Lakewood Ranch senior Devin McDermott lets us in on her once in a lifetime experience as a National Finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman.
Over 350 people voted on our Facebook page for the boy's and girl's Warrior of the Year awards. After a final count, Armando Del-Valle of Miami Columbus tallied more than half of the 97 votes in the boy's race. Del Valle edged out Boone senior Marvin Bracy 54 votes to 31. Lindsey Enders of Holy Trinity ran away with the girl's title with 122 of the 261 votes. Lake Wales senior Octavious Freeman was second with 51 votes.
Throughout the season we have picked our Warrior of the Week and now it is time to decide whose performances are worthy of Warrior of the Year. We have chosen the top five girls and top five guys and left the final vote to the running community. So log onto to our Facebook page and let us know what you think!
After finishing runner-up last year in the discus Devin Screen was determined to win a state title his senior year. Screen was an integral part of Godby's back to back state championship runs placing in the shot put as well the past two seasons. Coach Jesse Forbes says his role on the team is huge and he will be missed dearly.
First Academy senior Ansley Gebben was ready to move on. School was coming to an end and she had just capped off a stellar track and field career with her fourth consecutive state title in the 300 meter hurdles. When the Golden South Classic came up on the calendar Gebben was hesitant to run to say the least, but Coach Rick Bohner knew it could be her last meet ever, the last meet on the Royal's home track.
Palm Beach Lakes is known for producing great hurdlers. In the mid 2000’s it was Lawrence Baker, then came current University of Florida freshman Eddie Lovett, and the latest era belonged to Emarkis Gunn. Gunn continued the tradition of state championships by winning the 300 hurdles in 36.83, one of the fastest times in the country in 2011.
Miami Northwestern senior Keisha Richburg knew what it was like to win a state title. She watched her fellow Lady Bulls take home the team championship the past three consecutive seasons, but she wanted one of her own. Her final year of high school she decided to focus on the 300 meter hurdles. Coach Carmen Jackson calls Richburg’s senior season a break out year.
Thomas Howell was used to leading races. It had been his strategy all throughout middle school to go out strong and hope he had some juice left in the tank at the end. It was in his seventh grade year when he came across Niceville coach Mike Warren. Warren saw potential in the youngster, but knew it would warrant changing his plan of attack on the cross country course.
Shayla Sander’s nickname is “lil hemi”. The Boyd Anderson junior has a powerful motor and has topped out at speeds of 11.45 in the 100 and sub 24 in the 200 this season. Her coach Damion Thomas says they call her that because of the way she pumps her arms when she runs.“She looks like a bullet out of the blocks and she looks so fearless. She accelerates so quickly.”
When Boone junior Marvin Bracy was told he was this week’s Warrior of the Week his response was, “it’s about time.” Bracy wasn’t being egotistical at all, he was more than right. He probably could have won the award numerous times for his blazing marks throughout the season. However, we held off in anticipation that his best was yet to come and at the 4A state championships he didn’t disappoint clocking in at 10.39 in the 100 and 21.24 in the 200.
Der’Renae Freeman always wondered why she never garnered as much attention as some of the state’s other long jumpers. Her personal coach Derrick White says she felt as if she was flying under the radar, always hoping for that interview, her time in the limelight. The notoriety came after the West Orange junior jumped an astounding 20-00.75 to win the 4A state championship.
Resilient. That is the word Coach Kevin Brown uses to describe a special senior, Stephanie Schappert. As a freshman at Pope John Paul II, she fell not once, but twice in her first track and field state championships. This past cross country season she fell just shy of the finish line. Brown says most would let those experiences bring them down, but not Schappert.
Before Levonte “Kermit” Whitfield got in the blocks for the 200 a Jones assistant coach asked him what his confidence level was. The Jones sophomore usually responds with 9-10 but thiOs time he had a different answer, a billion. Coach Fred Ray instantly knew Whitfield was ready for the big stage.
Hunter Joyer spent his first two years of high school at Wesley Chapel before transferring his junior year to Tampa Catholic. This year he returned to Wesley Chapel for his senior season and throws coach Tyler Garrett is glad to have his stud thrower back.
Winter Park runner Kira Soderstrom epitomizes the word warrior; “a person who shows great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness in politics or sports.” The senior was gearing up for the district championships when an unexpected pain crossed her body.
When Jovan Davis transferred from Evans for his senior season this first track practice wasn’t exactly what he had in mind. Davis was in the middle of the field, hunched over, and sick. Coach Shayla Taylor says the team looked at him and said, “Welcome to Wekiva.”
