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Bob Hayes Track

Briley wins triple/Bear second in mile

Randy Lefko
Posted 3/22/17

JACKSONVILLE - Oakleaf High triple jumper Melvin Briley built around each of his three jumps with a couple more inches added to each one before unloading his best jump on the final jump of the day to …

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Bob Hayes Track

Briley wins triple/Bear second in mile


Posted

JACKSONVILLE - Oakleaf High triple jumper Melvin Briley built around each of his three jumps with a couple more inches added to each one before unloading his best jump on the final jump of the day to win convincingly at the 53rd annual Bob Hayes Track Invitational held at Raines High School on Saturday.

"I didn't do as well in the long jump earlier in the day so I had to settle down and get my mind right for the triple jump which is my favorite event," said Briley, who is ranked in the top five nationally for the triple jump. "It's a new runway they have here at Raines so I got to see it first in the long jump."

Oakleaf jumps coach John Carter said Briley has better stuff in him for the upcoming championship end of the track season.

"When we get to use brand new facilities like this, we can see exactly what he is capable of," said Carter. "At home, the runways are concrete and old and he can't jump with the same spring as a runway like this. We're shooting for a 50-51 foot jump for the state meet."

Orange Park High sophomore track runner John Bear got tangled up a bit in the first lap of the Bob Hayes Track Invitational mile run on Saturday, but recovered enough to sneak his way to the front.

"I knew the first lap would go out fast and guys would be bumping around trying to get position," said Bear. "I moved up about 500 meters into the race and was up front. I was planning to go hard and chase my personal best of four minutes, 38 seconds."

Bear wound up in front for the second and third laps, but on the fourth lap, with about 100 meters remaining, Sebastian Kenne, of Stanton Prep, battled to get to Bear's shoulder with about 50 meters left in the grueling race.

"I didn't feel the wind on the back of the track too much," said Bear, who doubled up and ran in the 3200 later in the day. "I thought I had enough distance between me and the second guy (Kenne), but I guess it wasn't enough."

In the 3200 meters, Bear, who competed primarily in the 800 as a freshman, would fall back in the middle stages of the race, a two-miler, and finish in ninth in 10:37.78. Fleming Island's Evan Fuller took fourth in 10:08.34 with Dylan Nelson of Oakleaf 18th in 11:06.22.

"I like the mile a little bit more after doing a couple of them," said Bear, who won the Clay County Championships mile in 4:38.36 just four days prior to the Bob Hayes event. "I think I'm better at the 800. I ran a 1:59 at Creekside and got second."

Also at the Bob Hayes Track Invite, Orange Park senior Katie Berlin was presented with a James Day Scholarship award fo $1,000 for her athleticism and her academic achievements.

Berlin competed in the track meet in the 100 hurdles finishing 25th in prelims in 17.88.

Berlin was cited for her varsity letters in track, volleyball, basketball and flag football for her four years at Orange Park High School.

Top area finishers included, in the 4 x 800 boys relay, Fleming Island High's squad; Andrew Miller, Felipe Fernandez, Spencer Shaw and Cameron Dill, took fourth in 8:19.81 with Tallahassee Lincoln winning in 8:03.21. The Fleming Island boys 4 x 400 relay team; Shaw, Fernandez, Dill and Paris Williams, placed 10th in 3:26.65 with Miami Northwestern winning in 3:12.54.

In the boys shot put, Orange Park's Shawn Bizzell threw 41'-11.25" to take 10th behind the winning put of 50'-2".

Others competing were Brittany Adams, Fleming Island, 52nd in 100 meters in 13.70; Anfernee McCaskill, Fleming Island, 11th in 100 meters in 11.11; in the 400, Shaw, Fleming Island, 15th in 51.55; Tony Stallworth, Oakleaf, 24th in 52.25; Corey McDaniels, St. Johns Country Day School, 58th in 54.30; Jett Isley, SJCDS, 67th in 55.33.

In the 300 hurdles, Fleming Island's Luc Larson took 18th in 41.16.

In the girls 200, Ashley Nelson, Fleming Island, finished 38th in 26.34 with Oakleaf's India Watts 53rd in 27.58.

In the boys 200, won by Miami Norland sophomore record holder Tyrese Cooper in 20.55, Isley finished 58th in 24.08 and McDaniels finished 62nd in 24.38.

In the 800, won in 1:56.89 by Fred Gonsalvies of Miami Northwestern, Cameron Dill of Fleming Island finished 21st in 2:06.74, Jacob Harris of Fleming Island finished 32nd in 2:09.94 and Tony Stallworth of Oakleaf finished 54th in 2:17.83.