With baseball and softball reigning supreme around the area, track and field is another sport that produces several standouts throughout Hernando County annually.
While softball and baseball are performing, the Eagles’ boys and girls track & field teams have done an exceptional job this spring as well. Springstead made the long trip up to northern Florida and made their way up to Tallahassee last weekend to represent the school at the FSU Relays.
“The girls did well, but we are younger than young,” Springstead coach Joel Myers said. “We have four freshmen in the 4×400. Our freshman in the discus placed fourth. I thought the kids did very well. Work hard and compete. That’s what I’m telling them. We have a chance to send some of these kids to states. These kids have worked real hard.”
Amongst the following had standout performances for Springstead on the day, including Lily Schultze (set personal record in 1600 meter run), Jacy Scharlow (placed 3rd in high jump) and Kyle Manuel, who finished fifth in the discus event and won first place in the shot put.
“Jacy Scharlow has a chance a great chance (of reaching states). She was a state runner-up last year,” Myers said. (Tallia Russell) in the discus has a good chance and she’s ranked third in the region. Kylie Kannar in the 800 and she’s ranked up there in the region. She’s gonna run up at the University of Florida meet coming up. (Charlize) Soares in the triple and she’s ranked fifth in the region. My 4×800 team has a chance but they’re all freshmen but I’m pleased with them.”
Myers spoke about how the trip was a fun experience for the track team, seeing that many of the underclassmen had never really experienced college-like meets. With several promising freshmen currently on the team, Myers believes the Eagles will be very good in the near future.
“It was a fun trip,” Myers added. “We got up there on Thursday but we stayed and watched some of the college races and the kids had a good time. It was just nice to get them on a college campus and exposed to these kind of things. Two or three years down the road we could be really good. I just have a really good group of hard working kids.”
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at andyvillamarzo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo.