Yared sisters finish top 2

JACKSONVILLE — It was something mom said she dreamed about and coach knew was a realistic possibility.

Pine Crest’s Yared sisters, Tsion and Mahdere, finished first and second in the 3200 at the state track and field championships on Friday as multiple athletes from Broward and Palm Beach counties stood out at the University of North Florida.

“This was my dream from the day they started running — to see them in the state championship as 1 and 2,” said Frehiwot Yeshitla, their mother. “I can’t ask for anything better than for the older one to win first and the second one next.”

Tsion Yared, a sophomore, won the Class 2A race in 10:45.54, which was seven seconds off her personal best. Freshman Mahdere Yared’s 10:48.99 was nearly half a second within hers.

“I think we just wanted to put ourselves in a good position for the first mile, see how we feel and definitely close, finish the race strong, give it all we got,” said Tsion Yared, who improved off the 10:52.01 good enough for fifth at states last year.

“We talked about that,” said Pine Crest coach Paul Baur. “We discussed it and said, ‘Let’s go 1-2 on this thing.’ ”

Not only were the Yareds 1 and 2, the Panthers had sophomore Emily Faulhaber place fourth (11:09.64). As a team, Pine Crest picked up 23 points from the 3200, leading the 2A girls at the time, but Hallandale made up the margin by the end of Friday night with a big showing in the long jump. to go from fourth to first over the final 50 meters, leaning in at the finish line for the difference. The top four were separated by less than half a second.

“I just went up and got them [the runners ahead of him]. Gave it all I had,” said Foucha, a junior. “I didn’t know they were going to take off like that. They took off like they were running the 400, so I just laid back and chilled. Last 200, I picked it up.”

Ferro, like he did to win it last year, made his push over the final lap.

“I think I went out a bit too hard,” Ferro said. “So that last lap was brutal. I just knew I had to expend everything I had left in my legs and so I did. I was limping across the finish line.”

Ferro, a who is bound for USF, had to catch up to Jacksonville Bolles’ Chase Rivera, who finished second at 1:52.71.

“Competition is way crazier this year than it was last year,” said Ferro, noting 1:54.07 was what it took to win last spring.

Ferro’s time was best across all four classes.

Area schools also had strong finishes in the other two boys’ 800 finals. King’s Academy senior Justin Bridgewater was runner-up in Class 1A (1:57.27), and Northeast’s Tyree Simeon was fourth in a competitive race in 3A (1:54.36).

Benjamin’s Emily Horgen was fourth in the girls’ 800 in 1A. Boca Raton freshman Pia Beaulieu was fifth in 4A. about.”

The ThunderWolves junior put Palm Beach County on the board with a state championship in the afternoon.

An improvement in mechanics helped Kanjian improve on her seventh-place finish at states as a sophomore when she cleared 5-3.

“I trained a lot this year regarding form and the run-up to the bar because last year I kind of winged it, and that helps a lot,” said Kanjian, whose best is 5-5.75. “When you go over the bar straight flat, you don’t get the same height that you would when you curve over the top.”

Spann and Hall ended up tying for second place.