The days of Jesuit and Berkeley Prep battling for district supremacy took an unexpected turn last spring when a new threat emerged from two counties away. Nature Coast, a Hernando County school, came roaring into Hillsborough and grabbed the attention of almost everyone when it claimed the Class 2A, District 9 title on Berkeley's home turf. The Sharks won with ease, defeating Jesuit by 17 points and the Buccaneers by a lot more. But the ultimate goal for many track programs is to advance as many athletes as possible to state. And by completing that goal, most teams score big. In Class 2A, the usual suspects look strong in Jesuit, Berkeley and Tampa Catholic. And in Class A, Tampa Prep will tangle with several Pinellas County schools in another tough district. With that said, here is a glance at some of Hillsborough County's more promising Class A and 2A track and field athletes to watch. Next week, the Times will preview Class 3A and 4A.
| Boys | | | |
| Sprints | | | |
| Christian Green | Tampa Catholic | Jr. | Placed third at 100 meters (11.48 seconds) in districts. |
| Logan Mielke | Tampa Catholic | Jr. | Finished fourth in 400 (52.64) in districts. |
| Evan Rubenson | Jesuit | Jr. | District champ in 400 placed fifth in regions (50.99). |
| Distance | | | |
| Connor Revord | Jesuit | Sr. | Penn State recruit was state runnerup at 800 (1 minute, 55.88 seconds) and 1,600 (4:18.86). He was region champion in 800 (1:59.52) and 1,600 (4:28.58) last season and anchor leg of state champion 4x800 relay team. |
| Darrin Gibson | Robinson | Jr. | Placed fourth in the state in 800 (1:57.99) after being the region runnerup (2:00.84). |
| Stephen Warner | Tampa Prep | Sr. | Finished 11th at state in the 1,600 and had a personal record in regions (4:37.20), where he placed third. He is the only returning leg of the Terps' state runnerup 4x800 relay team. |
| Field | | | |
| Mike McEnany | Jesuit | Sr. | Finished 11th in the triple jump in regions (27 feet, 10 inches), also placed seventh in regions in 400 (51.24). |
| Auston Chen | Berkeley Prep | Sr. | Shot put district champion placed fifth in regions in the discus and was region qualifier in shot put. |
| Clint Barnett | Cambridge | Jr. | Finished 13th in discus in regions (96 feet, 6 inches). |
| Others to watch: | | | |
| Ralph Grover, Tampa Catholic, Sr. (200 meters); Ben Martin, Jesuit, Sr. (3,200); Chris Mundy, Tampa Catholic, So. (400); Jordan Schilit, Jesuit, Sr. (3,200); Logan Trimble, Jesuit, Sr. (800). | | | |
| Girls | |
| Sprints | |
| Maddie Schmidt, Tampa Catholic, Jr. | District champion in the 100-meter hurdles and placed sixth in regions (16.35 seconds). |
| Saree Moreno, Holy Names, Jr.: | Placed 10th in regions in 300 hurdles. |
| Tawsha Asher, Tampa Prep, Jr. | Placed eighth in regions in 400 (1 minute, 4.32 seconds). |
| Distance | |
| Gigi Price, Berkeley Prep, Jr. | Placed eighth in regions in the 800 (2:29.21). |
| Olivia D'Angelo, Berkeley Prep, Sr. | Was 16th at state in the 3,200 and ran a personal record in regions (11:49.72), where she placed fourth. |
| Lauren Knoke, Tampa Prep, So. | Finished seventh at regions in 3,200 (12:23.52). |
| Field | |
| Mari Ostrenko, Tampa Catholic, So. | Fourth in regions in the pole vault (8 feet). |
| Shakea Kindred, Spoto, Sr. | Placed third in regions in shot put (35 feet, 11 inches). |
| Danielle Dragna, Tampa Prep, Sr. | Finished 14th in long jump in regions (14-11.7). |
| Five others to watch: | |
| Gina Barbato, Holy Names, Jr. (800 meters); Katie Bui, Tampa Prep, So. (3,200); Holly Matthews, Cambridge, Sr. (triple jump); Rachel Sheppard, Berkeley Prep, Jr. (800); Alexis Spring, Tampa Catholic, Jr. (200). | |
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