Fort Myers boys win track and field title

Ida Baker's Luis Colon finishes third in the 300 meter hurdles with a 40.41 time at the 3A Region 3 meet Thursday.

Entering the Region 3A-3 track and field meet at Charlotte High on Thursday, Fort Myers senior Jeff St. Louis knew his season hadn’t been going as planned.

While he had all the physical tools to run with the best in the region in the 110-meter hurdles, he just wasn’t getting it done. Small mistakes. Tough races. Mentally checked out.

Then, five minutes before what could have potentially been his last race of the year on Thursday, his former coach, Richie Rode, who had taken a job at Cypress Lake in January, called him to say, "Run your race, you faster then them boys."

That encouragement did the trick for St. Louis, who finished second overall in 15.15 seconds to qualify for his first Class 3A championships next week at IMG Academy.

“I know it's late, but I finally woke up,” said St. Louis, who ran a personal record. “I was depressed and stuff because I didn't have my coach, but he called me before my race and talked to me. He told me to run my race and that's what I did.”

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It was part of a much larger performance from the Green Wave, which won the meet with 78 points. Fort Myers saw Amos Corgelas win the discus (150-6) and Josh Kennedy claim the 3,200 run (9:52.38). The team began the day with a win in the 3,200 relay and saw a handful of other performers earn key results, too, like Evan Babatz’s second-place bid in the 1,600 and third-place effort in the 800.

 Fort Myers runner Krissy Gear smiles as she finishes first in the 1600 meter run at the 3A Region 3 meet Thursday.

Naples was second with 54.50 points, while Tampa Hillsborough was third with 50 and Ida Baker was fourth with 42.

“We have the high end kids,” Fort Myers boys coach Yancey Palmer said. “The distance guys performed perfectly. The field guys performed well. It was a great day for us as a team.”

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On the girls’ side, Fort Myers junior Krissy Gear once again performed to near perfection, logging wins in the 800, 1,600, 3,200 and a fourth-place performance in the pole vault. She scored 35 of the Green Wave’s 50 points all by herself.

But to Gear, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It's hard,” she said. “The first time I did all four was districts and it was a little rough. Training hasn't been going the best. I haven't been getting too much sleep. The mental part got to me. But this week, I'm proud of how I did. My times, you couldn't ask for much better.”

East Lake claimed the girls' title with 60 points, while Naples was close behind with 57.50 and Fort Myers was third.

The Green Wave’s 3,200-meter relay team set the bar from the beginning, winning in 9:52.68.

A handful of Lee County winners stood out from the pack on Thursday, including South Fort Myers’ 400-meter relay team of E’Quan Dorris, William Scott, Althiery Leontes and Antonio Wimbush.

The returning state champion Wolfpack were without anchor leg Willie Johnson, but it didn’t make much of a difference. They ran two nearly flawless relays, earning a 41.34 second win in the finals.

“We had a lot of losses,” Wimbush said. “We had a lot of good people. But we just stay humble and grind.”

Yet, they might not have even been the most impressive athletes at South Fort Myers. For the second straight meet, senior Thomas Barselou hit a mark of 15 feet in the pole vault to win.

South Fort Myers runner Mirlege Castor and teammates finish in second place in the 4X100 meter relay at the 3A Region 3 meet Thursday.

Lehigh’s Josh Norville qualified for his first Class 3A championship in the triple jump, winning the event in 45 feet, 7 inches, though it did not settle with the senior. He had hoped to set a personal record heading into the state meet.

“I'm more about hitting those marks and getting the number that I want,” he said. “If I don't and I still win, that's still a good feeling.”

Fort Myers senior Amos Corgelas, who was disqualified for wearing the wrong uniform last year, won the discus with a heave of 150-6.

“It was an accomplishment,” he said. I had to make up for what I did last season.”

Island Coast’s Alexandria Rankin was second in the 400.

Team Standings

1. Fort Myers 78; 2. Naples 54.50; 3. Hillsborough 50; 4. Ida Baker 42; 5. Barron Collier; 6. South Fort Myers; 7. Charlotte; 8. East Lake; 9. Howard Blake; 10. Clearwater; 11. Freedom; 12. Tampa Bay Tech; 13. Venice; 13. Palmetto; 13. Lehigh; 13. Tampa Jesuit; 17. Golden Gate; 18. Estero; 18. Armwood; 20. Gaither; 21. Robinson; 21. Riverdale; 23. Braden River; 24. Boca Ciega; 24. North Fort Myers; 24. Largo; 24. Dunedin; 24. Chamberlain; 29. King; 29. Cypress Lake; 31. Brandon; 31. Gulf Coast; 33. East Lee County; 33. Port Charlotte; 33. Leto. 

