By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Tynia Gaither heard all season that she was favored to win the Class 4A sprint championships.

The Osceola High junior had all the credentials. She was the defending 100 meters champion and she was seeded first in both the 100 meters and 200 meters races at the state meet Saturday at Winter Park.

“It was something that was said to me by a lot of people, the other runners and their coaches, that I was supposed to win,” she said.

Gaither disappointed no one.

She easily won the 100 meters with a personal record time of 11.58 seconds.

About one hour later, she held the gold medal for the 200 meters as well, producing a 23.58-second burst, another PR.

“It was a relief to finally be able to get it over with,” Gaither, a junior, said. “There definitely was pressure.”

Another county athlete responded to pressure like a champion at the Class 3A state meet Friday when Harmony senior discus thrower Chris Bolinger, on his last attempt, delivered a school record 179-8 throw that won first place over Niceville’s Charlie Tidwell.

Earlier, Tidwell threw a personal record 175-6 on his last throw, bumping Bolinger from first place.

“I was leading all the way to the final round, then he threw 175,” Bolinger said. “I didn’t know what to think, except to beat him I had to break (the school) record,” he said.

Bolinger said he couldn’t watch his winning throw.

“I didn’t feel it leave my hand, that’s usually when I have my best throws,” he said. “But, I couldn’t watch. I was too nervous.”

Bolinger didn’t know he was the state champion until the official called out the distance.

“I had no idea how far it was. When I heard, I just  jumped into his (Tidwell’s) arms,” he said.

Harmony throws coach Steve Landram said, “He made one of the greatest clutch throws, not only to win a state championship, but to set the school record.”

Nate Donley, who finished fourth for Harmony at last year’s state discus meet as a senior, went to the state meet to support his former teammate.

“He was as happy about it as I was,” Bolinger said. “He said if anybody else had (broken the school record) he would have been mad.”

Donley, a Valencia Community College student, missed the state championship by inches when his throw of over 180 feet went out of bounds at last year’s state meet.

“That really made me proud to see Nate at the meet cheering Chris on,” Landram said. “It was a very special day.”

Two years ago, Landram coached Caitlyn Breen to the Class 2A girls discus championship at Harmony.

Bolinger, a senior, was the top seed in the event and became the first Harmony male to win a state track championship. He was the only Harmony athlete at the meet.

Osceola’s Gaither beat Everglades High senior Darshay Davis in both the 100 meters and 200 meters races.

“I knew she would be my main competition in the 100, because she had run an 11.7, and nobody else was close,” Gaither, who won gold in the 4 x 100 relay for OHS last year, said.

The 200 meters race was expected to be a showdown between Gaither and Ebony Eutsey of Miami Southridge.

But, before the race started, Eutsey jumped from the blocks early and was disqualified for a false start.

“There were people there who were wondering about that,” Osceola Coach Eric Pinellas said. “She knew that she was going to have to run a 23.5 to beat Tynia, and she had never run faster than 23.6. She probably knew she didn’t have a 23.5 in her, so, who knows?”

Gaither said she felt relief at first when she saw Eutsey, the 400 meters state champ, jump, but she also had to regain her composure for the race.

“I knew Ebony was going to push me and bring out my best time,” said Gaither.

As it turned out, the Osceola High sprinter didn’t need a push from anyone as she effortlessly won the 200 meters by a wide margin.

“Definitely, it was my best race this year,” she said. “I’m usually a little tight in these races, but I was able to loosen up. I’ve been working on relaxing this year, and that helped.”

Gaither, with four gold medals, two from 2009 and two more this season, is the most successful female athlete in county history.

Three Celebration athletes placed at the Class 3A meet Friday.

Sophomore pole vaulter Jessica Harter jumped 10-6 to take fifth place.

Tyler Osorio, a junior, placed fifth (49.47) at 400 meters for the Celebration boys, and senior Marcus George (14.51) was sixth in the 110 meters hurdles.

St. Cloud senior Diana Martinez placed in two events: third (123-7) in the discus and eighth (37-8) in the shot put.

Celebration’s Chilly Cancela (11th, triple jump), St. Cloud’s Luke Gardner (14th, 300 meters hurdles) and St. Cloud’s 4 x 800 relay (15th) also participated.

Pensacola Pine Forest (92) won the girls championship and Charlotte (48.5) took the boys title.

At the Class 4A meet, Osceola sprinter Defario Phillips ran 10.75 at 100 meters and placed 10th. Liberty high jumper Hudson Cadet (6-4) placed 12th.

Miami Northwestern (85) won the Class 4A girls championship. Osceola (20) was 9th, the fourth straight year OHS placed among the top 10. St. Thomas Aquinas (69) won the 4A boys championship.