St. Thomas Aquinas senior Alexis Glasco overcame a false-start disqualification in the 100-meter dash to win her first individual state championship and helped the Raiders to a third straight FHSAA state girls track and field title.
Glasco won the 300 hurdles (41.58) for her first state championship and placed third in the 100 hurdles (13.87) at Hodges Stadium on the campus of North Florida University in Jacksonville on Saturday night.
“I think I was a little nervous in the 100 hurdles, and then I had to turn around and do the 100 dash,” said Glasco, who is headed to Coastal Carolina. “I think I could have won it, but they said I false started and when we looked at the footage, I got out exactly at the right time.”
“Things went downhill for me, but it gave me more drive to do what I had to do in the 300 hurdles and the plan was not to lose,” Glasco added. “I stayed focused. My day wasn’t going so well. I got third and I got disqualified and I am a senior, so I wanted to finish strong. I got out so quick in the 300 that when I made the turn I was tired and I saw the competition was gaining, and I just kept saying, ‘keep going, keep going and I won.”
St. Thomas Aquinas needed to defeat Niceville in the meet’s final race, the 4×400, to win the meet with 98 points. The Raiders finished second with a time of 3:51. 17, while Niceville took third (3:54.44) and wound up second in the meet with 95. Evans was a distant third with 47 points.
St. Thomas Aquinas coach Alex Armenteros said the meet fell the way he thought it would and that they needed to beat Niceville in the final race.
“This is huge,” Armenteros said. “We lost last year with COVID or we would have won another state championship, so the seniors got to go out big. We had the numbers to the tee. We did fall short in a few places, but we had others that stepped up big. It was a total team effort.”
It was the Raiders’ third straight state championship and sixth out of the past eight. They have won 14 state titles, second only to Miami Northwestern. Last year’s state competition was canceled due to COVID.
St. Thomas Aquinas senior Eddiyah Frye won the long jump (19 feet, 3 3/4 inches), 100 hurdles (13.53), and fourth in the 300 hurdles (44.29). Frye also ran the anchor leg on the Raiders’ winning 4×100 relay.
“This year was super important for us,” said Frye, a UNC at Chapel High signee. “I am glad everything fell into place and I can finally rest. We had that drive because we missed out on last year and we wanted to leave our mark.”
Flanagan (27) and Dwyer (26) finished seventh and eighth respectively to round out Broward and Palm Beach teams in the top 10.
Flanagan junior Jassani Carter was a double winner taking both the 100 (11.98) and the 200 (24.10). She was third in the 100 and fourth in the 200 in her freshman year at state.
“I am really grateful,” Carter said. “I really didn’t see myself winning a state title until my senior year, so to do it now is really big. I am very proud of myself and can’t wait to do it again next year.”
Dwyer senior Natalia Madison won the high jump (5-5 3/4), triple (39-6 3/4), sixth in the 100 hurdles (14.80), and eighth in the 200 dash (24.84).
“It was a pretty successful meet overall,” said Madison, who earned her first medal at state. She placed fourth in the high jump in 2019. “I just wanted to show off what I had. I never got this many medals before. Because junior year was canceled due to the coronavirus, I wanted to make it up this year. It was more important, especially because it was my last year.”
St. Thomas Aquinas sophomore Cha’iel Johnson won the 800 (2:11.42), while freshman teammate Lauren Thomas captured the discus (147-4 feet).
St. Thomas Aquinas boys were third with 36.50 points, while Stoneman Douglas tied for fourth with Seminole (Sanford) with 36 points. It was the best finish for the Eagles in school history.
Douglas senior Isaiah Shaw was second in the triple jump (47-6-1/2) and third in the 400 (47.62).
“Today I think the work I put in really showed,” said Shaw, who is going to Boston University. “When it comes to my races, when it comes to my races and when it comes to winning. This has been the best four years of my life.”
“I cannot express how proud I am of our team,” said Stoneman Douglas coach Michael Mauro. “They wanted to work hard since December to be great and they pushed themselves every single day at practice. Everyone performed great, unselfishly and beyond what we could have expected.”
Fort Lauderdale’s boys finished 10th thanks to senior Michael Fiore’s runner-up finish in the 1,600-meter run.
Broward teams went 1-2-3 in the 4×400 as St. Thomas Aquinas (3:16.51), Douglas (3:17.95), and Fort Lauderdale (3:19.01) delivered. St. Thomas was third in the 4×100, while Douglas was third in the 4×800 to lead all local finishers.
