Story by Near Post Sports
We have two stories for you today. 3A results and 4A coverage.
All photos by Stu Camp
Top results from yesterday’s 3A high school track championships:
– Kambry Smith, Fort Walton Beach, 2nd in the girls 1,600 meter (5:07.76) and 2nd in the 3,200 (11:03.97)
– Dominic Lucus, 2nd in boys’ discus (151′ 5″)
– Ava Grace Wheaton, Pace, 3rd in girls’ javelin (106′ 6″)
– Kerry Seekamp, Fort Walton Beach, 3rd in girls’ pole vault (11′ 3.75″)
– Ava Grace Wheaton, Pace, 3rd in javelin (106′ 6″)
– Seth Massie, Gulf Breeze, 3rd in boys’ pole vault (13′ 9.25″) 7th in the high jump (6′ 1.5″); 10th in javelin (141′ 11″)
– Pace 4×100 (Cam Ren Hughes, Blakely Tyler, Eddie Craig, Tyler Strain)
– Luke Larkin, Fort Walton Beach, 4th in boys’ 800 (1:56.10)
– Fort Walton Beach 4×400 relay (Nicklos McTear, Troy Anthony Williams, Luke Larkin, Ryan Sloan) 4th in 3:20.90
– Jackson Lebleu, Choctaw, 5th in boys’ javelin (145′ 5″)
– Pace 4×800 (Francisco Ramirez, Gavin Schulte, Jackson Tyner, Nathan Coyle), 5th in 8:04.34
– Narcissa Clay, Choctaw, 6th in girls’ discus (113′ 4″)
– Brooke Hawkins, Fort Walton Beach, 6th in girls’ high jump (5′ 1.75″
– Gavin Schulte, Pace, 6th in boys’ 800 (1:56.62)
– Sean Brady Bachmann, Fort Walton Beach, 7th in boys’ discuss (144′ 10″)
– Finn Youberg, Gulf Breeze, 8th in the boys’ 800 meters (1:57.33)
– Jake Wentz, Choctaw, 8th in boys’ discus (144′ 6″)
– Francisco Ramirez, Pace, 8th in boys’ 1,600 (4:25.7)
– Fort Walton Beach 4×800 (Ryan Sloan, Luke Bilger, Luke Endt, Luke Larkin) 8th in 8:05.94
Two Navarre athletes make their final appearance at the state track meet today.
Pole vaulters Talin Griffin and Tyson Morgan could – if the stars align – both stand on the podium at the 4A championships in Jacksonville. Their event is slated to begin at 7 p.m. at the University of North Florida campus.
They’re both seeded in the top five – Griffin tied at the top with Dillon DeChristopher of Lake Mary; and Morgan is tied for third with Niceville’s David De Ridder.
Griffin owns the school record, set last week at the regional meet. He’s aiming higher.
“I’m very confident 15-3 will happen at state. And if all the pieces come together, and I get my knees and chest and pop off, like I have been doing in practice, I think I’ll have some room on the 15-10 bar and clear it,” the Navarre senior said. “I was over it at regionals, which gives me more confidence. I had height over it with my body, I just gotta get my legs around.”
This is Talin’s second trip to state, claiming sixth place in 2019 with a height of 13 feet 9-1/4 inches. Last year, their seasons was derailed by COVID-19. Morgan is new to the state meet.
After an off-season where both athletes worked with outside coaches on form and improved their physical strength, they suffered similar setbacks. Both sustained major hand injuries, interrupting their track season by several weeks. Griffin broke his hand while playing soccer (he scored on the play). Morgan’s injury required surgery to repair, after his pole snapped on a vault.
Working with the two vaulters, according to pole vault coach Schuyler Field, “It’s just so freakin’ cool.”
It’s not a rivalry, but a competition between the two. Morgan even beat Griffin in 2020 year at the Crusader Invitational, with a height of 13 feet 3-1/2 inches. It was a personal best by nearly a foot.
“To me, it’s the perfect example of ‘you are what you make it,’” Field said about Griffin. “He’s got the talent, and always has. But he’s put in so much effort to get there, naturally, every day. In high school, the 15-foot-club – that’s just a special thing.”
That set a school record on his first attempt at the height.
“I was confident through 14-9. That gave me no misses. I was making the right calls to go up a pole when I needed to. When the 15-3 bar came, I just knew I had it. And it all came together,” Griffin said. “I was screaming before I even full-cleared the bar.”
Both have made major leaps in their specialties. Griffin now commonly challenges for top honors at competitions – taking second place at district and regional championships determined by tiebreakers. Morgan added another 18 inches to his personal best, and flirted with clearing the 15-foot barrier at this year’s regional meet.
Coach Field described the young men as “very different vaulters” — Talin has a consistency to his vaulting. Morgan goes through rough stretches, but is peaking at the perfect time, the coach said.
“Him having such a good day, all the stars aligning, and getting 14-9 on first clearance,” Field said. “14-3 was a great day. A GREAT day. He went 14-9 and it was like ‘I don’t even care what happens.’ It was so cool.”
The reserved demeanor Tyson shows relates to his approach to pole vaulting.
“I do it because it’s fun. I didn’t expect to get this much,” he said earlier this week after practice.
He continues to focus on his form at the top of the vault. His strategy for today is to start a little higher, reducing the number of jumps from the eight he made during last week’s meet.
“I’d say (my confidence) is pretty high. Mostly because of what I’ve been able to do at regionals,” Morgan said. “It was really pleasing. I was excited about it. I was thinking, maybe I can get the next one – 15-3 – and how that would be cool. It’s all fun stuff, really.”
Both have aspirations to compete at the collegiate level. Griffin has his sights set on the University of Florida. Morgan is looking at Florida State University.
