By: J. Daniel Pearson
Osceola County will be well represented when the FHSAA State Track and Field Championships are held this weekend at North Florida University; while several county schools are involved in state playoffs this week.
On Saturday, George Jenkins hosted both the Class 3A and Class 4A track regionals, a qualifier for this week’s state championship meet. The top two finishers in each event qualified for states and when the dust listed, athletes from Gateway, Osceola, and St. Cloud earned automatic bids.
St. Cloud middle distance runner Kyla Perez (800), triple jumpers Korbyn Jones (Osceola) and Melina Figueroa (Gateway) are all headed to states as regional champions. Perez won the 800 meter run (2:16.90) and will be joined by Celebration’s Evelyn Juden (2:17.57), who took the other automatic berth with a second-place finish. Jones won the 4A regional title in the triple jump (38-9 ½); while Figueroa was the 3A champion in the same event with a leap of (37-5 ¼).
Gateway saw Ethan Antle and Maxwell Garcon qualify in two field events each with second place finishes. Antle advances in the pole vault (13-3 ½) and javelin (166-5); while Garcon took the runner-up spot in the podium in the long jump (23-2) and triple jump (48-3 ½). St. Cloud had a two-event qualifier as Denzel Hawkins will make the 4A State Championship meet in both the 110 (14.65) and 400 (56.23) hurdles with second place finishes.
Other automatic qualifiers from Osceola County included Gateway’s Sarah Diaz in the pole vault (9-4 ¼) and Osceola’s Nicole Oliveira in the long jump (19-2 ½). Oliveira’s leap broke an 18-year-old Osceola High school record.
In the team race, Gateway boys (56 points) finished in a tie with New Smyrna Beach for second place behind Tampa’s Welsey Chapel (109). The Gateway girls (31 points) were ninth in the 26 team event behind champion Bish-p Moore (31). In 4A, host George Jenkins won the girls team regional title with 79 points. Osceola (44-7th), St. Cloud (24.5-11th), Celebration (18-14th), Harmony (14-15th) and Tohopekaliga (7-21st) followed.
In playoff action this week, Harmony’s girl flag football team (17-1) advanced to the regional semifinals with a convincing 34-0 win over Cypress Creek. The Lady Longhorns, the number one seed in the region, will host Palm Beach Garden (8-6) on Monday night at 7 p.m. The Gators, the number five-seed in the region, defeated #4 seed Celebration, 21-20, to advance to the semifinals. The 4A Tournament has seen several big upsets already as Manderin the #1 seed in Region 1 lost to to #8 Ocoee, 21-13 and Region 4. Second-seed Western lost to #7 Stoneman Douglas, 13-7.
A Harmony win on Monday would put them at home on Thursday in the Region 3 Final against the winner of the Central (12-5) vs. Wellington (12-2) match with a Final Four appearance on the line for the winner.
In Class 2A, Gateway advanced to the Region 3 semifinals with an 18-0 win over Gulf. The road gets a tougher on Monday when the Lady Panthers travel to Robinson (17-1), a team that has won five consecutive state championships and has outscored its opposition this year by a 621-101 margin.
Softball regional action begins on Thursday with three Osceola teams remaining alive in the playoffs. One is guaranteed to advance as #3 St. Cloud (17-10) hosts Tohopekaliga (11-5) in a 7A,Region 2 quarterfinal. The Lady Bulldogs earned the right to play at home with a dramatic 2-1 win over Harmony in a district championship game last week. The winner of that contest will move on take on the Wellington-Central winner in a semifinal game on May 12.
Harmony (11-12), who along with Tohopekaliga, earned an at-large regional bid will also be in action Thursday night when they travel to Boone (17-8), The two teams met in the season opener with Boone taking a 6-4 decision.
Thursday will also bring the FHSAA State Weightlifting Championships at the Lakeland Civic Center. A large contingent of Osceola County competitors have qualified for the state championships by winning either a regional title or by taking one of the 12 available at-large spots in each weight class.