Other runner-up finishes in the Class 4A competition included Monarch senior Zayne Palomino (high jump); St. Thomas Aquinas junior Claude Campbell (long jump); St. Thomas Aquinas senior Sean Watkins (400); Douglas senior Sheldon McCullum (800); Fort Lauderdale senior Michael Fiore (1,600).
Flanagan senior Kynah Isaac was third in the 400.
In the 2A meet, Somerset Canyons seniors Cara Salsberry and Tremain Robinson swept the discus titles. Salsberry won the discus 158-3 and also took second in the shot put (40-feet, 11-3/4).
“I am so excited,” said Salsberry, who finished third in the discus in 2019. She was 10th in the shot that year. “I definitely thought I had a chance. I was hopeful and I hoped all of the hard work paid off and it did. I wanted it so bad.”
Salsberry’s father, David, who serves as an assistant coach at the school, won a state title at Miramar in discus in 1985.
Robinson threw 153 feet and said not competing last year at state and going into quarantine helped. He finished 17th at state in this freshman year and 15th last year.
“I was just able to focus on technique,” said Robinson, who signed with Northeastern University where he will throw discus and the hammer. He is the top-ranked hammer thrower in Florida and 11th in the nation.
“This is amazing,” he said. “It’s really big for me and it puts our school on the map.”
North Broward Prep junior Morgan King exceeded her expectations in winning the state high jump title. She leaped 5-7 3/4, a 4-inch improvement on her personal best.
“When I got there, I saw the competition and it was a little intimidating because they were really good,” King said. “Five-seven is something I have been striving for. It was a complete shock. I didn’t know if I could do it. I had always tried 5-5 and never able to get over it.”
Fellow North Broward Prep senior Mackenzie Osher won the 200 (24.38), was second in the 400 (55.01), and fourth in the 100 (12.14). It was her first appearance at state as an individual.
“I learned a lot from my races,” Osher said. “I normally don’t get nervous and there was no break between the races. I was more relaxed for the 200, it was my last race of the day. I am proud of myself and my coaches were too.”
Calvary Christian senior Kennedy Sauder came within an inch of breaking a 21-year-old state record in the boys’ high jump. Sauder cleared 7 feet and a half inch to win the title.
“I did a lot of training,” said Sauder, a Liberty University signee. “It’s my second time clearing 7 feet this year. I had a small injury in my quad or I think I could have gotten the record. I went for it, but it wasn’t happening. Outwardly, I was calm and collected, but inside I was going crazy. It’s a really big deal.”
NSU University School senior Emile Aime became the first boy at his school to win an individual state championship when he won the shot put (54-6 1/2).
“I really wanted a medal,” said Aime, who is headed to FSU on a football scholarship. “I PR’d on my first throw. Winning didn’t really surprise me. Every meet I improved and this has opened my doors. God forbid football doesn’t work out this is a good Plan B.”
St. Andrew’s senior Matthew Mule won the 1,600-meter run and was second in the 800. It capped a year where he also finished second in the state cross country meet.
“I am thrilled and honored where I came in the sport,” said Mule, a UF signee, who has only been running competitively for two years. “Even though I was at St. Andrew’s for one year, I definitely let my mark.”
Calvary Christian senior Jack Garey won the javelin (191-5) and said it was great to end his senior year with a win. He is a Bryant University signee.
“Since this was the first year it was a sanctioned sport at the state meet, my name will be linked in history,” Garey said. “This is pretty big. It’s great.”
FAU High junior Maisha Atkinson won the 400 (54.24) and took third in the 200 (24.66). It was a repeat performance for her as she won the Class 1A title in the 400 in 2019.
“This is very big for me because we got moved up to a stronger class,” Atkinson said. “I was worried if I could get that accomplishment again. Earlier in the season, I was kind of iffy about whether or not I would be able to win, but my times kept improving and by regionals I felt better.”
Cardinal Gibbons sophomore Akerah Jones was second in the 100 hurdles and third in the 300 hurdles, while Cardinal Newman senior Abraiya Elam was third in the 100 and fifth in the 200.
St. Andrew’s senior Eleanor Tymorek won the 3,200, while King’s Academy freshman Avery Fronrath was third in the event. St. Andrew’s senior Ian Noble was third in the boys 3,200.
Runner-up finishes in the Class 2A competition included Chaminade Madonna senior Torie Cox (boys 400) and Calvary Christian senior Simone Eloi (triple jump). Third places finishers in the Class 2A meet included FAU senior Devin (javelin), Cardinal Gibbons Sam Mrky (pole vault), North Broward Prep junior Christian Dohler (triple jump), Hallandale senior Anaya Halloway (shot put). University School’s boys 4X100 was the top local finisher.
