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Track: Countryside boys, East Lake girls dominate PCAC

 
Published March 27, 2015

CLEARWATER — Defending PCAC champions East Lake's girls and Countryside's boys were even bigger favorites coming into this year's conference meet after winning most of this season's events. Both teams won Thursday's PCAC conference meet handily, with East Lake's girls scoring 192 points, more than doubling up Osceola's 89. Countryside's boys won with 119 to Lakewood's 94.5.

Cougars coach Eileen Givens won her eighth conference title with Countryside and her 20th PCAC title dating to her days as Lakewood's coach.

East Lake's duo of Cienna Nichols and Kaitlyn Kirby combined to score 69 points. Kirby set a school record in winning the high jump at 5 feet, 4 inches, won the triple jump at 35-6, was third in the 100-meter hurdles (16.28 seconds) and fourth in the 300-meter hurdles (50.95). Nichols scored 38 points on her own.

"Her (Nichols) goal coming in was to win all four events," East Lake coach Britt Taylor said. "I think she was actually upset (about not winning all four) but I was super proud of her."

Nichols (12.12) was runner-up in the 100-meter dash to Lakewood freshman Jamesha Moorer, who ran a meet record 12.06. Nichols clipped Moorer 25.87 to 26.23 in the 200-meter dash. Nichols also won the 400-meters in 1:00.26 with teammate Lacey Koslowski second at 1:02.83. Nichols went 16-8.75 to win the long jump.

The Countryside boys spread it out more evenly. Ryan Bennett won the 800 (2:02.51) and the Cougars scored points on depth in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 400 and 100. Both the Countryside boys and East Lake girls won the meet's first and final relays, the 4x800-meters and the 4x400-meters.

The boys 400 was expected to be won by Countryside's Robert Davis, who ran 48.50 at last week's USF/Steinbrenner Invitational. In the PCAC, Davis had a win in sight but Northeast's Anthony Crandon overtook him on the final straightaway to win in 49.01, setting a PCAC meet record.

"I give him (Davis) all the credit, he overtook me at the 200m mark but I just gave it my all," Crandon said. "I love running with him."