Record-setting sprinters star in region track
DeLand’s Williams, Bishop Moore’s Smith runelite times in regionals; Winter Springs’ Wells stellar in 1,600
PALM COAST — DeLand High School sprinter Kevar Williams had difficulty sleeping Friday night, fearful that whatever type of stomach bug he was suffering from would derail his chances in a highly competitive Class 4A Region 1 track and field meet.
So much for that. Williams, a junior, woke up feeling much better and stole the show with impressive victories in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes on a sunbaked Saturday at Flagler Palm Coast. Both races were stacked with speed but Williams dominated. Then he put the icing on the cake with a strong anchor leg in the 4x400 relay as DeLand won that race as well.
Williams won the 100 in 10.40 seconds, turning back challenges from seniors Ethan Exhilhomme (10.49) of Timber Creek, Chadrick Richards (10.58) of Lake Brantley and Jimmy Horn Jr. of Sanford Seminole (10.66).
The 200 was all Williams as he ran a time of 21.01 to cross the line first ahead of Lake Brantley teammates Richards (21.47) and Andrew Harris (21.50).
Williams finished second to Richards in both races in his district meet two weeks ago.
“I felt like I had a really great start,” Williams said after his 100 victory. “And I stayed relaxed all the way through the race.
“That’s what I’ve been working on these past two weeks.”
Williams’ 200 time, although slightly windaided (2.1 meters per second wind at his back), is in the top 10 nationally based on lists coming into Saturday’s competitions. His 100 time is one of the best wind-legal efforts in the country.
He smashed school records set by Johnny Patrick, a 2006 DeLand alum who played college football for Louisville and pro ball for three NFL teams.
It was a Saturday built for speed as Bishop Moore junior C.J. Smith ran the fastest 200 in Orlando area history and one of the fastest 100s ever in a sensational showing in the Class 2A Region 2 meet at Satellite.
Smith ran 10.28 for the 100 and 20.62 for the 200, both wind-aided. The 200 mark eclipses all-conditions area standards set by 1970s standouts Mike Roberson of Winter Park and Cyril Wyatt of Oak Ridge and more recent times that included a 20.66 by former Jones High and FSU football speedster Levonte “Kermit” Whitfield in 2013.
At the 3A Region 2 meet at Lake Region High School, Jones senior Jacari Kennedy had winning times of 10.50 and 21.05 for the 100 and 200.
Exilhomme clocked the nation’s fourth fastest time of the year, 13.67 seconds, to remain unbeaten in the 110 high hurdles in the 4A-1 meet.
“I’ve been working really hard to get to the 13s,” he said. “Now it’s all clicking at the right time.”
Brantley’s Richards also had another big day, including a stellar anchor effort that gave Lake Brantley its second consecutive win against Seminole in the 4x100 relay.
The Patriots won in a time of 41.42 seconds, just one-hundredth of a second in front of the ’Noles.
Timber Creek was third at 41.84 with Exilhomme on the anchor.
The top two finishers in all region events are automatic qualifiers to next weekend’s state meets in Jacksonville. Those with the next best eight region marks will receive at-large berths, and a number of those figure to go to Region 1 participants.
Evans sophomore Arbriel Scott lowered her career best in the girls 300 hurdles to win in a time of 43.78 seconds. She also dropped her 100 hurdles best to 14.73 for second place.
Other individual area girls winners were Seminole ninth-grader Sidney Allen (18-1 ½) in the long jump, Ocoee sophomore Ma’Kala Davis in the triple jump (37-8 ½), and Evans senior Jahnile Registre in the 400 (55.50).
Evans also won the 4x100 relay (47.80) and 4x400
(3:49.49) and finished second behind Niceville in the girls team standings. Ocoee was third.
Seminole’s boys were third behind Niceville and Ponte Vedra Beach Nease.
Oviedo senior Sam Austin ran a winning 1:51.89 time in the 800, where he leads the nation at 1:50.00.
Other area boys winners in 4A-1 include Lake Mary senior Dillon Dechristopher in the pole vault (15-3), Orlando University’s Justin Campbell in the boys triple jump (47-6 ¼) and Ocoee’s Tramari Smith in the 400 (48.66), where he edged Brantley’s Richards (48.67).
Ocoee sophomore Dylan Wade, who started at quarterback for the Knights last fall, was a surprise runner-up in the boys shot put with an area-leading 56-1 ¼ mark that was nine feet better than his previous best.
“I didn’t expect that,” the
Orlando Sentinel
6-4, 230-pound Wade said. “This is my first year throwing the shot. It took a couple of meets to get used to it.”
Ocoee also had the girls shot put runner-up with junior Leilany Laureano uncorking a big personal-best of 41-5 ¾.
Smith sets record: Bishop Moore’s Smith ran the fastest 100 by an Orlando area sprinter since former East Ridge standout Terry Jernigan ran 10.27 at the 2014 Golden South Classic.
Smith’s ran the time with a wind at his back measured at 3.8 meters per second, over the 2.0 limit for “wind-legal” record consideration.
He also anchored Bishop Moore’s 4x100 relay, which ran a school-record 41.68 that makes the Hornets one of the 2A state favorites in that race. Bishop Moore placed second behind Satellite in the boys team standings.
Montverde senior Weston Baptiste clocked a 20.90 time for second place in the 200 and won the 400 in 47.58.
Wells sets record: Winter Springs junior Caroline Wells ran a national top five time of 4:44.90 to win the girls 1,600 in the 3A Region 2 meet. That’s one of the fastest metric miles in state history.
She also cruised to victory in the 3,200 (10:52.66) and helped the Bears win the 4x800 relay (9:38.82).
MDC wins: Mount Dora Christian’s boys won 4x400 relay to cap a championship performance at the Class 1A Region 2 title in Gainesville.
Bulldogs boys basketball standout Rodney Bryant ran on that winning relay and also won the 300 hurdles.