Sports
Pinellas Park Patriots Track Athletes Head To State Finals
After the Patriots girls track team won the district crown, they showed up at regionals with a 40-point seventh place finish, moving them forward to state finals. The boys best two athletes head to states as well.
There were surprises and disappointments.
Freshman Deterrica Simpkins grabbed second place in 200 meter in 25.46 seconds. She also helped the girls 4x100 meter relay team take third place. The team of: Nikori Bailey, Abby Vivlamore, Jenna Sperna and Simpkins are going to states.
Senior Christina Quay tore up the track in hurdles at districts, but ran into some stiff competition and came up short in her bid to get to states. She did make the finals in 100 meter hurdles. She came in seventh place.
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Junior Jenna Sperna threw a second place shot 35 feet, 9 inches. She did not qualify in disc, but came in eighth. Sperna started off the 4x100 meter relay team.
Junior Abby Vivlamore grabbed the last state qualifier spot in pole vault with a 9 foot 6 inch jump. Vivlamore also ran in the 4x100 meter team.
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On the boys side, senior Edward Galan took first place in pole vault clearing a 15 foot bar to advance to states.
Teammate Jeremi Powell was entered in four events. He is moving on to states in two of them. He grabbed the third spot in high jump at 6 feet 2 inches and the fourth and last spot in triple jump at 44 feet 6 inches.
The 4A State Finals are in Winter Park on Saturday May 7.
