Banner night for Boyd Anderson sprinters

The Miami Northwestern girls' track team always brings out the best in their Boyd Anderson counterparts.

On Saturday night, in the second-to-last race of the FHSAA Class 4A State Track and Field Finals at Showalter Park in Winter Park, the Bulls pushed the up-and-coming state power Cobras where no 1,600-meter relay team has gone before.

Rebecca James, Eva Pierce, Sharniece Supal and Rachael James stamped their names in the state record books by clocking 3:43.68, breaking the 3:43.84 mark set by the Bulls in 2004.

''We were aiming for a 3:46,'' Supal said. 'All our splits had to very fast. One of the judges said she wasn't sure it was a record, but when I heard the announcer confirm it, I started to cry. We were just like, `Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.' ''

The record wrapped up a banner night for the Cobras, who rallied for a second-place finish in the 3,200-meter relay with Rebecca James, Eva Pierce, Philimina Louis and Rachael James, then finished second in the 400 relay with Jasmine Gary, Kinnesha Jones, Alicia Service and Sheila Paul overcoming some shaky exchanges to clock 46.67.

It was a mixed bag for Paul, who won the 100-meter dash going away and then returned to finish sixth in the 200.

''The 100 I won, so I was pretty excited about that. But then, when we got second in the [400-meter relay], I was pretty sad. I was crying,'' Paul said. ``I guess that is why my 200 was not as good as I planned it to be. I felt like I let the team down.''

South Broward's Christal Washington fell short of her bid to break the state record in the 800 meters, but she did capture her third consecutive 800 crown, joining five other runners to accomplish the feat.

Coconut Creek junior Maya Pressley finally struck gold in the high jump after consecutive runner-up finishes. Pressley also took third in the long jump, with a career-best 18.75 feet, and placed fifth in the 300-meter hurdles.

''I have been waiting three years for this,'' Pressley said of her state title. ``I finally got it. The fans were into it. It boosted me up a little bit.

``I got a career best in the long jump. I came in as the bottom seed but got third. That was unexpected, but I did it.''

The boys' 400-meter relay featured a riveting finish , with Deerfield Beach's Denard Robinson, a star quarterback in football, leaned ahead of Blanche Ely's Patrick Johnson, an All-American cornerback bound for LSU, at the finish line for the victory.

Robinson, along with Demarcus Fleming, Cassius McDowell and Mantell Mack, brought the Bucks home in 41.37, with Ely (Steven Glover, Denroy Ottey, Sean Brumfield and Johnson) a blink behind in 41.41.

'When I saw I was coming up on Patrick Johnson, I said, `I have to catch him,' '' Robinson said. ``In the last five yards, I put my head down and won the race. I had to get it.

``They always said it was going to come down to the last leg. All of the legs were fast, but in the fourth leg, I had to bring some more.''

Before his scintillating anchor leg, Robinson grabbed bronze in the 100 meters by clocking 10.92 behind Dentarius Locke from Tampa Chamberlain (10.72) and Miami Central's Larry Farlow (10.89) to help the Bucks finish seventh in the team standings, which was highest among Broward boys teams.

A late charge by Orlando Boone sophomore Brittany Koziara denied Cypress Bay's Emilie Amaro's bid for a repeat title in the 1,600 meters. Amaro, one of the greatest distance runners Broward has produced in recent history, also finished second to long-time rival Ashley Brasovan in the 3,200 meters.

Broward's other top distance runner, Flanagan's Sebastian Castillo, led for most of the 1,600 but fell back to fifth place at the start of the bell lap and couldn't catch Durant's John Mitchell and finished second. Castillo also won silver in the 3,200.

Cypress Bay's Catherine Okoukoni, who has signed with Penn, won silver medals in the long jump and the triple jump. Okoukoni's teammate Austin Gamble came in seeded third in the discus (160 feet, 6 inches) but threw 155-7 to place fourth. He also threw 51-4 to take sixth in the shot put.

Coral Glades' Brichard Justin finished fifth in the discus (151-9), and South Broward's Luc Luchmy finished third in the triple jump (47.75 seconds).

