Christiana Coleman won both the 1,600- (4 minutes, 53.58 seconds) and 3,200-meter runs (10:50.88) to help the Panthers (76 points) knock off Miami Northwestern by 2.5 points.
Soon after Dillard’s two-point loss at last year’s state track meet, Panthers coach Davidson Gill went to work on a plan that could halt the 14-year stranglehold that Miami Northwestern has had in the Class 3A state girls track and field meet.
Among the plans was to have senior Christiana Coleman compete in just the longer-distance races and drop her from the 800-meter dash. She responded by winning both the 1,600- (4 minutes, 53.58 seconds) and 3,200-meter runs (10:50.88) to help the Panthers (76 points) knock off Miami Northwestern by 2.5 points. The last time that Dillard’s girls won the state title was in 1978.
“When we lost by two points last year, we felt we had a young team and we would be better and had a good chance this year,” Gill said by phone. “When they brought the Chaminade-Madonna kids over, I knew the obstacles would be greater, but we just had to get to work. We had a plan to knock them off and the kids worked hard all year.”
Miami Northwestern picked up transfers Tyra Cox and twins Kahalia and Kashia Hoo from Chaminade-Madonna for this season. Cox was a triple winner, capturing the 100, 200, and 400-meter dashes. Dillard finished second in the 4×400 event, the last event of the evening, to edge the Bulls.
Coleman, a UF signee, said she needed a trip to the chiropractor the day before the meet when her hip flared up. She was also surprised by her 3,200 win.
“I felt we were more connected than usual and more prepared for the meet, and everyone did what they had to do,” said Coleman, who also won a state championship with the Panthers in cross country in the fall, via phone. “We expected to win because of how hard we practiced the whole year. It was kind of crazy beating Miami Northwestern because they had won so many championships in a row.
“Coach Gill talked to us before the 3,200 and said we need to get 14 points,” she continued, “and I asked him, how did he want those 14 points?” He said the easiest way was for me to win the race and for Miley to get the other points. I was really scared because I never ran the 2-mile like these girls did.”
The Panthers got that cushion in the 3,200-meter run as Coleman won the race, while seventh grader Miley Gill was fifth (11:09.12). Coleman picked up 10 points and Gill had four.
Dillard also won the 4×800 relay and was fourth in the 4×100.
Dillard junior Alexia Reid also turned in a solid performance in both hurdle events, finishing second in the 100 and 400 hurdle events.
“Winning the state championship is the best feeling I ever felt,” said Reid, who finished fourth at state last year. “I felt really confident going into the meet. I had a small hamstring injury, and it was nerve-racking going into the hurdles. I was really proud of myself in my hurdles performance.”
Other locals to perform well at state included Atlantic’s Thalia Waters, who captured the long jump, and 100 hurdles and was fifth in the 100 dash. Somerset Academy junior Lauren Kirby was also a double winner in the shot and discus. Somerset Academy senior Anya Carey won the triple jump.
Northeast junior Patchnalie Compare was second in the 200 and third in the 100. American Heritage senior Sienna Alvarez-Cola was third in the 1,600 and fourth in the 3,200-meter runs. Boyd Anderson sophomore Desire Frazier was second in the 400, while Dillard seventh grader Shynah Collins was third.
St. Thomas Aquinas junior Arianna Allen won the girls’ 400 hurdles (1:01.43) in helping the Raiders place fifth in the girls’ Class 4A state track and field competition with 40 points.
Allen just edged out teammate and fellow junior Kelsee Jackson, who finished in second (1:01.63) in the race. Allen also placed fifth in the 100 hurdles.
“I was just focusing on getting out really hard,” Allen said by phone. Allen, who finished fourth at state in the 400 last year, said she focused on her form and endurance this year. She also overcame back pain to win gold. “I was honestly grateful that I won, and it shows that I can accomplish anything. Track is really a hard sport and winning a gold medal is a sense of accomplishment.”
Other top local finishers included St. Thomas Aquinas senior Lauren Thomas, who finished third in the discus (139 feet, 7 inches), Taravella senior Ajah Arscott, who was fourth in the 100 (12.00) and seventh in the 400, along with Boca Raton freshman Taylor Nicole Overton, who captured second in the 400 (53.92), sixth in the 200 and 14th in the 100.
St. Thomas Aquinas and Flanagan were second and third in the 4×400 relay.
