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Track: Wharton heads track medalists

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By BILL WARD

wward@tampatrib.com

Published: May 9, 2009

WINTER PARK - Things could have turned out a little better for Tampa Bay area teams in Friday's sweltering Class 3A state track and field championships. But local individuals sure seemed to be standing on top of the medals podium on a regular basis.

Despite Wharton's girls missing out on their second straight runners-up trophy from the meet, Wharton's Amani Bryant, London Enos and Sean Obinwa earned gold medals, as did the Wildcats' boys 4x800 relay team of John Grellner, Nick Swain, Gilbert Rodriguez and Obinwa.

Marissa McElveen of Blake and Kamran Joyer of Wesley Chapel also made it to the top of the podium. And Hillsborough's Terrence Mitchell almost made it, taking second in the long and triple jumps. His team finished fifth, just four points out of second place.

Joyer got the day started right for the area, taking first place in the shot put with a lifetime best of 59 feet, 7.5 inches. Joyer, who is headed to the University of South Florida on a football scholarship, began the season as something of an unknown. But after rising to the top of the state honor roll by midseason, he was the man to beat in the shot put by Friday's championships.

"I knew I had that throw in me - I really thought I would throw 60 feet," said Joyer, who plans to compete in track for the Bulls next season. "Not everyone knew about me this season, but I hope they do now."

Mitchell scored big points for the Terriers, adding a fifth in the 300-meter hurdles to his second-place efforts in his two jumps. But Hillsborough's hope of taking the team title came unraveled when star sprinter Lindsey Lamar strained his hamstring in the 100 prelims. He wound up false starting in the 100 final and, after the hamstring worsened, was unable to run the 200 and 400.

Just last week at regional, Lamar won all three events. With him, the Terriers could have easily taken second place to eventual meet champion St. Thomas Aquinas.

McElveen had her share of disappointment last week in the regional, when she fouled on all her qualifying attempts of the long jump and failed to reach the state meet in an event she could have won. Instead, she came here determined to win the triple jump. Even though she competed with a strained hamstring, she earned her first gold medal here, jumping 39 feet, 9 inches. She had been here every year of her prep career and had silver and bronze to her credit - but never gold until now.

"I do feel a sense of redemption," said McElveen, who has verbally committed to Florida A&M. "I feel excited to be headed to that next level, where I'll be competing against people way better than me."

Bryant is headed to the next level, with a University of Florida scholarship. She said she could have done better in the 100 hurdles, where a mild collision with the fourth barrier knocked her into second. But she says she was pleased with posting a lifetime best there (14.78) and the 300 hurdles (42.80), the event she entered as defending state champ.

"I wish I had that 100 hurdles race back but all in all, it was a good day," Bryant said.

While Bryant was an established talent, Obinwa is arguably one of the biggest surprises of the season in Florida. He only started running track four months ago and only came out after not making Wharton's soccer team. Friday, he won the 800, going from sixth to first in the last 200 to win in a personal best of 1:53.56. He started the day as anchor man on the Wildcats' winning 4x800 and ended the day anchoring their third-place 4x400 (3:18.60)

"The first time I stepped on the track, I just said 'Where is God going to take me?'" Obinwa said. "I knew this is my last year of high school and I really hadn't done much until now. I left it in His hands."

Enos, a junior, won her first state title, taking the pole vault at 11 feet.

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