Keys teams traveled to Calvary Christian School for their respective FHSAA Region 4 Championships last week. When the final race was complete, three local athletes had secured regional titles, six qualified automatically for the state meet and nine others earned at-large bids with their performances. The top two finishers in each event qualify automatically, while the next best 10 in the state’s four regions receive at-large spots. In total, 15 Conchs, Hurricanes and Dolphins will make the trip to Jacksonville for the big show.
The Conchs and ’Canes competed May 2 in the 2A classification and the Fins took their marks a day later for the 1A meet.
KEY WEST
Key West’s boys finished second in Region 4 with an impressive showing in the field events. Senior Ian Newton won the pole vault event, clearing the bar at 14’3.25” and placing him in contention for a medal at next week’s state meet. Sophomore Josh Johnson broke the school record with his second-place shot put, which traveled 47’9.5”, and fellow throwers Shane Lavallee, Peyton Zubieta and Jeremiah Harvey, all seniors, placed second through fourth in the javelin competition. Newton, Johnson and Lavallee qualified for states automatically while Zubieta and Harvey each earned at-large spots. Joining them at states will be Noah Mercer, whose third-place discus toss made the mark, and Malachi Telsma, whose tie for third in high jump also earned an at-large bid.
The Lady Conchs will have three representatives in Jacksonville. Sophomore Ariel Newton won the girls pole vault event with a 9’10” jump. Senior Caylaa Makimaa placed third in the 3,200-meter race with a strong enough time to garner an at-large spot. Junior Audrey Smith’s dual at-large bids illustrate the strength of the South Florida region in both events. Smith placed fourth in discus and fifth in javelin with distances that made the top-10 list for a spot on the state roster in both events.
CORAL SHORES
Hurricane freshman Ali Wheatley finished the 3,200-meter race in second place with a time of 11:33. Wheatley’s finish secured a lane at the state meet, where she will be the lone athlete in a Coral Shores uniform. Though he did not qualify for states, junior Alaric Rodriguez had a fantastic fourth-place finish in the 800 and Sammy Bates broke her own school record in the same event in the girls race, finishing 10th.
MARATHON
Four Fins will make the trip to Jacksonville this week. Justice Lee brought home a trio of regional medals and earned an automatic spot at the state meet in two events and an at-large bid in a third. Lee qualified automatically with her first-place 37’4.5” shot put and a second-place 111’ toss in the discus event. Her third-place javelin throw landed 101’7” away and earned her an at-large spot in a third event at the state meet. Joining Lee for the Lady Fins will be fellow junior Ava Merryman, who matched her school-record pole vault best at 9’10”. Merryman’s third-place finish earned an at-large bid for the big show.
Marathon’s boys had a pair of qualifiers, both on the track. In the shortest event, senior Jay Marshall sprinted to a fifth-place finish in the 100-meter race, crossing the line in 11.08 seconds. His time secured a lane at the state meet. Senior Vance Bursa earned his spot in the longest race of the day. Bursa completed eight laps in 9:40 to place third and win an at-large spot in the 3,200-meter race. He went around the track four more times to qualify for another at-large spot in the 1,600-meter race, as well.
Two of the Dolphins’ youngest competitors did not qualify for states but broke Marathon school records in their regional performances last week. Sixth-grader Molly Joly and seventh-grader Maverick McDonald both set new school records in the 3,200 and pole vault, respectively, each breaking their own marks set earlier in the season.
STATE DETAILS
2A Key West and Coral Shores will head to Jacksonville a day earlier than 1A Marathon for the FHSAA State Championships. All events are being held at University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium. The Conchs and Hurricanes compete on Friday, May 9 while the Dolphins take their marks the following day.
