WATCH: Race Relay Vidoes from the Pepsi Florida Realys
Friday Track Finals Highlights
3200m
It was hot on Friday and even hotter on Saturday in Gainesville. The high school performances were electrifying on both days at the Pepsi Florida Relays. Friday started with the Girls' and boys' 3200m races. The race saw some scratches in anticipation of running with fresh legs in the 1600m, which was expected to be one of the highlight distance races. Eighth-grader Annabella Tomasic of Lake Highland Prep demonstrated why she is one of the top distance runners in the state. She moved from a number four ranking in the state to a number two, 10.27.41 in her win. A 15.4-second PR. Katelyn O'Brien of Boca Raton Community was second in 10:57.67. Tomasic and O'Brien and were the only two girls under 11:00 in the race.
Senior Joshua Gammage of Dillard won the boys 3200m in a PR 9:19.53. Gammage used his 1:54 800m speed to take the lead and hold off East Ridge sophomore Axel Sallault, and junior Ewan Conroy of Bullis (MD). Sallault ran 9:21.78 and Conroy 9:21.90.
100m
Three boys went under 10.40. Christopher Bronaugh of Windermere had the fastest time of the day in winning heat one in 10.24. Zamarii Sanders of Cardinal Mooney won heat two in 10.27 and was second. Third went to Ja'Neil Harris of T.W. Andrews (NC) in 10.39. One has to ask why Bronaugh and Sanders were not in the same heat?
Dasia Reed of the Montverde Academy took the girl's 100m in 11.41 to improve on her Florida number two ranking, holding off Patchnalie Compere Northeast (Oakland Park), who was second in 11.60. Compere moved into the number four position in the rankings. Ariyanna Griggs of Dillard was third in 11.68, moving her to number eight in Florida.
Hurdles
Alexia Reid of Dillard moved from Florida number four to number two with her second-place finish in the girl's 100mH. Reid ran a 13.58. Kassidy Hopkins of Bullis took the event in 13.37.
Jabari Armstrong of Sickles took second in the boys' 110mH with a state-leading 13.54, and Camryn McRoy of Holy Trinity Academy moved to Florida number two with his third-place finish in 13.91.The race was won by Le'Ezra Brown of Dudley (NC) in a national-leading 13.21.
800m
Ava Heskett of Gulf Coast HS continued her winning ways this season, taking the girls' 800m in a PR 2:11.01. Cheyenne Thomas of Tavares was second in 2:11.82, improving from a PR of 2:13.34.
The boys' 800 was won by Colin Abrams of Bullis (MD), who dipped under 1:50 with a 1:49.75 moving him to a current US #3 in the national rankings. Nakira Hudson of the Montverde Academy moved to US #4 with her second-place finish in 53.29, Journee Belcher into US #5 with her 53.34 third-place finish.
The girls' 400m saw nine girls go sub-54. Tyra Cox of Miami Northwestern improved on her state number one and US #3 performance of 52. 97, with a run of 52.60. Her 52.60 moves her into the top spot nationally. Nakira Hudson of the Montverde Academy was second with a US #4 53.29. Journee Belcher of Rickards was third in a US #6 53.34.
The boys' 400 was a highly anticipated event, headlined by Olympian Quincy Wilson of Bullis (MD). Wilson was back a few meters on Miami Northwestern's Tywan Cox with 100m to go and pulled away for the win in his outdoor premier of the year. His 45.27 tied him for the number one spot nationally. Cox held on for second in 46.29 food for a US #4. Jozef Miesak of Windermere was third in 46.83, and Ja'Neil Harris of T.W. Andrews (NC) was fourth in 46.88.
1600m
The girls 1600m saw eight girls go under 5:00, led by Mackenzie Roy of Spruce Creek. Roy won in a new state leading time of 4:50,29. Annabella Tomasic of Lake Highland Prep, coming off of her 3200m win, was second in a Florida #2 4:53.08. Third went to Mackenzie's twin, Arianna Roy, in a Florida #3 4:53.32.
The boys' 1600m was one of the most exciting races of the day, with Joshua Gammage of Dillard and Gino Palazzolo of Buchholz battling the last 100, with both boys diving across the finish. Gammage got the win in 4:13.14 and the 3200-1600 double on the day. Palazzolo went 4:13.22 for second. A total of 11 boys went sub-4:20 in the race.