Byrd leads state-bound Bulldogs
Ida Baker junior Joseph Byrd captured the sprint title, took second in the 200-meter dash and qualified for the state meet in both events during Wednesday’s Region 3A-4 Track & Field Meet at Merritt Island.
Byrd was part of the 4×100 relay team, which finished third. The team consisted of Byrd, Mike Rivera, Marvin Riedewald and Josh Schwartz.
The Bulldogs also advanced with a third-place finish in the 4×800 relay courtesy of Jessie Betts, Mark Fowler, Jeff Miller and Zach Nall.
It’s the third consecutive year the Bulldogs qualified for state in the 4×800. They won the state championship in 2007.
The Bulldogs placed fifth in the boys’ team standings with 34 points.
After winning LCAC and district titles in the 100, Byrd ran a 10.84 Wednesday to edge Oakland Park Northeast’s Sean Lange, who came in at 10.87.
Byrd carried the top preliminary time into the 200 finals, but Lange prevailed in another tight race.
On the girls’ side, the Bulldogs took 24th overall in the team standings. They did not qualify an athlete for the state meet.
Taryn Maymon and Katelyn Glaser finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the discus. Taylor Van Horn took eighth in the high jump and Payton Van Horn placed sixth in the 100 hurdles.
Region 3A-4 Meet at Merritt Island
(Top 4 advance to state meet)
Girls events: High jump – 1. Tyrell (Fort Lauderdale) 5-2. Pole Vault – 1. Johnson (South Fork) 10-6. Long jump – 1. Reynolds (Miami Jackson) 19-3. Triple jump – 1. Williams (Olympic Heights) 37-10. Discus – 1. Cherry-Bronson (Naples) 116-7. Shot put – 1. Ramsey (Boynton Beach) 44-5. 4×800 relay – 1. Satellite 9:35.08. 100 hurdles – 1. Marmarosa (St. Thomas Aquinas) 15.62. 100 – 1. Reynolds (Miami Jackson) 12.26. 1600 – 1. Shiver (Satellite) 5:04.82. 4×100 relay – 1. Satellite 48.13. 400 – 1. Reynolds (Miami Jackson) 57.04. 300 – 1. Normil (Miami Jackson) 46.85. 800 – 1. Cange (Dwyer) 2:21.19. 200 – 1. Reynolds (Miami Jackson) 24.69. 3200 – 1. Shiver (Satellite) 11:16.30. 4×400 relay – 1. Miami Jackson 3:55.74.
Boys events: High jump – 1. Trail (Washington) 6-4. Pole Vault – 1. Vani (Merritt Island) 14-7. Long jump – 1. Riggs (St. Thomas Aquinas) 23-6 1/2. Triple jump – 1. Cadet (Dwyer) 45-11 1/2. Discus – 1. Jobb (St. Thomas Aquinas) 158-10. Shot put – 1. Wells (Lehigh) 50-0. 4×800 – 1. Oakland Park Northeast 8:02.47, 3. Ida Baker (Jessie Betts, Mark Fowler, Jeff Miller, Zach Nall) 8:07.17. 100 hurdles – 1. Cadet (Dwyer) 14.54. 100 – 1. Joseph Byrd (Baker) 10.84. 1600 – 1. Artz (Satellite) 4:27.83. 4×100 relay – 1. Dwyer 42.26, 3. Ida Baker (Mike Rivera, Marvin Riedewald, Josh Schwartz, Byrd) 42.69. 400 – 1. Orelus (Northeast) 48.77. 300 hurdles – 1. Riggs (St. Thomas Aquinas) 37.10. 800 – 1. Chung (St. Thomas Aquinas) 1:56.62. 200 – 1. Lange (Northeast) 22.06, 2. Byrd (Baker) 22.18. 3200 – 1. Craig (Cypress Lake) 9:50.03. 4×400 relay – 1. Miami Jackson 3:55.74.