State track meets feature area's best talent

The best races at this weekend's state meets including a local runner may not be Jordon Byas against himself after all.

Byas, the defending 400-meter Class 2A state champion, has struggled recently in his signature event. He won the 400 and 200 in the District 1-2A meet on April 9 and then finished second in both races at the Region 1-2A meet on April 16. Both times, his coach and father Aaron Byas said, Jordon didn't eat properly before competing.

Byas will vie for a second 400 crown and his first 200 title Saturday at the Class 2A state meet at Showalter Field at Winter Haven High School.

This time, however, Byas will need to overcome an obstacle greater than himself. Andrew Jackson's Torrin Lawrence holds the fastest seed times in the 400 (46.69 seconds) and 200 (21.47). Byas is second fastest in both, with times of 47.59 and 21.56.

Byas also will run with the Tornadoes 4-by-400 relay team. Fellow Tornado Justin Manchester will compete in the 300 hurdles with the second-fastest seed time of 37.46 behind Kenny McClain from Jacksonville Bolles. McClain's time is 37.21. Bay's 4x800 team also qualified for the state meet.

The only other Bay County athlete competing will be DeeDee Edgecombe, a talented freshman who qualified in the triple jump for Arnold but now lives and attends school in South Carolina.

Marianna's Bradley Battles will run in the 100 and Sharhae Williams in the girls 400.

The Class 1A state meet will be Friday, also at Winter Haven, and will include a strong contingent of athletes from Cottondale and Graceville, in addition to the many athletes from team contender Port St. Joe and Wewahitchka who have qualified.

Cottondale's Deona Jones will compete in the girls long jump, as will Graceville's Darnell Laster in the boys division. Tigers' eighth-grader Kasey Ward qualified in the shot put. In the girls 100, Graceville freshman Mychea Williams will compete against Cottondale's Kidada Paul. Cottondale's girls 4x100 and 4x400 teams also qualified.

Thursday's Region 1-3A meet at Tallahassee Chiles starts the weekend of track, however.

Rutherford and Mosley girls qualified in the 4x400 and 4x100, an Rutherford also in the 4x800.

Rams' standout Adrianna Hill will compete in the 100, 200, 4x400 and long jump. Mosley's Shoshana Page and Brittney Montgomery will each compete in the 200 and 4x400. Page will take on Hill in the long jump and Montgomery will vie for a state berth in the triple jump. Candice Hilton, also a member of the 4x400 team, will race in the 100 and 300 hurdles.

Rutherford's Demetrica Daniels qualified for the 400 and Meagan Thorpe in the 100 hurdles. Mosley's Jazmen Johnson will compete in the high jump and Octavia Langston in the triple jump.

Rutherford's Ryan Singleton and Thomas Heikkinen will battle in the 1,600. The Rams' 4x100 boys also qualified. Shawn Miles will compete in the triple and long jump, Kyle Cheke in the pole vault and Sean Watson in the discus. Mosley's Justin Broxton qualified in the long jump.