Posted on Sat, Apr. 26, 2008

Anthony Sheffield stepped off the podium Friday, walked a few feet, and stopped. Then he watched, as runners fought for position in the boys' 300-meter hurdle preliminaries at the the Class 1A state track and field championships at Winter Park High School.

Sure, Sheffield was fresh off being honored for his state-championship finish in the triple jump, dominating the field -- including Westminster Academy teammate Wayne Sears -- to earn the gold medal.

But Sheffield had bigger things to worry about.

Like the team title.

''I watched [everyone] hard,'' Sheffield said. ``I mean, I'm just trying to win.''

He and the rest of the Lions did -- finally earning Westminster the title that eluded them in basketball [they were eliminated in the district semifinals], and in coach Paul Baur's first three years as coach [they took third last year].

''[For] four years [I was] trying to tell these guys that we can be something special in track and field,'' Baur said. ``Finally seeing it come to light -- it's just an awesome feeling.''

But it took them all day and all night, with rival Dade Christian coming much closer than expected, falling eight points shy of Westminster's title-winning total of 63.

Despite winning two individual titles -- Sheffield in the triple jump (with a distance of 45-1 ¾) and Teddy Hess in the 400-meter dash (49.65 seconds) -- the Lions weren't assured the championship until the final heat of the day's final event.

It was the 1,600-meter relay. And to run it, the Lions used the same baton passed in last year's gold-medal winner -- a baton that, according to Baur, hadn't been used since.

''We didn't win that last relay,'' said Baur, whose team took second. ``But it didn't matter.''

The Lions got another second, this one out of Sears -- although it wasn't in the triple jump, for which the basketball player still holds the school record (at 45-5).

Instead, Sears shocked himself in the long jump by posting a personal-best 22-4 ½ on his last attempt, putting him second (behind St. Petersburg Admiral Farragut's Josh Burch, who jumped 22-8 ¼).

''I was really surprised,'' Sears said. ``That came out of nowhere.''

But for Sears, the day meant more than that silver. It meant gold for him, his team -- and a few basketball players.

''I didn't cry,'' Sears said of the basketball loss, ``but it hurt. It hurt a lot.''

DISCUS DREAM

Apparently, Craig Thompson likes to think ahead. Way ahead. ''Come 2016,'' Thompson said Friday, ``I'm [going] for the Olympics.''

An outlandish, adrenaline-fueled declaration after winning the boys' discus title? Not really, to hear the South Florida HEAT senior talk about it.

Thompson, who didn't pick up discus until his sophomore year, never received any formal training. Still, he watched other throwers and figured out his own style.

Last year, he took eighth, with a toss of 130 feet, 11 ½ inches. This year, he grabbed the gold, at 156-3 (he also took fourth in shot put, at 46-9 ½, after not qualifying in 2007).

Neither result satisfied him, but no matter. Next year he's off to Broward Community College. After that, a four-year school.

• Coral Springs Christian senior Noah Thompson cleared 14-0 to win his second consecutive pole vault title. That was the good part, to Thompson.

The bad: He didn't reach the 14-6 mark he had vaulted several times this season.

''I'm really bummed that I didn't make it,'' Thompson said. ``I wanted to go higher today.''

• Boys' team scores: 1. Westminster Academy 63, 2. Dade Christian 55; 3. Trinity Prep 36; 4. King's Academy 32; 5. Fort Meade 26; 6. Maclay 24; 7. Admiral Farragut Academy 22; 8. FAMU 21; 9. Holy Trinity 20; 10. Baldwin 19; 14. South Florida HEAT 15; 16. Coral Springs Christian 14.50; 25. Calvary Christian 9; 48. Upperroom Christian 3; 55. Hollywood Christian 1.

• Girls' team scores: 1. Port St. Joe 79, 2. Holy Trinity 57.33, 3. Dade Christian 54; 4. Trinity Prep 39; 5. Shorecrest Prep 31.50; 6. St. Johns Country Day 31; 7. Community School 29.83; 8. Maclay 24; 9. Benjamin School 20.33; 10. Paxton 19.

