Area teams held their own against national-caliber teams on the second day at the UF Pepsi Florida Relays on Saturday.
The Buchholz and Gainesville High School (GHS) girls got the day off on the right foot in the 4×800 meter relay as the Buchholz team of seniors Eleanor Whisler, Kaitlyn Goslinga and Ashley Hamilton teamed up with freshman Maddie Russell to finish 15th with a season-best 9 minutes, 51.95 seconds.
The GHS crew of juniors Audrey Dunn, Keira Forbes, Elizabeth Rant and freshman Harper Lyons weren’t far behind as they finished 18th in 9:55.41, a season best.
The GHS 4×100 relay team of senior Primaya Johnson, freshman Te’Niyah Bradley, junior Aailyha McClellon and sophomore Nadia Walton-Hood qualified ninth in Friday’s finals but improved to seventh in the finals at 47.87. The time was short of their 47.27 run on Friday and the school record of 46.99.
The Bobcat girls relay foursome of seniors Jayla Davis, Gianna Rizzo, Tonie Harmon and junior Chelsea Moonah had a workmanlike day. In the morning, they competed in the 4×200 relay, finishing 11th in 1:42.85. Six and a half hours later, they were back on the track, improving on their ninth seed to finish eighth in 3:53.22 in the 4×400 relay.
Area teams will gear up for the state series in a couple of weeks as they aim to qualify for the state championships at the University of North Florida’s Hughes Stadium in Jacksonville. The 2A and 3A competition will take place on Friday, May 9, and the 1A and 4A competition will take place on Saturday, May 10.
Other results from Friday and Saturday’s competition for area athletes:
- In the boys high jump, GHS senior Heath Vincent and junior Izaiah Lewis Thompson finished 12th with a 6-foot, 2.25-inch mark.
- GHS’ 4×400 relay team of sophomore Daniel Ouko-Omondi, seniors Donovan Ferguson, Simon Seavers and Tayeshawn Rochelle were disqualified in the prelims on Friday.
- Amia Bethea, a junior from Union County (Lake Butler), finished 11th in 11.95 in the 100, a personal best.
- Eastside junior Tyesha Smith finished 22nd with a triple jump of 33-6.
- Buchholz’s Hamilton finished 31st in 2:29.31 in the 800 meters.
- Oak Hall senior Dakota Brower finished 29th in the 400m in 50.12.
- Omarion Udell, a senior from Columbia (Lake City), finished 28th in the 110 hurdles in 18.33.