Florida Relays: Chiles Girls Shine, Northwestern/St. Thomas 4x400 is Legendary

Marvin Bracy and Octavious Freeman wracked up national leading times of 10.26 and 11.28. Armando Del Valle staked his claim as Florida's top distance runner with his 4:11 1600m victory.  Lily Williams gave Kacy Smith a taste of her own medicine, outkicking her to win the 1600 with both in 4:52. Williams comes back with her Chiles team the next day to set a state record 4x1600. Miami Northwestern and St. Thomas Aquinas battled it out to a national leading 4x400 that was decided by .002. Boyd Anderson girls set the track on fire.  So so much more!

Our coverage team, consisting of Jeff Adams, John Calderon, and Todd Grasley, was on site both days.  They have thousands of photos and dozens of videos posted.

Meet Coverage and Results Index...

High School Results

College Results

Photo Albums

 

Video Interviews and Race Footage

All Videos...

Interview: Ashley Favors Interview: Octavious Freeman Interview: Marvin Bracy Interview: Jerimy Strainge
Interview: Jeff Demps Interview: Kala Funderburk Interview: Isaiah Smith Interview: Ryan Schnulle
Interview: Lily Williams Interview: Kacy Smith Interview: Armando Del Valle Interview: Max del Monte
Interview: Whitner Chase Interview: Hunter Joyer Girls 4x200 Relay Boys 4x200 Relay
Girls 4x1600 Relay Interview: Charlotte Boys 4x1600 Relay Team Interview: Tyson Gay Interview: Daesha Rogers
Boy 4x800 Relay Interview: Grant Spencer Interview: Boyd Anderson Girls 4x100 Relay Team Boys 4x100 Relay
Boys 4x400 Relay Interview: Arman Hall Interview: Hugh Graham Jr.

 

 

Friday Highlights

Bracy Dominates 100 Dash, Strainge Out for Season?

Marvin Bracy of Boone dominated in the 100 meter dash, winning with a new season best of 10.26--0.02 better than he ran last week at the FSU Relays.  Meanwhile, Jerimy Strainge was keeping about even with Bracy for the first 30 meters of the race when he suddenly pulled up and dropped out of the race. The sophomore from North Broward suffered an injury to his right hamstring that may sideline him for the season. Strainge said he hoped to be able to return by the state meet, but had serious doubts about it. Second place was .27 back with Levonte Whitfield and several others tightly packed.

Video Interviews:  Marvin Bracy | Jerimy Strainge | Jeff Demps

Freeman Over Gaither in Girls 100

Octavious Freeman of Lake Wales continued her dominance over anyone and everyone. She got off perhaps her best start of the season and closed in her normal fashion. Pulling away from the competition she finished with a new season best 11.28.  Tynia Gaither of Osceola was in second place about .3 back.

Video Interview with Octavious Freeman...

Williams Outkicks Smith for Win in Girls 1600 Battle

Sixth-grader Daehsa Rogers of American Heritage took the pace out fast and furious, while others looked on, with a 65-second first lap. The torrential early pace obviously took is toll and the pack caught here around 800. Grace Vandergrift, senior at Durant, took over for the third lap before Lily Williams (Chiles) and Kacy Smith (Estero) went at it for the last 400 meters. Williams won out in the battle and earned a US #5 time of 4:52.05 with Smith just a couple of steps behind in 4:52.39.  Stephanie Schappert rode in for a new season best 4:55.84 for third place, with VanDeGrift (5:00.22) and Rogers amazingly holding on for a 5:03.23. Killi Williams of Mitchell continued her breakthrough season with a 5:03.23 for sixth.

Video Interviews:  Lily Williams | Kacy Smith

Del Valle Sitting on Florida's Distance Throne

With his relatively easy 4:11 1600 victory on Friday, Armando del Valle put aside any doubts... at least for now... he is the #1 boys distance runner in Florida. That time--winning over an incredible field of Florida's best including Max del Monte, Ryan Pickering and Jimmy Clark--puts him on the throne in that event, even over Tyler Cardillo's converted indoor mile. Along with his still state leading 9:13 3200 that he set early in the season, there is no doubt at this point who the man to beat is!

Video Interview with Armando...

