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Jesuit's Revord earns gold

TBO.com photo by BILL WARD

Jesuit's Connor Revord (right) takes the baton from Jordan Schilit en route to the Tigers' gold medal.

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By BILL WARD | TBO.com

Published: May 3, 2009

WINTER PARK When the meet was finally over, Connor Revord said he was probably feeling a mix of relief and joy about winning his first individual state title in track and field.

The Jesuit senior had come to the state championships five previous times, and from all those appearances, he had earned three silver medals in solo races. True, he had also won two golds, but those came in the 4x800-meter relay, where he had some help.

In his last chance to win his own crown, Revord came through with gold in the 1,600 at the Class 2A championships at Showalter Field. Sure, his winning time of 4 minutes, 21.51 seconds wasn't his fastest mile and it wasn't a blistering race for a state meet. But when the 14 other competitors allowed it to come down to the last 400, they practically handed the race to Revord.

In fact, they also allowed his teammate, Jordan Schilit, to turn on a strong kick to slip into second place at 4:22.89.

"I knew that if it was a race for one lap, I had a good chance to win and Jordan had the second-best kick," said Revord, who is headed to Penn State next fall. "It's a great feeling to finally win it but it was really more of a relief more than anything else to finally get the monkey off my back."

It was also a special moment for Revord's father, who has coached his son since he was 7.

"It's been a long work in progress," David Revord said. "I'm really happy for Connor and for Jordan, too."

Revord came back to finish second to Robinson senior Darrin Gibson in the 800. With the points Jesuit got from its first-place 4x800 relay team of Revord, Schilit, Mike McEnany and Logan Trimble, a second-place effort from Schilit in the 3,200 and podium finishes from the 4x400 and pole vaulter Pat Beane, Jesuit walked away with its second runner-up trophy in the last four years. Miami Monsignor Pace was the boys team champion (82 points) while Jesuit had 47.

The race between Gibson and Revord in the 800 final was one of the best of the meet. Gibson did his usual blistering first 400 in just more than 55 seconds and gapped the field by several meters, and Revord was in the back of the pack. Gibson still led with 200 to go but Revord turned on another kick to close to within a few feet of Gibson in the final 100.

That's where Gibson found a final gear to hold off Revord and win Robinson's first state track title in decades at 1:53.38. Revord ran 1:54.25.

Early in the meet, Berkeley Prep junior Auston Chen got things off to a good start for the area when he produced a lifetime best throw in the discus of 171 feet. That was good for the bronze medal and broke his own school record for the fifth time this season.

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