District track and field roundup: Mainland boys, Flagler Palm Coast girls take home championships

ORLANDO — Mainland stockpiled more hardware for its trophy case Friday night, adding a District 6-3A boys track and field title in convincing fashion.

Emmanuel Yisrael won both hurdling events, Ezaiah Shine set a new personal-best in the 200-meter dash, Marquis McCants picked up a pair of jumping golds and Kajuan Curry won a thriller in the 800 for the Buccaneers, who were crowned Five Star Conference champions earlier this month for the first time since 2004.

Yisrael, McCants, Shine and a handful of other Bucs who scored at districts helped Mainland similarly end a 20-year state championship drought in football back in December.

HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS ROUNDUP: Spruce Creek drops nailbiter to Nease in girls regional finals

"We're trying to go out at states and win it all," said Shine, who signed a letter of intent with Tulane. "We're working hard every day, every week, to push each other and get better."

Shine fired out of the blocks and pulled away from his competitors off the curve, crossing the line in 22.10 seconds. He added a second-place showing in the 100 (10.97) and helped the Bucs to victories in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

Yisrael won by daylight at both distances, posting a time of 14.52 in the 110 hurdles and 57.74 at 400 meters. McCants, the 110 hurdles runner-up, soared 22 feet, 7¾ inches in the long jump. The senior doubled up with gold in the triple jump (43-10¾).

Curry, a junior, broke the two-minute barrier for the first time in the 800 (1:59.22) to fend off East River's Suhaib Mansour and New Smyrna Beach's Sam McDuffie down the stretch.

For New Smyrna Beach, junior Tim Beauchamp smashed his previous top mark in the shot put (16.22m) and added an expected victory in the discus (48.45m).

Mainland's girls had a strong day on the track as well, anchored by Kiera Williams. Williams persevered through a left hamstring injury to set new PRs in the 200 (26.23, third place) and the 400 (58.43, first place) and run a blazing final leg in the 4x400 relay.

"I was nervous because I hadn't broken a minute all year. Last year, I was in the 59s by now," Williams said. "I came out today, and my teammates were telling me it's PR day.

"It's the coolest thing in the world, got a new venue record out here. My hamstring was hurting me so bad. All day yesterday, I took ice baths and nothing worked."

Amyah Watlington prevailed in the 100 hurdles (15.43), just ahead of Seabreeze's Lauren Lancing, who secured gold in the 400 hurdles (1:08.27). New Smyrna Beach's MaKenna Estes cruised to victory in the pole vault (3.05m).

District 3-4A

PORT ORANGE — Flagler Palm Coast's girls nipped Five Star Conference champion Spruce Creek by four points Wednesday for the outright team District 3-4A title, tallying double-digit points in five separate field events.

Olivia Gaines placed second in the triple jump (11.44m) and third in the long jump (5.42m), and Maya Tyson captured victory in the shot put (11.51m) and finished runner-up in the discus throw (34.47m). Aun'Yale Howard scored in four events — the javelin, the triple jump, the long jump and the 4x100 relay.

The Bulldogs' 4x800 relay team — comprised of Bella Tarsitano, Cassidy De Young, Madison Lagarde and Ari Slaughter — broke a school record with a time of 9:39.43, good enough for third place.

Twin sisters Mackenzie and Arianna Roy ran 1-2 for host Spruce Creek in both long-distance events. Mackenzie broke the five-minute mark (4:58.51) in the 1,600 for the first time, and Arianna set a new personal-best of her own (5:01.04). Kylie Davis won the 400 hurdles (1:06.85) for the Hawks, Jada Hawkins prevailed in the 400 (58.10) and Sanaii Gaines secured silver medals in the long jump (5.63m), the 100 (12.24) and the 400 (58.11).

DeLand's defending state pole vault champion Kylie Neira coasted to victory by clearing 3.6 meters, and Emily Lamb won the discus throw (35.28m), adding a second-place showing in the javelin (36.36m). Anna Vandell placed runner-up in the high jump (1.62m).

Nyrania Barr-Miller produced University's lone individual victory in the 100 hurdles (15.13) and took second in the 200 (25.35).

As for the boys' team competition, FPC had the top local outing with 88 points, taking third behind Lake Mary (116) and Seminole (113). Colby Cronk continued a dominant season with a win in the shot put (16.86m), Levi Hayworth topped his personal best to win the javelin throw (57.04m) and Tanner Cauley Bennett won the pole vault (3.9m).

DeLand's Owen York brought home a district title in the discus throw (45.16m) and was second in the shot put with a new personal-best (13.94m). Spruce Creek's Xavier Williams ran third in the 100 (11.05) and fourth in the 200 (22.42).

District 6-1A

Father Lopez's boys and girls won their district track and field meet for a fourth consecutive season.

Ryan Herdel picked up four golds on the day with victories in the 100-meter dash (11.44), the 200 (23.45), the javelin (43.02m) and the 4x100 relay. For the girls, Andreya Bridger similarly swept the 100 (13.05) and the 200 (26.9) while helping the Green Wave to victory in the 4x100.

Caroline Theriault won the 110 hurdles (17.71) and the high jump (1.52m), and Adelae Fulton added wins in the discus (31.12m) and the javelin (29.48m) while finishing second to teammate Mackenzie Brewton in the shot put (10.16m).

Trenton Newton led Trinity Christian to a 1-2-3 sweep of the 110 hurdles (19.01), edging Kristofer Medeiros by one-hundredth of a second at the line. Long jumper Joseph Brittain (5.64m) and triple jumper Gabriel Ponce-Arce (11.06m) shined in the field for the Eagles.

District 4-3A

Evanne Miller and Sierra Howard scored individual victories for Matanzas in Wednesday's District 4-3A meet at Beachside.

Miller posted a 59.39 time in the 400, and Howard ran the 800 in 2:22.81. Jordan Youngman advanced to regionals in both hurdling races — placing third in the 110 (15.86) and second in the 400 (1:05.86). Bryonna Bowdry set a new personal best in finishing second in the discus (32.83m).

Among the Pirates' boys, Jordan Mills took fourth in the 110 (15.55) and the 400 (59.77) hurdles, Jordan Theus-Vale scored a silver in the discus (PR 43.51m) and Jeffrey Powell (12.70m) and Ladarien Baker (12.68m) placed second and third in the triple jump.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: FHSAA track and field: Mainland, FPC and the Volusia-Flagler winners