Joseph Byrd, Ida Baker Bulldogs Junior Track

Before a sprint race, Ida Baker junior Joseph Byrd often is surrounded by many other fast guys. They enter with seed times equal to Byrd or not too far behind.

Then comes the gun to start the race, and Byrd has shown a knack this season for coming out on top. Speed is key, but work ethic and focus are contributing factors.

“He just goes out and performs,” Baker coach Dan Butler said. “There are a lot of other guys who talk smack, but (Byrd) just performs. That’s the big thing I like to tell him, ‘just show them what you got.'”

For his success, the Breezenewspapers Male Athlete of the Week has his first trip to the state meet coming Friday when he runs in the Class 3A finals at Winter Park.

Byrd leads a host of Bulldogs as he participates in three events – the 100, 200 and 4×100 relay.

In the 100, Byrd has compiled an impressive list of wins, which includes LCAC, district and regionals. He was timed in 10.84 seconds at regionals last week and ran a wind-aided 10.40 at the LCAC meet. He holds the fourth fastest seed time heading to the state meet.

Byrd finished second in the 200 at regionals and was part of the 4×100 team that placed third.

“Our coaches push us hard,” he said. “We don’t just sit around at practice. We all work hard to improve our times.”

Byrd is in his second year on the track team, but that one year has meant a lot in terms of maturity and understanding what it takes to compete at a high level.

His postseason run in the 100 never got started last year after false starts in the district meet. He placed fifth in the 200 at districts, just missing out on qualifying for regionals.

After Friday’s state meet, Byrd will begin spring football practice next week. He was the Bulldogs’ top running back as a sophomore, but a broken ankle sidelined him for much of his junior year.

Honorable mentions:

Angel Laborde, senior, Mariner baseball: Laborde scored three runs in the Tritons’ 10-0 win over Gulf Coast in the District 5A-15 championship game and led the defensive effort at shortstop in all three tournament wins.

Dan Vogelbach, sophomore, Bishop Verot baseball: Vogelbach hit a two-run homer in the Vikings’ District 3A-12 championship win over Cardinal Mooney and supplied two RBI in a win over Dunbar.