Spring sports continued with their respective postseason events the past week, with one county team claiming a district championship.
The Nature Coast boys track and field team rolled to a first-place finish in the District 2A-5 meet on April 22 at South Sumter. The Sharks scored 236 team points, well ahead of The Villages with 164.5. Junior Trent Montgomery won two events, capturing the long jump with a 21’5 1/2” and the 200 meters in a time of 22.54. He was also second in the 100 meters in 11.21, behind teammate Jasir Harvin, who ran an 11.20.
Also for Nature Coast, Dominick Picariello came in first in the 400 (51.61), Noah Carpenter won the 3,200 (10:46.63), Camden Dubois took the 400 hurdles (1:01.85) and Jamari Simpson was the winner of the triple jump (43’9”). Harvin, Ethan Warford, Montgomery and Zayden Mckenzie won the 4×100 relay in 42.83. Picariello, Kason Oneill, Brayden Barnett and Jonathan Edney did the same in the 4×400 (3:32.81).
The top four in each event qualified for regionals. Additionally advancing for the Sharks was Mckenzie in the 200 (second, 23.00) and the 100 meters (third, 11.25). Edney placed second in the 400 (52.28). Carpenter ran a third-place 4:43.34 in the 1,600. In the 110 hurdles, Dashawn Allen (third, 16.83) and Dubois (fourth, 17.14) stamped their tickets to regionals. Allen was second in the high jump (5’11 1/2”) and fourth in long jump (20’9 3/4”).
Jenoah White was second in the 400 hurdles (1:02.48). The triple jump saw Aveion Jackson finish second (40’10 1/2”) and Ethan Warford take fourth (40’1 1/2”). Joseph Lizor was third in the javelin (135’2”). Edney, Carpenter, Bryce Senzig and Oneill were second in the 4×800 (8:39.51).
Nature Coast’s girls came in fourth in the team standings at 52. Aisha Fernandez posted an 8’1/2” to win the pole vault. Lilyanna Norton, Belle Atse, Praise Lawson and Mya Page combined for a first-place 4×100 (51.18). Caylee Senzig got third in the 800 (2:51.13), while Jaida Grier was third in the triple jump (32’3/4”) and fourth in the high jump (4’6”).
Hernando’s Lentajhae Smith came in second in the 100 (12.71) and 200 (25.87). Tashya Griffin took fourth in the shot put (30’8 1/4”), as did Trinity Stewart-Gray in the discus (78’10”). Evan Richards (third in the shot put, 39’2 1/2”) and Aaron Wingfield (fourth in the 1,600, 4:51.50) were boys who automatically advanced for the Leopards.
In the District 3A-8 meet on April 24 at Weeki Wachee, Springstead took second overall in both boys (130) and girls (159). Sophomore Ryan Mongold was a double champion for the Eagles in the boys shot put (47’8”) and discus (149’10”). Chadiell Echavarria won the boys triple jump (43’10 3/4) and he was second in the high jump (6’5 1/2”). Xylus Pastrana finished second in the long jump (19’9”), third in the 100 (10.94) and fourth in the triple jump (40’6 3/4”). Ken Smith Jr. took fourth in the 800 (2:07.13).
In the 3,200, Theodore Toler came in second (10:50.78) and Avery Smith was third (10:59.05). Jaiden Saenz was fourth in the 400 hurdles (1:01.60) and Bradley Lewars placed third in the pole vault (11’3 3/4”). Mykel Theriault placed fourth in both the shot put (43’1 3/4”) and javelin (138’10”).
For Springstead’s girls, Lainee Mercer won the 800 (2:31.45), 1,600 (5:37.33) and 3,200 (12:15.78). De’Aijah Tullis took the high jump (4’11 3/4”), was second in triple jump (36’3”) and third in the 100 hurdles (16.12). Kamauri Hicks took the javelin (101’7”).
Addisson Osborne finished second in the shot put (34’2 1/4”), discus (107’4”) and javelin (81’3”). Tija Holland placed fourth in the 100 (12.63), same as Viktoria Sayre in the 400 hurdles (1:12.43). Sayre was also third in the high jump (4’11 1/4”). In pole vault, Sydney Istvan was second (7’10 1/2”) and Aliviya Schabilion took fourth (6’10 1/4”).
Holland, Neriah Joseph, Tullis and Briana Coleman finished third in the 4×100 (49.92). Avery Brewer, Alyssa Holt, Kendall Lindsey and Kylee Redmond combined for fourth in the 4×800 (11:40.86). Perla Ramirez, Karissa Lacorte, Sayre and Coleman placed fourth in the 4×400 (4:34.49).
Bakari Hodge-Maudlin gave Weeki Wachee a district champ in the boys 400, running a 50.95, and he was fourth in the 200 (22.92). Tyler Boucher came in second in the 1,600 (4:43.03) and fourth in the 3,200 (11:01.73), while Leelen Wright was third in the javelin (139’7”). Vindell Bridger, Jean Cintron, Robert Albee and Jesiah Escobar placed second in the 4×800 (8:47.38).
Weeki Wachee’s Emani Henderson was second in the girls high jump (4’11 3/4”). Central’s Miericle Davis came in third in the girls 400 (1:02.77), and the boys 4×400 of Akash Vijayakumar, Jonathan Martinez, Calor Wade and Gabriel Whaley finished fourth for the Bears (3:45.10).
Springstead’s flag football team won a regional quarterfinal on April 23, beating host Land O’ Lakes 25-20 to move on to the next round.
In beach volleyball, Hernando came into the District 2A-9 Tournament at The Villages and won 4-0 over third-seeded Nature Coast in the April 23 semifinals. Later that day, the Leopards fell 3-2 to The Villages, the top seed, in the championship matchup. Hernando (13-2) still moved on to regionals, earning the fourth seed in Region 2A-3, as did Nature Coast (11-4) by snagging the seventh seed.
The Nature Coast boys tennis team saw its season end with a 4-0 loss to McKeel Academy in a Class 2A regional quarterfinal on April 22. The Hernando girls likewise lost to McKeel in their regional quarterfinal that same
day.
