Rain doesn't slow down record breaking night of track and field action at FSU Relays day 1
Despite Mother Nature's best efforts to wash out the opening day of the FSU Relays Friday, the annual track meet showered fans with excitement.
Records were shattered and personal best runs were posted as some of the top track and field athletes from across the country competed in the first of two days of competition at Florida State's Mike Long Track.
The night culminated with a wild and dramatic 3200-meter race.
Leon's Patrick Koon finished second with a time of 8:42.74, 10 seconds better than his FSU Relays meet record of 8:52.60 in 2023.
However, Gainesville Buchholz senior Riley Smith set a new meet and state record, running a blazing 8:39.71 to win the race.
"I kind of wanted this race to be a faster first mile and it was, but just an incredible closing to an incredible race like," Koon said.
"I PR'd by two seconds, was well under my state record and I just happened to race someone even faster. Can't look down on a PR and I ran 10 seconds faster than I did here last year, so I'm looking forward to Arcadia and future races."
Even with the loss, Koon still ran a personal best run and is coming off a national championship win in the 5,000 meters at the Nike Indoor Nationals.
The loss has motivated Koon, who says he's excited to compete for the remainder of the season and showcase his abilities.
"I thought I could have closed out faster, but he's [Smith] just an incredible guy and took off the last few 50. I can't complain much about today though," Koon said.
"I'm excited for the rest of the season now."
Maclay's Couch sets PR, places third in 3200
Maclay sophomore Caroline Couch has quickly established herself as one of the area's best runners.
Competing in the 3200-meter race, Couch placed third with a personal best time of 10:44.19.
"It's really nice and lovely, especially since this week I've not felt the best, I felt really bad and the race was running so early, so it really surprised me that I did so well," Couch said.
"It was a really good race."
Couch, like Koon, is coming off an impressive outing at the Nike Indoor Nationals. She placied 22nd in the 3000-meter race with personal-best time of 10:03.41.
Returning to the Florida high school tracks for the first time since her races at Nike Nationals, Couch felt it was nice to face fresh competition.
"It's just so nice to have more competition than locally here in Tallahassee and to have a pack to run with," Couch said. "Having the competition and people that will help you pace and you can stay with and do the work for you. It's so nice to have that."
Finishing second in the 3200-meter state title race and fifth in the 1600-meter state race in her freshman season, a year in which Maclay won a team state title, Couch is excited for what the remainder of the track calendar has in store for her sophomore year.
"I am really excited for what the future has to bring, and the fact that I'm just a sophomore I have so much more time," Couch said.
"It makes me really, really excited for the future."
How did Big Bend Athletes fair
Full results can be found here
Boys
800-meter
Justin Greenwood, Sr., Rickards: 44th, 1:59.90
200-meter
Micahi Danzy, Sr., Florida High: 7th, 21.72, Rance Grace, Sr., Lincoln: 12th, 21.90, Isaiah Bighem, Sr., Leon: 26th, 22.65
3200-meter
Patrick Koon, Sr., Leon: 2nd, 8:42.74, Jackson Rowe, Sr., Chiles: 25th, 9:21.25, Henry Lewis, So., Wakulla: 48th, 9:36.27, Matthew Hauser, So., Lincoln: 60th, 9:39.90, Xavier England, Sr., Florida High: 66th, 9:41.87, Will Winsor, Sr., Leon: 84th, 9:49.88, Will Springer, Sr., Leon: 105th, 10:15.47, Quinn Carrasquilla, Sr., Leon: 107th, 10:25.01
Girls
800-meter
Savannah Stanley, Fr., Chiles: 10th, 2:16.52, Mary Clayton Soto, Sr., Maclay: 29th, 2:20.81
200-meter
Sacori Gardner, Fr., Rickards: 11th, 25.15, Alana Wilson, So., Maclay: 24th, 26.10
3200-meter
Caroline Couch, So., Maclay: 3rd, 10:44.19, Susan Koppel, Sr. Maclay: 30, 11:20.81,
FSU Relays Saturday Schedule
FIELD EVENTS
7:30 a.m.: Boy's javelin
10:00 a.m.: Boys Pole Vault Girls High Jump Girls Discus Boys Shot Put Boys Long Jump Girls Long Jump
1:00 p.m.: Girls Pole Vault Boys High Jump Boys Discus Girls Shot Put Boys Triple Jump Girls Triple Jump
RACES
11:10 am Girls 100 hurdles, 11:20 am Boys 110 hurdles, 11:30 am Girls 4x800 relay, boys start following the end of girls races, 12:20 pm Girls 400 dash, boys start following the end of girls races, 12:40 pm Girls 100 dash, boys start following the end of girls races, 12:50 pm Girls 400 hurdles, boys start following the end of girls races, 1:20 pm Girls 4x100 relay, boys start following the end of girls races, 1:45 pm Girls Invitational 1600, boys start following the end of girls races, 2:25 pm Girls 4x400 relay, boys start following the end of girls races
Liam Rooney covers preps sports for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Track state, personal records shattered during night one of FSU Relays
