Teams from 3 Broward schools take titles

Everything didn’t go entirely according to plan for the area’s top track athletes on Saturday, but Broward County still came away with three teams to win state track and field state championships.

Miramar easily rolled to its first team state title in Class 4A, Hallandale took American Heritage’s crown in Class 2A on the final event, the 4x400 relay, and Westminster Academy earned a share of the 1A title, also coming through clutch in the end at IMG Academy in Bradenton.

Miramar had only won two individual state track championships in its history coming into this season. Junior Jamal Walton got that on his own on Saturday, winning the 200 in 21.31 seconds and the 400 in 46.11. Teammate Terrence Horne Jr. finished second behind him in the 200 and also was second in the 100 at 10.82, well below his personal best. The Patriots, who also earned points off the finishes of sophomore sprinter Taylor Banks, were second in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays to win by 20 points over Miami Columbus.

While Horne finishing second in the 100 was the lone disappointment for the Patriots, just about everything that could go wrong for American Heritage did.

World-class junior sprinter Anthony Schwartz, who currently runs the fastest 100 in high school, tweaked his left hamstring running it in the Class 2A final. He pulled up and finished last, but teammate Tyson Campbell picked up the slack, winning the race in 10.76 seconds, two-hundredths of a second faster than ChaminadeMadonna’s Shaun Shivers. Schwartz, who coach Greg Barnes said was dealing with tendinitis in his left knee leading up to states, pulled up and finished last.

Later Saturday, Campbell and Shivers also had a 1-2 finish in the 200. Schwartz, a favorite coming in after winning both races last year as a sophomore, jogged it to finish and salvage his team a point.

With all that, the Patriots still had a five-point lead in team standings on Hallandale going into the 4x400 relay, but with Schwartz unavailable, Heritage finished fifth while Hallandale won the event to give the Chargers just enough to edge their Broward 2A counterpart. Amari Johnson’s second-place finish in the 300 hurdles also gave them a boost in points.

Hallandale won its second state title in three years and third overall.

Westminster Academy tied St. Stephens Episcopal with 42 team points by winning its 4x400 relay to make up the two-point deficit the Lions faced. They went from fourth to a tie for first on the final event and now have won team titles in three of four seasons.

Thomas wins 110 hurdles again

Northeast senior Damion Thomas wrapped up his high school career with a third consecutive 110 hurdles title.

“It’s a great feeling to come out senior year and repeat as champion,” said Thomas, who is signed to run at LSU. “I’m just really happy with the outcome of the season and to deliver a third state title for Northeast.” Thomas stumbled at start but came back to win handily.

Fagot defends shot put title

Calvary Christian senior Diego Fagot defended his Class 2A boys shot put title, throwing a new personal best 17.48 meters (57-4.25).

Fagot, signed to Navy to play football as a linebacker and also in the middle of baseball districts, was having a down year in the shot put after winning it last year as he was also playing baseball this spring, but in his final throw of his high school career, cocked back and broke his previous best.

Hallandale’s Milton Ingraham, a favorite in the event after winning in Class 1A with Dade Christian last year, finished third (56-4).

Other local notables

The Class 2A boys 4x800 relay had Broward schools finish in all top four positions with Hallandale winning in 8:06.17 and Calvary Christian, American Heritage and Pine Crest to follow. Westminster Academy’s boys 4x800 relay team won the 1A title, finishing in 8:15.81.

The St. Thomas Aquinas (47.11) and American Heritage (46.70) girls 4x100 relay teams won gold in their classes. Cardinal Gibbons (41.33) won the boys title in 2A. Heritage had girls win gold and silver in 2A in the 400 with freshman Danielle Bess winning in 55.38 and eighth-grader Kenya Thompson right behind her (56.56). In 3A, Northeast sophomore Jan’Taijah Ford won in 53.90.