Davis fought through that tough practice and has been working hard the past two months. At the Metro Conference Championships he won all four events he competed in: 110 and 300 meter hurdles, 4x100 meter relay, and long jump.
Holy Trinity pole vaulter Lindsey Enders picked the perfect time to hit a personal best. The senior cleared 12-7 to win the district championship. Her vaulting coach, Bill Falk of MF Athletics, says it was an improvement in her technique that has helped her achieve those heights.
Miami Jackson star Robin Reynolds has won seven state titles and she’s only a sophomore. This week at the Miramar Invitational she was at it again winning all four events she competed in. She ran a season best 11.84 in the 100, 24.35 in the 200, a state best 54.21 in the 400, and a season best 18-8.50 in the long jump. Coach Donnell Jackson says her effort this week was, “a state championship performance.”
Episcopal coach Pat Crandall first met Garrett Scantling when he was in the 7th grade. He remembers the first time Scantling came out to practice quite well. “When I got him he was a little stick pole. He could high jump 4-6 and pole vault 6-0. He couldn’t do anything because he was a skinny little boy.”
Octavious Freeman is one of the greatest high school sprinters of all-time. She has only lost once at 100 meters in Florida duing her four year high school career, two years ago at the Florida Relays. In her senior year, at the same event she would have none of that, blazing past the field in a season best of 11.28. Her dad Stanley Smith, who is also her coach, says he was pleased with her performance.
Armando Del-Valle remembered what happened at last year’s state championship when he faced off against Ryan Pickering, the Oregon signee out kicked him in the final moments to take home the title. This year at the Florida Relays, Coach Jorge Fleitas decided they would turn the tables.
Darroneshia Lott of Pine Forest showed she is the pride of the Panhandle at the FSU Relays guiding her team to a win in the 4x8 relay and winning the 800 in a state leading 2:14.26. She also finished second in a very competitive 1600 with a time of 4:58.25, a personal best for the senior, and the second fastest in Florida for 2011. Justin Osking has had the 200 feet mark for the discus in the back of his mind for a long time, and he is on his way to that goal. The John Carroll senior hurled the implement a state leading and US#3 distance of 187-9. He also finished first in the shot put as well with a throw of 54-8, the fourth best in Florida for 2011.
Osceola senior Tynia Gaither bests Miami Jackson star Robin Reynolds in the 100 and 200 at the USF/George Steinbrenner Invitational. Her time of 23.17 in the 200 is the fastest in the country this year. Miami Northwestern's Artie Burns showed why he is the one of the best hurdlers in the country showing up the field at the Bob Hayes Invitational. Just a sophomore Burns won the 110 hurdles in a US #2 time of 13.66 to kick off the meet and followed that up with a nation leading 36.96 to win the 300's.
Lily Williams of Chiles is coming off a great performance at the Bolles Bulldog Classic. Williams, just a junior, won the 800 in a top ten time of 2:18.44, broke her own school record in the in the 1600 with a state leading 4:57.31 and ran a 59.9 in her leg of the 4x400. Tyler Cardillo of Charlotte continues his impressive performance in the distance events after a great last weekend at flrunners Primetime. Cardillo posted a qualifying time to be seeded in the boys elite mile and came out with an impressive showing, 4:13.48, third place, and All-American honors.
Arman Hall of St. Thomas Aquinas is coming off of two great weeks, with the top indoor time in the nation at 400 meters two weeks ago and a US #1 200 meter time of 20.86 this week at Sam Burley. Shelby Davidson of Cocoa Beach has continued her ascention to the top of the distance ranks with a state leading 10:58 this week that followed her 5:09 earlier in the night at the Holy Trinity Invitational.
Hugh Graham, Jr. of Miami Northwestern returns for 2011 as the nation's top 400 meter runner and this past week proved he is picking up where he left off with a 46.97 400m and a 10.60 in his first 100m race in four years. Brittany Wagoner of Key West has bounced back from shoulder surgery to return to her dominant form in the pole vault, long jump, and high jump with performances this week of 10-6, 18-0, and 5-4, respectively.
The first ever Warrior of the Week honors go to two very deserving athletes. Tyler Cue of Flagler Palm Coast wins the first boys weekly award after his stellar 21.01 opening in the 200 meter dash. And Briana Pulido of Archbishop Carroll is named the female winner for her multi-event prowess and pure will to achieve.
We are partnering with Warrior Running Camps this season to honor two top performers each week of the season. This award is meant to recognize those athletes who have trained hard and striven for excellence.