• Boys' individual results (Top 3 plus Broward top 8 finishers) -- High jump: 1. Antwonne McCloud (Moore Haven) 6-4; 2. Cavon Cox (Blountstown) 6-4; 3. Brian Griffin (Baldwin) 6-2; 4. Wayne Sears (WA) 6-2; 7. James Williams (UC) 6-0; Pole vault: 1. Noah Thompson (CSC) 14-0; 2. Max Lang (Maclay) 14-0; 3. Matt Tooley (Holy Trinity) 13-06; 5. Logan Vanhoutteghem (CSC) 13-06; 7. Eddie Padrino (WA) 12-06; Long jump: 1. Josh Burch (Admiral Farragut) 22-08 ¼; 2. Wayne Sears (WA) 22-04 ½; 3. Bryan Kilts (Mt. Dora Bible) 22- ¼; Triple jump: 1. Anthony Sheffield (WA) 45-01 ¾; 2. Josh Burch (Admiral Farragut) 44-09 ½; 3. Alex Taylor (FAMU) 44-08 ½; 6. Wayne Sears (WA) 44- ¾; Discus: 1. Craig Thompson (SFH) 156-03; 2. Charlie Tidwell (South Walton) 143-08; 3. Ben Fowler (First Academy) 141-08; Shot put: 1. Vincent Mercurio (King's Academy) 55-07; 2. Derrick Forrest (CC) 48-07; 3. Janathan Inoa (DC) 47-09; 4. Craig Thompson (SFH) 46-09 ½; 3,200 relay: 1. Trinity Prep, 8:09.76; 2. Tampa Prep 8:13.55; 3. Maclay, 8:17.06; 8. Westminster Academy, 8:34.15; 110 hurdles: 1. Kenneth McKenzie (DC) 15.12; 2. Mitchell Kutner (Santa Fe Cath) 15.54; 3. Tyler Stowell (Northside Chr) 15.58; 8. Charles Jones Jr. (HC) 17.00; 100: 1. Jonathan Woodbine (FC) 11.13; 2. Onterio McCalebb (Fort Meade) 11.16; 3. Jeff Davis (Sneads) 11.18; 1,600: 1. Ryan Harris (Gainesville Oak Hall) 4:26.64; 2. Billy Naylor (Wewahitchka) 4:28.72; 3. Taylor Peliska (St. John Neumann) 4:29.15; 400 relay: 1. Jacksonville Trinity Christian, 43.08; 2. Fort Meade, 43.18; 3. Dade Christian, 43.48; 4. Westminster Academy, 43.79; 400: 1. Teddy Hess (WA) 49.65; 2. Burk Hedrick (King's Academy) 49.96; 3. Sam Houston (TP) 50.11; 300 hurdles: 1. Kenneth McKenzie (DC) 39.82; 2. Tyler Stowell (Northside Christian) 39.83; 3. Timmy Moses (WA) 40.96; 8. Willie Jones (UC) 44.99; 800: 1. Whitney Strickland (NFC) 1:56.55; 2. Dale Barlow (Jay) 1:59.63; 3. Bradley Tritsch (DC) 1:59.78; 8. Shane Connette (CC) 2:02.45; 200: 1. Onterio McCalebb (Fort Meade) 22.44; 2. Troy Curry (FAMU) 22.54; 3. Jamal Reid (Lafayette) 22.73; 4. Teddy Hess (WA) 22.88; 3,200: 1. Joe Cathey (CC) 9:26.99; 2. Kyle Cooke (Holy Trinity) 9:29.15; Andrew Jarriel (Berean Chr) 9:42.02; 12. Bobby Bemis (SFH) 10:26.15; 14. Jahmaine Richards (URC) 10:43.97; 1,600 relay: 1. King's Academy 3:24.99; 2. Westminster Academy 3:25.58; 3. Dade Christian 3:28.95.

