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Friday, 08 April 2011 15:12
By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
After Liberty won its second consecutive Orange Belt Conference boys track championship Thursday, Coach Robert Pauley expressed his feelings like this: “It’s like waking up Christmas morning and you know you’re going to get presents.”
The Chargers (149) had only one champion, pole vaulter Guelmi Salgado (12-0), but Liberty collected enough second- and third-places to hold off Celebration (138.5) at St. Cloud’s Gannarelli Field.
The Storm was led by University of Florida signee Tyler Osorio, who won three individual events and also anchored the winning 4 x 800 relay team.
Osceola (98), Harmony (90), St. Cloud (82), Gateway (49.5) and Poinciana (47) followed.
The host St. Cloud Lady Bulldogs (167) won the girls meet for the first time since 2006 over Osceola (146.5), Liberty (127), defending champion Harmony (81), Gateway (62), Celebration (37) and Poinciana (31).
St. Cloud’s Ashlyn Stadtlander, the cross country runner of the year, led the way by winning the 1,600 (5:43.6) and 3,200 (12:58.24) meters titles. Anaya Reid (2:28.36) won at 800 meters and the Lady Bulldogs were first in the 4 x 800 (10:22.52, Stadtlander, Reid, Katelyn Stadtlander, Karissa Solorzano) relay.
“Our girls did an awesome job. They all pulled together to get every little point to win,” Coach Ettie Singleton, in her first season at St. Cloud, said. “I’m so proud of them.”
Liberty collected the championship despite losing many team members over the course of the season due to disciplinary reasons, Pauley said.
“We have 60 left, and probably about 150 when we started,” he said after the meet. “We have standards here, not that the other programs don’t, but we have expectations, and they understand that if they don’t meet those expectations, they won’t remain a member of this team. I had to take the uniform of one of our better athletes (Wednesday) because he skipped a class. The athletes who are here made sacrifices, and I’m very happy for them, especially the seniors who have been here four years. Coach (Ray) Hines and our assistant coaches have done a tremendous job with them.”
Robbie Johnroe finished third (4:40.12) in the 3,200 run to ensure Liberty’s win.
“I told Robbie before that race that if he doesn’t finish in the top five, we don’t win,” Pauley said. “He’s a basketball player. I told him, ‘There’s three seconds left and the ball’s in your hand.’ He got third. That’s the kind of effort we got from our men today.”
Marion Brown (400, long jump, triple jump), Divanti Bedford (high and low hurdles), Robert Smith (high jump), Joey Graham (pole vault), Felix Betancourt (pole vault), Stefan Morales (shot put, discus) and Alberto Martinez (shot put) all finished fourth or higher in their events. The Chargers were third in the 4 x 100 and fourth in the 4 x 400 relays.
Osorio was spectacular for Celebration, edging Osceola’s Defario Phillips in the 100 meters (10.79) and winning the triple jump (42-10) and the 400 meters (49.58).
He was exhausted after running the anchor for the 4 x 800, which also included Quincy O’Connor, John Raemisch and Foster Starks.
“I wanted to do the best I could to give us a chance to win,” he said.
Teammate O’Connor, the male cross country runner of the year, did his part by winning the 1,600 (4:29.66) and 3,200 (9:57.78).
Also winning boys championships were Osceola’s Phillips (22.28) in the 200 and Jared Mullins (6-0) in the high jump; Poinciana’s Ronald Decomo (21-5.5) in the long jump; Gateway’s Bryan Cudjoe (2:01.38) at 800 meters;  Harmony’s Carson Sherrod (46-5) in the shot put and Celebration’s Zach Dyer (137-3) in the discus.
Osceola won the 4 x 100 (43.96) with Reggie Hall, Phillips, Oscar McGee and Marquis Hegwood. St. Cloud claimed the 4 x 800 (8:20, Sean Wood, Bailey Morgan, Matthew Cole and Carlos Perez).
“Liberty killed us in the field events. We just couldn’t get quite enough to catch them,” Celebration Coach Joel Fox said. “Tyler and Quincy did a tremendous job. We have a chance to be pretty successful in the district and regional meets with them.”
St. Cloud’s girls got critical points from Katelyn Stadtlander (2nd, 1,600), Karissa Solorzano (3rd, 3,200), Kirsten Chambers (3rd, 100), Diana Gatlin (2nd, 300 hurdles, 3rd high jump),  Jaquita Manning (3rd, triple jump) and Cierra Adams (2nd, shot put).
Osceola, as expected, dominated the sprints with four-time state champion Tynia Gaither, who won the 100 (11.88) and 200 (24.41). Atarah Clark (59.25) won the 400, Jameshia Gant (15.65) won the high hurdles and Vallerie Norgaisse (48.37) won the low hurdles.
The Kowgirls won the 4 x 100 (49.55) with Gant, Jodiann Crooks, Charlie Muzeka and Gaither, and the 4 x 400 (4:06.39) with Norgaissee, Chelsea Thomas, Crooks and Clark.
“It was what I expected. They (St. Cloud) had too much distance,” Osceola Coach Eric Pinellas said. “I’ll tell you who the story was for us, Vallerie Norgaisse. She ran great.”
Liberty was strong in the field events, where Kelila Naules (5-2) and Kadijah Brown (5-2) were 1-2 in the high jump and the long jump (Naules, 17-1.25; Brown 16-6.5). Liberty’s Danyell Kates (35-10) won the triple jump and Naules (35-8.75) was second. Kahmalia-Kalee Sada (35-1) won the shot put.
Pauley credited Chargers jumps coach Mickey Smith with the team’s outstanding field event effort.
“It was something I did for 10 years in high school and college. It’s a good feeling to see the kids succeed,” Smith said.
Harmony’s Kendall Pollock (100-9) won the discus and Katie Moschouris (7-0) won the pole vault.
Poinciana will host the 2A-8 district track meet Friday. St. Cloud will host the 3A-6 district meet April 20. Harmony, Celebration also will compete. Osceola, Liberty and Gateway go to Winter Park April 21 for the 4A-4 district meet. The top four in each district event advances to the regionals.
 

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