By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Osceola High graduate Tynia Gaither ran the 100 meters in 11.92 seconds at the adidas Dream 100 sprint at New York City last weekend, placing third against a nine-member field composed of the nation’s best high school sprinters.

Lake Wales’ Octavious Freeman (11.78) won the race. Myasia Jacobs (11.90)  of Paramus, N.J., edged Gaither for second place in a race run into a 2.8 mph headwind at Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island.

The weather conditions prevented the runners from coming close to their personal records. Freeman has a best time of 11.21 at 100 meters and Gather ran 11.41 seconds while winning the Class 4A state championship last month.

Gaither, speaking after the race to runnerspace.com, said that she enjoyed the experience, but she is happy that it is over.

“There definitely is a sense of relief,” she said. “I was just ready to get it over with because we knew the weather wasn’t going to be good.”

Orlando Boone’s Marvin Bracy won the boys 100 meters championship in New York.

Gaither said she got off to a good start at Saturday’s race.

“Coming out of the blocks I was in better shape than I thought I would be,” she said.

Osceola High girls track coach Eric Pinellas said Gaither did most of the preparation for the New York race on her own. Gaither will compete at the University of Georgia next season.

“She was all right with it considering the circumstances,” Pinellas said. “I don’t thing she has anything scheduled now except for the  Pan Am Junior Games (at Miramar in late July).”

Gaither said after Saturday’s race that she may reconsider a previous decision not to run for The Bahamas, her native country, in international competitions this summer.

“I’m a little disappointed with the way I ran here, so I’m definitely reconsidering that decision. I think now I will,” she said.

Last year, Gaither traveled to Singapore for the Youth  Olympic Games.

Gaither said that even though she didn’t win the race that she enjoyed the trip to New York.

“Definitely, because it was my first time here, and I had an opportunity to meet with a lot of the best high school sprinters who are the people who are going to take this sport to the next level,” she said.

Gaither won six state championships while competing at Osceola High, the most ever for an Osceola County athlete.

She will begin her career at Georgia in August.