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« Tuesday, June 5, 2012 « 5C
ALL-AREA GIRLS TRACK TEAM
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR BRANDI LUCAS
All-Area First Team
Honorable Mention
Singular focus
STEPHANIE BALL Lincoln Park senior distance
■■Giving up gymnastics pays off for Sebastian junior Chantelle Brodie
Hannah Cogsill
By Jon Santucci Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers
Quamesha Dixon
Keshuntay Graham
Brittany Jackson
LaSonja Edwards
Kelly Hensley
Roneisha Jordan
Tia-Rose Raymond
Abby Remsburg
Tiara Robinson
Hunter Sullivan
Jeyland Valentin
Tranisha Woolfork
Kayla Woulard
CHANTELLE BRODIE
Martin County senior distance Season bests: 2:29.67 in the 800 (District 14-3A), 5.31.13 in the 1600 (Region 4-3A) Postseason finishes: District 14-3A champion in the 1,600, District 14-3A runnerup in the 800, fifth in Region 4-3A in the 1,600, 14th in Region 4-3A in the 800
HANNAH COGSILL
Jensen Beach freshman jumper Season best: 5-2 in high jump (Jensen Beach Falcon Classic) Postseason finishes: Fourth in District 14-3A in the high jump, 8th in Region 4-3A in the high jump
QUAMESHA DIXON
Vero Beach junior sprinter Season bests: 12.82 in the 100 (Pepsi Florida Relays), 26.08 in the 200 (Astronaut Invitational) Postseason finishes: District 8-4A runner-up in the 100, 7th in District 8-4A in the 200, Region 4-2A qualifier in the 100 (injured during the finals of the 200 in district meet)
LASONJA EDWARDS
Fort Pierce Central sophomore sprinter Season bests: 26.52 in the 200 (District 8-4A), 5-0 in high jump (Bill Wilson Invitational) Postseason finishes: District 8-4A champion in the 200 and high jump, 7th in Region 2-4A in the high jump, 12th in Region 4-2A in the 200, member of Fort Pierce Central’s 4x100 relay team (10th in Class 4A) and 4x400 relay team (16th in Class 4A)
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — After failing to qualify for the 2011 state track meet, Sebastian River High School’s Brandi Lucas made a potentially lifechanging decision. She gave up gymnastics, a sport she’d participated in since she was 5 years old, to focus solely on track. “I was hurt and I did not want that anymore,” Lucas said. “I wanted to focus on one sport. I sat down and weighed out the pros and cons. It’s very hard to stay in gymnastics for a long time and I knew I could go further in track, so I wanted to focus there and see where it takes me. “No one knew I was thinking about it. When I was done, I went to my mom and said, ‘I’m done with gymnastics.’ She said, ‘I know.’ ” So far, the decision looks like a smart one for Lucas. The junior finished fourth at the Class 3A state meet in the pole vault and also was a regional qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles and high jump. Lucas — who won District 13-3A titles in the pole vault, 100 hurdles and high jump — is the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year. “I thought she had a great year,” Sebastian River coach Chris Jefferson said. “She had some injuries she had to fight through, but she did a fantastic job. It was her first year without gymnastics and just doing track. She really did something to build on for the future.” Lucas’ fourth-place finish at state is even more impressive since she never had picked up a pole or even attempted the event before this year. “As anybody would, I would like to take credit, but it was her family who encouraged her to start pole vaulting,” Jefferson said. “It was actually Bill Wilson, her grandfather. But with Brandi, everything is geared toward getting prepared for college. “She’s going to be a heptathlete and they’re going to add the pole vault in a year or two. With her gymnastics and weight lifting background, it just helped her be able to take off.” Lucas, who had reached
STEPHANIE BAXTER Morningside freshman hurdler LARNIQUE COLLINS Fort Pierce Central senior thrower JIMEKA FAIR Fort Pierce Central junior hurdler KILONI MACK-FRANKLIN Lincoln Park junior hurdler BETHANY HARDCASTLE South Fork freshman distance KESHAUNA INGRAM Sebastian River senior jumper/pole vaulter TREASURE INGRAM Fort Pierce Central sophomore thrower NOEL JADON Jensen Beach junior sprinter EBONY JOSEPH Fort Pierce Central junior sprinter KIANDRA KING Lincoln Park junior sprinter CAITLYN MILDNER Jensen Beach junior jumper KELLY SIME South Fork senior distance LAURIE SCOTT South Fork junior distance TAYLER SMITH Sebastian River freshman thrower
Coach of the Year
ALEX BOERNER/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS
Sebastian River High School’s Brandi Lucas is the 2012 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers All-Area Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
The Team
Athlete of the Year
The 2012 All-Area Girls Track Team was compiled by Jon Santucci.
