PONTE VEDRA - After whipping through a solo mile win of five minutes, 24 seconds at the Ron Riddle Track Invite at Clay High School on February 26, Keystone Heights High senior distance runner Camryn William upped the ante on her status as a top north Florida distance runner with a scintillating 5:10.83 split for second place at the Bolles Bulldog Classic on March 5. Williams was second to Cambridge Christian School’s Mary Ellen Eudaly’s 5:04.01 top time.

“She has definitely found her stride on the track after a not so good cross country season,” said Enoch Nadler, an elite running coach at the Florida Track Club and a former Keystone Heights High and University of Florida track standout. “She worked really hard for cross country, but things didn’t work out like we thought. Track is her real passion.”

Williams posted a 5:14 at the spring 2020 Bolles Classic mile just before the COVID shutdown.

“That motivated her to work hard during the down time,” said Nadler. “We are trying to get her into some bigger meets to get ready for the state meet run.”

Over at Ponte Vedra’s Craig Speziale Invite, Fleming Island unloaded a bit of distance firepower with freshman John Keester IV dipping under 11 minutes in the 3200; 9:56.66, and teammate Michael Lyons dropping in with a 4:36.02 1600; both wins for the Golden Eagles. Keester and senior Kameron Wallizada both finished 1600s in the 4:35 range at the February 26 East Coast Classic at Flagler Palm Coast High School to set up a record setting distance medley finish for Fleming Island earlier in the season.

“John (Keester) just loves this sport,” said Fleming Island coach Chris Otero. “Bottom line is the entire team has been doing some phenomenal training and the kids have bought into coach Dave Allen’s program.”

Otero pointed out junior Alex Bendig’s 1:59.23 split to win the 800.

At Pedro Menendez’s Falcon Friday Invite on March 5, St. Johns Country Day School junior Matthew Stratton, straight from the Class 2A soccer championships on Thursday, ripped a 4:32.11 mile win by 11 seconds. St. Johns also got a 21’-2.4” long jump from junior Stanley Cowherd.

In the Ponte Vedra sprints, Fleming Island and Orange Park got to tango with Sam Singleton and Markez Sermons duking out the fast stuff.

In the 100, Sermons split at 10l94 to edge Singleton’s 11.09 with Raider teammate Larry Thomas third at 11.41 and Fleming Island’s Devin Grind fourth at 11.48. Orange Park’s William Restall completed the Clay County 1-2-3-4-5 sweep with an 11.81.

Sermons also won the long jump at 20’-2.5”. In the 200, Singleton upended both Thomas and Restall with a 22.90 split with the Raider duo in at 23.95 and 23.96.

For the girls, in the 200, Lily Amsden, Fleming Island, won 27.36 over Demia Harris of Orangge Park’s 27.53.

Orange Park’s Joel Child had fast times in the hurdles with a 15.88 third place in the 110 hurdles with the top three hurdlers under 16 seconds. Childs returned to win the 300 hurdles in 42.28.

Orange Park’s boys beat Fleming Island in the 4 x 100 relay. Fleming Island’s girls beat Orange Park in the 4 x 100 relay.

At Menendez, Oakleaf High’s sprint girls; led by junior Arianna Eason got a 1-2-3 finish in the 100 and a 2-3-4 finish in the 200 with Interlachen senior Reva Godbolt besting Eason at the tape by .03 seconds; 26.94-26.97.