FLAGLER PALM COAST - At one of the fastest, deepest track meets in Florida on Saturday; the North Florid/South Florida Challenge at Flagler Palm Coast High School, the Fleming Island High girls and boys track teams put some muscle on display with record-setting performances in a handful of events.

"We saw some great efforts in a lot of events and this could be our strongest team of athletes in a long time," said Fleming Island track coach Chris Otero, who guides the sprinters while Dave Allen handles the middle distance and distance runners. "Our two milers; Brooke Reynolds and Allie Knotts both had personal bests by two seconds against one of the toughest fields before the state. Our boys sprinters took second behind a tough Jesuit team and will be tough to beat as the season rolls on."

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Bob Hayes Spring Break Invitational Track
Fri., March 15 (Collegiate); Sat., March 16 (High School)
at the University of North Florida

Field events start at 9 a.m.; track races at 10 a.m.

College: Women first, men follow: Friday, 7:30 p.m.-1500m, followed by 3000M steeplechase, 5,000M, and 10,000 M.

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In the Flagler mile, Reynolds and Knotts, who have run nearly tethered to each other in previous races with the pair seemingly sharing track energy while they run, battled with a Bishop Kenny trio; Stephanie Grden, Emily Wheldon and Tessa Massa throughout the four quick laps with Knotts taking an early first lap lead. Grden and Massa were seeded numbers two and three before the race with five-minute, 16-second splits while Knott and Reynolds were in the 5:23 range.
As the race progressed, it was Ponte Vedra's Daisy Ross, who was the top seed with a 5:08.71 split, who got into the fracas up front with Knotts while Reynolds bided her time in third and fourth place with the Kenny trio.
As the front pack positioned themselves for the final lap, Reynolds started to sneak closer for her fast kick tactics while Knott looked around a moment and kept her engine running hot with the leaders as Grden seemed poised to make a move off the final turn.
Grden, 14th in 2A last year with a 5:17, did make a strong move with 50 yards to go that broke the pack but Reynolds surged, attached to Knott and both finished side-by-side at 5:20.24 for Reynolds and 5:20.49 for Knott for fourth and fifth behind the Kenny trio led by Grden who clocked in at 5:12.29. Ross, 16th in 3A last year in 5:21, was taken out of the front five with the pack strategy keeping her leashed in a box and finished sixth at 5:20.80. Neither Reynolds nor Knott were state finalists last year.
Reynolds' performance, with her usual strong finish, came just two days after clocking a 5:22.95 just two days prior at the Clay County Championships to win the mile while also, just an hour later, clocking a 2:27.57 in the 800 meters for the win in that event.
At Flagler, Reynolds ran 2:25.52 for fifth in the 800 with Grden doubling jp with the win in 2:22.46.
"She's a workhorse and has a high tolerance out there," said Otero. "Her and Allie work together, keying off each other and that has made them both stronger. This (Flagler) just pulled them along."
Also highlighting the girl's efforts for Fleming Island, sophomore triple jumper Mikayla Shavers, who was also in the open 100 meters dash, won her signature event against a familiar face with a 39'-3.25" leap over Miami Northwestern senior Shakynah Tresvant, who was runner-up at 39'-2" in a tense battle of the two stalwarts.
"She has been rehabbing back from a knee injury and we are slowly getting her back to state shape," said Otero. "We ran her in the 100 and the relays and she did fine."
Shavers' jump was the top jump in Class 3A and put her on a track to return to the state championships where she lost by a half inch at 39'-6.5" with Tresvant third at 39'-5.25". The state champion, Leon's Alexandria Kennedy is graduated as are the fourth, fifth and sixth-place finishers from last year's state final making Shavers and Tresvant and likely the top two battles in May.
In the 100, Shavers clocked 12.81 to finish 13th with teammate Kennedy Berkley 10th in 12.73.
For the boys, Otero's sprint crew showed some prowess led by junior Kaylib Singleton who smoked the track for a 10.54 split in a field that had the top nine finishers under 10.96 seconds led by meet record holder Durian Moss of Christopher Columbus High smashing his previous record of 10.6 with a red hot 10.37 seconds. Moss was fourth in 4A last year with a 10.64 time.
Singleton's' 10.54 split puts him in the top 100 times for Class 3A with Cibastian Broughton hitting 11.05 and Trace Burney hitting 11.15.
Broughton and Singleton teamed with Burney and Lennox Ivey to take second to Mandarin in the 4 x 100 by just a half second. Ivey was also fourth in the 400 in 51.25.
"Once we clean up our baton passes, we'll go faster," said Otero.
At the Clay County boys 100 and 200 races, Oakleaf got a first in the 100 from Devin Collins in 10.92 with Orange Park's Daniel Richardson second in 11.07 while, in the 200, Oakleaf swept 1-2-3 with Josber Stimphil winning in 22.24, Collins second at 22.51 and Takoda Brown third at 22.76. Singleton got fourth for Fleming Island in 22.97.
Collins also won the long jump at the Clay County Championships with a 24'-.50" leap.
Stimphil won the 400 in 51.45 ahead of Fleming Island's Alton Bacon and John Yulee; both under 52 seconds, with Broughton seventh in 54.24.
At the Lewis James invite at Raines on Saturday, Oakleaf clocked two sub-22 second 200s from Trevan Davis and Stimphil, both clocked at 21.96, but also with a heavy tailwind (3.8; tailwinds exceeding 2.0 are considered assistance).
Though Allen did not have mile ace Graham Myers on the track due to a family wedding event, seniors Roman Mollicone and John Keester IV were tasked to take on the distance juggernaut from cross country champions Belen Jesuit led by junior 1600 3A champion Joseph Socarras in 4:13.53 and and third and fourth in the 3200 finishers Marcelo Mantecon and Joshua Ruiz.
In the 800, Mollicone stayed locked in step with the front-running Socarras until the final 200 where Socarras hit the afterburners to open a gap with Mollicone trying to answer to finish second; 1:54.48 to 1:55.92.
"The beasts were in that heat," said Mollicone. "I know I have a strong finish and I may have to attack early next time."
In last year's 3A 800 final, Mollicone surprised the state with a 1:56.28 fourth-place finish; Socarras was seventh.
"Roman is going to get stronger after an ankle got tweaked earlier in the season," said Otero. "He's as dangerous a runner as any in the state."
In the 1600, Keester was amongst five Jesuit runners up front into the third lap, but the pace accelerated and it was Fleming Island sophomore Andrew Boyer who surged to finish ahead of Keester with a 4:35.35. Socarras won in 4:20.68 with four teammates all under 4:30.
In the 3200, Mantecon led three Jesuit runners at 9:14.94 with Fleming Island's Jacob Campbell in sixth at 9:35.38.
Over in the pole vault, despite the windy conditions and an occasional drizzle, Fleming Island senior Gideon Gilaspy had his best jump of the season that established a school record at 13'-3.5" with Gilasy finishing second the Bartram Trail's Ezra Huber at 14'-3.25".
"I train with the Bartram Trail guys at a place called the Pole Vault Factory," said Gilaspy, who transitioned from cross country to pole vault just a year ago and has added height in big chunks as he has progressed. "If I get a better pole, I think I can get to the 14 or 15-foot mark."
At last year's 3A championships, 13'-9.25" won the event with 12'-3.5" the 16th place finisher.
Gilasy pole vaulted 12'-7.5" to win at the Clay County Championships.
Fleming Island went 1-2-3 in the boy's high jump led by junior Alton Bacon's 6'-3.5" with Singleton second and Jarius Rodgers third.