Cooper, Burns, Hart shatter records in Florida

By Ka’Deem Wynn for DyeStat

The Miami Northwestern girls continued to dominate the Class 3A level, and introduced a new freshman sensation, and Norland sophomore Tyrese Cooper found a bit too much competition in his bid to win three sprint titles on Saturday at the IMG Academy for the final day of the FHSAA state championships. 

RESULTS

Day two of the Florida state meet saw an explosion of speed and fierce competition.

Much like last year’s state meet in Class 4A, when he ran for American, Cooper was denied the attempt to complete the sprint trifecta in 3A after losing the 100 meters final. Auburndale senior Chauncy Smart got the best of Cooper, exploding out of the blocks and edging him out 10.56 to 10.63.

Cooper later won the 200-and 400-meter races, running 21.13 and 45.51 seconds, respectively. Cooper’s goal was to run sub-45 seconds and possibly challenge Darrell Robinson’s 1983 national record of 44.69. 

Caitlin Collier of Bolles (2A), Kristlin Gear of Fort Myers (3A) and Grace Blair of Oak Hall (1A) completed the distance trifecta, as all three came back after Friday’s double victories in the 800 and 3,200. Collier defended her title in the 1,600, running a US#8 4:50.48, and became the first athlete to complete the trifecta twice since 1978. Gear ran 4:56.04 for her third win and Blair won her race in 5:03.86.

Sophia Falco of Lakewood Ranch finished second in the 4A girls 100 meter dash (12.07), but won the long jump, going 19-8.25. The senior also finished third in the 200 meters, running 24.26.

Southridge was led by star senior Symone Mason, who had a field day, taking titles in the 100, 200, and 400 meters. Mason won the 4A titles after running 11.70, 23.48, and 52.69. She was also on her team’s 4x400 relay team, which won the state title in 3:43.04.

The Lady Bulls of Miami Northwestern dominated the sprints in Class 3A. With strong efforts from athletes Twanisha Terry, Taranique Alexander, and Markalah Hart, the team held nothing back, sweeping two of the three relays. The girls ran 45.39 in the 4x100 meter relay and 3:43.94 in the 4x400, while finishing third in 9:35.97 in the 4x800.

Hart, a Miami Northwestern freshman, shocked fans when she smashed the all-time Florida record in the 300 hurdles with 40.28 seconds. Her time is a freshman class national record, ranks No. 5 all-time, and trails only Sydney McLaughlin on the 2017 national list.

Thomas Burns led the Miami Northwestern boys to a team title and ran a spectacular 35.90 in the 300 hurdles, breaking Bershawn Jackson's state meet record of 36.01. Burns also won the 110 hurdles in 13.94.

The boys of Miami Northwestern, who currently hold the top spot as US#1 with a time of 3:10.56, took the 3A 4x400 title, running the fastest time of the day (3:12.31).

Caleb Pottorff of Lincoln Park Academy had the fastest 1,600 time of the day, running 4:16.21 to win the boys 2A state title. Pottorff also won the 3,200 the night before in 9:13.39.

KaTia Seymour posted the fast sprints times of the day for girls in the Class 2A finals, taking the state titles in the 100 (11.57) and 200 (23.48). The Palatka senior was also on her team’s 4x100 relay that took second in 47.46.

In the 4A girls distance races, Riverview junior and Foot Locker Finalist Bailey Hertenstein battled it out with 2016 4A 3,200 state champion Kayley Delay of Fletcher. The two had a close race on Friday, with Hertenstein emerging victorious (10:30.89 to 10:39.83). In the 1,600, Delay could not respond when Hertenstein made a late move. Hertenstein won again, 4:54.55 to 4:55.72.

Anthony Schwartz of American Heritage, the U.S. leader in the 100 meters this spring, pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury in the Class 2A 100 final and finished eighth. He was forced to withdraw from the rest of the meet.

Friday -

The first day of the Florida track and field state championships saw the preliminary rounds and two running event finals: the 800 and 3,200.

Seymour ran a wind-aided 22.89 in the 200 meter dash prelims. The FSU signee’s time was the fastest seed going into the finals, having almost a full second over second place qualifier, Destiny Charles of Cocoa High School, who clocked 23.83.

Cooper cruised through the preliminary rounds in the boys 100, 200, and 400 meters, running 10.63, 20.62, and 46.29 respectively. Despite a small hamstring injury last week at regionals, Cooper opted to run all three events in an attempt to pull off a sprint trifecta. 

Fort Myers senior Kristlin Gear wrapped up a spectacular senior season after grabbing individual 3A state titles in both the 800 meters and 3,200 meters. Gear ran 2:10.29 to seal the deal over Abbie Harrelson of Niceville, who took second in 2:10.71.

Gear came back later that evening to take down freshman Allyson Churchill, who led most of the race, in the 3,200. Gear (pardon the pun) found another gear the final 150 meters to get the win in 10:40.50.

Caitlin Collier also ran 2:10 over 800 meters to retain her title as the 2A state champion, though her meet record, which she set last year (2:05) was left untouched. Collier, now a junior, later claimed the 3,200 title in 10:30.

Miami Jackson senior Tiara McMinn took the 2A girls state title in the high jump after clearing 5-10.75.

- Jarez Parks of Sebastian River won the boys 3A discus title after throwing a distance of 210-5, which is now the US#5 throw this year.

Team Champions

Class 1A - St. Stevens Episcopal/Westminster Academy boys, tied with 42 points, Oak Hall girls 75

Class 2A - Hallandale boys 57, Bolles girls 90

Class 3A - Miami Northwestern boys 57, Miami Northwestern girls 136

Class 4A - Miramar boys 70, Miami Southridge girls 90.5