South Florida off to strong start at high school state track meet

Sukeil Foucha saved his very best for when it counted most.

The Piper senior successfully came from behind down the stretch in the 800-meter final with a head first lean at the finish line.

The extra effort allowed Foucha to edge Jacob Miley of Flagler Palm Coast by three one-hundredths of a second for a winning time of 1:51.00 at the Class 4A state Track and Field Championships at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

“I’ve been practicing hard this week and I knew I could do this,” Foucha said of the victory. “That was hard because I didn’t know [Miley] was going to go like that. He’s good. Sprint work was the difference for me. This feels great.”

Foucha, a Florida State signee, also bettered his previous best of 1:51.19 set at the Florida Pepsi Relays in late March. Friday’s winning time is also best in Florida this season and third best in the country.

Foucha is undefeated in all 800 finals this season, including the BCAA Championships, districts and regionals.

Outdoing Foucha by one state title was Jinah Mickens-malik.

The Mater Academy sophomore won her third consecutive Class 3A 800-meter state title with a time of 2:10.80. Her time was just shy of her state-best 2:10.16 this season.

“I just wanted to push harder for a a time I wanted to,” Mickens-malik said. “A win is win, so I just need to look at what I did wrong and fix it.”

Gulliver Prep junior Natalie Varela was also a winner in the 800, by capturing the Class 2A title in 2:09.82. Her winning time is the fastest in the state this year and was a personal best. It’s also now the 11th fastest time in the country.

Taravella senior Travis Joseph of Taravella didn’t officially become a high jumper until this year.

Now he is a Class 4A state champion after clearing 6-9.50, becoming the first male track athlete in school history to do so.

“This feels great to do something like that,” Joseph said. “This feels very special. I don’t know why I’ve been so successful in high jump because I don’t train that much.”

Hallandale’s Destiny Castillo successfully defended her Class 2A long jump title with a state-best jump this season of 20-3.

The senior’s winning jump also surpassed her previous personal best of 19-11.50 set at the BCAA Championships in March.

Coral Springs senior and Ohio signee Dominic Boddie felt short of his final chance to win a Class 4A state title in the pole vault.

Boddie, who finished second at last year’s state meet, once again was second with a vault of 14-4.25.

Victoria Ellis of Coral Springs won the Class 4A pole vault at 11-3.75

Donald Chaney of Belen Jesuit was a winner in the Class 3A high jump with a jump of 6-7.50.

Hallandale junior Eriana Sanford was winner in the 2A discus with a throw of 134-1.

Miami Northwestern junior Markala Hart put herself in position for a pair of individual Class 3A state titles by advancing the finals of the 100 hurdles (14.04) and 300 hurdles.

Miami Southridge senior Raniyah Jones is a Class 4A 100-hurdles final qualifier and could face a stiff test from Richara McNeil of Piper and Nikia Smith of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Tyrese Cooper of Miami Norland and Jaquez Stuart each qualified for the 3A final in the 100 meters. Taylor Banks of Miramar qualified for the 4A 100 final.

Led by Jan’Taijah of Northeast, the top five qualifiers for Saturday’s Class 3A 400-meter girls final are from Broward and Miami Dade.

Tsion Yared of Pine Crest finished the night by winning the 3200-meter race in Class 2A with a time of 10:38.73.

Valarie Lastra of Mater Academy was second in the Class 3A 3200-meter race with a time of 10:29.85

Weather had a significant impact on Friday’s field events and prelims as they were shortened two flights to straights finals, while eliminating attempts from six to four.

Running prelims were also suspended for a total of four hours and 54 minutes following a lighting delay.

Friday’s prelims in the 300-hurdles, 200-meter and 4x400 relay was moved to running finals for Saturday. Saturday’s finals that were set for a 10 a.m. start have been moved up to 8 a.m. to accommodate the three events pushed back.

Class 4A

Boys Individual results: 800: 1. Foucha (PIP) 1:51.00; 5. Ricardo (FLAN) 1:55.14; 6. Rigaba (SD) 1:55.24; 7. Simms (SRIG) 1:55.44; High jump: 1. Joseph (TARA) 6-9.50; 4. Palomino (MON) 6-3.50; 8. Clarke (MIR) 6-1.50; Pole vault: 1. St. Pierre (LM) 14-9; 2. Boddie (CS) 14-4.25; 3. Farrell (STA) 13-9.75.

Girls Individual results: 3200: 1. Hendrix (RV) 10:33.25; 8. McGreevy (STA) 10:54.19; High jump: 1. Jones (SRIG) 5-9.75; 2. Morgan (SD) 5-7.75; 3. Lowenstein (STA) 5-5.75; 6. Ho (VAR) 5-3.75; 7. Sheeres (STA) 5-3.75; Pole vault: 1. Ellis (CS) 11-3.75.

Class 3A

Boys Individual results: 800: 1. Brittenham (ESTERO) 1:52.95; 3. Quinn (MNW) 1:53.75; 7. Demelien (DILL) 1:54.59; High jump: 1. Chaney (BJ) 6-7.50; 2. Richards (NE) 6-5.50.

Girls Individual results: 800: 1. Mickens-malik (MATER) 2:10.80; 6. Hill (NE) 2:16.38; 3200: 1. Valby (EL) 10:10.45; 2, Lastra (MA) 10:29.85.

Class 2A

Girls Individual results: 800: 1. Varela (GP) 2:09.82; 3. Kavanagh 2:11.53 (CAL) 7. Barrett (AH) 2:15.03; 3200: 1. Yared (PC) 10:38.73; 3. Faulhaber (PC) 10:49.42; Discus: 1. Sanford (H) 134-1; Long jump: 1. Castillo (H) 20-3; 3. Joseph (AH) 18-10.75.

Class 1A

Boys Individual results: 3200: 1. Curtis (MDC) 9:22.27; 8. Anderson (SFH) 9:43.66; Shot put: 1. Hoeffner (JC) 50-1.75; 6. Tinsley (WA) 44-10.75; 7. David (DOC) 44-8.75; Long jump: 1. Chance (BS) 23-6.25; 5. Villas (HC) 21-9.

Girls Individual results: Shot put: 1. Lecointe (BS) 421-3.25; Blackburn (HC) 37-0.25.

This story was originally published May 4, 2019 at 12:51 AM.