Santiago, Tryon win bronze medals at 2A state meet
Gulf Breeze boys go 6-for-6 in medals, led by Thomas' three
BY JASON THOMPSON Gulf Breeze News jason@gulfbreezenews.com

Jason Thompson/Gulf Breeze News Bringing home bronze Briana Santiago (left) and Emily Tryon finished third place in the triple jump and 3200 meter run, respectively at Saturday's 2A state meet in Winter Park.

Gulf Breeze track and field athletes medaled in 10 of the 11 events they took part in at the 2A state meet Saturday in Winter Park.

The boys were a perfect 6-for- 6, led by Will Thomas' three medals, including a fifth place finish in the 800 meter run. Briana Santiago and Emily Tryon had the team's best finishes, taking third in the triple jump and 3,200 meter run, respectively.

The girls team finished 10th out of 59 teams that scored at state (18.25 points), while the boys were 19th out of 53 teams with 10.5 points.

The following is a recap event by event of how GBHS athletes fared Saturday:

Event 1 Girls High Jump - Celia Eddy entered as the 15th seed out of 16 with her leap of five feet at regionals. Competing in the first of two flights, Eddy equaled her regional jump and finished in a four-way tie for eighth.

Event 2 Boys High Jump - Dustin Clements entered as the third seed, as he and several others jumped 6-4 at regionals. Clements equaled that feat on his third and final attempt at that height and almost cleared 6-6, but his ankles clipped the bar on his way over. He finished tied for seventh.

Jason Thompson/Gulf Breeze News No doubting this Thomas Will Thomas earned three medals at the 2A state meet Saturday in Winter Park, including fifth place in the 800 meter run.

Event 4 Boys Pole Vault - Zach Permenter's jump of 13 feet was fourth best statewide, but only cleared 12-6 at state. On his first two attempts, Permenter cleared the height, but the bar wobbled and fell as he landed. He finished eighth.

Event 7 Girls Triple Jump - Briana Santiago, despite a sore ankle and a broken hand, took third with a jump of 37 feet, 1.25 inches. The jump was her third in prelims, which can carry over if it was one's best jump.

The jump was almost a foot and a half farther that her regional mark of 35-9.75.

Event 11 Girls Shot Put - Tobie Bass' throw of 35 feet, 8 inches was ninth-best state wide at regional, but her best throw at state was 32 feet, 7.5 inches.

Event 13 Girls 4x800 Meter Relay - The quartet of Jen Pfeifler, Katie Aldridge, Lauren Musick and Tryon ran in the first of two heats Saturday. Their 9:57.85 time at regionals was ninth best state-wide, but they finished sixth at state, shattering their school record by nearly 10 seconds (9:47.12).

Event 14 Boys 4x800 Meter Relay - Like the girls, the boys quartet of Tommy Gibble, Sam Grooms, Kurt Mason and Thomas were ninth-best statewide in regionals, relegated to the first heat. And, like the girls, they won their heat and improved on their school record time, now 8:10.6. They finished seventh.

Event 20 Boys 1,600 Meter Run - Thomas, the sixth seed, was in second after turn two and third out of turn three on the opening lap. He was as far back as ninth at the halfway mark, but Thomas improved to eighth after three laps, finishing in seventh with a time of 4:31.35.

Event 27 Girls 800 Meter Run - Only three days removed from her state doubles title in tennis (see related story), Pfeifler was in the first of two heats of the 800. Her 2:22.81 at regionals was ninth-best statewide. She was third in her heat after the 'cut-in,' but improved to second by the end of the first lap. She finished there for her heat and finished sixth overall, setting a personal record of 2:22.81.

Her time is now only two seconds off the school record, held by Gwendolyn Oxenham.

Event 28 Boys 800 Meter Run - In his third event of the day, Thomas was in the first of two heats. Thomas, who ran a 1:59.34 at regionals, led his heat until getting nipped at the line by Robinson High's Darrin Gibson.

Thomas finished fifth with his 1:58.12. Godby's Joseph Franklin won the event - his second of the day.

Event 31 Girls 3,200 Meter Run - Tryon, the second seed, led through the first four laps before Astronaut's Devin Spoerle took over and never looked back, winning by more than five seconds.

Tryon was about 100 meters from second before Immokalee's Joane Pierre ran her down, taking second with a 11:14.03. Tryon finished at 11:15.60. Catholic's Chloe Kowalski was seventh.