When most athletes say they don't care about records, you tend not to believe them. But former Largo standout Rudy Falana has a bit more credibility than most.
"I didn't even know I still had it," said the 39-year-old Clearwater High assistant principal, whose 21-year-old long jump record was broken by Osceola's Brian Watts at Thursday's Pinellas County Athletic Conference meet. "I just assumed somebody had broken it."
Falana, who still looks as if he could give some county athletes a scare, set the meet record (23-1) as a senior at Largo in 1971. Watts leaped 23-5 1/2 to win Thursday. That jump is the best in the state right now.
"I have never jumped 23 feet", said Watts. "Not even in practice. But now I might even jump 24, who knows?"
Watts joined Mike Sandy, Anthony Sheffield and Tyrone Brown on the Warriors' 400 relay team that won in 43.3. He also finished third in the 100 meters in 11.2.
Lakewood's Holly Sulte also set a meet record, throwing the discus 131-7 to break a seven-year-old record set by Largo's Tonia McCray.
"I felt like I could have gotten even more," she said.
Largo's David Crawford and Dunedin's Brian Williams keep in step better than the Rockettes. The pair were 1-2 in the 400 and 200 again this week, again with only a fraction of a second between them. Crawford won the 400 in 50.9; Williams was second in 51 flat. The 200 was even closer: Williams took first in in 22.3; Crawford was second in 22.35.
Crawford won both events at last week's West Coast Relays, with Williams a tenth of a second behind. Williams beat Crawford in the 200 meters at the Kiwanis Invitational, but hasn't beaten him in the 400 yet.
"We've run against each other three times, and it's always the same way," said Williams, a sophomore. "Sometimes it looks like I've got him, but he keeps coming. That just makes me run harder."
Even after the flu, Clearwater's Henry McKinney can still run. The senior, who had a 104 fever earlier this week, and a strained hamstring the week before, anchored the Clearwater mile relay team that finished first in 3:32.3.
McKinney dropped out of his pet event, the 800, and only ran the relay because teammate Garrett Goralski was injured.
"I'll be ready for the districts," McKinney said. `I'll just get some work done over spring break. While everybody else is at the beach, I'll be out here at the track."
In other events, Clearwater's Ezra Wise won the shot in 51-2. Teammate Ragen Gregory won the 100 in 11.0. Countryside took first and third in the boys discus. Jason Hatcher won with a 147-2, while Jeff Mitchell threw 136-8. Boca Ciega's Ray Vega was first in the triple jump with a 43-1. Raymond Friedman of Gibbs caught Clearwater's Jesse Kier in the last 100 yards to win the 1,600 meters in 4:32.2. Anthony Clark of Seminole won the boys 110 hurdles in 14.6, and Dunedin's Jevan Scott won the 300 hurdles in 39.7. Seminole's Dane Karcher took the pole vault in 12-6. Largo's Scott Ruffner finished first in the 3,200 in 10:14.1. Adam Miller from Clearwater won the 800 in 2:02.2.
Megan Meadows won the girls 1,600 (5:07.3) and the 800 (2:18.8). Dunedin's Dorian Long was another double winner, finishing first in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, plus anchoring the winning 400 relay. The Falcons team consisted of Nekiah Clark, Tisha Thomas, Tonya Willis and Long. Dixie Hollins freshman Danita Thompson placed second in the 100 and 200. Lora Evans of Countryside was first in the high jump with a 5-foot effort, and teammate Vanessa Allepuz was second.
