By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

District track meets for local teams get under way Friday at 11 a.m. when Poinciana hosts the 2A-8 meet.

Several Eagles should advance to the regional meet next week, Coach Rusty Gould said.

Gould said the team may challenge for the district team championship as well.

“We could do it,” he said. “On paper we are third, there is a tie for first (Lake Wales and Frostproof). I think we have an outside shot to win or be runner-up, but we better have the meet of our lives.”

Most 2A-8 teams come from Polk and Highlands counties: Lake Wales, Lake Placid, Avon Park, Mulberry, Sebring and Tenoroc. Wachula Hardee also will compete.

Lake Wales brings the No. 1 female sprinter in the nation, senior Octavious Freeman, who ran a 11.29 100 meters at the Florida Relays recently. Freeman, who signed with  UCF, owns the 100 meters and 200 meters state championships, and is favored to repeat in those events and the long jump at the state meet later this month.

Poinciana’s Kanina Bonner, third at 100 meters (12.89) at the Orange Belt Conference meet in St. Cloud last week, isn’t as fast as Freeman, but she could place among the top four and move on to the regional.

Majjdah Barnett (4-8) will attempt to qualify for regionals in the high jump, and Estelle Esperance (2:33.19) and Gabriella Rodriguez (2:36.84) finished second and third, respectively, at the OBC meet.

In the boys meet, Poinciana sprinter Ronald Decomo was second in the 200 meters (22.63) and 400 meters (50.56) at the OBC meet. He won the long jump (21-5.5). Michael Cirino (11.46 in the 100, fifth) also may advance to the regional, which is April 21 at Lake Highland Prep.

The Class 2A state meet is April 30 at Winter Park.

Class A and 2A district meets begin one week earlier than the Class 3A and 4A meets.

St. Cloud will host the 3A-6 district meet Wednesday at 10 a.m. Celebration and Harmony also will participate, along with Edgewater, Daytona Beach Mainland, New Smyrna Beach, Oak Ridge and Oviedo.

The St. Cloud girls won the Orange Belt Conference championship with strong performances by Anaya Reid (2:28.36), winner at 800 meters, Ashlyn Stadtlander, first at 1,600 (5:34.46) and 3,200 meters (12:58.24). Cierra Adams was second (34-6) in the shot put.

Harmony’s Kendall Pollock (100-9) won the discus.

St. Cloud (10:22) and Harmony (10:52), first at second at the OBC meet, have two of the best 4 x 800 relays in the district.

Celebration’s Jessica Harter, who scratched at the conference meet, is one of the state’s top pole vaulters.

Celebration’s Tyler Osorio, winner of three individual  championships (100, 400, triple jump) at the conference meet, and teammate Quincy O’Connor, the champion at 1,600 and 3,200 meters, are expected to make the Storm a favorite to win the boys district championship. Celebration’s Zach Dyer (137-3) edged Harmony’s Matt Foulke (136-5) for the OBC discus title. Harmony shot putter Carson Sherrod (46-5) is a district favorite after winning at the OBC meet, and Daniel Foshee (15.40) won the high hurdles for Harmony.

Harmony’s Matt Henning (10:07.98), second at the OBC race, is one of the top distance runners in the district, along with St. Cloud’s Carlos Perez, Matt Cole, Antonio Montalvo, Eric Ratliff and Bailey Morgan.

Wedley Charles won the 300 meters (41.12) hurdles for the Bulldogs.

“We should do pretty well. Both our boys and girls distance runners are looking pretty strong,” St. Cloud Coach Kevin Harkema said.

Harmony will host the regional meet April 28. The Class 3A state meet is May 6.

Liberty, Osceola and Gateway go to Winter Park’s Showalter Field April 21 for the 4A-4 district meet.