Brandi Lucas
Sebastian River junior Pole vaulter/hurdler Season bests: 10 feet, 6 inches in the pole vault (Region 4-3A/Class 3A), 14.68 seconds in the 100 hurdles (District 13-3A), 5-4 in the high jump (South Fork Invitational) Postseason: Lucas was the District 13-3A champion in the pole vault, 100 hurdles and high jump, third in Region 4-3A in the pole vault, fifth in Region 4-3A in the high jump, 8th in Region 4-3A in the 100 hurdles, fourth in Class 4A in the pole vault. She matched her personal-best in the pole vault when he she cleared 10-feet, 6-inches at the state meet. Coach Chris Jefferson: “Between the hurdles and the pole vault, she has a lot of potential. A lot of colleges are interested in her because she is such a great athlete. Track and field is without a doubt where her future lies. Whether it’s hurdles or pole vaulting, if she continues to work, the sky is the limit.”
the regional meet in the 100 hurdles and high jump, said the pole vault proved to be an easy transition. “I was very surprised,” Lucas said. “I started the season mostly focusing on hurdles and high jump and halfway through I decided to try pole vault. The first day I got up there and I wasn’t scared or anything. The next day, I got better and I kept going back week-after-week. I
KESHUNTAY GRAHAM
St. Lucie West Centennial senior sprinter Season best: 12.44 in the 100 (Region 2-4A) Postseason finishes: Third in District 8-4A in the 100, Region 2-4A runner-up in the 100, 13th in Class 4A in the 100
KELLY HENSLEY
Lincoln Park senior, distance Season bests: 5:28.80 in the 1,600 (Holy Trinity Elite Classic), 11.36.09 in the 3,200 (Class 2A) Postseason finishes: District 13-2A champion in the 1,600 and 3,200, third in Region 4-2A in the 3,200, Region 4-2A qualifier in the 1,600 (chose not to run), sixth in Class 2A in the 3,200, member of Lincoln Park’s 4x800 relay team (fifth in Class 2A)
BRITTANY JACKSON
Sebastian River senior thrower Season bests: 131-9 in the discus (Region 4-3A), 37-5 in the shot put (Region 4-3A) Postseason finishes: District 13-3A champion in the discus and shot put, District 13-3A runner-up in the high jump, third in Region 4-3A in the discus and shot put, 14th in Region 4-3A in high jump, 10th in Class 3A in shot put
didn’t think I would excel so much. “I’m happy I made it to
states — I couldn’t have dreamed of anything more.”
TIARA ROBINSON
First Team RONEISHA JORDAN
Fort Pierce Central junior jumper Season bests: 27.84 in the 200 (District 8-4A), 16-11 in the long jump (district), 35-6 in triple jump (district) Postseason finishes: District 8-4A champion in the long jump, District 8-4A runner-up in the triple jump, fourth in District 8-4A in the 200, 6th in Region 4-2A in the triple jump, 8th in region in the long jump, 15th in region in the 200, member of Fort Pierce Central’s 4x100 relay team (10th in 4A)
Fort Pierce Central freshman sprinter Season bests: 12.55 in the 100 (Region 2-4A), 25.90 in the 200 (Lawnwood Classic), 58.35 in the 400 (Class 4A) Postseason finishes: District 8-4A champion in the 100, District 8-4A runner-up in the 200 and 400, fourth in Region 4-2A in the 400, fifth in Region 2-4A in the 100, 9th in Region 2-4A in the 200, 10th in Class 4A in the 400
HUNTER SULLIVAN
Lincoln Park senior mid-distance Season best: 2:23.54 (Holy Trinity) Postseason finishes: District 13-2A champion in the 800, qualified for the Region 4-2A meet in the 800 (did not finish), member of Lincoln Park’s 4x800 relay team (fifth in Class 2A)
John Carroll sophomore thrower Season bests: 104-8 in the discus (Class 1A), 38-5 in the shot put (District 13-1A) Postseason finishes: District 13-1A champion in the discus and shot put, Region 4-1A champion in the discus and shot put, fifth in Class 1A in the shot put, seventh in Class 1A in the discus
ABBY REMSBURG
JAYLAND VALENTIN
TIA-ROSE RAYMOND
Martin County junior pole vault Season best: 10-6 in the pole vault (Region 4-3A) Postseason finishes: District 14-3A champion in the pole vault, Region 4-3A runner-up in the pole vault, 10th in Class 3A in the pole vault
Vero Beach freshman hurdler Season bests: 15.85 in the 100 hurdles (Region 2-4A), 45.30 in the 300 hurdles (Region 2-4A), 16-9 in the long jump (Jensen Beach Falcon Classic) Postseason finishes: District 8-4A champion in the 100 and 300 hurdles,
Bonita Williams
School: Fort Pierce Central Years with team: 31 This season: Fort Pierce Central took first place in 10 events in the District 8-4A meet to give Williams her first district title. The Cobras, which had just three seniors on the roster, had eight athletes advance to the Class 4A state meet. Quotable: “We had a great year. I am so pleased with the girls’ performance. I couldn’t ask for any more, and for all but three of them to be coming back — it’s breathtaking to look ahead to next year. The girls are hungry for this now; they know what we can do.”
District 8-4A runner-up in the long jump, third in Region 2-4A in the 300 hurdles, fifth in Region 2-4A in the 100 hurdles, 6th in Region 2-4A in the long jump, 10th in Class 4A state meet in the 300 hurdles
TRANISHA WOOLFORK
Sebastian River junior sprinter Season bests: 12.83 in the 100 (District 13-3A), 26.64 in the 200 (District 13-3A), 16-10.5 in the long jump (District 13-3A) Postseason finishes: District 13-3A champion in the long jump, District 13-3A runner-up in the 100, third in District 13-3A in the 200, 11th in Region 4-3A in the 100, 12th in Region 4-3A in the 200, 15th in Region 4-3A in the long jump
KAYLA WOULARD
Vero Beach freshman sprinter Season best: 57.94 in the 400 (Region 2-4A) Postseason finishes: District 8-4A champion in the 400, Region 2-4A runner-up in the 400, 12th in Class 4A in the 400
All-Area Spring Sports Schedule SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Girls Tennis
Boys Tennis
Girls Track
Boys Track
Girls Lacrosse
Boys Lacrosse
Softball
Baseball