No county girls track and field team has had as much success over the past few years as Nature Coast Technical.
Yet for all the recent county and district championships, as well as state qualifiers, the Lady Sharks have yet to have an individual collect a state crown.
On Friday at the Class 2A FHSAA Finals at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville, junior Ashley Gentz came closer than anyone in school history, placing second in the 400-meter race.
Gentz, who as a sophomore finished eighth in the 200 to earn a state medal, added to her hardware by running a 58.57. Amazingly, she placed second to a seventh-grader, Danielle Bess of Plantation-American Heritage, who crossed the finish line in 57.36.
Gentz also earned a medal as part of the 4×400 relay, joining Eboni Johnson, Kaitlyn Pierce and Nilsa-Marie Rodriguez to post a fifth-place 4:00.16. Additionally, Gentz ran a 12.64 to take 16th in the 100.
Rodriguez was 11th in the 200 (25.83), Pierce 15th in the triple jump (32-9 1/2), and Jessica Osborne, Rodriguez, Johnson and Pierce teamed for an 11th-place 49.87 in the 4×100 to round out the Lady Shark contingent.
The lone Nature Coast boy, freshman Trevor Foley, came in 13th in the 1,600 in 4:43.48, unable to shake off the effects of a thigh injury that prevented him from practicing all week.
“That was a huge factor. He didn’t have his ‘oomph’ today,” Nature Coast boys track coach Eric Milholland said. “I thought he had a great first season, for him to run as well as he did. He ran some great times.”
Hernando High senior Jasha Patrick had a big day of her own at states, garnering medals in two races. She came in fourth in the 300 hurdles (45.22) and seventh in the 100 hurdles (15.34).
Patrick, a three-time state qualifier, medaled in the 300 hurdles last year, placing sixth (46.52).
“She did great,” Hernando girls coach Sara Tooman said. “She came in wanting to PR (run a personal record) and at least bring some medals back, and she did what she came here to do. I’m proud of her.
“She’s just been working hard. She’s had a bunch of different coaches helping out, so she had a variety of opinions and it all came together.”
Another Lady Leopard senior, Lauren Plaugher, also making her third straight state appearance, registered a 102-2 toss in the discus to take 10th.
“Lauren didn’t do as well as we would have liked,” Tooman said. “I’m still proud of her. She had a great season.”
Weeki Wachee’s Jacob Tinch was 13th in the boys discus (132-8). That’s an improvement from last year, when as a sophomore he took 16th (97-6).
On Saturday, Springstead’s girls were represented in the Class 3A state meet by senior Erin Blackwell (12th in the 800, 2:23.22), freshman Jacy Scharlow (no height recorded in high jump) and the 4×800 of Joy Jackson, Alyssa Menendez, Isabel Somavilla and Toni Pandolfo (16th, 10:57.07).
Blackwell was competing in the 800 at states for the fourth time, having medaled as a junior placing sixth.