GIRLS' RESULTS

(Top three overall and top eight Broward finishers. *state record)

3,200 Relay - Miami Northwestern 9:11.70; 2. Boyd Anderson (Rebecca James, Eva Pierce, Philimina Louis, Rachael James) 9:14.60; 3. South Dade 9:22.73; 7. Miramar (Stacey Kennedy, Sarah Mattar, Briquel Williams, Jodi-Ann Parry) 9:38.48; Shot Put - 1. Zakeya Stinson (SouthR) 48-1; 2. Wilamena Hopkins (Buch) 46-0; 3. Jasmond Stringer (South) 45-10; Pole Vault - 1. Meagan Martin (LM)12-0; 2. Morgan McCorkle (Boone) 11-6; 3. Morgan Scherschel (Gait) 11-0; Long Jump - Ariel Cavazos (Osceola) 18-7.75; 2. Catherine Okoukoni (CB)18-3.75; 3. Maya Pressley (CCreek) 18-0.75; Triple Jump - 1. Jordan Coleman (LM) 39-9; 2. Catherine Okoukoni (CB) 39-.50; Tyler Hodges (Homestead) 38-1.50; High Jump - 1. Maya Pressley (CCreek) 5-8; 2. Courtney Anderson (Mariner) 5-4; Sandy Jean (NW) 5-4; Discus - 1. Zakeya Stinson (SouthR) 140-2; 2. Wilamena Hopkins (Buchholz) 133-0; 3. Jasmond Stringer (SouthR) 129-9; 7. Audrey Bailey (Flan) 112-3; 100 Hurdles - 1. Monique Gracia (SouthR) 14.88; 2. Jasmine Jackson (VB) 15.28; 3. Jatavia Wright (Cent) 15.40; 6. Shantrell Atkins (Ever)15.83; 7. Danille Avery (Ever) 16.49; 100 - 1. Sheila Paul (BA) 12.21; 2. Amber White (Boone) 12.29; Anna Carr (Nice)12.32; 800 - 1. Christal Washington (SB) 2:10.52; 2. Skyler Wallen (NW) 2:12.03; 3. Eva Pierce (BA) 2:13.05; 5. Rachael James (BA) 2:15.16; 1,600: 1. Brittany Koziara (Boone) 4:52.64; 2. Emilie Amaro (CB) 4:54.40; 3. Skyler Wallen (NW) 4:58.65; 7. Lindsay Lucas (Tara) 5:08.14; 200 - 1. Ebony Eutsey (SouthR) 23.79; 2. Stacey-Ann Smith (AtL) 24.12; 3. Anna Carr (Nice) (Nice) 24.35; 6. Sheila Paul (BA) 24.71; 400 - 1. Ebony Eutsey (SouthR) 53.85; 2. Brittney Pringley (NW) 54.91; 3. Rebecca James (BA) 55.53; 8. Sharniece Supal (BA) 58.85; 1,600 Relay: 1. Boyd Anderson 3:43.68* (Rebecca James, Eva Pierce, Sharniece Supal, Rachael James 3:43.68; 2. Miami Southridge 3:45.04; 3. Miami Northwestern 3:45.80; 300 Hurdles - 1. Travon Beard (Evans) 43.99; 2. Emma Falcone (Sem) 44.29; 3. Jasmine King (BA) 46.06; 5. Maya Pressley (CCreek) 46.88; 3,200 - 1. Ashley Brasovan (Well) 10:15.93; 2. Emilie Amaro (CB) 10:46.48; 3. Brittany Koziara (Boone) 11:04.45; 8. Mariana Lucena (CB) 11:23.20; 400 Relay: 1. Miami Northwestern 46.61; 2. Boyd Anderson (Jasmine Gary, Kinnesha Jones, Alicia Service, Sheila Paul) 46.67; 3. Lake Mary 46.94. Girls Team Scores (Top Three and Broward teams) - 1. Miami Southridge 87; 2. Boyd Anderson 62; 3. Miami Northwestern 58; 6. Cypress Bay 33; 8. Coconut Creek 20; 18. South Broward 10; 28. Everglades 5; 42. Flanagan, Miramar, Taravella 2.

