With talent across the board, Seabreeze sweeps RunMatanzas titles

Seabreeze may have a state track and field champ this year, but its superior depth with talent at every discipline is what allows the Sandcrabs to be a factor in team competition.

Seabreeze won both the boys and girls titles at the inaugural RunMatanzas Invitational on March 19 at Matanzas High School. Ten schools competed in the meet.

“We have 85 kids total, and they’re all pretty talented,” Seabreeze coach Jenna Meyers-Sinett said.

Seabreeze junior Ella Chandler won the 800 meters by more than nine seconds with a time of 2:24.16. Chandler finished third in the Class 3A state final last year with a time of 2:14.57. Her goal is to win state this year.

Jamie Bandell won both the girls discus (82 feet, 5 inches) and shot put (26 feet, 7 inches). The junior also finished third in javelin. Isabella Fontanelli finished second behind Bandell in both shot and discus and was fourth in javelin. All four Sandcrab girls discus throwers (Bandell, Fontanelli, Madison Kuenning and Charlotte Low) broke their personal records. 

Dante Jones won the boys shot put with a put of 39 feet and a half inch and finished second in discus.

Father Lopez’s girls were also solid in the throwing events with Adelae Fulton leading the way with second place in javelin (72 feet, 10 inches) and third in shot put and discus. 

“In my 17 years as coach at Father Lopez, this is the first year we have had such a strong core of young ladies as throwers,” said Green Wave coach Sue O’Malley. “They have a lot of heart, dedication and commitment to make themselves better, but more importantly, make each other better throwers. These young ladies will be the reason we will win a district track title this season.”

“In my 17 years as coach at Father Lopez, this is the first year we have had such a strong core of young ladies as throwers.”

SUE O’MALLEY

The Sandcrabs showed off their superiority in the girls 1,600 run with freshman twins Mackenzie Roy (5:43.71) and Ariana Roy (5:44.99) and junior Nickole Dane (5:55.47) claiming the top three spots. The three distance runners are all ranked among the top eight in Class 3A in the 3,200, but they sat out that race in the meet.

“They say the 3,200 is too much like cross country,” Meyers-Sinett said. “So I was giving them the opportunity to run in other events.

Mackenzie Roy finished fourth in the 300 hurdles.

Seabreeze's Hayden Herndon finished second in the boys 1,600 with a time 4:56.48 and was fourth in the 3,200. Brian Blackwood was third in the 3,200 and fifth in the 1,600.

Seabreeze also won two relays — the girls 4x800 and the boys 4x100. In sprints, Seabreeze’s Keandre Workman finished second in the boys 200 (23.50) and third in the 100 (11.50). Grant Scrabis was second in the boys 300 hurdles. Morgan Long was second in girls triple jump, while Christian Pacheco was second in boys triple jump.

Father Lopez had three other runner-up finishes: Gavin Greathouse (javelin), Antwan Scott (shot put), and Rachae Gibson (long jump).