• Girls' individual results (Top 3 plus Dade/Broward top 8 finishers) -- High jump: 1. Rachel Bowden (Seacrest) 5-04; 2. Ashley Raymond (Benjamin) 5-02; 3. Katherine Kinky (Paxton) 5-02; 6. Caroline Arledge (WA) 5-0; Pole vault: 1. Katherine Register (South Walton) 11-06; 2. Lindsey Enders (Holy Trinity) 10-06; 3. Samantha Beckham (Cedar Key) 10-0; 4. Caitlin Wheatley (SFH) 9-06; Long jump: 1. Kayla Parker (Port St. Joe) 18-10 ½; 2. Amanda Powell (Trinity Prep) 18-06 ½; 3. Deona Jones (Cottondale) 17-10; 6. Alissa Diaz (CSC) 16-07; Triple jump: 1. Michelle Jenije (North Florida Christian) 39-07; 2. Samantha Specht (Shorecrest Prep) 36-01 ½; 3. Fanequa Larry (Port St. Joe) 34-10; 4. Melyssa Ruddock (SFH) 34-08 ½; Discus: 1. Erin Walker (Paxton) 128-06; 2. Misha Payne (DC) 121-0; 3. Melanie Gillum (King's Academy) 114-10; 5. Amanda Capraro (SFH) 111-04; Shot put: 1. Samone Smiley (Port St. Joe) 37-09 ¾; 2. Kasey Ward (Graceville) 37-09 ½; 3. Christelle Ndongo (Montverde) 35-11 ¼; 3,200 relay: 1. Holy Trinity, 9:36.48; 2. Naples Community 9:37.92; 3. Maclay, 9:43.56; 6. Calvary Christian, 9:54.32; 100 hurdles: 1. Kayla Parker (Port St. Joe) 14.77; 2. Lindsey Enders (Holy Trinity) 15.89; 3. Ashlyn Farrar (St. John Neumann) 16.28; 6. Tara Fallin (CSC) 16.75; 100: 1. Kayla Parker (Port St. Joe) 12.49; 2. Amanda Powell (Trinity Prep) 12.72; 3. Venisha Lewis (Moore Haven) 12.85; 1,600: 1. Kayla Hale (Holy Trinity) 5:03.68; 2. Mallory White (Lakeland Christian) 5:11.49.2; 3. Erika Fluehr (Community School) 5:11.49.6; 400 relay: 1. Fort Meade, 50.17; 2. Dade Christian, 50.24; 3. Cottondale, 50.32; 400: 1. Faith Umoh (DC) 56.85; 2. Samantha Specht (Shorecrest Prep) 58.65; 3. Kaili Torres (St. Johns Country Day) 59.35; 300 hurdles: 1. Ansley Gebben (First Academy) 45.42; 2. Mariah Johnson (Port St. Joe) 45.48; 3. Emily Ness (Maclay) 47.07; 8. Kathy Rivas (CSC) 1:09.38; 800: 1. Mallory Bane (St. John's Country Day) 2:20.85; 2. Leah Steinke (Trinity Christian) 2:21.00; 3. Caroline Pauls (CC) 2:21.72; 8. Layna Roycraft (WA) 2:25.36; 200: 1. Kayla Parker (Port St. Joe) 25.68; 2. Amanda Powell (Trinity Prep) 25.75; 3. Faith Umoh (DC) 25.92; 3,200: 1. Kayla Hale (Holy Trinity) 10:45.14; 2. Grace Thomas (St. Edward's) 11:06.82; 3. Kathryn Fluehr (Community) 11:06.90; 1,600 relay: 1. St. Johns Country Day 4:01.02; 2. Port St. Joe 4:04.07; 3. First Academy 4:10.10; 5. Calvary Christian 4:12.97; 12. Westminster Academy 4:17.55.