Boys track: Gold medals elude area athletes

Sunday, April 27, 2008
by Steve Dorsey

No area athletes won a gold medal in the boys competition Saturday at the Class 2A state track and field championships, but Micanor Regis of Pahokee and Andrew Robinson of Lincoln Park Academy each earned a silver medal.

Regis placed second in the shot put competition with a toss of 52 feet, 10 inches, his best effort in that event this season.

Robinson clocked a season-fastest 14.38 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles to finish runner-up.

Glades Central, which has won eight state titles and was runner-up at last year's state championships, scored only 18 points and finished 13th in the team standings, a performance that did not please head coach Willie McDonald.

"I'm disappointed with their performance, but you can't be on top all the time," McDonald said. "They're upset because this was not the way they wanted it to go.

"I was pleased with Travis Benjamin, who did well even on a sore foot. My disappointment is with the other individual efforts."

Benjamin placed fourth in the long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 101/4 inches, topping his previous best jump this season. He also placed fourth in the 100-meter sprint, clocking 11.00 seconds, slightly slower than his best time this season.

Benjamin also ran a leg on Glades Central's 400-meter relay that finished fourth and the 1,600-meter relay that was eighth.

Brunarious McKever was the only other Glades Central athlete to score in an individual event. He placed seventh in the 110-meter hurdles.

Justin Osking of John Carroll earned a trip to the awards stand twice. He took sixth in the discus throw and was eighth in the shot put.

Tony McQuay of Suncoast placed seventh in the 200-meter sprint.

Tallahassee-Godby, which finished third last year, won the team title with 52.5 points.