- April 24, 2024
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If the University of Florida commit had his way as a sophomore, Flagler Palm Coast senior Justin Pacifico probably wouldn’t have ended his high school track career as the 800-meter 4A state champion.
“I hated the 800 when I first did it; I wanted to be a 400 runner,” Pacifico said. “I ran cross country the following fall and fell in love with the 800 the year after.”
Pacifico ran a 2:08 and took sixth in his very first 800-meter run two years ago. In the last two seasons, he finished either first or second in the majority of those runs, and now he’s grasped the title that eluded him last year.
In last year’s championship run, the second-place runner passed Pacifico with less than 10 seconds remaining in the race to steal the gold. He
refused to let that happen again.
“That was always in the back of my head,” he said. “I just kept telling myself get to the line.”
“It feels great putting my name in the history books with people like Justin Harbor and Sam Vazquez,” Pacifico added. “Our track team is known for our middle distance program, so I'm honored to be placed with those names.”
"I feel relieved that he won despite some setbacks," coach David Halliday said. "It was when he decided to leave his childhood sport, football, and try his hand at cross country that we really were able to see a glimpse of his skill set as a distance runner, and now he's the top ranked 800-meter runner in the state."
Pacifico says that he never thought he would be a state champion of any sorts, but the thing he’s learned most about himself over the last three years is that he can get through anything in life because “I'm stronger than I think I am.”
Pacifico’s final high school run will take place at the Flo Golden South Classic on Saturday, May 28, in Clermont. If he wins, he will advance to the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle, Washington.
