Williams took a short look over her left shoulder to see if there were any athletes near her. Satisfied with what she saw, she cruised in for her first victory of the day.

The 800 meters was much of the same. Williams crossed the 400 mark at 65 seconds, and by 600 meters, had a sizable lead. Again, she would cruise down the home stretch, running a comfortable 2:12.25, winning by two seconds. The 3200 was not won in the same dominating fashion; Anne-Marie Blaney of Bellview led a majority of the race, showing the Williams would really have to run a special race to beat her. Williams was up to the challenge. In her third race, the final of her illustrious high school career, Williams again proved to be far too strong, pulling even with 400 meters to go, then closed the race out, winning by five meters. She ran 10:30.62, less than one-tenth of a second off of her PR. What a way to finish out an outstanding four years for Lily Williams.

 

Gator Signee Ryan Schnulle Ends Tarpon Career on Top

The latest in a long line of fast athletes from Charlotte High School, Ryan Schnulle came into the state meet looking to close out his high school career on more than just high notes. His 4X800 team finished seventh in the first event of the day, and he looked to improve on that in the 1600. Improve he did, winning in 4:16.55. Belen’s Avery Lopez was close behind, and the majority of the race was run in tight quarters. But in the last 100 meters, he showed he would not be denied gold number one.

In the 800, it would be easy to say Schnulle was the favorite, but it would be remiss to not remember Jake Burton of Martin county, who ran 1:52.83 early in the season. During the course of the race, there was plenty of jockeying for position, with Marcus Taylor of Bartram Trail, Burton and Schulle fighting for the win. In the last 100, Schnulle again proved he was too strong to be beaten on this day, winning in a time of 1:53.15. Schnulle has to be quite pleased with the way he ran, and this last state meet will no doubt give him confidence going into his college career with the Florida Gators.

 

Other event winners

  • Girl's 100 hurdles- Johna' Whitaker, Pine Forest High School 14.27
  • Boy's 110 hurdlges- Artie Burns, Miami Northwestern 13.71
  • Girl's 4X100 relay- Miami Northwestern 46.33
  • Boy's 4X100 relay- Tallahassee Lincoln 41.06
  • Girl's 400-meter dash- Kyri Tabor, Hallandale 54.26
  • Boy's 400-meter dash- Nick Uruburu, Bartram Trail 46.76 (US #5)
  • Girl's 300-meter hurdles- Jamika Glads, Dillard 41.79
  • Boy's 300-meter-hurdles- Paul Barrett, Gaither HS 38.79
  • Boy's 3200-meter run- Max del Monte, Chamberlain HS 9:25.11
  • Girl's 4X400 relay-  Evans High School 3:49.18
  • Boy's 4X400 relay-  Bartram Trail 3:17.20
     

Winners Table

 

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