Eliana Black added two more medals to a high school résumé that already pointed her toward Tuscaloosa.
The Northside Christian senior and University of Alabama commit won the Class 1A girls 800 meters in 2:13.32 on May 6 at the FHSAA state track and field championships, then placed in the 1,600 in 4:47.64. She closed out a senior year that began with a 1A state cross country title in November.
Black’s performance headlined a strong showing for Tampa Bay area schools across the four-day meet at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium, which crowned champions in Classes 1A through 4A from May 6-9.
St. Petersburg Catholic junior Louison Guilhem matched Black with a pair of 1A field event titles, winning the high jump at 1.62 meters and the triple jump at 11.74 meters.
Admiral Farragut swept the 1A girls relays it entered, taking the 4x100 in 47.97 and the 4x400 in 3:55.57. Junior Lauryn Burgess was runner-up in the 400 in 54.84 and third in the 200 in 24.82.
Northside Christian’s Kayla Gross won the 1A girls javelin at 38.09 meters. Teammate Carter Grigg was third in the 100 in 12.27, and the Mustangs finished third in the 4x100 in 49.17.
Indian Rocks Christian senior Anthony Cavallaro-Howard won the 1A boys shot put at 15.99 meters and was runner-up in the discus at 52.64 meters. Golden Eagles teammate Seth Fitchett took second in the triple jump at 14.34 meters.
Indian Rocks Christian’s Ella Helm won the 1A girls 400 hurdles in 1:00.61 and was second in the long jump at 5.75 meters. The school’s 4x800 relay finished third in 9:43.66.
In Class 4A, Largo had two state champions of its own.
Freshman Kylen Monk won the boys 200 in 20.91 seconds May 9, and senior Laiana McClinton defended her 100 title in 11.46 — nearly three-tenths faster than her winning time a year ago. She placed third in the 200 in 23.64.
Largo junior Isaiah Howdeshell, the Packers’ football kicker, was runner-up in the 4A boys 3,200 in 9:02.04. East Lake sophomore Hayden Higgins won the 4A girls long jump at 5.83 meters.
In Class 2A, Lakewood’s Khalan Davis finished second in the boys 400 hurdles in 53.11. The Boca Ciega girls were third in the 4x100 in 48.14.
Quick hits
Osceola, Calvary Christian fall in regional finals
Pinellas County’s last two baseball teams alive in the playoffs are out.
Osceola and Calvary Christian both lost their best-of-three regional final series, ending strong seasons one round shy of the state semifinals.
Osceola, the Class 4A Region 3 No. 3 seed, opened on the road against top-ranked Jesuit with a 2-1 upset behind Leo Alvarado, who allowed one earned run and struck out seven over 5⅔ innings. Rick Stegbauer and Blake Dubiel drove in the Warriors’ runs.
The Tampa power answered. Jesuit, a seven-time state champion, won 14-1 in Game 2 and 6-2 in the decisive third game.
Calvary Christian’s series with North Broward Prep in Class 3A followed a similar script. The Warriors dropped Game 1 at home 3-0, then rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh in Game 2 to steal a 6-5 win. Jase Traina, Tripp Fecarotta and Micah Murton each had three hits.
North Broward, a recurring postseason obstacle for Calvary, closed out the series with an 8-7 win.
East Lake flag football back in state semis
East Lake’s flag football team is one win from a state final.
The Eagles beat Tampa Bay Tech 20-14 on Friday to win the Class 3A regional final and advance to next week’s state semifinals at the AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa.
The Tarpon Springs school’s only loss in nearly a month came in the District 3A-10 final, a 7-0 setback against Bradenton Manatee. East Lake has since outscored Riverdale, Parrish and Tampa Bay Tech by a combined 100-21 across the regional playoffs.
The state semifinals and championship are set for next week at the Buccaneers’ practice facility.