Girls Silver Elite Performances

Boys Silver Elite Performances

 

Saturday Highlights

Miami Northwestern .002 over St. Thomas Aquinas in Greatest Boys 4x400 Fight in State History

Miami Northwestern has been making waves in the 4x400 all season, setting the second best all-time 4x1600/4xMile mark last week. St. Thomas Aquinas it seems was feeling a little left out and set out to make Northwestern work for that title of state's best. And boy did they!

The teams went blow for blow for four laps and coming down the last straight it looked like Northwestern might get knocked off. The two teams soared past the finish line and the roaring crowd waited for the call. On close photo analysis it came down to two thousanths of a second--perhaps who had the biggest hair. Northwestern retained the "states best" title with a 3:11.484 time to the 3:11.486 mark of St. Thomas Aquinas.  (watch the race video)

That time is over a second faster than the one that dropped our jaws last week at the GMAC Championships and is the new fastest every in the true 4x1600. Only the converted 3:10.7 of the 1969 Miami Killian team remains superior. Good chance we will see it this year by one of these two teams!!!

St. Thomas did get their share of the gold this weekend though.  They beat out Miami Northwestern in the 4x200 convincingly on Friday with a national leading 1:24.81 to Northwestern's 1:27.37. And prior to the 4x400 battle, they head already taken care of business in the 4x100 with a 40.68 win that is almost a half a second better than any other team in the nation... the only sub-41 team in the US this season. That time would have been #3 at the end of last year. And though our database is probably not complete, it is the all-time #6 performance in Florida according to our stats.

Boys 4x100 Race Video...

Boys 4x200 Race Video...

Boys 4x400 Race Video...

Chiles Girls 4x1600 Runs 20:56.31, Florida #2 All-time

Following their impressive individual 3200 meter performances last week at FSU and Lily William's thrilling 4:52 1600 meter victory on Friday night, the Chiles girls still had something left to prove.  They were out to prove that they were one of the greatest girls distance dynasties in state history.  And that they did!

The look the Florida Relays meet record from the great Elanore Roosevelt MD girls and the state record from Jacksonville Episcopal, the Florida Girls power team of the last decade.  Their time of 20:56.31 is the secondone in state history under the 21-minute mark and is the #2 time in the nation so far this season. The state record still belongs to the 1981 Orange Park team (at least for now) whose 20:53.5 4xMile converts to a  20:46.2 for 4x1600m.

Race Footage...

Charlotte Boys... 7:51 4x800 and 17:40 4x1600... Yet Disappointing?

Okay, let's put this into perspective!! While the times might seem disappointing based on the incredibly high expectations... it's hard to call those kind of times anything but spectacular. With those two performances Charlotte now sits at #1 in the nation for the 4x800 and #2 in the country at the 4x1600 so far this season. Not a bad day!  The 17:40.83 is the best ever true 4x1600 ever run by a Florida team, with only 4xMile times of yesteryear left to take down.

The team is also without star Tyler Cardillo at 100%.  Cardillo ran a strong leg of the 4x1600, though not up to his maximum. Cardillo bowed out of the 4x800 and Grant Spencer did a great job filling in those big shoes and helping them to a new US #1 time. The team will now focus on going for the 4x800 state record, possibly at the state meet, and (if they get it) perhaps entertain one more shot at the 4x1600 at New Balance Outdoor.

So great job to Charlotte!

Interview with Charlotte HS Relay Team...

Boyd Anderson Girls Relays Two US #1s, US #2

What a two days for the Boyd Anderson girls! On Friday, they ran a national leading 4x200 time of 1:37.47. Then on Saturday, they upset state leader Lake Wales by edging them out by .04 for the new national lead of 45.68. And then conclude their weekend with a one second victory over Miami Northwestern and a US #2 3:47.77!

Both the Boyd Anderson (45.68) and Lake Wales (45.72) beat the previous best 4x100 time, that of St. Thomas Aquinas (45.80) from the 2000 State Meet, as the top time in Florida ever that event. I am not convinced of how complete our database is to say definitively whether it's a state record or not. (Anyone know???) But it is certainly FAST and the best in at least the last 11 years.

Girls 4x200 Race Video...

Interview with Boyd Anderson girls...

Girls Silver Elite Performances

Boys Silver Elite Performances