ORANGE PARK – Orange Park High sophomore John Bear and Fleming Island High junior Andrew Miller both entered the annual Don Hall Track Invitational at Orange Park High School with expectations of strong runs in the distance events; the 800, the 1600 and the 3200 meter runs in anticipation of next week’s district meets.

With Miller being the dominant veteran of the area distance aces, Bear and Ridgeview High sophomore Joel Nesi all ran strong races Friday to reverse a trend in recent years of not-so-impressive track performances from county runners in recent years.

With a blustery win in their faces on the homestretches of all three races; Miller and Bear struck a battle up in the 1600 with Bear taking a short-lived lead into the third lap while Miller held his ground enough to outsprint Bear in the final 100 meters. Miller’s winning time of four minutes, 34.10 seconds is off of his previous 4:28 splits, but the wind was a factor. Bear finished second in 4:38.27 with Columbia runner Yassin Raffay third in 4:40.14.

In the next five finishers was a handful of Clay County milers; Fleming Island’s Evan Fuller, Nesi, Clay’s Benjamin Hathaway and Keystone Heights’ Alex Guy all finishing with sub-five minute splits and all capable of strong district runs in a week.

In the 800, Bear took the lead from the gun and cruised to a 2:03.74 winning split ahead of Fleming Island’s Felipe Fernandez’ 2:04.71. Bear has dipped under the two minute barrier along with Clay High’s Oliver West who did not compete at the Don Hall.

In the 2A 800 final, 11 runners were under two minutes.

Fleming Island’s duo of Cameron Dill and Spencer Shaw are two more 800 meter specialists on the district front with Oakleaf’s Tony Stallworth also in district 1-4A with Fleming Island. All have teetered in the two minutes range for the season. Dill, a state meet qualifier last year, ran a 52.75 split for the Don Hall 400. Of the 16 4A 800 finalists, just four were not seniors offering a new face for the 2017 title with three of those five being under two minutes.

In the 3200, where Miller set the Fleming Island school records with two sub-10 minute times; one at Flagler, the other at the FSU invite, Nesi has crept up to the 10 minutes barrier with a 10:19 split earlier in the year. At the Don Hall, Nesi and teammate Keith Kelley finished 1-2 with Nesi in at 10:33.74. In the 4A 3200 final, the top six were seniors all under 9:41.58.

For the girls distance ranks, Fleming Island’s Julie Franzoni is the veteran of a young group of runners in the county with experience from the 800 to the 3200 with teammate Adriana Neilen, a 400 meter ace last year, taking on the 800 at the Don Hall and finishing in 2:36.31. Neilen has strong sub-60 second 400 meter legspeed and could factor in the two-lapper for coach Karen Moritz at districts. Franzoni was second to Nease’s Jennifer Kirsch in the 800 with a 2:35.43 split. Kirsch won in 2:34.74. St. Johns Country Day School’s Mackenzie Glenn was third in 2:35.78. In the 1A 800 final last year, 2:35.72 was the 16th place time.

Fleming Island has a handful of middle distance runners with Halie Bourre a gritty finisher and freshman Madelyn Stevenson a strong pacer. Stevenson won the Don Hall 3200 in 12:34.71 ahead of Middleburg freshman Priscilla Frietze who ran 12:59.18.

In the girls 1600, Keystone Heights eighth grader Camryn Williams ran 6:03.91 to take second behind Columbia ace Bridget Morse, a top cross country competitor, who won in 5:13.01.

For the sprints, Middleburg High’s Marcus Floyd flexed a little speed muscle for the Don Hall fans with a win in the triple jump at 45’-5” over Jacolbi Sampson of Ridgeview’s 42’-10.75” and a win in the 100 meters in 10.62 as a strong tailwind put three runners under 11 seconds. Floyd bested Palatka’s Steven Simmons who ran 10.79 and was fourth in the 2A state meet last year at 10.89. Floyd ran a legit 10.68 at the Clay County Championships last week.

In the 200, where Floyd could score points at districts, Fleming Island’s Anfernee McCaskill took third behind two Palatka speedsters; Simmons again who was fourth in 2A 200 last year in 21.96, who clocked 22.24 and 22.51 with McCaskill in at 22.76. The trio were the only sub-23 second 200 meter finishers. The ninth qualifier at last year’s 4A 200 final was at 22.54.

Floyd would finish second in the 400 in 50.66 to Palatka’s Robert Passmore’s 50.63. Floyd had a seed time of 48.37. Floyd ran 49.65 in last year’s 4A 400 and finished ninth out of the championship final by .22. Fleming Island’s Cameron Dill ran 50.76 to finish 13th in last year’s 4A 400 with winner Tyrese Cooper of American going 46.34.

