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Lady Broncos take county title

Williams storms Bolles' mile

By Randy Lefko Sports Editor
Posted 3/11/20

MIDDLEBURG - Middleburg High's girls track team snipped a 137.50-135 team title from Oakleaf High in the Clay County Track Championships with Orange Park's powerhouse sprinters stealing the show for …

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Lady Broncos take county title

Williams storms Bolles' mile


Posted

MIDDLEBURG - Middleburg High's girls track team snipped a 137.50-135 team title from Oakleaf High in the Clay County Track Championships with Orange Park's powerhouse sprinters stealing the show for the boys, 175.50-113 over Oakleaf.

In a mild upset on the track, Middleburg junior Emma Mussante pulled away from Fleming Island's Mei Chiang (18th in 4A last year) to win the 1600 in five minutes, 43.38 seconds with Ridgeview's Anna Magruder taking third in 5:56.12.

Middleburg got double points in the pole vault with a 1-2-3 finish from Victoria Lopez, Sara Myers and Britney Pierson for 24 team points.

Oakleaf got their big points in the sprints as is the Lady Knights history with Arianna Eason winning the 100 in 13.04 with teammate Kaylah Turner third in 13.54. Fiona Whitehead of Clay took second in 13.31.

Eason also dominated the 200 beating Whitehead in 27.17-27.59. Oakleaf got third from Rhian Jackson in 28.04.

The trio also combined forces to win the 4 x 100 relay in 50.59 over Orange Park's 53.46.

For the boys, Orange Park's 400 state champion, Alex Collier, has been dabbling in the 100s and 200s to build some fast twitch prowess and came away with an 11.38 "cruiser" speed win in the 100 over Ridgeview's Glen Miller in 11.77.

Collier opted out of the 200, won by Rickey Embry of Oakleaf over teammate Evan Brown, 23.61-24.10 with Lawrence Thomas of Orange Park winning the 400 in 52.90 ahead of Dony Huynh of Fleming Island's 53.90.

Oakleaf's girls did win the 4 x 400 over Middleburg, but the win did not get enough poinyts for the team title. Orange Park's boys won by nine seconds; 3:31.65, over Oakleaf.

In the field events, a close 1-2-3 finish between Middleburg's Calvin Suggs, Kadin Elmore and Sean Dixon was just 11 inches between Suggs' winner at 20'-11.75" and Dixon's third at 20'-0.25".

At the Bolles Bulldog Track Invite on Fri., March 6, Keystone Heights High's Camryn Williams, the top finisher for county runners in the recent cross country season, blasted the stellar field with a 5:14.54 for a 10 second personal best improvement.

"I was originally supposed to be in the second heat (the slower one) and the plan was to simply race to win my heat, but they combined the heats last minute," said Williams. "I called Coach Enoch (Nadler) and he told me to not count myself out, to make sure to get out hard since there was a lot of runners and stick on the front pack and compete. I’ve always trusted Nadler and I knew if he was confident and said I could still be one of the top runners in that race then I could be."

Williams outkicked the likes of Kendyl Cardwell of Montverde Academy (23rd in 2A mile last year), Lillian Holtery of Niceville (19th at 4A XC, 10th in 3A 800) and Elizabeth Iliff of Creekside (9th at 4A XC, 7th in 3A 1600); all under 5:17.

"I wasn’t really nervous, more excited then anything since it was the first big race of the season," said Williams. "I’ve been blessed with a pretty good kick so once on the straight, I went hard and was able to pull ahead and win. I remember thinking after the race “oh my gosh did i just win this?”

Clay High sprinter Fiona Whitfield was ninth in the 100 in 13.00; won in 11.75 by Creekside's Makhaila Mills.

In the boys competition, Collier ran a 10.78 100 for second to Aaron Bell of Terry Parker's 10.58. Markez Sermons, also of Orange Park, was seventh in 11.13. Bell also won the 200 in 21.47. Collier won the 400 in 48.08.

In the 800, Fleming Island senior Jacob Walrod finished second in 2:01.71 to Lake Wale's Ladarius Tellis in 1:58.64.

In the 1600, Nease sophomore Rheinhardt Harrison whipped up a 4:17.46 effort with St. Johns Country Day School's Matthew Stratton seventh in 4:30.27.

Ethan Geiger of Tampa Robinson won the 3200 in a fast 9:04.29 with Stratton 19th at 9:46.19 ahead of Fleming Island's Will Livesay, 20th in 9:46.68, and Oakleaf's Dylan Nelson, 23rd in 9:50.52.

Orange Park outsprinted Bartram Trail in the 4 x 400 relay; 3:28.28-3:29.71 with Fleming Island fifth.

In shotput, Orange Park's Kendy Charles got closer to the elusive 50-foot mark with a sixth place 47'-5.75".

In the hurdlers, St. Johns Country Day School's Courtney Sage was third in the 100 hurdles in 16.45 to Bartram Trail's Carolina Minozzi winning split of 15.37. Sage was second in the 300 hurdles in 46.08 with Niceville's Aleena Ponto winning in 45.79.

Ridgeview High's Zoe Whaley won the high jump in 5'-5".