ORLANDO, Fla. – Mission accomplished for Octavious Freeman.
Octavious Freeman is the best female
sprinter in the nation and she proved
it Saturday in Orlando.
Photo by Kirby Lee
The
Lake Wales (Fla.) senior won the 100 meters in 11.21 and the 200 in 22.96 for the fastest times in the nation this season at the 35th Golden South Classic at The First Academy on Saturday. The performances earned Freeman female athlete of the meet honors for the fourth consecutive year.
Freeman won both sprints decisively over
Boyd Anderson (Lauderdale Lakes) junior Shayla Saunders, who was second in both sprints in 11.50 and 23.45. Freeman also ran the second leg on the Lake Wales 4 x 100 relay that placed second in 45.53.
In the 100 aided by a 0.3 mps tailwind, Freeman is approaching her career-best of 11.16 that led the nation in 2010 and her wind-aided mark of 11.11 run as a junior that ranks as the third fastest under all conditions on the all-time high school list.
It was Freeman's performance in the 200 (0.1 mps), her first time under 23 seconds, though, that was most sentimental for the Central Florida-bound runner. Freeman took more than two tenths of a second off her best of 23.24 as a junior on a humid evening that included an hour delay because of lightning.
"The main focus was to come in here and get a PR in the 200," Freeman said. "That was a big accomplishment. That was the biggest thing at this meet. There's always room for improvement but this was a surprise."
Park Vista sophomore Chris Grinley
recorded the best 400 hurdles time
in the nation on Saturday.
Photo by Kirby Lee
Freeman's sprint double was among three nation-leading marks in the Golden South Classic along with
Park Vista (Lake Worth) sophomore Chris Grinley in the 400 hurdles at 52.81.
First Academy (Orlando) senior Ansley Gebben, who has committed to play volleyball at Liberty University, won the girls' 400 hurdles in 59.90 for the No. 2 time in the nation.
The biggest upset came in the 100 meters where
Jones (Orlando) sophomore Levonte Whitfield outleaned Alabama state champion Aaron Ernest of Homestead, 10.31 to 10.34 (0.0 mps).
Whitfield is the cousin of Marvin Bracy of Boone, the national leader in the 100 at 10.28 who scratched from Saturday's meet after suffering a bruised right shoulder in a spring football game.
Whitfield slashed .16 off his previous best of 10.47 to move into a tie for second on the yearly 100 list with Covina (Calif.) senior Remontay McClain at 10.31. Ernest, the male athlete of the meet, rebounded to win the 200 in 20.89 over Stanton College Prep (Fla.) freshman Kendal Williams (21.16). The prelims featured a 20.98 clocking by Douglas Byrd (NC) senior Eric Winfrey.
Levonte Whitefield outleaned Alabama state champ Aaron Enrest in a thrilling 100-meter-race.
Photo by Kirby Lee
Other highlights included:
Jackson (Miami) junior Robin Reynolds, the 2010 national leader in the 400, won in 54.10 after running 53.78 in the prelims.
West Orange (Winter Garden) junior Der 'Renae Freeman, the 4A state long jump champ, won the girls' long jump at 19-4 despite a sprained left ankle. Freeman also teamed with Tynia Gaither of
Osceola (Kissimmee), Justice Donald of
Boone (Orlando) and Osceola's Atarah Clark to set a meet record of 45.58 in the 400 relay.
Northern Durham (N.C.) senior Blake Williams won the mile in 4:12.96 with a 58-second final lap.
Benton (La.) senior Katlin Flattmann won the girls' mile over Stephanie Schappert of Pope John Paul senior Stephanie Schappert, 4:53.26 to 4:56.54. Schappert won the 800 in 2:12.50.
Boyd Anderson (Fla.) junior Bruce Barclay won the 110 hurdles in 14.40. Junior Jenn Mulern won the girls 100 hurdles in 14.04.
St. Pius (Ga.) senior Nikita Kirillov won the boys pole vault at 16-5 and Trinity (Fla.) senior Lindsey Enders was the girls winner at 12-6.
Monroe (Ga.) junior Mimeiuz Land won the girls' triple jump at 39-7¼, the high jump at 5-4 and placed third in the long jump.