For the girls, sprinting was dominated by Palatka’s 2A 100 champion Ka’Tia Seymour, who moved from Oakleaf High last year. Seymour won over Clay’s Erykah Murray in the 100 with her 12.01 split with Murray in at 12.78. Ridgeview also had Aniya Marshall in at fourth in 12.99 to offer a strong contingency in the sprints for coach Al Nesi.

Seymour and Murray would repeat their finishes in the 200 with Seymour in at 24.72 and Murray in at 27.13.

Middleburg’s Kaley Petrosky took third in 27.27.

In the 400, Fleming Island senior Ashley Nelson, a track veteran, finished second in 1:00.92, just a hair off winner Bernita Brown of Columbia’s 1:00.90.

In the field event weight throws, Orange Park senior Shawn Bizzell won the shot put with a state-ranked 47’-4.5” put with Middleburg High’s Alex Barfield taking third in the discus at 136’-03”.

For the girls, Clay High’s Tiana Nichols won the shot by an inch and a half over Orange Park’s Destiny Basden with Nichols putting 33’-6.5”. In the discus, Clay won again with Kelley Catlett throwing 112’-6” for the gold with Middleburg’s duo of Dakota Peppard and Paige Novatasky finishing third and fourth.

In the high jump, Middleburg took titles with personal best jumps in both the boys and girls events with Bryce Quiett winning at 6’-4” over Ridgeview’s Jaden Roy’s 6’-2” while Kaley Petrosky, the district champion, winning at 5’-4”.

In long jump, Orange Park senior Katie Berlin won at 15’-2” for the girls with Keanan Restall of Orange Park the boys winner in 20’-5.5”. Berlin was also third in the 100 hurdles with Ridgeview’s Glenn Rodgers winning the boys 110 hurdles over Fleming Island’s Luc Larson. Larson beat Orange Park’s John Abate in the 300 hurdles with a strong 41.43 split.

District 1-4A Returning top four FIHS finishers 2016: McCaskill (2nd 100, 11.14); Ashley Nelson (1st 100, 25.45); Adriana Neilen (4th 400, 1:02.41); Cameron Dill (1st 400, 50.22); Kayla Armstong (4th 300 hurdles, 51.19);

District 1-4A Returning top four OHS finishers 2016: Nia Anthony (3rd HJ 5’-0”); Anthony Norris (1st HJ 6’-2”, 2nd LJ 20’-5.5”, 1st TJ 42’-11.25”); Rontrez Morgan (2nd HJ 6’-0”); Jaeger Henderson (1st PV 10’-6”); Tony Stallworth (2nd PV 10’-0”); Loren Johnson (3rd LJ 16’-5”, 4th TJ 34’-7”); Jaqueline Thomas (2nd TJ 35’-2”); Melvin Briley (2nd TJ 42’-6”); Darius Perry (3rd TJ 41’-4”); Khalif Copeland (4th 41’-2”)

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District 4-3A Returning top four MHS finishers 2016: Marcus Floyd (2nd 100, 11.22, 2nd 400 49.62, 2nd TJ 44’-1”); Kaley Petrosky (1st HJ 5’-2”); Terron Allen (4th TJ 41’-6”); Dakota Peppard (1st Discus 113’-1”); Alex Barfield (4th Discus 128’-10”)

District 4-3A Returning top four OPHS finishers 2016: Shawn Bizzell (4th Shotput 43’-4”); Keanan Restall (4th LJ 20’-6”)

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District 4-2A Returning top four CHS finishers 2016: Erykah Murray (3rd 200 26.84); Katie James (4th 400 1:03.49); Zachary Alvarado (2nd 110 H 17.16); Preston Weik (3rd 110H 17.36, 4th 300 H 45.68); Kehera Crumpton (4th TJ 32’-2.25”); Kelley Catlett (3rd Discus 99’-10”);

District 4-2A Returning top four RHS finishers 2016: Glenn Rodgers (4th 110H 17.42); Jaden Roy (3rd HJ 5’-8”); Jacolbi Sampson (3rd LJ 19’-11.25”, 4th TJ 42’-1.5”); Devon Fertil (3rd TJ 42’-6”, 3rd Discus 131’-4”)

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District 5-2A Returning top four KHHS finishers 2016: Victoria Bannon (4th 300 H 54.32); Delaney Grantham (4th 800 2:47.46); Alex Guy (4th 1600 5:02.53); Tim Searle (3rd 3200 11:49.29); Marcus McGruder (4th LJ 19’-9”)

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District 4-1A Returning top four SJCDS finishers 2016: Courtney Sage (4th 300 H 49.02); Mackenzie Glenn (3rd 3200 12:25.43); Helena Kummings (4th 3200 12:25.47)