Boys Results

3,200 Relay: 1. Fort Myers (Josias Jean, Nick Carpenter, Josh Kennedy, Evan Babatz), 8:01.34; 2. Charlotte; 3. Hillsborough; 4. Barron Collier; 110 Hurdles: 1. Charlie Thomas (How) 15.11; 2. St. Louis (FM); 3. Price (Cha); 4. Wilson (GG); 100: 1. Kadrin Williams (Tamp) 10.61; 2. Fort (Arm); 3. Smith (Palm); 4. Rodgers (How); 400 Relay: 1. South Fort Myers (E’Quan Dorris, Antonio Wimbush, Althiery Leontes, William Scott) 41.34; 2. Tampa Bay Tech; 3. Charlotte; 4. Armwood; 1,600: 1. Sean Heera (Cle) 4:26.91; 2. Babatz (FM); 3. Dillon (Cha); 4. Beck (Est); 400: 1. Brandon Cachon (BC) 47.49; 2. Bell (Hills); 3. Rodgers (How); 4. Fearrington (EL); 300 Hurdles: 1. Carlin Fils-aime (Nap) 38.01; 2. Leontes (SFM); 3. Colon (IB); 4. Thomas (How); 800: 1. Sean Heera (Cle) 1:56.15; 2. Wajd (Hills); 3. Babatz (FM); 4. Hasell (EL); 200: 1. Cachon (BC) 21.54; 2. Smith (Palm); 3. Smith (Free); 4. Stewart (Leh); 3,200: 1. Josh Kennedy (FM) 9:52.38; 2. Dillon (Cha); 3. Hordinski (FM); 4. Beck (Est); 1,600 Relay: 1. Barron Collier (Adrian Moxey, Cachey, Brock Nichols, Noah Lopez); 2. Howard Blake; 3. Hillsborough; 4. Ida Baker; Shot put: 1. Colton Strickland (Nap), 52-6; 2. Viola (Riv); 3. Aydogmus (IB); 4. Tremblay (Nap); Discus: 1. Amos Corgelas (FM) 150-6; 2. Bouche (GG); 3. Preston (Rob); 4. Maines (Nap); High jump: 1. Kyle Marois (Ven) 6-6; 2. Jenkins (FM); 3. Puentes (Nap); 3. Hardy (Free); Long jump: 1. Xavier Hardy (Free) 22-2.25; 2. Byrd (Nap); 3. Minott-Neufville (Cle); 4. Pierce (Hills); Triple jump: 1. Josh Norville (Leh), 45-7; 2. Bowers (EL); 3. Rodriguez (Hills); 4. Miller (EL); Pole vault: 1. Thomas Barselou (SFM) 15-0; 2. Diggs (IB); 3. Palasti (Gai); 4. Eladel (SFM); Adaptive shot put: 1. Brian Smith (EL), 7-8.

Team Standings

1. East Lake 60; 2. Naples 57.50; 3. Fort Myers 50; 4. Hillsborough 46; 5. Gaither; 6. Island Coast; 7. Golden Gate 37; 8. Armwood; 9. Charlotte; 10. Venice; 11. Braden River; 12. Boca Ciega; 13. Dunedin; 14. South Fort Myers; 15. Palmetto; 16. Riverdale; 17. King; 17. Palmetto Ridge; 19. Estero; 20. North Fort Myers; 20. Barron Collier; 22. Freedom; 23. Port Charlotte; 24. Osceola; 24. Tampa Bay Tech; 24. Cape Coral; 27. Chamberlain; 28. Lehigh; 28. Robinson; 30. Ida Baker; 31. Clearwater; 31. Gulf Coast. 

Girls Results

3,200 Relay: 1. Fort Myers (Grace Paul, Fiona Kurland, Sidney Oakes-Lottridge, Kailyn Kaminski), 9:52.68; 2. Island Coast; 3. Barron Collier; 4. Naples; 100 Hurdles: 1. Olivia Welsh (Dun) 14.52; 2. Williams (King); 3. Sandusky (Gai); 4. Davidson (Hills); 100: 1. Darlene Charles (GG) 12.16; 2. Wells (Arm); 3. Hargrove (Gai); 4. Nichols (EL); 400 Relay: 1. Charlotte (Kaitlyn Chavarria, Brittny Augustin, Jaliyah Underwood, Dana Donovan) 48.27; 2. South Fort Myers; 3. Tampa Bay Tech; 4. Armwood; 1,600: 1. Krissy Gear (FM) 5:04.66; 2. Lima (EL); 3. Easterly (NFM); 4. Giovanniello (Est); 400: 1. Bazile (Nap) 56.94; 2. Rankin (IC); 3. Nichols (EL); 4. Mora (CC); 300 Hurdles: 1. Daneesha Davidson (Hills) 43.71; 2. Sandusky (Gai); 3. Wajner (PR); 4. Augustin (Cha); 800: 1. Gear (FM) 2:16.94; 2. Lima (EL); 3. Giovanniello (Est); 4. Gagnon (BR); 200: 1. Bazile (Nap) 25.08; 2. Hahrgorve (Gai); 3. Nichols (EL); 4. Wells (Arm); 3,200: 1. Gear (FM) 11:12.91; 2. Lima (EL); 3. Parrish (Chamb); 4. Easterly (NFM); 1,600 Relay: 1. Island Coast (Alex Rankin, Montana Foster, Zharia Jackson, Shania Church) 4:02.10; 2. Braden River; 3. Venice; 4. East Lake; Shot put: 1. Chloe Jones (Hills), 43-11; 2. Lubin (Nap); 3. Chavarria (Cha); 4. Tilman (IC); Discus: 1. Sherry Lubin (Nap) 131-8; 2. Atkinson (Pal); 3. Tilman (IC); 4. Bibbey (Riv); High jump: 1. Tanner Gauthier (Ven) 5-2; 2. Kirby (EL); 3. Presson (Riv); 3. King (BR); Long jump: 1. Ani Wells (Arm) 18-11; 2. Charles (GG); 3. Williams (Arm); 4. Pericles (GG); Triple jump: 1. Daneesha Davidson (Hills) 39-1; 2. Charles (GG); 3. Bazile (Nap); 4. Andrews (BC); Pole vault: 1. Olivia Welsh (Dun) 12-2; 2. Jen (Cha); 3. Vientimilla (Nap); 4. Gear (FM).