BOYS' RESULTS

(Top three overall and top eight Broward finishers)

3,200 Relay - 1. Flagler 7:49.19; 2. Winter Springs 7:52.11; 3. Miami Carol City 7:56.07; 6. Boyd Anderson (Nicardo Blake, Jermaine Blake, Ralph Adderly, Joshua Chavez) 8:02.78; Long Jump - 1. Robert Sands (Carol City) 24-2; 2. Marquis Burns (Edge) 24-.75; 3. Gary Bush (Col) 23-10.50; Discus - 1. Christopher Lickfield (SCreek)175-9; 2. Demetre Baker (OP) 168-7; 3. Joseph Garrett (NW) 157-6; 4. Austin Gamble (CB) 155-7; 5. Brichard Justin (CGlades) 151-9; Shot Put - 1. Demetre Baker (OP) 58-7; 2. Jonnell Thomas (Boone)54-8; 3. Jacques Carter (Fletcher) 53-6; 6. Austin Gamble (CB) 51-4; Triple Jump - 1. Brian Knight (SouthR) 47-04.75; 2. Brandon O'Connor (SouthR) 47-4.50; 3. Luc Luchmy (SB) 47-.75; 7. Nicholas Booker-Tandy (Ely) 45-3.75; High Jump: 1. Brian Knight (SouthR) 7-0; 2. Antron Jackson (CarCity) 7-0; 3. Marquis Burns (Edge) 6-6; 110 High Hurdles 7/8 1. Olarenwaju Adeyemi (South) 14.21; 2. David Howard (SCreek) 14.42; 3. David Aristil (PV) 14.57; 4. Matt Harvey (Doug) 14.70; 5. Ramoye Simoye (McA) 14.77; 8. Courtney Thompson (Ever) 15.52; 100 - 1. Dentarius Locke (Chamb) 10.72; 2. Larry Farlow (MC) 10.89; 3. Denard Robinson (DB) 10.92; 400 - 1. Brandon O'Connor (SouthR) 47.12; 2. Corvin Lamb (NW) 47.96; 3. Akeem Williams (Carol City) 48.15; 4. Derek Carter (Dill) 48.64; 6. Jahmal Riley (CCreek) 49.48; 3,200: 1. Brian Atkinson (Mel) 9:34.34; 2. Sebastian Castillo (Flan) 9:37.01; 3. Mark Parrish (Chamb) 9:43.56; 5. Kevin Bonilla (CB) 9:47.19; 8. Eric Dansky (CB) 9:49.24; 300 Hurdles - 1. Olarenwaju Adeyemi (SouthR) 37.01; 2. David Aristil (PV)37.20; 3. Neamen Wise (LB) 37.47; 7. Matt Harvey (Doug) 39.85; 1,600 - 1. John Mitchell (Dur) 4:21.63; 2. Sebastian Castillo (Flan) 4:22.87; 3. Derek Wehunt (Sickles) 4:25.05; 800 - 1. Charles Lockhart (Flag) 1:52.24; 2. Brione Reid-Carthan (PB) 1:53.30; 3. Antonio Brandon (Well) 1:54.41; 7. Mantell Mack (DB) 1:57.35; 400 Relay - 1. Deerfield Beach (Demarcus Fleming, Cassius McDowell, Mantell Mack, Denard Robinson) 41.37; 2. Ely (Steven Glover, Denroy Ottey, Sean Brumfield, Patrick Johnson) 41.41; 3. Miami Northwestern 41.62; 200 - 1. Brandon O'Connor (SouthR) 20.82; 2. Dentarius Locke (Chamb) 21.02; 3. Benjamen McRoy (Lake) 21.45; 1,600 Relay - 1. Miami Northwestern 3:14.98; 2. Miami Carol City 3:16.94; 3. Flagler Palm Coast 3:18.74; 4. Ely (Brandon Scott, Jimmy Jean, Denroy Ottey, Jabari Price) 3:18.78; 5. Deerfield Beach (Mantell Mack, Courtland Rich, Daniel Davis, Glenn Powell) 3:19.79; 6. Boyd Anderson (Ralph Adderly, Jermaine Elliott, Nicardo Blake, Joshua Chavez) 3:20.72; 8. Dillard (Derek Carter, Lorenzo White, Conrad Kelly, Harry Adams) 3:21.63. Boys Team Scores (Top three and Broward teams) - 1. Miami Southridge 75; 2. Miami Carol City 46; 3. Flagler Palm Coast 37; 7. Deerfield Beach 22; 13. Flanagan 16; 14. Blanche Ely 15; 15. Cypress Bay 13; 24. Douglas 9; 25. Taravella 8; 29. South Broward 6; 29. Dillard, Boyd Anderson 6; 44. Coral Glades, McArthur 4; 49. Coconut Creek 3.