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SJCDS Sage, Kailes, Moody battle for 1A track slots

By Randy Lefko
Posted 5/2/18

TALLAHASSEE – St.Johns Country Day School distance runners Benjamin Kailes and Juliet Moody dug deep to push the paces of their respective races; the 1600 and 800, at the region 1-1A track …

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SJCDS Sage, Kailes, Moody battle for 1A track slots


Posted

TALLAHASSEE – St.Johns Country Day School distance runners Benjamin Kailes and Juliet Moody dug deep to push the paces of their respective races; the 1600 and 800, at the region 1-1A track championships to earn their tickets to the Class 1A track championships on May 3-4 at the University of North Florida.

Moody, just a seventh grader, in her first state level race for coach Jay Birmingham, ran a personal best and produced a strong kick to take fourth in the 800 in two minutes, 24.36 seconds in a top four field that was separated by just 1:20.

“Juliet ran six-second PR and out kicked some much faster girls in the Region 800,” said Birmingham. “If she gets into the fast section of the state 800 (12 runners), I believe she will medal (top 8).”

Moody’s finish got a 12th seed in the 800 with a 2:13.05 the top time and three runners under 2:20.

In the 1600, Kailes, who has dropped his times incrementally toward the state meet, ran an eight second best time at 4:31.03 and has benefited somewhat from the competition in St. Johns’ district with St. Joseph’s Sean Snyder. Kailes, with a 4:31.03 split for second to Snyder’s 4:30.80 in the region race, has 55 second 400 speed and Birmingham likes his chances for a state medal.

“Sean Snyder is a senior and state medalist last year,” said Birmingham, noting Snyder’s seventh place finish in Class 1A last year in 4:36.77. “I believe Benjamin can medal this year and may break the St. Johns record of 4:27.0 this season. He has twice cracked 55 sec in anchor leg of 4x400 relay.”

Snyder, seeded eighth, and Kailes, seeded 10th, finished 1-2 at the district race with times of 4:39.38 and 4:39.56, respectively.

In cross country, Snyder was state runnerup with Kailes 11th.

Also for the Spartans, Matthew Stratton was invited to compete in the 3200 after his sixth place finish in 10:17.27. Snyder won the region title at 3200 in 10:01.72.

In the hurdles, St. Johns sophomore Courtney Sage is gearing up for her return to the state meet with a healthy return to the track after suffering an injury the week prior to last year’s state meet that forced her to withdraw from the 100 hurdles and only run the 300 hurdles where she gutted out a third place finish ahead of district and region rival Elizabeth Crosby, now a senior from Providence.

At the region 100 hurdles race, Crosby finished first in a quick 15.54 with Bishop Snyder junior Ashley Moore second at 15.99 and Sage third at 16.57.

“Courtney could make it into the 100 m hurdles final,” said Birmingham. “She is even stronger in the 300 hurdles where she placed third last year at state. She will also anchor our 4x400 team. 4x400 prelims this year. She will easily handle six races in two days at State; she had to run five races in seven hours at the region meet.”

In the 300 hurdles, Crosby topped Sage by .08 seconds with a 45.71-45.79 split with Moore third.

In the 400, with district champion Corey McDaniels nursing a strained leg muscle, junior Jett Isley, 13th last year at the state meet in 53.37, pushed to a second place region finish in 51.96 to earn his return to the state meet. McDaniels won the district 4-1A title in 52.33 with Isley fourth in 53.29. Isley is seeded 14th behind a 50.44 top time.

“Corey strained the hamstring 10 days before the region meet,” said Birmingham. “He started the 400 prelim but had to pull up at 150 meters.”

St.Johns got a third place from the girls 4 x 400 relay in 4:20.16 with a 4:08.01 the winning time. The finish seeds St. Johns 15th.

Region finishers for St. Johns were, in the 110 hurdles, Joseph Hale (8th), the boys 4 x 400 (5th); the boys 4 x 800 (11th); in the 100, Kendall Sage (13th); in the 400, Ava Johnson (8th) and, in the high jump, Lauryn Mateo (12th).