St. Cloud, the long-dominating county team led by coach Cory Aun, will send nine competitors in the Olympic Division (Snatch plus Clean-and-Jerk), including Brayden Politano (119), Ayden Lopez (119), Jayden Green-Alemany (129), Jason Isaraphanich (139), Santos Torres (139), Jaden Perez (183), Gilbert Chase (199), Tyler Hartman (219), and Mauricio Cuello-Vega (238). Harmony will have three competitors in Benjamin Ngo (154), Barry Bryce (169) and Mekhi Ealy (unlimited); while Poinciana has two in Anthony Gonzalez (119) and Jean Lauger (139).
In the Traditional (Snatch plus Bench Press), Lopez, Green-Alemany, Isaraphanich, and Perez were all double qualifiers for St. Cloud; while Bulldogs Deme Holligsworth (154) also qualified. Celebration will send Matt Murawsky (169) and regional champ George Taruru (219) to states in that discipline.
Aun believes that several of his lifters have a chance to medal (top six), with Green-Alemany having a shot to reach the top of the podium and Jaden Perez having an opportunity to medal in both events.
The baseball season came to an end for the Harmony Longhorns last weekend as they dropped a best-of-three series to Vero Beach in the Class 7A, Region 3 semifinals. Harmony lost 7-0 on Friday night, before dropping a heart-breaking 1-0 decision in Game 2 Saturday when Cody Morgan delivered an RBI double in the last inning to spoil an outstanding pitching performance by Harmony’s Trevin Bean.
Vero Beach got two excellent pitching performances from Nate Downey, who struck out eight in pitching a complete game shutout in Game 1; as well as Brandon Walker, who allowed just three hits in tossing another complete game shutout in Game 2.
“We knew they had an outstanding pitching staff and they certainly put that on display,” Harmony coach Heath Williams said. “We had some discussions on how to set up our pitching staff for the weekend and we let that first game get away from us. Still credit to Vero they are going to be a tough out for anyone.”
One final county note. Congratulations are in order for Harmony wrestler Nathan Lyttle, who won a Puerto Rico national championship (U20) over the weekend.
En Espanol
El Condado de Osceola estará bien representado este fin de semana en el Campeonato Estatal de Atletismo de la FHSAA en la Universidad del Norte de Florida, luego de destacadas actuaciones en los regionales celebrados en George Jenkins. Atletas de Gateway, Osceola y St. Cloud lograron clasificar, incluyendo a campeones regionales como Kyla Perez en los 800 metros, Korbyn Jones en salto triple y Melina Figueroa en su categoría.
También aseguraron su lugar varios subcampeones en múltiples disciplinas, mientras que Nicole Oliveira rompió un récord escolar de 18 años en salto largo. En la competencia por equipos, Gateway destacó con un segundo lugar en la categoría masculina.
En los playoffs, el equipo femenino de flag football de Harmony avanzó a las semifinales regionales tras una victoria dominante y buscará seguir avanzando esta semana. Gateway también continúa con vida en la clasificación 2A. En sóftbol, tres equipos del condado siguen en competencia, con St. Cloud jugando como local en un duelo clave.
Además, una gran cantidad de atletas del condado competirán en el Campeonato Estatal de Halterofilia en Lakeland, con St. Cloud liderando la representación. Mientras tanto, la temporada de béisbol terminó para Harmony tras una reñida serie regional.
Em Portuguese
O Condado de Osceola estará bem representado neste fim de semana no Campeonato Estadual de Atletismo da FHSAA, após ótimos resultados nos regionais realizados em George Jenkins. Atletas de Gateway, Osceola e St. Cloud garantiram vaga, com destaques para campeões como Kyla Perez nos 800 metros, Korbyn Jones no salto triplo e Melina Figueroa em sua categoria.
Outros atletas também se classificaram com segundos lugares em diversas provas, enquanto Nicole Oliveira quebrou um recorde escolar de 18 anos no salto em distância. Na disputa por equipes, o Gateway masculino terminou em segundo lugar.
Nos playoffs, o time feminino de flag football de Harmony avançou às semifinais regionais e busca seguir adiante nesta semana. O Gateway também continua na disputa na 2A. No softball, três equipes do condado seguem vivas, com o St. Cloud jogando em casa em confronto importante.
Além disso, vários atletas representarão o condado no Campeonato Estadual de levantamento de peso em Lakeland, com o St. Cloud liderando o grupo. Já no beisebol, a temporada do Harmony terminou após uma série regional disputada.
